Math (Calculate Totals)
In native Revit, calculating totals is inexplicably hidden inside the Formatting tab as a small dropdown menu. Because it is so deeply buried, it is one of the most frequently missed steps when users try to figure out why their Area or Cost schedules are showing blank cells.
Vellum pulls numerical aggregation out into its own dedicated Math tab, making it impossible to miss and incredibly fast to configure.
Setting Aggregations
Section titled “Setting Aggregations”Vellum automatically scans your active columns, filters out text-based parameters, and presents you with a clean list of exclusively numerical columns.
Math
Note: Aggregations require your schedule to have either Itemize every instance unchecked (in the Sorting tab) or a Sub-Footer / Grand Total active to display the calculated results.
Available Math Operations
Section titled “Available Math Operations”You can apply the following operations to any numerical column:
- Sum Totals: Adds all values together (e.g., Total Square Footage).
- Average: Calculates the mean value across all grouped elements.
- Minimum / Maximum: Finds the smallest or largest value within a group (useful for tracking things like the highest fire rating requirement in a grouped wall type).
- Count: Returns the raw number of elements in the group.
Viewing the Results
Section titled “Viewing the Results”Just like in Revit, telling Vellum to calculate a total does not magically force a number to appear if the schedule’s hierarchy doesn’t support it. To actually see your calculated math on the canvas, you must ensure one of the following is true in your Sorting Tab:
- Itemize every instance is OFF: When identical rows compress into a single line item, the Math tab tells Vellum exactly how to combine their numerical data.
- Sub-Footers are ON: If you have itemized instances, turning on a Sub-Footer in your sorting rules creates a dedicated row at the bottom of each group to display your aggregated Math totals.