Measure areas with cut-outs

An area item measures enclosed area. Each outline can have holes cut out of it (a shaft, a column, a planter), and its edges can be straight or curved.

Before you start: the sheet needs a scale (Set the scale) and you need an area item (Create takeoff items).

Outline an area

1. Click the area item under Items.
2. Choose Area in the toolbar, or press AA.
3. Click each corner of the room or slab in turn. Hold ⇧Shift for 0°, 45° and 90° edges. From the third point on, the outline fills in and the status bar shows "Area" and "perimeter". A small ring appears round the first point.
4. Close the outline: click the first point (inside its ring), press ReturnEnter, double-click, or right-click. The area is filled lightly in the item's color, labeled with its square feet, and becomes the selected mark.

DeleteBackspace removes the last corner; EscEsc throws the outline away.

An outline that crosses itself is refused: "The outline crosses itself, so its area would be wrong. Draw it again without crossing." Draw a figure-eight shape as two areas instead.

Curved edges

While outlining, turn on arc mode (Arc or RR). After a corner, click a point along the curve, then where the curve ends. To close the outline with a curve, make that last click on the first point. The area and perimeter use the exact curve. Press RR again for straight edges. See Measure linear runs.

A circle

1. With an area item, choose Circle or press OO.
2. Click the center.
3. Click any point on the edge. While you move, the status bar shows the radius and area. The circle is added as an area mark with an exact area and perimeter.

Cut a hole out of an area

1. Choose Select (VV) and click the area. It shows square handles at its corners.
2. Choose Cut-out in the toolbar (or press XX), or Add a cut-out under Selected mark.
3. Click the corners of the hole, inside the area. Arc mode works here too.
4. Close it like an area: click its first point, press ReturnEnter, double-click or right-click. The hole is left unfilled, and the status bar says "Cut-out added. Draw another, or press Esc."
5. Draw more holes in the same area, or press EscEsc.

For a round hole, choose Add a round cut-out under Selected mark, click its center, then a point on its edge.

A cut-out must sit fully inside the area and must not overlap another cut-out. Otherwise TakeoffCraft refuses it: "A cut-out has to sit fully inside the area." or "Cut-outs cannot overlap each other."

To take the last hole out again, choose Remove last cut-out.

Read the area

Select the area. Selected mark shows:

The perimeter includes cut-out edges on purpose, for things like edge forms or base that run round a hole as well. If you need only the outer edge, keep holes out of that item or measure the outer edge as a linear run.

The item's Unit decides how the total is reported: SF, SY or m². The Selected mark panel and the status bar always show square feet.

Fix an area

• Move a corner: select the area and drag a corner handle (holes have handles too). If the new shape would cross itself or push a hole outside, the corner is put back: "The point was put back."
• Move to another item: pick another area item in the Item list under Selected mark.
• Delete: fn DeleteDelete, Delete in the toolbar's More menu, or Delete mark.

Depth for volumes

Give the area item a Depth (for example 0'-4" for a slab) and use A * H / 27 in an assembly component to get cubic yards. See Assemblies and formulas.