Takeoff

Takeoff records measurement quantities from tender drawings and from map sheets. Use it to capture the measured basis behind work items and pricing.

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Frozen estimates

When an estimate has been submitted, accepted, rejected, or archived, the takeoff is read-only. The toolbar shows only the Select tool — drawing, saving, attaching, deleting, creating work items, uploading drawings, and setting scale are not available. A note at the top of the panel reads: Estimate submitted — the takeoff is read-only here. Changes are made in Delivery. Viewing drawings, navigating pages, zooming, using the loupe (if it is turned on for you), and browsing saved measurements still work. On a map sheet you can still pan, zoom, and switch imagery, but the view is not saved, and you cannot add, rename, or delete map sheets. A write that races the submission (for example, two estimators working around the same moment) is rejected with the same message rather than a generic error.

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What a measurement contains

• The drawing and page it was measured on, or the map sheet.
• Work item link, where available.
• Label and category.
• Type: line, area, count, multi-segment, or multi-line (older measurements only).
• For drawing measurements, the scale and paper size.
• The points you placed.
• Quantity and unit.
• For multi-segment measurements, a per-tag quantity breakdown and, when it has more than one line, each line.

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Measurement colours

Each measurement is displayed in a consistent colour across the takeoff panel. The colour swatch on the measurement’s list card matches the colour used to draw its mark on the canvas, so you can identify which drawing shape corresponds to which list entry. Colours are assigned automatically from an eight-hue palette and are stable — the same measurement always appears in the same colour regardless of which page you are on or how many measurements exist. Switching pages does not reassign colours. The selected (red) and draft (teal) state colours overlay the stable colour and indicate that a shape is currently active or being drawn. These state colours are separate from the identity colour and disappear once the shape is deselected or saved.

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Unit display

Measurement quantities and units use compact notation in the Takeoff panel. For example, an area measurement appears as m² and a linear measurement as m. This is consistent with how units appear in the work-items grid and other panels.

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Uploading a drawing from Takeoff

Select Upload drawing in the Takeoff panel to upload a PDF or image file directly into the takeoff pipeline. The upload drawer stays open and watches the file as it processes. When a PDF drawing finishes processing, Stralos auto-approves it for takeoff and its row in the drawer reads Ready for takeoff. It appears in the Takeoff panel straight away — you do not need to visit the project Documents page. The file is also added to the project Documents page for reference. If you upload a file that is not a PDF, the drawer tells you immediately: Uploaded to project documents. Only PDF drawings can be used for takeoff. Non-PDF files are stored on the Documents page but cannot be used in the takeoff editor. To use a drawing that is already on the project, select Choose from project documents in the upload drawer instead of uploading it again. Stralos processes the chosen PDF for takeoff without making a second copy, and approves it for takeoff once it is ready. Only PDFs can be used for takeoff.

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Processing strip

While drawings are processing, a one-line strip at the top of the Takeoff panel shows their progress. For one drawing it shows the file name, a progress bar, the percentage, and the current stage. For several it shows a count, such as 3 drawings processing, and the combined percentage. The strip also keeps any upload that will not become a drawing in view after the drawer closes: a drawing that failed to process, or a file that is not a PDF. One problem shows the file name and a plain-language reason. Several show as N uploads need attention. When more than one file is processing or has a problem, click Details to see each file and its status. Click × to dismiss the problems once you have dealt with them. AutoCAD drawings (.dwg, .dxf) cannot be uploaded through this panel. Upload them on the project Documents page instead, where Stralos converts them to PDF before they become available for takeoff.

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Approving drawings for takeoff

Before you can draw on a document in the takeoff editor, the document must be approved. Approval is a document-level decision — you approve or reject the entire drawing set, not individual pages. A document is eligible for review when it has been fully processed and its takeoff area run is complete. Both uploaded PDFs and AutoCAD drawings (.dwg, .dxf) that have been successfully converted to PDF are eligible. Eligibility is determined automatically; you do not need to have any takeoff suggestions to see the review panel.

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Automatic approval for takeoff-panel uploads

When you upload a PDF using Upload drawing in the Takeoff panel, Stralos automatically approves the document for takeoff once processing completes. You do not need to open the review modal — the document becomes available in the editor as soon as the pipeline finishes. Automatic approval only applies to PDFs uploaded through the Takeoff panel. Documents uploaded on the project Documents page, AutoCAD drawings (.dwg, .dxf), and files synced from a cloud drive still require a manual review decision. If you reject a document that was automatically approved, the rejection is preserved. Re-running the takeoff area on a rejected document does not restore the automatic approval.

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Manual review

To review a drawing that requires a manual decision:

1. Open the document in the review modal (from the Documents tab or the Review drawings action in the Takeoff panel).
2. Select the document in the list.
3. The Takeoff tab appears automatically for eligible drawings.
4. Review the page thumbnails, then click Approve for takeoff or Reject.

The review panel shows the current decision as a status chip: Approved for takeoff, Rejected, or Pending review. Once a decision is recorded, the panel shows only the action that changes it:

• When the document is Approved for takeoff, only Remove from takeoff is shown. Clicking it sets the decision to rejected.
• When the document is Rejected, only Approve for takeoff is shown.
• When the document is Pending review, both Approve for takeoff and Reject are shown.

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Review drawings pill

When one or more eligible drawings are awaiting a decision, the Takeoff panel shows a Review drawings pill. It counts how many drawings still need a decision and opens the review modal scoped to those documents.

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Choosing a sheet and page

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Sheet switcher

The sheet switcher sits beside the Takeoff title and shows the drawing or map sheet you are measuring on. Click it to open a menu with these groups:

• Drawings: approved drawings, each with its page count when known.
• Map sheets: the estimate’s map sheets.
• Processing: drawings still being processed. They are listed so you can see what is coming, but you cannot open them until processing finishes.

The open sheet is ticked. Select another drawing or map sheet to switch to it. If you have a measurement in progress, Stralos asks before discarding it. The ⋯ button beside the switcher holds the open sheet’s actions. For a map sheet these are Rename and Delete sheet. For a PDF drawing it is Delete PDF. The button is hidden on a frozen estimate.

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Moving between pages

On a drawing, the page button beside the switcher shows the current page as Page n / m. Click it to open a grid of page thumbnails, scrolled to the current page, then select a page to go to it. Prev and Next in the toolbar step through the pages one at a time. If you have a measurement in progress, Stralos asks before changing page. Thumbnails are rendered by the pipeline. Each one downloads only when its tile scrolls into view, so a large drawing set does not load every preview at once. A spinner shows while a page’s thumbnail is still being rendered, and No preview shows when one could not be rendered. You can still open a page that has no preview. The open sheet, page, and fullscreen state are kept in the page address, so the browser’s back button returns you to where you were.

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Deleting a PDF drawing

To remove a PDF drawing, open the ⋯ menu beside the switcher and click Delete PDF. Confirm with Delete PDF. The drawing is removed from takeoff and from the project Documents page, together with its measurements. If any of those measurements feed work items, build-up lines, or calculator inputs, the confirmation lists the items that use them instead. Delete and unlink clears the links, keeps each target’s current quantity, and deletes the drawing.

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Setting scale and paper size

Before measuring, confirm the scale and paper size match the drawing. Click Set scale in the header to open the scale editor.

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Automatic sheet detection

Stralos shows one of three sheet badges in the toolbar to tell you how the sheet size was established: When Stralos can read the page geometry directly from the PDF, it uses that information to shape the canvas and calculate measurements. The Paper size picker remains available and explains that the drawing’s measured size is the current default. When you override the paper size manually, the toolbar shows both the sheet name badge and a blue Sheet set by you badge. This confirms your selection is active and measurements are calculated against the sheet you chose. When the page geometry is not available and no override has been set — for example, on pages rendered before automatic sheet detection was introduced — Stralos falls back to the paper size you pick from the dropdown. The toolbar shows the selected sheet name and an orange Sheet assumed badge. This indicates that measurements are scaled against the chosen sheet, not the drawing’s own page dimensions. Select the sheet that most closely matches the drawing to minimise measurement error.

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Paper size picker

The Paper size picker is always available. It includes ISO, ANSI, and ARCH sheet sizes:

• ISO — A0 through A4 in portrait and landscape.
• ANSI — ANSI A through E in portrait and landscape (imperial engineering sheets, e.g. ANSI D is 22 × 34 in).
• ARCH — ARCH A through E in portrait and landscape (imperial architectural sheets, e.g. ARCH D is 24 × 36 in).

The picker shows the sheet that quantities are currently measured against. On a measured page, Stralos selects the preset that matches the page dimensions (within 2 mm, including orientation). When no ISO, ANSI, or ARCH preset matches, the picker shows Drawing’s sheet — W × H mm instead. An unmeasured page shows the last sheet you selected for that drawing set. If the drawing was plotted to a different sheet — for example, an A3 original plotted down to A4 — you can pick the correct sheet from the dropdown. The field then shows a warning stating the size you have chosen and the size the drawing reported (for example, Overriding the drawing, which reports 1016 × 508 mm. Quantities use your choice.). A Use the drawing’s size button appears so you can revert to the measured value at any time. Selecting the preset that matches the drawing’s own dimensions has the same effect. An override applies to the current page only. Moving to a different page clears the override automatically. A non-ISO sheet such as ANSI D or ARCH E has a different aspect ratio from the ISO A series, so an incorrect selection can scale the two axes by different factors. Set the paper size to match the sheet the drawing was plotted on, then set the scale before taking any measurements.

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Setting a custom scale

The Scale preset dropdown lists standard ratios in ascending order. To enter a ratio not in the list, select Custom… at the bottom of the dropdown. A Manual scale field appears where you type the denominator (for example, 400 for 1:400). Click Apply scale to save it. The custom field is only shown under Custom — selecting any preset applies that scale directly without a separate Apply step.

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Scale persistence

When you set a scale, by picking a preset, applying a custom value, or completing a calibration, Stralos saves it against that specific page. The saved scale loads automatically the next time that page is opened, by you or another estimator on the same project. If a page has no scale yet, a bar above the drawing says so, with Find scale on drawing and Set the scale for this page. The quantity readout shows Scale not set. Area and Count are unavailable until the page has a scale. Linear and Multi-segment stay available, so you can draw a line to calibrate from, but nothing is saved until a scale is set.

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Using the scale on other pages of the same size

Wherever you save a scale, the controls include a checkbox: Also use this scale on other pages that are the same size and don’t have a scale yet. It is unticked each time the controls open. Tick it to give the same scale to every other page in the drawing that has the same page size and no scale of its own. Pages that already have a scale are never changed. After the save, a notice says what happened, for example: “Also set 1:200 on 4 other A3 pages that didn’t have a scale yet.” It also names any pages it left alone and why:

• A different size, or a size that could not be checked: set the scale on those pages separately.
• Marked not to scale: those pages are left as they are.
• More than one scale on the page: set the scale on those pages separately.
• The drawing’s dimensions don’t match the scale: check those pages separately.

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Scale read from the drawing

When a drawing page is rendered, Stralos reads the scale stated on it. If the page states one clear scale, Stralos sets it for you. A page is left unscaled when it states several conflicting scales, says it is not to scale, or names a sheet size it cannot convert for this page. Stralos never replaces a scale you set yourself. When the drawing states a scale for a different ISO sheet size, Stralos converts it for the page you have. For example, a drawing marked 1:200 at A1 but issued as an A3 page is set to 1:400. Stralos also checks the scale it set against the drawing’s own dimensions: scale bars, written dimensions, chainage marks and labelled areas. The note above the drawing says what it found: A page can also be flagged because another page of the same size says the same scale but measures differently. A converted scale says what the drawing stated, for example Scale 1:400 was read from the drawing: it says 1:200 @ A1, converted for this page’s size. In fullscreen the note is shortened to Read from the drawing · checked., Read from the drawing · not checked yet. or Please check this page’s scale. When you look for the scale on a page whose dimensions disagree with the scale it states, the side sheet is titled Please check the scale on this page and nothing is filled in for you. It says what the drawing states and what its dimensions measure. Check a dimension, choose or enter the scale to use, then click Use. The note also offers:

• See where opens a side sheet with a picture of where the drawing states the scale. Click Keep it to confirm the scale as your own, or Change to enter a different one.
• Change opens the scale controls so you can set a different scale.
• Undo removes the scale. The page returns to having no scale, and Stralos does not offer it again during this visit.

The note disappears once you keep, change, or replace the scale.

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Checking the scale

When the scale could not be checked, a Quick check before you measure prompt appears once you pick a measuring tool, until you measure something on the page. Click Check scale to check it, or It’s fine, carry on to put the prompt away for this page in this browser. You can also start Check scale from the note.

1. Click Check scale. The Linear tool is picked for you.
2. Draw a line over a dimension written on the drawing.
3. In Length shown on the drawing (m), enter the length the drawing gives for it.
4. Click Check.

If your line is within 1% of that length at the current scale, Stralos says, for example, That matches 1:200, so you’re good to go. If not, it shows the scale your line works out to, for example At 1:200 your line measures 8.60 m, but the drawing says 5.00 m. That works out to 1:344. Click Use 1:344 for this page to change this page’s scale, or Keep 1:200 to leave it.

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Finding the scale on a drawing

When you open a page with no scale, Stralos looks for the scale stated on it. You can also click Find scale on drawing to ask again. Nothing is saved by asking. If a scale is found, a side sheet shows a picture of where the drawing states it and, when marked, the sheet size it was drawn for. It also shows the scale that gives true lengths on this page. When the drawing states more than one scale, choose the one to measure with, or type a value in Scale to use. Click the Use button, which names the scale (for example Use 1:400), to save it. Click Not now to leave the page for the manual controls. If you click Find scale on drawing and no scale is found, a sheet says so and offers Set the scale by hand. The button is shown only while the page has no scale.

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Header and toolbar

The Takeoff panel header holds the sheet switcher and the open sheet’s ⋯ actions. For a drawing it also holds the page button, Set scale, and the sheet size and scale badges. Upload drawing and Add map sheet sit at the right of the header. The toolbar below the header holds the controls you need to measure:

• Drawing tools: a segmented control with Select, Linear, Area, Count, and Multi-segment. The active tool is highlighted. Keyboard shortcuts V, L, A, C, and G select each tool.
• Prev, Next, and the zoom selector: on a drawing, step between pages and choose a zoom level, from Fit up to 1000%. On a map sheet the toolbar holds the Map imagery buttons, Layers, and Find an address instead.
• Snap to points (N): turns snapping on or off for all tools and both sheet types. Hold Alt while clicking to place a point freely. The setting is shared across drawing sheets and map sheets and is remembered in your browser. See Snapping.
• Fullscreen (F): fills the screen with the drawing or map. See Fullscreen mode.

On a frozen estimate the drawing tools and Snap to points are hidden.

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Working in the editor

To measure on a drawing, at least one drawing must be approved. If no drawings are approved, the drawing editor shows an empty state with a prompt to approve a drawing first. If you have a map sheet and no approved drawings, the map sheet opens instead.

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Page rendering states

Drawing pages are rendered in the background. While a page is not ready, the canvas shows a message instead of the drawing, and only the Select tool is available.

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Panning and zooming

Press and drag on a drawing to pan it, with any tool, in the normal layout or in fullscreen. A press that moves less than a few pixels still counts as a click, so it places a point or selects a measurement. Dragging a point handle on a selected measurement edits that point rather than panning. The round control in the lower-right corner of a drawing opens pan arrows and zoom buttons. You can also pan with the arrow keys and zoom with + and −.

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Drawing loupe

The takeoff canvas shows a magnified loupe beside the pointer whenever you move the mouse over a drawing. The loupe follows the pointer live, so you can see fine detail at the point you are actively working toward. The loupe sits to the side the pointer has just moved away from, so it trails the direction of travel and stays clear of the ground you are moving toward. If you move consistently in one direction, the loupe stays on that trailing side. It switches sides only after you travel a meaningful distance in the other direction, so small hand tremors do not cause it to strobe. While a measurement tool (linear, area, or count) is armed, the loupe stays visible for as long as the pointer is over the canvas. Under the select tool, it hides automatically a few seconds after the pointer stops moving. The loupe disappears when you move off the canvas or switch pages.

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Fullscreen mode

Click Fullscreen (or press F) to fill the screen with the drawing or map sheet. Stralos also asks the browser to go fullscreen, which hides the browser’s own toolbars where the browser allows it. The sheet fills the screen under a floating header bar.

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Drawing sheets in fullscreen

The header bar shows these controls:

• Sheet switcher and ⋯: switch to another drawing or map sheet, or use the open sheet’s actions, as in the normal layout.
• Page n / m: opens the page thumbnail grid. If you have a measurement in progress, you are asked to confirm before the page changes.
• Set scale: opens the scale editor, with the same preset, Custom, paper size, and calibrate-from-a-line controls as the normal layout.
• Scale badge: shows the current page’s scale (for example, 1:100), or an orange Scale not set badge.
• Sheet badge: shows the sheet the quantities are measured against. A teal badge means Stralos read the sheet dimensions from the drawing. A blue Sheet set by you badge marks a manual override. An orange Sheet assumed badge means page geometry was unavailable and no override was set, so confirm the selected paper size before trusting quantities.
• Find scale on drawing or the Read from the drawing. note, when they apply. See Setting scale and paper size.
• The zoom level and Fit drawing.
• Show measurements / Hide measurements: shows or hides the Measurements panel over the sheet.
• Exit: leaves fullscreen. You can also press Escape or F.

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Map sheets in fullscreen

A fullscreen map sheet keeps its position, imagery, and any part-drawn measurement when you enter or leave fullscreen. Its header bar has the sheet switcher and ⋯, then:

• Imagery and address: opens the Map imagery buttons and Find an address.
• Layers, and Utility details when a council utility network is turned on. See Map layers.
• The zoom level and Fit sheet. Fit sheet brings every measurement on the sheet into view. If the sheet has no measurements yet, it returns to the project site.
• Show measurements / Hide measurements and Exit: work as they do for a drawing.

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Tools and measurements

On an estimate you can edit, the tool palette floats in the top-left corner. It lists Select, Linear, Area, Count, and Multi-segment with their shortcut keys, followed by Snap to points. Click Hide tools to collapse it and Show tools to bring it back. The Measurements panel floats in the top-right corner. While you draw, its Current tab shows the draft quantity and point count, with Undo point, Clear draft, and Save measurement. You cannot hide the panel while a draft is in progress. On a frozen estimate, fullscreen is for viewing only: the tool palette and Set scale are hidden. When the browser itself is fullscreen, pressing Escape leaves fullscreen. Otherwise, pressing Escape with a measurement in progress opens the Unsaved measurement dialog rather than discarding the draft straight away, and with nothing in progress it leaves fullscreen. See Guarding an in-progress draft. Measurements saved in fullscreen are immediately visible when you return to the normal layout.

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Multi-line tags

Multi-line measurements saved earlier group several distinct lines into one entry. Each line can carry a tag from your company’s tag library so that the measurement’s total breaks down by scope category. For example, you can separate driveway crossings from berm reinstatement within a single Multi-line.

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Tagging lines while drawing

While you add lines to a saved Multi-line with Add line, a tag picker appears in the draft controls. Select the tag for the next line you are about to place using the numbered keys 1–9 or by choosing Add tag…. The label beside each number shows which tag it maps to. A chip on the canvas confirms the tag that will apply when you start the next line. After placing a line’s points, press Enter to finish that line. Choose the tag before placing the first point of each new line. Stralos remembers the most recently chosen tag for each composite tool in this estimate. To change a placed line’s tag before saving, select it from the lines list in the draft card and pick a new tag from its row button.

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Saving a tagged Multi-line

When at least one line has a tag assigned, the Save measurement sheet shows only the Name and Category fields. Work item assignment is done per tag from the measurement’s card once saved, not at save time. A note in the sheet explains this. When no lines carry a tag, the Save sheet shows the full Assign to options. After saving, a tagged Multi-line opens on the This page tab so its tag rows are immediately visible.

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Per-tag breakdown

A saved, tagged Multi-line card shows a By tag breakdown below the measurement total. Each row lists the tag’s colour swatch and label, the number of lines carrying that tag, the subtotal quantity, and a Create item button. The total row at the bottom shows the combined quantity across all tags. If a tag is used by only one or two lines, its row shows 1 line or 2 lines as the span count. When more than four tags are present, the breakdown collapses by default; click to expand it.

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Retagging a saved line

To change a line’s tag on a saved Multi-line, click the line’s row button (labelled Line n tag: …) in the measurement’s lines list. A tag picker appears; select the new tag. Stralos saves the shape change immediately. If the line being retagged is the last line carrying that tag, and the tag is linked to a work item quantity, a confirmation dialog appears before the save. Confirm with Remove and unlink to retag the line and remove the corresponding quantity link, or dismiss the dialog to cancel. The canvas chip and line colour update to reflect the new tag.

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Deleting a line

With the Select tool, click a line of a saved Multi-line to open its popover, then click Delete line. A Multi-line keeps at least one line. The measurement’s total and every remaining tag subtotal recalculate, and anything linked to them updates. A tag is removed only when its last line is deleted. If that tag feeds a work item, build-up line, or calculator input, Stralos asks first: click Remove and unlink to go ahead, or cancel to keep the line.

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Creating work items per tag

To create one work item for every tag in a breakdown at once, click Create items per tag at the bottom of the breakdown card. Stralos runs one creation per non-empty tag in sequence. Each new work item takes its quantity from that tag’s subtotal. To create a work item for a single tag, click Create item on that tag’s breakdown row. The Assign measurement sheet opens pre-filled with the tag’s label and subtotal quantity.

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Untagged Multi-lines

A Multi-line with no tagged lines has numbered rows with no tag buttons, no breakdown card, a single Create item action, and a Save sheet with Assign options.

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Measurements side panel

The Measurements panel appears beside the drawing or map sheet. On a drawing it has three tabs: Current, This page, and All pages. On a map sheet it has Current and This map.

• Current shows the draft card while you are drawing, or the selected measurement’s card when you have a measurement selected. If neither is active, a short hint explains how to begin.
• This page (or This map) lists the saved measurements on the open page or map sheet.
• All pages lists the saved measurements across the whole drawing, each labelled with its page.

The lists have a Measurement category filter. It also sets the category of new measurements: changing it changes what gets created, not only what is shown. Each category shows its count of saved measurements. All is a built-in filter that shows every measurement. It is not a category and is never stored on a measurement. New measurements saved while All is selected go under your company’s default category: Other, or the first category in your list if your company has removed Other. Stralos switches to Current automatically when you start a draft, arm a measuring tool, or select a measurement on the sheet. Otherwise, the tab you last chose is remembered in your browser. In This page, All pages and This map, each saved measurement is a one-line entry: its colour, name, quantity and kind, plus its page on All pages. Click the line to open the full card, and click it again to close it. Several cards can be open at once. Opening a card also selects the measurement. Cards start closed each time you open a list, except the selected measurement’s card, which opens so you can see it.

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Saving a measurement and assigning it

When you finish placing points and click Save measurement (or press Enter), the Save measurement sheet opens. You name the measurement, optionally pick a category, and choose where to send the quantity. Name is required. Stralos pre-fills it with the tool name and a number (for example, Linear 3). Category is optional. It defaults to the category selected in the toolbar filter. When the filter is on All, it defaults to your company’s default category (usually Other). Admins can add a category without leaving the sheet: select + New category… in the picker, or type a name and select + Create new category “name”. The category is added to your company’s list and chosen for this measurement. Assign to offers four choices: Click Save measurement to write the measurement. If the assignment fails, the measurement is still saved — the sheet stays open and offers Retry assignment so you can try the assignment again without losing the measurement. A Multi-segment measurement is assigned per tag after saving. The Assign to section is not shown when saving a Multi-segment; use Create item on each tag row in the measurement card once it is saved.

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Retagging spans while drawing

When you draw a Multi-segment, each span you place is listed in the Current tab as a numbered row. The row shows the span’s current tag. To change a span’s tag while the draft is still in progress, click the tag button on its row and choose a different tag. The retag applies to the draft only and does not write anything until you save. Pressing Undo point also removes the last span’s row from the list.

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Keyboard shortcuts

The Takeoff panel responds to the following keys when no text field or dialog has focus: Shortcuts are suppressed when a text field, combobox, or dialog has focus, so typing a name in the Save measurement sheet uses normal typing rather than switching tools. Tool shortcuts are suppressed when Ctrl, Cmd, or Alt is held; the draft undo chord above is handled separately.

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Editing a saved measurement

To rename a saved measurement or change its category, open the measurement card’s ⋮ menu and select Edit. The Edit measurement sheet opens with the current name and category. Change either and select Save changes. The menu works the same inside the maximised takeoff view. On a frozen estimate, the card has no Edit or Delete action.

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Deleting a saved measurement

Open the measurement card’s ⋮ menu, select Delete, and confirm with Delete measurement. The measurement leaves the takeoff and is kept for history. Work items created from it keep their name and quantity. If work items, build-up lines, or calculator inputs use the measurement’s total or tag subtotals, the confirmation lists the items that use it. Delete and unlink clears the affected links and keeps each target’s current quantity before deleting the measurement. Cancelling keeps the measurement and its links.

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Guarding an in-progress draft

When you have a measurement in progress — at least one point placed but not yet saved — and you take an action that would discard it, Stralos shows an Unsaved measurement dialog. The dialog tells you how many points the draft has and describes what the action would do, then offers three choices:

• Discard: drops the draft and carries out the action.
• Save: runs the same save as pressing Enter or Save measurement. If the measurement needs a name first, the Save measurement sheet opens. The action goes ahead only after the sheet closes with the measurement written. If you cancel the sheet, or the measurement cannot be saved yet, the dialog closes and the draft stays intact.
• Keep editing: does nothing. Pressing Escape or clicking away from the dialog has the same effect.

If the draft cannot be saved yet — for example, because an area has fewer than three points — Save is disabled and the reason is shown. Use Discard or Keep editing instead. A discarded measurement cannot be recovered. The guard covers every path that would otherwise lose the draft silently:

• Switching to a different drawing or map sheet.
• Changing to a different page on the current drawing.
• Opening a different document.
• Changing the scale.
• Navigating away from the takeoff altogether (another estimate tab, the rail, or the browser back button). Closing or refreshing the browser tab triggers the browser’s own two-answer prompt instead.

Changing the measurement tool does not discard the draft. Choosing Select pauses drawing: choose the same tool again to continue. Choosing a different measuring tool converts the placed points to the new type. If a Multi-line draft has more than one line, Stralos asks first, because only the first line is kept.

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Map sheets

A map sheet lets you measure on satellite or aerial imagery instead of a drawing. Use it for site-level scope where no drawing is available or the imagery is the better base, such as access roads, car parks, or earthworks extents.

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Adding a map sheet

1. Click Add map sheet at the top of the Takeoff panel, beside Upload drawing.
2. Enter a Sheet name, or keep the suggested name (Map 1, Map 2, and so on).
3. Click Add map sheet.

The new sheet opens centred on the project site. If the project has no site location recorded, it opens on a view of New Zealand, and you can use address search to find the site.

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Finding a location

Type at least three characters in Find an address, then select a result. The map moves to that location. Searching never changes the project’s own location.

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Imagery

Use the Map imagery buttons in the toolbar to choose the base layer: A new sheet in New Zealand opens on LINZ aerial when it is available, and otherwise on Satellite. If you move the map outside New Zealand while LINZ aerial is selected, the map switches to Google satellite and tells you why.

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Saved view

Each map sheet remembers where you left it. When the map stops moving, Stralos saves its position, zoom, and imagery against that sheet, and the sheet reopens there next time, for you and for other estimators.

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Measuring on a map sheet

Choose Linear, Area, or Count in the toolbar, then click the map to place points. Double-click or press Enter to finish. The draft card shows the quantity and point count, with Undo point, Clear draft, and Save measurement. Clicking Save measurement opens the Save measurement sheet — see Saving a measurement and assigning it.

• There is no scale or paper size to set. Stralos calculates lengths and areas from the real-world positions of your points, allowing for the curvature of the earth, so the quantity does not depend on how far you are zoomed in.
• Lines are measured in metres, areas in square metres, and counts in each.
• A line needs at least two points, an area three, and a count one.
• An area whose edges cross each other cannot be saved. Undo points until they no longer cross.
• New points snap to nearby corners and lines of existing measurements, and of visible map layers, when the Snap to points toggle is on. Hold Alt while clicking to place a point freely. See Snapping.

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Renaming or deleting a map sheet

Open the ⋯ menu beside the sheet switcher and click Rename. Enter the new name, then click Save name. To remove a sheet, open the same menu, click Delete sheet, and confirm with Delete map sheet. The sheet and its measurements leave the takeoff. Work items are kept. If any work item, build-up line, or calculator input uses a measurement on the sheet, the confirmation lists the items that use them, grouped by measurement. Delete and unlink clears those links, keeps the targets’ current quantities, and removes the sheet in one operation.

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Map layers

Click Layers in the map toolbar to turn on context layers over the imagery. The button shows how many layers are on, for example Layers (2). Layers work in the normal layout and in fullscreen.

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LINZ property boundaries

Tick LINZ property boundaries to show property boundary lines from the LINZ NZ Property Boundaries dataset as dotted outlines. They combine rating units, titles, and parcels, so they are context for planning measurements, not a survey record. You cannot select or save a boundary, but new points snap to boundary lines when snapping is on. Boundaries load only when the map shows a New Zealand site at about a 2 km view or smaller, and refresh as you pan and zoom. A panel in the lower-left corner shows loading messages and the LINZ attribution and licence links.

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Council utilities

Council utilities overlays stormwater, wastewater, and drinking-water pipes and structures published by councils and regional providers, so you can measure existing services from their records. Coverage spans parts of many council areas in New Zealand, but it is not nationwide and varies by council and network.

1. Zoom the map in to your site. Utilities load only when the view is about 2 km across or smaller.
2. Click Layers. The Utilities section names the councils in the current view and lists the networks available there. Tick Stormwater, Wastewater, or Drinking water. You can turn on more than one network, and expand a network to choose its pipes, structures, or individual provider layers. The overlay reloads when you move the map. Refresh layer availability checks the current view again.
3. Choose the Select tool, then click a pipe or structure. In the normal layout, a Utility details panel appears in the top-right corner of the map; click Utility details to expand it. In fullscreen, click Utility details in the header bar. The details show the asset’s name, provider, district, material, plan quantity, when it was fetched, and when the provider last loaded it. Expand Source attributes to see every published field.
4. Click Save as measurement. A pipe saves as a linear measurement in metres and a structure as a count of one, in the Other category, named after the asset.

The plan quantity of a pipe is the length of the whole mapped part, including any length outside the current view. If a pipe or structure part is already saved on the sheet, the button reads Already saved on this sheet. A saved measurement keeps a record of the source asset’s details, and keeps its shape when the published data changes later. Check utility measurements before you rely on them:

• An empty view does not mean there are no services. If a layer fails to load, the panel says coverage is incomplete and the layers that did load stay visible.
• Positions and quantities come from the published records and need your review. Stralos measures plan length and counts only: it adds no depth, excavation, or pricing.
• Expand Coverage and sources in the details panel for each provider’s coverage notes and source link. Some providers say their mapping should not be used to determine asset locations or sizes.

On a frozen estimate you can view the overlays, but Save as measurement is disabled. Each active provider’s attribution and licence link appear at the bottom of the details panel, or in the lower-left corner in fullscreen.

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South Wairarapa council map

South Wairarapa’s water services map is not a utilities overlay. Instead, you measure in the council’s own viewer and upload your drawings to Stralos. When the map view includes South Wairarapa, the Utilities section of the Layers menu shows a South Wairarapa council map link. The link needs Council utilities to be turned on for you. A drawing that is already saved on the sheet shows Already saved and is not saved again. If the council map does not load in the tab, click Open council viewer separately; you can still upload its export in the Stralos tab. On a frozen estimate you can view the council map, but you cannot upload or save measurements.

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Multi-segment measurements and the span list

A Multi-segment measurement covers one or more lines broken into labelled spans, for example a frontage run split between driveway crossings and berm. Each span carries a tag that links it to a different work item or rate.

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Numbered span list

When you select a Multi-segment measurement, its card shows a numbered list of spans in drawing order: 1. Driveway 18.20 m, 2. Berm 104.00 m, 3. Driveway 18.00 m, and so on. The number on each row matches the numbered chip drawn on the canvas for that span, so you can trace any span from the list to its position on the drawing. Hovering or focusing a row highlights the corresponding span on the canvas. Selecting a span on the canvas with the Select tool marks its row in the list.

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Retagging a span from the list

To change a span’s tag without going back to the canvas:

1. Select the measurement in the list to open its card.
2. In the span list, click the tag button on the row you want to change. A tag picker opens inline.
3. Select a different tag. Stralos saves the change immediately.

If the span you are retagging is the last span for its current tag, and that tag is linked to a work item, Stralos asks you to confirm before removing the link. Click Remove and unlink to proceed, or dismiss the dialog to leave the span unchanged. On a frozen estimate the span list shows tags as plain text with no picker.

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Deleting a span

With the Select tool, click an end span of a saved Multi-segment to open its popover, then click Delete span. The measurement’s total and every remaining tag subtotal recalculate, and anything linked to them updates. A tag is removed only when its last span is deleted. If that tag feeds a work item, build-up line, or calculator input, Stralos asks first: click Remove and unlink to go ahead, or cancel to keep the span.

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Editing saved measurement points

You can reshape a saved measurement on a drawing or a map sheet. With the Select tool active, select the measurement to show its point handles.

• Move a point: drag it. The shape and its quantity update as you drag, so you see the quantity that will be saved before you let go. Measurements attached to it update live too. Nothing is saved until you release the point. If the save fails, the measurement returns to its saved shape and an error explains why.
• Add a point: drag one of the smaller handles at the middle of each segment. The new point is selected so you can keep adjusting it.
• Remove a point: click it to select it, then press Backspace or Delete. A line keeps at least two points, an area three, and a count one.
• Snapping: a dragged point snaps to nearby corners and lines of other measurements when the Snap to points toggle is on, and attaches to what it snapped to. Hold Alt to place it freely. See Snapped points stay attached.

Each edit recalculates the measurement’s quantity, using the page scale on a drawing or the real-world positions on a map. If the measurement created a work item, that work item’s quantity moves with it, unless you have since changed the work item’s quantity by hand. Moving a measurement that others are attached to also saves those measurements in their new positions. Point editing is not available on a frozen estimate.

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Snapping

The Snap to points toggle (toolbar button or N) controls whether placed points snap to existing measurements on the same sheet. Snapping is on by default. When snapping is on, placing a point within 10 px of an existing measurement point locks to that point exactly, so shared boundaries and closed rings align precisely. A snap ring appears at the target point as you approach it. If no point is that close, the new point snaps onto the nearest measurement line within 10 px instead. On a map sheet, points also snap to visible council utility lines and property boundaries. Hold Alt while clicking to place a point at the exact cursor position regardless of the snap setting. The snap setting is shared across drawing sheets and map sheets in the same browser. Toggling it on a drawing takes effect immediately when you switch to a map sheet.

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Snapped points stay attached

A point that snaps onto another measurement stays attached to that spot. A point snapped onto a corner stays on that corner. A point snapped onto a line stays the same proportion of the way along that line. When you later move or reshape the measurement it is attached to, the attached point moves with it, on both drawings and map sheets.

• Attached measurements are drawn following the host while you drag, and Stralos saves each one in its new position when you let go. Their quantities, and any work items linked to them, update as if you had moved them yourself.
• Attachments chain: if A is attached to B and B is attached to C, moving C moves B and A.
• An unsaved draft follows too. If you pause a draft with the Select tool and move a measurement it is snapped to, the draft moves with it and its quantity in Current updates. The attachment is kept when you save the draft.
• Attached measurements follow even when the category filter hides them.
• Dragging an attached point yourself detaches it. Snapping it again attaches it to the new target.
• If the host measurement is deleted, the attached points stay where they are.
• Attachments only link measurements on the same drawing page or map sheet. Council utility lines and property boundaries are snap targets, but points snapped to them do not attach.
• If an attached measurement cannot be saved in its new position, the moved measurement is still saved and a message asks you to move it again to retry.
• When you save a version, restore one, or duplicate the estimate, attachments in the copy point at the copy’s own measurements.

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Multi-line measurements

New measurements with separate lines are drawn with Multi-segment and Next line. The toolbar has no Multi-line tool, and M does not select one. Multi-line measurements saved earlier still show, total, tag, edit and link normally, and the card shows the length of each line, then the total.

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Adding lines to a saved Multi-line

To extend a saved Multi-line with more lines:

1. Select the measurement in the list.
2. Click Add line in the measurement card.
3. Draw the additional lines and save.

Stralos appends the new lines to the existing measurement. The original lines are not changed.

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Multi-segment measurements

The Multi-segment tool (keyboard shortcut G) draws one or more lines where each span between two consecutive points is tagged with a category from the takeoff tags library. Use it when a run passes through areas of different scope, such as a path that is partly driveway and partly berm. When the run breaks, for example a fence line with a gap or a drain that stops at a road crossing, start a new line in the same measurement with Next line.

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Drawing a Multi-segment

The measurement card shows a breakdown by tag: each tag’s colour swatch, its label, the number of spans, and the subtotal length. Tags are sorted by the library order. If there are more than four tags, the breakdown starts collapsed: click Show tags to expand it. The Total row shows the combined length of all spans on every line. Untagged spans are listed as Untagged and appear only when at least one span has no tag.

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Adding lines to a saved Multi-segment

1. Select the measurement in the list.
2. Click Add line in the measurement card.
3. Draw the additional lines and save.

Stralos appends the new lines to the existing measurement. The original lines and their tags are not changed.

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Takeoff tags

Takeoff tags are a company-wide library that Multi-segment measurements use to categorise individual spans. They are configured under Settings → Takeoff tags. Any member of the company can create a tag inline from the Next span picker while drawing or from a tag link picker. Type a name and click Add. The new tag is available immediately to everyone in the company. Colours are assigned automatically by Stralos and are stable — the same tag always appears in the same colour. Every place a tag appears shows its label beside its colour swatch. Admins can retire tags that are no longer in use. A retired tag can no longer be picked for new spans, but existing spans that carry it keep their label and colour, and their subtotals and links continue to work. To use a retired tag again, an admin must restore it in Settings. If you try to create a tag whose name matches a retired tag, Stralos refuses and asks you to contact an admin to restore it.

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Linked takeoff quantities

A work item’s quantity, a build-up line’s quantity, or a calculator input can be linked to the total or a tag subtotal of a takeoff measurement. The linked quantity updates automatically when the measurement changes.

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Linking a work item’s quantity to takeoff

Open the work item’s detail pane and click Calculate quantity (or use the link icon in the quantity cell). In the Calculate quantity sheet, the Takeoff section lists every measurement whose unit matches the work item’s unit. Tick the total or a tag subtotal to add it as a source. When you tick a measurement’s total, its tag subtotals are greyed and show “Already counted in [total]” — you cannot count the same length twice. When you tick a tag subtotal, the measurement’s total is greyed for the same reason. Two different tag subtotals from the same measurement can both be ticked, because they measure different spans. You can combine multiple sources: a work item’s quantity can be the sum of several takeoff totals or subtotals. Use the Adjust section to apply a multiplier or offset to the combined total.

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Linking a build-up line to takeoff

From a build-up line’s row menu, select Link to takeoff. The same picker opens, offering measurement totals and tag subtotals. Eligible whole-item build-up lines can link to totals or subtotals whose unit dimension matches the line. Calculator-generated rows and rows generated from an activity keep their quantities under their owner’s control.

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Linking a calculator input to takeoff

From the calculator workbench, open the link picker on a supported length or area input. The picker lists measurement totals and, for length inputs (trench length, pit length, and volume length), their tag subtotals. The volume area input takes totals only, because tag subtotals are lengths. The same overlap rule applies as for work items: ticking a total greys its tag subtotals, and ticking a tag subtotal greys the total.

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Usage disclosure

Each measurement card shows a uses count (ƒ n uses) next to the measurement’s total and next to each tag subtotal. Clicking it expands a list of every work item, build-up line, and calculator input that currently uses that source. A dash means nothing uses it.

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Recommended workflow

1. Upload PDFs directly from the Takeoff panel using Upload drawing, or process drawings through the Documents page.
2. For PDFs uploaded through the Takeoff panel, Stralos approves them automatically once processing completes — no review step is needed.
3. For drawings uploaded on the Documents page, AutoCAD drawings, or cloud-synced files, open the review modal from the Review drawings pill or from a document’s Review action and click Approve for takeoff or Reject for each eligible drawing.
4. Return to the Takeoff panel — approved drawings are now available in the editor.
5. Select a drawing and page, confirm the scale, then begin measuring.
6. Create each measurement with a clear label, quantity, and unit.
7. Link measurements to related work items when they should drive scope or pricing.
8. For site-wide quantities such as access roads, car parks, or earthworks extents, add a map sheet and measure on aerial imagery.

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Creating work items from measurements

Each saved measurement card shows a Create item action. Clicking it opens the Assign measurement sheet, where you choose how to send the quantity to the estimate:

• New estimate item — creates a new work item linked to the measurement. The item name defaults to the measurement name.
• Existing estimate item — adds this measurement as a takeoff source on a work item that already exists.
• Activity (build-up line) — links the measurement to a build-up line of a chosen work item.
• When you accept the measurement’s quantity as-is and the measurement’s unit shares a unit dimension with the item (for example, both are lengths), Stralos automatically links the work item’s quantity to the measurement. The quantity then stays in sync when you edit the measurement’s points. If you type a different quantity or use a unit in a different dimension, the item is created with a manual quantity and no link.

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Attaching a measurement to an existing work item

To link a measurement to a work item that already exists:

1. Click Create item on the measurement card.
2. In the Assign measurement sheet, choose Existing estimate item.
3. Select the work item from the dropdown.
4. Click Assign.

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Navigating to a work item from a measurement

When a measurement is linked to a work item, a takeoff chip appears on that work item’s row in the Estimate schedule. Selecting the chip opens the Takeoff panel filtered to that item’s measurements, and jumps to the document page where the first linked measurement sits.

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AI page suggestions

The pipeline may still identify sheet references, disciplines, and drawing scales as page-classification suggestions. These suggestions do not appear in pending-review counts and do not control canvas access. The document-level Approve for takeoff or Reject decision is authoritative.

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Quality checks

• Check the toolbar before measuring. A teal sheet-size badge means Stralos read the page dimensions directly — no paper-size setup is needed. A blue Sheet set by you badge means your manual override is active. An orange Sheet assumed badge means you should confirm the selected paper size before trusting quantities.
• When the sheet is assumed, ANSI and ARCH sheets require their own size selection — an ISO size will produce incorrect results on imperial-format drawings.
• When a note says a scale was read from the drawing and checked, it matches the drawing’s dimensions. When it says it couldn’t be checked, use Check scale before you measure. When the dimensions disagree, choose Use or Keep before you measure.
• Confirm the scale is set on each page before measuring.
• Use the same units as the work item when practical.
• Keep labels short and traceable to the drawing or scope item.
• Revisit linked work items after measurement changes.