Help Center / Takeoff Studio
Create verified lengths, areas, volumes, counts, highlights, and callout links
Measure directly on calibrated sheets so Foreman AI can use user-verified quantities instead of guessing from drawings.
Takeoff Studio
Set the sheet scale first
Accurate lengths, areas, and volumes require a calibrated sheet. Open Takeoff Studio, select the sheet, and set or verify its scale before measuring.
- Select the correct plan and sheet
- Set the printed drawing scale
- Use calibration when needed
- Keep different scales tied to their sheets
Takeoff Studio
Linear, area, and count tools
LinearClick run points for walls, framing, conduit, cable, fence, curb, trim, and other LF quantities.
AreaTrace a boundary for flooring, roofing, paving, drywall, paint, demo, and other SF quantities.
CountName a count category, choose marker color, and click every matching fixture/device/item.
Takeoff Studio
Cubic yards — dig a hole or a uniform-depth excavation
Open the Area dropdown and choose Cubic Yards. In the setup dialog set the Depth (ft) and the Swell / haul factor, then trace the outline. Takeoff Studio calculates area × depth ÷ 27.
This is the tool for a flat-bottom, roughly vertical dig — basement, foundation, tank pit, pond, or detention basin. The measured volume is bank yards (dirt in the ground). Truck (loose) yards = bank × swell (about 1.25 for common soil) is what actually fills the trucks, and it shows on the object's details.
- Basement / foundation dig
- Trench or tank pit
- Pond or detention basin
- Bank yards + truck (haul) yards
Takeoff Studio
Cut/Fill earthwork — existing vs finished grade
Use the Cut/Fill tool when the ground surface itself changes shape (an existing hillside graded to a finished design), not just a single-depth hole. Click Cut/Fill in the Takeoff Tools row, set the sheet scale, then trace the contour lines the engineer already drew — each contour is one elevation.
Trace the Existing contours (type each elevation; right-click to finish — the elevation auto-steps by your contour interval), then the Proposed/finished contours, and drop Spot grades for single points like finished-floor or pad corners. Press Compute Cut/Fill to build both surfaces, difference them, and get cut CY, fill CY, net export, and a color heat map on the sheet.
Press Send to Takeoff so the cut and fill volumes save as CY line items Foreman AI can use in estimates and bids. A built-in “How it works” guide and hover tips walk you through every step.
- Trace existing + proposed contours
- Spot elevations for point grades
- Cut, fill, net export, and heat map
- Volumes flow into your takeoff for pricing
Takeoff Studio
Highlights and callout links
HighlightName the highlight, then click one corner and the opposite corner to draw a box. Configure color, opacity, border, labels, notes, folder, lock, and AI context.
Callout LinkDraw a source box, choose the destination sheet, then box the linked detail. Use Go to destination and Back to source for navigation.
Takeoff Studio
How chat should respond
If a requested quantity needs interactive tracing, scale, depth, or click-counting and no verified takeoff exists, Foreman AI should guide you to Takeoff Studio instead of inventing a number.
Foreman AI should never claim it drew a markup unless a real markup tool executed successfully.
Use my selected Takeoff Studio objects in the budget.Price the marked concrete area.Build a material list from the saved takeoffs.Keep learning