Digitize library items

  1. Open a job in the Manage Estimates screen.
  2. Open the Takeoff tab.
  3. From the Library panel tab, click to select the library that contains the cost items you need for the current job.
  4. Select the Show Takeoff Items checkboxes to filter cost items based on who created them.

    • My – Cost items assigned to your user ID.

    • Foreign – Cost items assigned to other users.

    • Default – Cost items not assigned to a user.

  5. Open the folder that contains the takeoff item you want to use and select the cost item.
  6. Click on the appropriate takeoff tool, if it is not already selected, and digitize the cost item.
    Note: If you make a mistake while digitizing a cost item, click to undo the last digitized point or press Esc to undo the entire annotation. Once you click Finish, if you need to undo what you have digitized, you have to Manage Annotations.
  7. When you are done digitizing the cost item, click on the speedbar or double-click on the final point.
  8. Modify the following fields as necessary:

    • Reference – This field defaults to the reference of the cost item selected in the Library.

    • Description – This field defaults to the description of the cost item selected in the Library.

    • Comment – Add a comment if needed.

  9. To assign the annotation to a specific layer, click Use Layers. Choose the appropriate layers and click OK.
  10. In the Show As area, select one of the following options for how to show the annotation:
    • Count
    • Length
    • Area
    • Volume
  11. If you selected to take off a volume or if you want to calculate an area using height and length, enter the height of the item in the units specified in the Height field.
  12. Select one of the following options in the Show this form on Takeoff finish area to set when the Finish Takeoff popup window (current window) appears:

    • Always – Finish Takeoff popup window displays after every annotation is finished or an existing annotation is opened.

    • New item – Finish Takeoff popup window displays only when a new annotation is placed on the takeoff.

    • When selected – Finish Takeoff popup window displays only when an existing annotation is opened.

  13. Select the appropriate Send Data To checkboxes to specify where to send the quantity of this takeoff item:
  14. Click one of the following options in the Send Data To group to specify how the quantity of this takeoff item is calculated:

    • Add – Adds the quantity to the Notepad and/or Working Total.

    • Subtract – Subtracts the quantity from the Notepad and/or Working Total.

    • Replace – Replaces the quantity in the Notepad and/or Working Total.

      Note: If you are adding or subtracting values, the units of the takeoff and the Working Total have to be the same.