Area & Volumes
TL;DR: Area and volume tools measure 2D surfaces like rooms and slabs, and 3D quantities like excavation and concrete pours directly on your drawings.
Video Tutorial: Takeoff Fundamentals
Master the fundamentals of performing takeoffs in AedisPro. Learn essential techniques and best practices.
Overview
Area and volume tools are fundamental for quantity takeoffs. Use these tools to measure floor areas, wall surfaces, concrete volumes, excavation quantities, and any 2D or 3D elements in your construction drawings.
Area Tool
The area tool measures 2D surfaces by drawing a boundary around the region you want to quantify. This is one of the most commonly used tools in construction takeoffs.
Common Uses:
- Room floor areas
- Slab and floor finish areas
- Roof surfaces
- Wall surface areas (elevation view)
- Paving and hardscaping
- Ceiling areas
- Tile and flooring quantities
- Paint coverage areas
How to Use:
- Select the Area tool from the toolbar.
- Click to define the boundary of the area you want to measure.
- Continue clicking to outline the shape (rectangles, polygons, irregular shapes).
- Double-click to close the shape and complete the measurement.
- The area is automatically calculated and displayed in the Measurement Tree.
Tip: Use different fill colors in the Element Properties panel to visually differentiate between different room types or finish specifications.
Area Properties
After drawing an area measurement, you can customize it using the Element Properties panel:
- Fill Color – Set interior color to distinguish different zones
- Stroke Color – Outline color for the boundary
- Stroke Width – Thickness of the outline (set to 0 for no border)
- Opacity – Adjust transparency to see drawing details underneath
- Description & Label – Add meaningful names for organization
- Collection – Group similar measurements (e.g., "Floor Finishes", "Rooms")
Volume Tool
The volume tool measures 3D quantities by drawing a 2D boundary and applying a depth/height multiplier. Essential for concrete, excavation, and bulk material takeoffs.
Common Uses:
- Excavation volumes
- Concrete slab and foundation pours
- Fill and backfill materials
- Concrete beams and columns
- Bulk earthwork quantities
- Material stockpile volumes
- Tank and vessel capacities
How to Use:
- Select the Volume tool from the toolbar.
- Draw the boundary area (just like the area tool).
- Double-click to close the shape.
- In the Element Properties panel, enter the depth or height dimension.
- The volume is automatically calculated (area × depth/height).
Example: For a 50m² slab with 150mm thickness, draw the 50m² area using the Volume tool, then enter 0.15m as the depth to calculate 7.5m³ of concrete.
Volume Properties
Volume measurements have the same visual properties as area measurements, plus:
- Depth/Height – The third dimension used to calculate volume
- Unit Conversion – Ensure consistent units (m³, yd³, etc.)
Note: Always verify that your depth/height dimension uses the same unit system as your drawing scale (e.g., if scale is in meters, use meters for depth).
Working with Complex Shapes
Both area and volume tools support complex geometries:
- Irregular Polygons – Click as many points as needed to outline the shape
- Holes and Voids – Draw separate measurements and subtract using collections
- Multiple Zones – Create separate measurements for different specifications
Best Practices
- ✓ Verify scale is correctly set before measuring
- ✓ Use consistent units throughout (metric or imperial)
- ✓ Assign measurements to collections for better organization
- ✓ Use fill colors to differentiate specifications
- ✓ Add clear descriptions and labels for reporting
- ✓ For volumes, double-check depth/height dimensions
- ✓ Review measurements in the Measurement Tree to verify totals
- ✓ Account for overlaps and exclusions appropriately