Step 3 - Create a Local Variable

Creating a local variable is exactly the same as creating a global variable, except it is local to a specific worksheet or cluster and cannot be used outside of it. So, in order to create one we first need to open the relevant worksheet (or cluster) so that we are inside the Worksheet Editor for that worksheet.

Once there we can select Variables from the Action Tab on the right-hand side of the screen and then use the blue +Create button at the bottom to create a new variable and edit its identifier, description, and expression columns:

A good example of a local variable would be something like wastage. If we wanted to apply a 15% wastage factor to all of our material resources we can create a local Wastage variable with an expression of 1.15 and then multiply all our material resources in the worksheet with w, the wastage variable.

Note: In the example above, we use the identifier w between {} in the transform expression. This is optional, variables can be used either by writing just their identifier, eg. 1*w, or by using curly braces, e.g. 1*{w}.

However, you might have noticed that there is another variable in the screenshot above, namely @p which is our Primary Production variable. By default, Trimble Quest will create an @p Primary Production variable for each worksheet and it is a very good habit to use this variable in any transform calculation where you need to apply a production rate to a time-related resource.

Next topic: Step 4 - Use Primary Production as a Local Variable