Hi Matt,
I understand that you are looking for a formula which adds up the sum of items having a certain type. If you are using a repeating table, then you could use a formula such as:
sum(field1[field2 = "Type1"])
where field1 is the item and field2 contains the type of item. To add this condition, click the filter button after selecting the desired field, in this case field1, and then select field2 for the frist drop down, select the condition (=), and enter the value desired.
But if you are working with non-repeating fields, then you should be able to add fields using a formula such as:
field1 + field2 + field3
Hope this helps.