The Takeoff is where you measure a job. The drawing fills the middle, with the tools floating above it. Pages and scales are on the left, and the Parts, Production and Quote tabs are on the right.
Artwork#
An estimate can hold several files. Use Add file in the left rail to upload another PDF, PNG, JPG or WebP (up to 50 MB each), or From Files to add one or more from your team's Files library. Every page of every file is listed under Pages; click one to open it. Password-protected PDFs can't be read: remove the password first.
Your files are in Files#
Every drawing an estimate uses is kept in Files:
- An upload is saved in a folder for the estimate, under Estimates (the folder the box designer saves an estimate's dielines to). You can rename or move that folder; the estimate still finds it.
- A file from your library isn't copied. The estimate uses the version you picked, and a newer version of the file doesn't change it.
- Duplicating an estimate uses the same files again, and deleting one never deletes them from Files. While an estimate uses a version, that version can't be deleted in Files, and a trashed file stays in the trash (see Files). The file's Activity in Files lists the estimates that use it.
Uploads count toward your team's storage once; a file your team already has costs nothing more. When storage is full, the upload is refused with a message and nothing is added.
Drawing tools#
| Tool | Key | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Select | V | Pick, move and edit parts. Drag a box to select several. |
| Pan | H | Move around the page. Hold Space or the middle mouse button for a moment's pan. |
| Scale | S | Draw along a known dimension. See Setting the scale. |
| Rectangle | R | Draw a rectangular part. Hold Shift for a square. |
| Polygon | P | Click each corner, then press Enter to close the shape. Backspace removes the last point. |
| Dimension line | M | Measure a distance. Dimension lines are never quoted. |
After a part is finished the Select tool comes back. Hold Shift as you finish to keep the tool for the next part. Esc cancels a drawing or clears the selection.
Snapping (N) pulls points to corners of the artwork and to the ends of measurement lines in the PDF. Hold Alt to place a point freely. Edge lengths (D) labels every edge of every part with its real length.
To edit a polygon, drag its points. Alt-click a point to delete it.
Parts, quantities and materials#
Every rectangle and polygon is a part. The Parts tab lists them for this page or for all pages. Select one to see its width, height, area and perimeter, and to change:
- its Name;
- its Material, or + New material… to add one on the spot;
- its Quantity, from 1 to 1,000,000;
- its Scale, when a page has more than one;
- its Notes.
With several parts selected you can set the material or the scale for all of them at once. The Drawing with chip above the canvas sets the material new parts get.
A part without a scale isn't measured, and a part without a material isn't priced; the Quote tab counts both. A polygon whose edges cross itself is flagged Edges cross, because its area would be wrong.
Parts view and sized lines#
An estimate has two views, Parts and Drawing (switch with the buttons above the page or G). The Parts view is a grid with one row per line, drawn or not; drawn rows show "Drawn · p. 2" and keep their measured size.
Lines added in the Parts view have no drawing: they are sized parts, with a shape and a width × height you type, or price-only lines such as a design fee. In the Drawing view the Parts tab lists them under Sized parts; selecting one shows its Size and Shape instead of a scale. They never need a scale.
- Detach from drawing (a drawn row's ⋯ menu) turns a traced shape into a sized one with its measured size (a polygon keeps its outline as a Custom outline); it needs a scale.
- Place on drawing… puts a sized rectangle, rounded rectangle or oval on the current page at the active scale, centred. It keeps its quantity, material and everything else.
- A document can't be removed from an estimate. When document removal is added, its lines must be detached first.
Editing#
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Undo, redo | ⌘Z, ⇧⌘Z |
| Duplicate | ⌘D |
| Select all on the page | ⌘A |
| Delete | ⌫ |
| Nudge (10× with Shift) | arrow keys |
| Fit page, actual size | 0, 1 |
| Zoom in, out | +, −, or pinch and scroll |
| Parts ⇄ Drawing | G |
| All shortcuts | ? |
On Windows use Ctrl where you see ⌘. Shortcuts pause while you type in a field.
Saving#
Your work saves automatically, and the header shows when it's Saved. If you go offline, changes are kept in the page and saved when the connection comes back.
If the same estimate is changed in another tab or by someone else, the Takeoff stops saving and shows a banner: Reload to get the latest version. Edits made in this tab since then can't be saved, so keep one tab per estimate.
Limits#
An estimate can hold up to 2,000 parts and dimension lines, and 200 scales. A polygon can have up to 500 points, and all shapes together up to 50,000 points.