Measurements - Area

The Area Tool is used to calculate square meterage/feet on Plans which appear in the bill of materials on the Quantities Tab.

Related articles: Area Cut-Out Tool | Negative Areas

Add a New Area Measurement

1. Within a Stage click +Area

2. Complete the required details
   Unit Cost, Markup Percentage and Unit Price are optional. If using costing, please ensure the Unit Price is populated

3. Click Create
   If additional Parts and Labour are required, click Create & Add More Parts

Using the Area Tool to begin Measuring

1. On the Plan, click to begin an Area

2. Double click to complete the Area

Square Drawing Mode

After an Area has been created, choose Square Drawing Mode to draw rectangles and squares.

1. Click Freeform then click Square
2. Click once to begin
3. Move to the opposite side corner and click once to complete

Curve Drawing Mode

After an Area has been created, choose Curve Drawing Mode to draw curves.

1. Click Curve
2. Click once to begin
3. Click once along the Curve
   Close to the apex / highest point for best results
4. Click at the end of the Curve
5. Click the Curve button again to return to Freeform or click the last point to complete

To create Curves and straight lines in the same Area

1. In Freeform Mode, click at the beginning of the Curve
2. Press Q
3. Click once along the Curve
   Close to the apex / highest point for best results
4. Continue on or click the last point to complete

To transform the last straight segment into a Curve

1. In Freeform Mode, click the point at the beginning of the Curve
2. Click at the end of the Curve
3. Press W and moving the cursor back to the apex / highest point of the Curve and click once
4. Continue on or click the last point to complete

Area Cut-out Tool

The Area Cut-Out Tool is used to subtract an Area from a Measurement. On Plans, it removes an island bench from flooring or windows from external cladding.

Read more about it here.

How to Edit existing Areas

1. Press ESC, Zoom in and click the Area
2. Click Settings to:
   • Edit Fill Colour, Line Style, Line Colour and Line Width changing all Areas associated with this Measurement
   • Change the selected Area to a Negative
   • Add Parts and Labour

3. Click Total to:
   • Enable / Disable Show Totals
   • Edit Text Colour, Text Size and Number Format
   • Change the selected Area to a Negative
   • Add Parts and Labour

4. Click +Add to:
   • Create another Area
   • Create an Area Cut Out

5. Click Actions to:
   • Select All
   • Duplicate
   • Transfer
   • Rotate
   • Flip
   • Delete

6. Click Measurement Actions to:
   • Hide this Measurement from the Plan
   • Select All of the Measurement
   • Rename
   • Adjust the Measurement Value
   • Add additional Parts and Labour
   • Erase All, removing all Lengths from the Plan
   • Delete the Measurement from the whole Project Permanently

Adjusting Area Totals

1. To Adjust Measurement Totals, click the individual Area Total ( * ), click the Plan Total ( * ) or Project Total (^)
2. Enter new Value in Number form (e.g. 3) or via a Formula (e.g. 2*10)
3. Click Save

4. To remove an Adjusted Total, click the Adjusted Total and clear the Value
   Please note: Entering 0 will give an Adjusted Total of 0

Supported References

Support References relate directly to elements on the Plan and can be used in conjunction with Excel-type Formula to calculate Parts and Labour. Each Formula must contain a Supported Reference/s to be accepted.

The Formula follows the PMDAS Rule: Parentheses (brackets) first followed by multiplication, division, addition, then subtraction. Calculations are prioritised within the brackets. More detailed information about Formulas with examples are provided in our article Using Formulas in Groundplan.

Frequently Asked Questions