Performing Takeoffs with the Measure Tool

Before taking a measurement, be sure to calibrate the drawing to a known value. This ensures measurements will be accurate even if scaling occurred at the time of PDF creation.

Length measurements, which calculate a single, linear measurement, are among the most common. For a multi-segment line, like an open perimeter, see Measuring Open Perimeters below.

To take a length measurement:

1. Go to Tools > Measure > Length or press SHIFT+ALT+L. The Length measurement mode is engaged.
2. Enter a description of the measurement in the Subject field on the Measurements panel. This description will appear on the Markups list.
3. To add text that will appear on the markup, enter it in the Label field of the Measurements panel. In the example below, the text "6 inch tall" was entered.
4. Click the end points of the desired length.

Tips:

• Hold down SHIFT to draw lines that are at horizontal, vertical, or 45° angles.
• Length measurement arrows will automatically position themselves inside the extension lines when there is enough room, otherwise they will automatically position themselves outside the extension lines.

Revu typically takes standard measurements in straight lines, but you can add arcs to those lines in order to measure curved areas easily. You can also configure Revu to draw using curves automatically in the Markup Preferences. The example below outlines the basic procedure using an Area Measurement. Refer to the Working with Curved Markups section for more detail.

To take a curved measurement:

1. Go to Tools > Measure > Area or press SHIFT+ALT+A. The Area measurement mode is engaged.
2. Enter a description of the measurement in the Subject field on the Measurements panel. This description will appear on the Markups list.
3. To add text that will appear on the markup, enter it in the Label field of the Measurements panel.

4. Click to define several points around the area. In the following example, five points have been used, numbered 1-5.

   

5. Right-click on the line near point A and select Convert to Arc.

6. Right-click on the line near point B and select Convert to Arc.

   

7. Click and drag the yellow control points to adjust the arc as necessary.

The measurement is updated as you edit the markup shape.

Tips:

• Hold down SHIFT to draw lines that are at horizontal, vertical, or 45° angles.

• Click and drag to place a rectangular shape.
  • Holding down SHIFT while doing so will force the rectangle into a square.

Perimeter measurements are often used to calculate the total length of all sides of a given shape. Though they can appear similar to an Area Measurement, they are not closed shapes, and thus they can be used to calculate the length of a multi-segment line, such as when estimating cable or wiring runs.

To measure an open perimeter:

1. Go to Tools > Measure > Perimeter or press SHIFT+ALT+P. The Perimeter measurement mode is engaged.
2. In the Measurements section on the Measurement panel, the Depth field becomes active. This allows for additional calculations, such as Wall Area, on the Markups list, if desired. Enter the desired value and select the units of measure from the associated menu.
3. Enter a description of the measurement in the Subject field on the Measurements panel. This description will appear on the Markups list.
4. To add text that will appear on the markup, enter it in the Label field of the Measurements panel.
5. Click on each point of the desired shape.
   • To remove the last control point, press BACKSPACE.
6. Press ENTER after placing the last point.

Tips:

• Hold down SHIFT to draw lines that are at horizontal, vertical, or 45° angles.

• Click and drag to place a rectangular shape.
  • Holding down SHIFT while doing so will force the rectangle into a square.

Several measurement markups have the ability to show more measurements than they do by default, including Area, Perimeter and Volume measurements. This can enable a single measurement to serve multiple estimation functions for the same area of a drawing.

• Perimeter measurements can show Perimeter and Wall Area when the Depth is defined.
• Area measurements can show Area and Perimeter as well as Wall Area and Volume when the Depth is defined.
• Volume measurements can show Volume, Area, Perimeter, and Wall Area.

To show all measurements:

1. Right-click the desired markup and select Properties. The Properties panel for the markup appears.
2. Enable Show All Measurements on the Properties panel.

Depending on what type of measurement you selected, the following measurements appear:

• P = Perimeter
• A = Area
• WA = Wall Area
• V = Volume

When an Area or Volume measurement is taken, the values are shown in the center of the measurement. With Perimeter measurements, the values are shown along the last line segment placed. To reposition these values, hold the SHIFT key while you click and drag to the desired location. Here, the measurements of an Area have been repositioned to the lower corner of the markup.