Skip to content
aindoraaindora

Measuring plans

This page walks through measuring on a plan sheet. For product context, see Takeoff overview. After quantities look right, use Exporting quantities.

Left rail: Tools. Right panel: Quantities. Bottom-left: sheet scale (not viewer zoom).

Steps

Section titled “Steps”
  1. Create a project and upload a plan. From the project list, New project. Name the project, choose a Floor plan: one PDF, or one or more images (PNG, JPEG, WebP). Multiple images become pages. Create.
  2. Choose project units. First open shows Choose units for this project: Imperial (feet, SF, cubic feet) or Metric (meters, m², cubic meters). Confirm. Units also live under Project settings on the tool rail.
  3. Set the sheet scale. Drawing tools need scale. Use a detected suggestion (Accept / Edit), Set scale (notation or preset), or measure a known dimension. See Set scale below.
  4. Create classifications. In Quantities, Create classification. Pick Area, Linear, or Count, then name, color, and kind-specific options. There are no default classifications.
  5. Draw measurements. Activate a classification, then use Area, Linear, or Count (and Subtract / Opening when available). Review totals in Quantities before export.
Measuring area, linear, and count on a floor plan with Quantities totals
Takeoff workspace

Set scale

Section titled “Set scale”

Scale is per sheet. Viewer zoom (bottom-right percentage, zoom to fit) is separate; never treat zoom as scale.

Open it What you see
Detected suggestion Notation chip with Accept, Edit, dismiss
No scale Label No scale and Set scale (bottom-left)
N.T.S. N.T.S. when the drawing is marked not to scale; calibrate a known length
Manual dialog Dialog title Set scale: field Scale from plan, presets (Architectural / Engineering, or Metric), Apply, or Or measure a known dimension on the sheet…
Calibrate Measure known length; click two points; dialog Set scale asks for Known length (ft / in or m), then Apply (or Re-pick end / Cancel)

Drawing tools stay blocked until scale is set. You’ll see Set the sheet scale first.

Classifications

Section titled “Classifications”

Open Create classification from the Quantities panel (plus control or empty-state button). Create flow:

  1. What are you measuring? cards: Area, Linear, Count
  2. Form title like Create area classification (or linear / count)
  3. Fields: Name, Color, plus Pattern (area) or Marker (count)
  4. Create (or Back / Cancel when editing)
Kind What you’ll see Extras
Area Surfaces such as floors, ceilings, and slabs Quantities outputs (up to 3): Area, Perimeter, Volume (with Height), Tile count (Width / Length / Gap). Patterns: Solid, Diagonal, Crosshatch, Dots, Horizontal, Vertical
Linear Length for walls, baseboard, and pipe Optional Wall height (enables wall area and Opening)
Count Fixtures, doors, outlets, and other point items Marker: Circle, Square, Triangle, Diamond, X. Quantity is EA (one marker per click)

Edit classification opens the same form. Kind is locked when items already use that classification. Delete confirms when items exist.

Drawing tools

Section titled “Drawing tools”

Left Tools rail:

Tool Shortcut Notes
Select V Default when scale or active classification is missing
Area D Needs an area classification once any classifications exist
Linear L Needs a linear classification
Count N Needs a count classification; stamps on click
Subtract S Needs an area selected (holes)
Opening O Needs a linear wall with height selected

If a tool is not ready yet, Takeoff shows a short reason such as Create an area classification first, Create a linear classification first, Create a count classification first, Select an area first, or Select a wall with height first.

Area shapes

Section titled “Area shapes”

While Area or Subtract is active, bottom-center Draw shape strip:

Shape Shortcut
Polygon P
Rectangle R
Ellipse C
Arc A

When classifications exist but no items yet: click a pattern swatch (or double-click a row) to draw; for area, click the first point to close; for linear, Enter to finish; double-click to gap (full-height skip).

Quantities panel

Section titled “Quantities panel”

Panel title: Quantities. Groups by kind (Area, Linear, Count) with per-classification rows and derived totals (for example SF / LF style length units from project system, and EA for count).

Useful actions on the panel:

  • Create classification
  • Show / hide classifications on the plan (eye control; isolate with modifier click)
  • Edit / delete classification from row actions
  • Export CSV when the project has exportable measurements (full export steps: Exporting quantities)
  • Collapse / expand (Hide quantities / Show quantities)

Select measurements on the canvas or in the list to inspect, rename, reassign, or remove. Opening rows appear under linear walls that have openings.

Section titled “Related”