Set the scale

Every sheet has its own scale. TakeoffCraft does not read the scale printed on the drawing; you set it. Until a sheet has one, Linear, Area, Circle and Cut-out refuse to measure on it. Count and Auto count work without a scale.

The sheets list shows each sheet's scale, or No scale. The bar under the open sheet says the same.

Use a preset (when the PDF is printed at full size)

1. Open the sheet.
2. Open the Preset list in the Scale group.
3. Pick the scale printed on the drawing, for example 1/8" = 1'-0" under Architectural. The status bar says "Scale for this sheet: 1/8" = 1'-0"."
4. Check it (below).

A preset assumes the PDF is the real paper size the drawing was made for. If someone made the PDF with "fit to page", or it is a half-size set, the preset is wrong. Calibrate instead.

The full list is in Scale presets.

Calibrate on a known dimension

Use this when there is no printed scale you trust, the set was resized, or the sheet says "not to scale" but has dimensions.

1. Open the sheet and zoom in on a long dimension you know, such as a grid line spacing or an overall building dimension. The longer, the more accurate.
2. Choose Calibrate in the Scale group, or press KK.
3. Click one end of the dimension. Zoom in on each end for precision; you can zoom and pan between the clicks.
4. Click the other end. Hold ⇧Shift to keep the line at 0°, 45° or 90°. The Calibrate this sheet dialog opens.
5. Type the real distance in Real distance, for example 24'-6 1/2", 24.5 (decimal feet), 30" or 7.5 m. See Length, rate and percent entry.
6. Choose Set the scale. The status bar shows the scale as "1" = (n)'", and when it is within 0.5% of a preset it says which one, for example "which matches 1/4" = 1'-0" (pick that preset for an exact scale)". TakeoffCraft goes back to the Select tool.

When the calibration matches a preset, picking that preset gives an exact scale instead of one that depends on where you clicked.

Check the scale

Always check a new scale on a second dimension.

1. Choose Check in the Scale group, or press DD.
2. Click both ends of a dimension printed on the drawing. The status bar shows "Check: 12'-6"" with the same length in decimal feet and meters, and the check line stays on the sheet with its length.
3. Compare it with the printed dimension. If it is off, calibrate on a longer dimension.

Press EscEsc to clear the check line.

Change a scale

Pick another preset or calibrate again. If the sheet already has measurements, TakeoffCraft asks Change this sheet's scale? and says how many measurements will be measured again. Choose Change the scale. Every run and area on the sheet is re-measured at the new scale. You can undo it with ⌘ZCtrl+Z.

Why unscaled sheets are not counted as zero

A mark on a sheet with no scale has no real length or area. TakeoffCraft never counts it as zero, which would quietly make your estimate too low. Instead it:

• leaves those marks out of the totals,
• shows "+(n) unscaled" next to the item in Quantities,
• shows "Incomplete: (n) marks on sheets with no scale (not in the totals)" in the table header,
• writes the count into the notes column of the spreadsheet export.

This can happen when you open a project whose scales were never set. Give the sheet a scale and the marks are counted at once. Count marks are always counted; they need no scale.

Tips

• Set the scale on every sheet you will measure before you start. Scan the sheets list for No scale to find the ones left (the search box looks at sheet names, not scales).
• Details and enlarged plans on the same sheet often use another scale. TakeoffCraft has one scale per sheet; see What is not built yet.
• Metric drawings: pick a metric preset such as 1:100, or calibrate with a metric distance like 6000 mm.