Export

Export your takeoffs as marked-up PDFs or CSV spreadsheets. Share results with clients, import into estimating software, or archive completed projects.

Export Formats

Format	Best For
PDF	Marked-up drawings with legend
CSV	Spreadsheet data for pricing

The On-Screen Legend

Before exporting, you can preview and configure the legend that will appear on your exported PDF.

Displaying the Legend

1. Click the Legend button in the toolbar (or press G)
2. The legend overlay appears on the PDF canvas
3. Drag it to position where you want it on exports

Legend Contents

The legend displays:

• Symbol counts: Each detection rule with its color and count
• Linear totals: Length measurements and quantities needed
• Zone areas: Calculated area for AREA-type zones
• Color key: Visual reference for each symbol type

Customizing the Legend

• Drag to reposition: Click and drag the legend anywhere on the canvas
• Resize: Drag the corner handles to adjust size
• Toggle visibility: Click the Legend button again to hide
• Per-page settings: Legend position is saved per page

TIP

Position the legend in a clear area of your drawing (like a title block or empty corner) so it doesn't obscure important details when printed.

PDF Export

Generate a new PDF with all your markups overlaid on the original drawings.

What's Included

• Detection rectangles: Colored boxes around each symbol
• Detection labels: Symbol labels inside rectangles
• Zones: Polygon outlines with names
• Annotations: Cloud boxes, text annotations, highlights
• Linear paths: Cable runs and measurements
• Legend: Summary table matching your on-screen configuration

Exported Legend

The legend in your exported PDF matches exactly what you see on screen:

• Position, size, and visibility settings carry over from your on-screen configuration
• Each page can have its own legend position
• Hidden legends won't appear in the export

How to Export PDF

1. Configure your legend position and visibility
2. Click Export PDF in the control panel
3. Choose a filename
4. Save the file

PDF Layers

Exported PDFs include named layers for each symbol category, so you can show or hide groups of markups independently in Bluebeam, Adobe Acrobat, or other CAD PDF editors.

Available layers:

Layer	Content
Lighting	Lighting symbol detections
Emergency Lighting	Emergency lighting detections
Lighting Control	Lighting control detections
Power	Power symbol detections
Fire	Fire system detections
Data	Data/comms detections
Security	Security system detections
Mechanical	Mechanical detections
Unknown	Unclassified detections
Legend	The symbol count legend
Annotations	Cloud boxes, text notes, highlights
Linear	Cable run and linear measurement paths

All layers are on by default. To toggle them:

• Bluebeam Revu: View → Layers panel, then click the eye icon next to any layer
• Adobe Acrobat: View → Show/Hide → Navigation Panes → Layers

TIP

Use layers to create clean presentation versions — for example, hide all annotation layers to show only the detection overlays, or hide a specific trade category to focus on just electrical or just data.

Page Handling

• Only non-excluded pages are exported
• Rotated pages maintain correct orientation
• Annotations render correctly on rotated pages

CSV Export

Export tabular data for spreadsheet analysis and pricing calculations.

What's Included

Symbol Summary:

Column	Description
Type	Symbol category
Name	Rule name
Pattern	Detection pattern
Count	Total detections

Linear Summary:

Column	Description
Type	Linear rule name
Symbol	Short label
Total Length	Meters or feet
Unit Length	Per-unit length
Units Needed	Quantity to order
Path Count	Number of paths

Zone Areas:

Column	Description
Zone Name	Zone identifier
Area	Numeric value (no units)

How to Export CSV

1. Click Export CSV in the control panel
2. Choose a filename
3. Save the file
4. Open in Excel, Google Sheets, or your estimating software

Zone Filtering

If zones are active:

• Counts reflect zone filtering (inclusion/exclusion)
• CSV includes zone-filtered totals
• Area zones export their calculated area

Export Tips

PDF Best Practices

• Position your legend where it won't overlap important content
• Use consistent colors across similar projects
• Hide zones you don't want printed (toggle visibility)

CSV Best Practices

• Area values export without units for easy spreadsheet formulas
• Use the Symbol column for VLOOKUP against price lists
• Import into estimating software for automated pricing

File Naming

Consider a naming convention:

• ProjectName_Electrical_Takeoff_v1.pdf
• ProjectName_Counts_2024-01-15.csv

Sharing vs Exporting

Feature	Export	Share Link
Recipient needs	PDF reader or spreadsheet	Web browser
File size	Larger (embedded PDF)	Small (link only)
Updates	Static snapshot	Live (if project updated)
Editing	Cannot edit	View-only

See Sharing Projects for share link details.