How to set a scale on a plan in the Takeoff tool
1. Navigate to the project plan page inside of takeoff that you want to set the scale on.
Tip: Hotkeys & Shortcuts in Takeoff
- Zoom [[[+] or [-] or mouse wheel]]
- Pan [R-CLICK + DRAG\]
- Undo the last dropped point [ESC\]
- Conclude measuring and begin a new measurement [ENTER\]
- Complete a measurement [ENTER ENTER\]
- Add new points along measurement edge [DOUBLE CLICK\]
- Delete a selected point [DEL\]
2. Locate the Scale for the plan you wish to get measurements from.
This is commonly provided under the plan name or to the right in the sheet's information bar.
In this example the scale is 1/4" = 1'-0"
3. Click on the scale Tool in your tool bar to set the scale for all measurements on this
page.
4. The Scale box will appear. In the scale box there are two ways to set the scale; Standard and Calibrated.
Standard: This means that standard fractions are used in relation to the actual size of the object being drawn and the dimensions used on the diagram. Commonly provided in the format: 1/8" = 1'0"
Click on the scale options box to find the scale defined on the plan
5. There are many options available, scroll in the box to find the one that aligns and select the scale you wish to use.
6. Click "Set"
7. To validate your scale you will need a known measurement. In this example, you can see a known measurement of 12 feet. Use the Ruler tool inside of your Markups menu to confirm the scale you selected measures at the same length as the known measurement.
8. Left click at the start of your measurement.
9. Right-click and drag to move the page and left click at the end of your measurement. My ruler measurement is very close to 12 feet, so I trust the scale I selected is accurate.
At this point I can begin performing my measurements using the measuring tool.
10. If you have not been provided with a Standard scale format, you can use the "Calibrated" option to set your scale.
Calibrated: This means you are using a known length on the drawing to set the scale. This is commonly used when graphic scales are provided, the scale provided is inaccurate, or no scale is provided. You must have a known measurement.
Click on the "Scale" tool.
11. Click the "Calibrated" tab in the popup.
12. Enter the known measurement in the field(s) provided and click set.
13. Now you will need to define the known measurement (similar to the way you used the ruler). Align your cross hair with the beginning of your measurement and left click to start.
14. Left click at the end of your known measurement to designate the end. Once compelted, your scale for all measurements on this page has been set based on the known measurement.
15. After you have set the scale on a page, you can check what scale was used in the upper right-hand corner of any page.
