Detailing calculator for metal building detailers to aid in calculating architectural dimensions using arithmetic and trig.
This calculator has two modes - standard and detailing math. Standard math works as any calculator would. Detailing math converts numbers in the following format: Whole numbers in front of a decimal are whole feet. The first two numbers after the decimal represent inches. The next two numbers (digits 3 and 4 after the decimal) represent sixteenths of an inch.
EX: 14.0208 = 14 ft, 2 inches, 8/16 of an an inch (1/2").
With the calculator, you can add 14.08 and 1.08 and not get 15.16, but 16.04 using detailing math. This makes number entry quicker and detailers are accustomed to this entry method already.
In addition, roof slopes are used to figure angles. For instance, entering a 1:12 roof slope will give a 4.7636 angle. Using that angle, you can determine the height of a triangle that is 8 feet wide, for instance.
The calculator uses terms like base, rise, and slope to represent different sides of a triangle.
Base = the flat, longer side of a right triangle (sometimes referred to as 'Run')
Rise = the shorter side of a right triangle
Slope = hypotenuse of a right triangle