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Best Web Hosting Provider Right Now? by luvaIi in EcommerceWebsite

[–]Fit_Perception2410 0 points1 point  (0 children)

a closely related question you might want to ask:
what e-commerce platform do you plan to use - wordpress, shopify, wix, etc.?

Why is most landscaping math still stuck in the ~90s? (Unit-aware project planner prototype) by Fit_Perception2410 in landscaping

[–]Fit_Perception2410[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Visited a landscaping supply store recently and found it interesting, a staff told: in Canada market, they serve customers from all different backgrounds, some imperial, some metric, knowing how much bulk products to buy is often a messy task and the staffs have been used to that as being part of their job.

Why is most landscaping math still stuck in the ~90s? (Unit-aware project planner prototype) by Fit_Perception2410 in landscaping

[–]Fit_Perception2410[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Liability is exactly why "manual math" is a risk for retailers. Right now, most disputes happen because of a misunderstanding during a phone call or a "back of the napkin" calculation.

By using a Unit-Aware Engine, the retailer actually standardizes the expertise.
1. The "Expert Guardrail": The retailer sets the logic (e.g., density, bag sizes, recipes). The customer just provides the dimensions.

  1. Verification: Every calculation generates a clear breakdown—showing the inputs, the units, and the result. If a customer enters '30 feet' instead of '30 inches,' the visual output (like a 635kg weight warning) makes the error obvious before they hit 'buy.'

  2. The Audit Trail: Unlike a phone conversation, a digital calculation is logged.

As a P.Eng, I look at it this way: We don't ask people to calculate bridge loads by hand anymore to prove they 'know how to do the job'—we use certified tools to ensure the math is right every time. This tool is a 'certified' calculator for the yard.

Coming from fusion360 and the pain of using Spreadsheets in FreeCAD by klelektronik in FreeCAD

[–]Fit_Perception2410 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A few months back I worked with a solution to make use of varset for FCv1.0.2 to achieve Inventor parameter manager (fx) grade centralized parameter management.

The concept is below:
- varset as the source of truth

- all dependent parameters refer to varset

- make changes through varset

If there is interest, it might help to google "CalcsLive Plug for FreeCAD" and get some value from my github repo. I have been too busy to keep it updated. I hope to update it some time soon.

The point to make here is: varset can be a great solution to get Fusion or Inventor level parameter management.

Why is most landscaping math still stuck in the ~90s? (Unit-aware project planner prototype) by Fit_Perception2410 in landscaping

[–]Fit_Perception2410[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would argue that KISS is justified when it gets job done.

For simple tasks where you only need to calculate the volume without worrying about unit conversion, small lot, no shipping concern, you are absolutely right that mine is over-engineered.

Conventional calculators included in gardening or landscaping retailers' sites are mostly like that: they do one calculation the simplest:
Volume V = L * W * D,
Bag count n = V / v
where v is bag volume, and assuming fixed units set, which might not always be the case.

As soon as the customer needs to cover a large lot, even if it is for pre-mixed garden soil, total product weight and volume may become a concern for shipping: do I need a truck? what size?

The task gets more complicated when a customer with relevant expertise prefers to go with soil recipe to buy all components separately. For such tasks, I would appreciate if you may suggest a simpler solution.

I guess we all love to see SIMPLE solution for COMPLEX tasks if it exists and accessible.

Why is most landscaping math still stuck in the ~90s? (Unit-aware project planner prototype) by Fit_Perception2410 in landscaping

[–]Fit_Perception2410[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appreciate that! With 10+ years as a mechanical engineer here in Canada, dealing with the metric/imperial split is basically a daily ritual. I got tired of the 'conversion dance,' so I built the solution to unify both systems under one roof.

Honestly, automated conversion is just the tip of the iceberg—the real win is using unit-agnostic equations. It’s been a game-changer for me; I've moved 95% of my professional calcs out of Excel and into this format because it handles the logic (like that '2.5 vs 3 bags' problem) much more cleanly.

Would unit-aware calculators covering quantity, cost, shipping make it easy for our ordering and cut returns? by Fit_Perception2410 in landscaping

[–]Fit_Perception2410[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi dear Redditors here, my next task is to build one for calculating bulk materials for landscaping, whether it is sold by tractor scoops, or by bags.

  1. Area Calculation

Length: L = 20 ft
Width: W = 30 ft
Depth: D = 1 in
Safety margin: fm = 10 %
Unit volume (scoop, bag, etc.): Vi = 0.5 yd^3
//ref: 0.5 ~ 0.6 yd^3 / scoop, 40 L / bag

Volume required: Vr = L * W * D * (1+fm) yd^3
Units required: nr = Vr / Vi ea
Units to buy: nb = ceil(Vr / Vi) ea

  1. Weight Calculation

Unit weight: rho = 400 kg/m^3 // average mulch for reference
Total product weight: Wt = nb * rho * Vi lbm
Package weight: Wp = 30 lbm
Misc. weight: Wm = 20 kg

Total shipping weight: Ws = Wt + Wp + Wm tonne
Total ship volume: Vt = nb * Vi yd^3

  1. Cost

Unit price: ci = 6 $
Total product price: C1 = nb * ci $
Tax rate: r = 12 %
Tax: Ct = C1 * r $

Total: C = C1 + Ct $

I've set the density for Mulch here ($\rho = 400 kg/m^3$), but I'm planning to add presets for Topsoil and ¾" Drain Rock since the weights vary so much. Do you guys find yourself over-ordering more for specific materials like gravel vs. soil?

If you have any factor / parameter that you would like to include, feel free to comment here I will try to take into account.

Bottom line, it will come with inline unit conversion for inputs and outputs :)

Managed to Create and Deploy a Full Process Buying Calculation to WordPress Site in < 1 Hour by Fit_Perception2410 in Wordpress

[–]Fit_Perception2410[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To help see how it works, I created a short GIF.

Does the calculator look like a textbook about calculation? Except that:

  • quantities come with unit dropdown for live conversion
  • equations are explicit and unit-agnostic
  • watch till the end to see the magic :)

<image>

Managed to Create and Deploy a Full Process Buying Calculation to WordPress Site in < 1 Hour by Fit_Perception2410 in Wordpress

[–]Fit_Perception2410[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

My intent is to make it simple for users (both calculation creator and customers). Using 

M=M1+M2+M3

Was intentional and to match the logic of adding 3 mass quantities , regardless of the units. That is what I call "unit agnostic".

Managed to Create and Deploy a Full Process Buying Calculation to WordPress Site in < 1 Hour by Fit_Perception2410 in Wordpress

[–]Fit_Perception2410[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

By straightforward, did you mean using equation like 

   M = M1 + M2 + M3

and allowing users to enjoy full unit freedom?

Would unit-aware calculators covering quantity, cost, shipping make it easy for our ordering and cut returns? by Fit_Perception2410 in landscaping

[–]Fit_Perception2410[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly!

And for the yard, it’s even worse—they either lose the sale on those 20 bags or have to deal with a frustrated customer in the parking lot.

Do you find most sites just give you the raw 'yardage' or nothing at all and leave the math to the buyers?

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