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Draw areas, lines and counts

The Area, Linear and Count tools measure what you click on a plan sheet into a condition, a named, colored measurement group with a unit. Areas and lines need a set sheet scale and an estimator seat; counts need only the seat.

What it's useful for

  • A driveway apron or pavement patch has no hatch to pick up, so you trace its corners by hand.
  • A row of identical equipment pads is easier to take off as two-click rectangles than as traced outlines.
  • A round tree well or planter island is measured with one click at its center and one on its edge.

Draw an area

  1. On the Takeoff tab, click Area.
  2. Name the condition, pick a color and unit, then click Create & start drawing.
  3. Click each corner of the area on the sheet.
  4. Double-click, or press Esc, to close the shape.
A new area condition is named, then a parking lot is traced corner by corner and closed, and its selection card reads 10,814.7 SY (square yards).

Draw a rectangle or circle

  1. On the Takeoff tab, click Rectangle or Circle.
  2. Choose Create new condition, or choose Add to existing condition and pick one.
  3. For a rectangle, click two opposite corners.
  4. For a circle, click the center, then a point on the edge.
  5. Keep clicking pairs to draw more; the tool stays armed until you press Esc.
A rectangle goes into an existing area condition with two clicks, then a circle is drawn from its center and edge.

Draw lines and place counts

Linear conditions report LF (linear feet) or LY (linear yards); count conditions report EA (each). Every count click is its own point that you can delete alone.

For a symbol repeated across a sheet, Smart Count can suggest the copies for you to review; see Smart Area, Linear and Count.

  1. Click Linear, set up the condition, then click Create & start drawing.
  2. Click along the run and double-click to end the line.
  3. Click Count, set up the condition, then click once on each item.
  4. Press Esc to stop placing counts.

Edit corners after drawing

  1. Click Select (V), then click the shape to show its handles.
  2. Drag a square corner handle to move that corner.
  3. Drag a round midpoint handle to add a new corner there.
  4. Click a corner and press Delete to remove just that point.
  5. Drag inside the shape to move the whole shape.
A selected shape has one corner dragged outward, then a midpoint handle dragged down to add a new corner.

Limits and checks

  • Snapping locks a new point onto corners of takeoff already on the sheet and of the shape you are drawing. It does not follow the drawing's linework. Hold Alt to place a point without snapping.
  • Area, Linear and Dimension need a sheet scale. Picking one on an unscaled sheet asks for the scale first. Counts work without one.
  • An area needs at least three corners and a line at least two. A shorter draft is discarded without a message, and deleting corners below that minimum deletes the whole shape.
  • If an outline crosses itself, the selection card shows self-intersecting outline. Drag the corners until the warning clears, then check the quantity.

Questions

Does snapping follow the lines on the PDF?

No. Points snap only to corners of takeoff already on the sheet and to the shape you are drawing. Hold Alt while you click to place a point without snapping.

Can I draw before the sheet has a scale?

Counts, yes. Area, Linear and Dimension ask for the scale first, then start once it is set, because their quantities depend on it.

How do I add a corner to a finished area?

Click Select, click the shape, and drag the round midpoint handle on the edge you want to bend. A new corner is added where you let go.

Related questions

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