Your First Takeoff

1. 1

   Create or open a workspace

   From the dashboard, create a new markup or open a recent one. Each workspace holds its own drawings, markups, and Bill of Quantities.

2. 2

   Add your drawing file

   Drag a PDF into the Files panel or use Upload Files. Photos and scans work too — PNG, JPG, WEBP, and HEIC images are converted to PDF pages automatically.

3. 3

   Open it in a tab

   Double-click the file to open it. Multi-page PDFs get page navigation in the toolbar and a Thumbnails panel for jumping between sheets.

1. 1

   Press S or choose Set Scale

   Pick a dimension printed on the drawing — a labelled wall, a grid spacing, or the scale bar.

2. 2

   Click both endpoints

   Click the two ends of the known dimension, then type its real length and unit. Scale is stored per page, so mixed-scale sets calibrate each sheet separately.

3. 3

   Verify with a second dimension

   Measure another labelled distance with Measure Distance (M). If it matches the printed value, the page is calibrated correctly.

1. 1

   Measure lengths and areas

   Use Measure Distance (M) for runs, Measure Area (P) for floors and surfaces, Perimeter (Shift+N) for boundaries, and Measure Volume (Shift+V) where you need cubic quantities.

2. 2

   Count repeated items

   Press N for the Count tool and click each door, fixture, or fitting. Markers number themselves and group into one running total.

3. 3

   Name what you measure

   Select a markup and give it a clear subject in the Properties panel — 'Level 1 vinyl' beats 'Area 3' when you review the takeoff later.

Open the Measurements panel to see every quantity grouped by type and unit, with totals at the bottom. Click any row to jump back to the markup on the drawing. If you build priced quotes, add rows to the Bill of Quantities and link them to your measurements so drawing edits keep quantities in sync.

1. 1

   Open File > Export

   Choose Drawing PDF for a marked-up drawing record, or BoQ PDF for a formatted quantities document.

2. 2

   Pick scope and content

   Export the current page or all pages, and choose Document & Markup, Document Only, or Markups Only.

3. 3

   Download and check

   Review the output before sending it — especially scale-sensitive sheets and measurement labels.