12.02.00 drawing linear takeoff

Drawing Linear Takeoff video

Linear takeoff is anything measured with a LINE (foot, yard, meter) measurement such as walls, gutters, pipes, and wiring. Depending on the settings you choose for a Linear Condition, On-Screen Takeoff can calculate linear measurement as well as area (using the Condition's Height) and volume (using the Condition's Height and Thickness).

Linear takeoff is drawn using one of two modes: Normal and Continuous.

• By default, when using a mouse, On-Screen Takeoff 'snaps' to 15 degree angles when performing Linear takeoff.  Hold down the <Shift> key to temporarily override the Snap Angle Indicator and/or Snap settings.  These settings may be changed program-wide by clicking Tools > Options and changing Snap Angle settings and/or disabling the Right Angle Indicator.

• Before drawing ANY takeoff, be sure to set and verify the SCALE on EACH page.  See Verifying the Scale of an Image for instructions.

Normal Mode Linear Takeoff

Normal Mode is best for individual segments or linear objects such as non contiguous interior walls.  To take off a linear object in Normal mode,

• Select a linear Condition from the Conditions List
• Click the first point for the linear object
• Hold down the left mouse button
• Drag the cursor to the end point of the linear segment (while holding down the left mouse button)
• Release the mouse button to close (complete) the object
• Repeat for each segment of linear takeoff 

Continuous Mode Linear Takeoff

Continuous Mode is the best way to draw several connected segments, such as all the exterior walls of a building or to follow the contour of a undulating wall (such as an "S" curve).  Simply click the start point, then click any point to draw a line between them, continuing on for each segment, then double-click the end point.

Automatic Continuous Mode

Under Tools > Options there is an option to disable (or enable) Automatic engagement of Continuous Mode.

• If this option is ENABLED, when you are drawing takeoff, when you click and hold your mouse button down, you automatically engage "Continuous Mode".  Once the automatic Continuous Mode engages, hitting <ESC> takes you OUT of Continues Mode.  It can be a little hard to use the first few times you engage it but you’ll get the hang of it.
• If you’ve disabled this option, you must click the "Continuous Mode" button the takeoff tools toolbar to engage Continuous Mode.

To take off a linear object in Continuous mode,

Single Segment

• Select a linear Condition from the Conditions List
• Click the first point for the linear object

• Drag the cursor to the end point of the linear segment (do not hold down the left mouse button)

• Double click at the terminating point

• Repeat for each segment of linear takeoff 

Straight, connected segments

• Select a linear Condition from the Condition List
• Click at the first point for the takeoff object(s), this anchors the starting point
• Drag the cursor to the end of the first segment (don't hold down the mouse button)
• Click the mouse or stylus, the first segment is drawn
• Drag the cursor to the end of the next segment
• Click the mouse or stylus, the second segment is drawn
• Repeat until all segments are drawn
• Double-click the mouse or stylus to complete (close) the final segment

Contours

To take off a linear object freehand in Continuous mode, for example to make a circle or follow a curve,

• Select a linear condition from the Condition List
• Click at the first point for the takeoff object(s), this anchors the starting point
• Hold down the left mouse button (or keep the stylus pressed onto the screen)
• Draw a line that follows the contour (while holding down the left mouse button)
• Double-click the mouse or stylus to complete the contour line

On-Screen Takeoff converts the curved line to straighter, shorter segments based on Intelligent Curve Settings.  Each of these segments is reported in the Condition's Quantity Results if "Segment Count" is selected, see below to fine tune this feature.

See the next article regarding Drawing Arcs (curved segments) for information on drawing a curve that does not get converted to shorter segments.

Intelligent Curve Settings

The Intelligent Curve settings control how the program converts curved (continuous mode) linear takeoff to straighter, shorter segments.

Example:

• Select a Linear Condition
• Click the Continuous Mode button (or, hold down the left mouse button)
• Draw some takeoff  - in this example, an S shaped object (hold down the left mouse button to draw this shape)

  

• Double-click to end this takeoff, On-Screen Takeoff converts this object to several straighter segments

   

  

To adjust the number of segments, select Tools > Options > General and then adjust the slider in the Intelligent Curve Segments field.  This range determines the number of individual segments the linear object is converted to.

Under Tools > Options, there are several options that control how you can draw linear takeoff.  Please see 8.02.00 Options Dialog - General Tab for details.

If you want a curved segment to remain as one object, you'll want to draw an Arc...

Drawing Arcs