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The Takeoff Tab is where you spend most of your time while using On-Screen Takeoff. It is where you:

  • View plans and documents
  • Create Conditions (these represent the building objects like walls, doors, ceilings, fixtures, etc. that you want to measure/quantify)
  • Draw takeoff (use those Conditions to measure).
  • Draw annotations (callouts, Named Views, etc.)
  • Print plans, takeoff, and annotations.
  • Create and edit Alternates and Change Orders
  • Create and Reply to Comments

WHEW! That is a LOT, that’s why this is a fairly large chapter.

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to identify all the tools and sub-windows you’ll find on the Takeoff Tab and have a rudimentary understanding of how to use them.

There are several key areas to the Image Tab:

  • the Image window, where the Plan, takeoff, and annotations are displayed (not undockable)
  • the Toolbars - provide access to various tools and functions (undockable)
  • the Pan window, a smaller representation of the plan and the Current View (undockable)
  • the Conditions window, a muti-tabbed sub window that stores the Conditions List, the Bid View control, the Zones list, and the Planroom pages tab (undockable)
  • the Layers window, a list of all the Layers (system and custom) available for customizing your view of the Image window (undockable)
  • the Status Bar, displays information about the current Page or the object selected (not undockable)
We cover each in detail in the articles that follow. Knowing how to use the Takeoff Tab is crucial because this Tab is the crux of the entire application.
The Pan, Conditions, and Layer Windows are dockbars and, along with most of the toolbars, can be undocked from the main application Window and placed on another monitor or repositioned.
  • To grab a dockbar, click on the double-lines at the top of the dockbar, hold down the left mouse button and drag-n-drop it to wherever you want it positioned. For example, if you drag-n-drop the Condition window to the other side of the application, you can dock it there - handy for left-handed users.
  • To grab a toolbar, click on the vertical dots near its left edge and drag-n-drop it.

Many estimators drag the Conditions, Layers, and Pan Windows, all all the toolbars that can be undocked, to a 2nd monitor so they maximize the amount of space available for the Image Window (where you view plans and takeoff). See Related Articles for more information on using multiple monitors.

On-Screen Takeoff Takeoff Tab general layout - labeled
Screenshot of the Takeoff Tab as it is laid out by default - most toolbars and all dockbars can be undocked or repositioned, however the Image Window itself cannot be undocked from the main application window.

Status Bar

At the bottom of On-Screen Takeoff is the Status Bar. On the Takeoff Tab, the Status Bar includes information about the current Page including:

  • Page/Pages (1 of 100 for example)
  • Page dimensions height x width (36 x 48 for example)
  • The current Zoom %
  • When drawing Linear or Area takeoff, the length of the current segment
  • The length of a selected segment of Linear or Area takeoff

Speaking of the Image Window...let's dive in...

click here to view the previous article Creating Projects from ConstructConnect.com (CCPI and CC Bid Center) using OST-Connect The Image Window click here to view the next article

 

Related Articles

Using Multiple Monitors

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