Measurement and creating takeoff

BLDON offers a variety of takeoff tools to help users accurately measure, estimate, and manage project quantities and materials. These tools make it easier to perform detailed takeoffs from digital plans, drawings, and documents. Here's a look at some of the common takeoff tools available in BLDON.

Linear Measurement Tool - This tool allows you to measure lengths along a straight line, making it ideal for calculating the length of walls, pipes, or other linear elements in your project.

· Click on Start measurement.

· Click on the Linear tool

· Click the first and the next points accordingly to measure the length.

· Double click to stop the Measurment

· Click Stop measurement

· The calculation toolbox appears. Select next

· The length measured will be displayed. Click Next

· Enter the characteristics like height of wall and no of coats as created in material management and click save.

Linear ARC Measurement

The Linear ARC tool allows you to measure the curved distance along an arc or circular segment. It calculates the actual curved length, not just the straight-line distance, making it useful for measuring elements like rounded walls, curved railings, or arched structures accurately.

· Select the Start Measurement button.

· Click on the Linear Tool from the toolbar.

· Select the Arc Icon within the Linear Tool options.

· Click to mark the first point, second point, and third point on the plan to draw the arc.

· The system will calculate the curved distance based on the three points selected.

Linear Drop Measurement Tool - This tool allows you to measure lengths along a straight line, with counts, making it ideal for calculating the length of walls with columns counts in your project.

· Click on start measurement

· Click on the linear drop

· Click and measure the length with clicks on the columns

· Now the length is calculated with columns as counts

· Click stop measurement and save the measurements as mentioned in the linear measurement section.

Count - The measurement of count refers to accurately determining the number of individual items or elements required for a project, such as doors, windows, light fixtures, or other components.

· Click on start measurement

· Click on the count icon

· Click on the items to be measured as count

· Click stop measurement and save the measurements as mentioned in the linear measurement section.

Select - This icon is used to select the takeoff items created and perform tasks like changing the scale of the takeoff, copying or pasting the takeoff, deleting etc.

· Click on the select icon

· Select the measurement on which the task to be performed

· Delete, move or copy the items

Circle Tool-The Circle Tool helps you quickly calculate the radius, circumference, and area of a circle on your plans. You have two options when drawing a circle:

· Filled Circle – Draws a solid circle, useful for highlighting or measuring enclosed spaces.

· Circle with No Fill – Draws only the outline of the circle, keeping the inside transparent for better visibility of the plan details underneath.

· Choose the option that best fits your measurement or markup needs.

How to Use the Circle Tool

· Select the center point of the circle on the plan.

· Click again to define the radius — the circle will be drawn automatically, and the radius, circumference, and area will be calculated instantly.

Rectangle area: The rectangular area icon is used to calculate the area of a rectangle. In other words, it helps determine the space enclosed within a rectangular shape based on its length and width

Measuring Flat Area and Pitched Area

· When you select Area as the measurement type, you can measure flat surfaces by using the Area Tool. Simply trace the perimeter, and the system will calculate the flat area automatically.

· When you select Pitched Area as the measurement type, you will be prompted to enter the Rise and Run values. Based on these inputs, the pitch angle is calculated automatically. Then, when you use the Area Tool, both the Pitched Area and the Flat Area are calculated and displayed.

This makes it easy to handle both standard flat measurements and sloped surfaces like roofs.

Pitched Linear Tool- By choosing the Pitched Linear Tool and entering the Rise and Run values, the pitch angle is automatically calculated, allowing you to measure sloped linear elements with accuracy.

· Choose the Pitched Linear Tool and enter the Rise and Run values. The pitch angle will be automatically calculated.

· Click Start Measurement.

· Select the Pitched Linear option.

· Draw the linear measurement along the pitched surface to get the accurate length with the calculated pitch angle.

Measurement Markups

The Measurement Markups tool allows you to measure Linear, Multi-Linear, and Area dimensions directly on the plan. These measurements function as markups only and are for reference purposes—they are not included in the Estimate Calculator for cost calculations.

View Markup - When working with software that involves design, estimating, or takeoff (like BLDON), "markup options" typically refer to tools that allow you to annotate, highlight, or add notes to your plans or drawings. These options are crucial for marking areas that need attention or specifying quantities and materials.

· It includes options like Highlight, Cloud, Callout, Dimension, text area, legend and Move page.

· These options are already discussed in the Insert tab of the main menu.

Move page - The "Move Page" option typically allows you to rearrange or reposition pages within a project or document that handles multiple pages.

· Create a folder in the job creation panel

· Select the move page option and select the folder to which the page is to be moved

· Click move.

The pages will get moved to the desired folder that can be viewed in the plans tab

1. Comments - Inserting comments is a common way to add notes, feedback, or observations directly onto a document, drawing, or design. This command is already discussed in the Insert Tab section

2. Rotate - The "Rotate Page" option allows you to adjust the orientation of a page or drawing within a document for better viewing, printing, or presentation.

· Click Rotate

· The page will be rotated

3. Fit to Page - The Fit to Page option automatically adjusts the view of your plan to ensure it fits within the visible area of your screen or printout. This makes it easier to view the entire plan without needing to zoom or scroll.

4. Shortcuts- Keyboard shortcut options provide a quick and efficient way to perform tasks without using the mouse. These shortcuts streamline workflows, saving time when rotating pages, navigating through documents, or performing other actions, enhancing productivity across various software applications.

· Click on the short cut icon to view the shortcuts

· Click close to close the Dialog box

5. Bookmark - The Bookmark option allows users to mark specific sections or pages within a document for easy access later. This feature is especially useful for quickly navigating large files, ensuring important content is easily reachable without scrolling through the entire document.

· Click on the bookmark tool.

· Specify the name and click create

· The bookmarked page will be visible in the bookmark folder in the plans tab.

1. Search & Takeoffs - The Search Takeoff option enables users to quickly find specific items or quantities within a project or document. This tool is essential for efficiently identifying materials, components, or measurements, streamlining the takeoff process and ensuring accurate project estimations.

· Takeoffs on the page can be hidden and then can be made visible using the eye icon

2. Overlay - The Overlay option allows users to place one document or drawing on top of another, often with transparency. This feature is useful for comparing revisions, checking design changes, or aligning plans, making it easier to analyze and review multiple layers of information.

· Click on overlay icon

· Click add overlay

· Select the page to be overlayered

· We can adjust the size of the page overlayered over the other.

· Click on the overlay button agin to view options like View measurements, Hide/Show, Cancel