Linear Measurements

Measure cable runs, LED strips, conduit, and other linear items on your PDF plans. The linear measurement system calculates real-world lengths and automatically determines quantities needed.

Overview

Linear measurements help you:

• Draw paths along cable runs or conduit routes
• Calculate lengths using your PDF's scale setting
• Determine quantities based on unit lengths (e.g., how many 8m rolls needed)
• Choose display modes to show either total length or quantity counts

Understanding Linear Concepts

Rules vs Paths

• Linear Rules define what you're measuring (e.g., "LED Strip" with 8m rolls)
• Paths are the actual lines you draw on the PDF representing that item

One rule can have multiple paths. For example, an "LED Strip" rule might have separate paths for each room's LED installation.

Display Modes

Each linear rule can display measurements in two ways:

Mode	Shows	Example	Best For
Length	Total meters/feet	25.50 m	Knowing actual distances
Lengths	Quantity needed (with length)	4 (25.50 m)	Ordering materials

Toggle between modes using the m / lengths buttons on each rule in the Linear tab.

Setting Up Scale

Before drawing paths, set your PDF's scale for accurate measurements.

Configure Scale

1. Find the Scale section at the bottom of the control panel
2. Set the ratio (e.g., 100 for 1:100 scale)
3. Choose Metric (meters) or Imperial (feet)

Important

Set your scale before drawing paths. Changing scale later will recalculate all lengths.

Scale Examples

PDF Scale	Ratio Setting	1cm on paper =
1:50	50	0.5 meters
1:100	100	1 meter
1:200	200	2 meters

Creating Linear Rules

Before drawing paths, define the type of linear item you're measuring.

Add a Linear Rule

1. Click the Linear tab in the takeoff panel
2. Click + Add Linear Rule
3. Fill in the rule details:
   • Name: Descriptive name (e.g., "LED Strip", "Cable Tray")
   • Symbol: Short label, max 5 characters (e.g., "LED", "CAB")
   • Lengths: Meters per length/unit (e.g., 8 for 8-meter rolls)
   • Display Mode: Choose Length or Lengths
   • Color: Visual color for paths on the PDF

Example Rules

Name	Symbol	Length (m)	Use Case
LED Strip	LED	8	8-meter LED strip rolls
Cable Tray	TRAY	3	3-meter cable tray sections
Conduit	COND	6	6-meter conduit lengths
Cat6 Cable	CAT6	305	305m cable boxes

Edit a Rule

1. Click the pencil icon on any rule
2. Modify the settings
3. Click Update to save

Changes apply to all existing paths using that rule.

Delete a Rule

Click the trash icon on a rule. This also deletes all paths using that rule.

Drawing Paths

Line Tool (L) — Straight Segments

Use the Line tool for straight cable runs and conduit:

• Press L on your keyboard, or click the Line button in the toolbar

1. Click to place the first point
2. Click to add more vertex points at each corner or direction change
3. Double-click or press Enter/Tab to complete the path

Curve Tool (K) — Freehand Curves

Use the Curve tool for cable runs that follow bends and obstacles:

• Press K on your keyboard, or click the Curve button in the toolbar

1. Click and hold to start drawing
2. Drag to trace the curved route
3. Release — the freehand line is automatically smoothed into a clean bezier path
4. Continue clicking to add more points, or double-click / press Enter to complete

TIP

The Curve tool auto-smooths your freehand drawing using Catmull-Rom to Bezier conversion, so you don't need to be precise — just trace the general route.

Midpoint Drag-to-Arc

You can bend any straight line segment into a smooth arc after drawing:

1. Select an existing path (press V for Select tool)
2. Hover over the midpoint handle (diamond shape) on any straight segment
3. Click and drag the midpoint away from the line to curve it
4. The segment converts to a smooth arc — drag further for a tighter curve
5. Drag the midpoint back close to the line to snap it back to straight

INFO

This works in both Line and Curve modes, and on any selected path regardless of which tool drew it.

Completing a Path

• Double-click to finish at that point
• Press Enter or Tab to complete
• Press Escape to cancel without saving

After completing a path, you automatically switch to Select mode for editing.

Editing Paths

Select a Path

• Click directly on any path line
• Or click a path in the Linear tab list

Selected paths show vertex points (circles) at each corner.

Move Vertices

1. Select the path
2. Click and drag any vertex point
3. The length recalculates automatically

Delete Vertices

• Double-click on a middle vertex to delete it
• Start and end vertices cannot be deleted individually

Insert New Vertices

To add a point in the middle of a segment:

1. Select the path
2. Click on a segment between two vertices
3. A new vertex is inserted at that point
4. Drag to reposition if needed

TIP

Insert vertices to add detail to paths that need to follow complex routes.

Extend a Path

To add more segments to an existing path:

1. Select the path
2. Click the (+) icon on the end vertex
3. Continue clicking to add new segments
4. Double-click or press Enter to finish

Path Identifiers

Each path is automatically assigned a unique identifier based on its parent rule's symbol:

• First LED Strip path: LED.1
• Second LED Strip path: LED.2
• First Cable Tray path: CAB.1

These identifiers appear in the legend, control panel, and exports. Use them to cross-reference paths between the drawing and your takeoff data.

Rename a Path

1. Select the path
2. Click the path name in the Linear tab (shows as "Path 1", "Path 2", etc.)
3. Type a custom name (e.g., "Main Run", "Branch A")
4. Press Enter or click away to save

Delete a Path

1. Select the path
2. Press Delete key, or
3. Click the trash icon in the Linear tab

Viewing Results

In the Linear Tab

Each rule card shows:

• Path count: Number of paths using this rule
• Total: Length or quantity depending on display mode
• Per-length info: The unit length setting

Expand a rule to see individual paths with their measurements.

Display Mode Toggle

Switch how measurements display:

• m button: Show total length in meters (e.g., "25.50 m")
• lengths button: Show quantity with length (e.g., "4 (25.50 m)")

The toggle appears on each rule card in the Linear tab.

On the PDF Canvas

Paths display as colored lines matching the rule's color. When a path is selected:

• Vertex points appear as draggable circles
• The end vertex shows a (+) extend button
• Hover shows the path's length

In the Legend

When the legend is visible:

• Linear rules appear as a separate section
• Shows rule name, path count, and total measurement
• Individual paths listed with their lengths
• Respects the display mode setting (length vs lengths)

In PDF Export

Exported PDFs include:

• All linear paths drawn on each page
• Legend with linear measurements
• Per-path breakdown with lengths or quantities

In Shared Links

When you share a project:

• Viewers see all linear paths on the drawings
• The Linear tab shows all measurements (read-only)
• Display mode settings are preserved
• Scale settings are included for accurate length display

See Sharing Projects for more details.

Length Calculation

Plan Count calculates real-world lengths using your PDF's scale setting.

How It Works

Real Length = (Pixels on PDF ÷ 72) × Scale Ratio × 0.0254 meters

Example at 1:100 scale:
- 500 pixels on PDF
- = 500 ÷ 72 inches on paper = 6.94 inches
- = 6.94 × 100 real inches = 694 inches
- = 694 × 0.0254 = 17.6 meters

Quantity Calculation

Quantities are calculated by dividing total length by unit length and rounding up:

Quantity Needed = ceil(Total Length ÷ Unit Length)

Example:
- Total path length: 25 meters
- Unit length (roll): 8 meters
- Quantity needed: ceil(25 ÷ 8) = 4 rolls

INFO

Always rounds up because you can't buy partial units. A 25m run needs 4 full 8m rolls.

Length Display Format

Lengths format based on size:

• Very short (< 1cm): Shows decimal centimeters (e.g., "0.5 cm")
• Short (1-99cm): Shows whole centimeters (e.g., "50 cm")
• Long (≥ 1m): Shows meters with decimals (e.g., "1.50 m")

Imperial mode converts meters to feet for display.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
L	Select Line tool (straight segments)
K	Select Curve tool (freehand curves)
Escape	Cancel current path / Deselect
Enter / Tab	Complete current path
Delete	Delete selected path
V	Switch to Select tool

Tips

Best Practices

• Set scale first - Configure your PDF scale before drawing any paths
• Use descriptive names - Name rules clearly (e.g., "3-core 2.5mm" not just "Cable")
• Draw at centerline - Trace paths along the center of cable routes for accuracy
• Name important paths - Give custom names to paths for easy identification
• Check display mode - Use "lengths" mode when ordering materials

Workflow Example

1. Set PDF scale (e.g., 1:100)
2. Create rule: "LED Strip", 8m lengths, display as "lengths"
3. Draw path along LED route
4. Create rule: "Cable Tray", 3m lengths
5. Draw multiple paths for tray routes
6. Review Linear tab for quantities
7. Export PDF with legend showing all measurements

Common Issues

Paths not appearing?

• Make sure a linear rule exists before drawing
• Check that you're in LINEAR tool mode (press L)

Lengths seem wrong?

• Verify your scale setting matches the PDF's actual scale
• Check that the scale ratio is entered correctly

Can't see vertices?

• Click on the path to select it first
• Vertices only show when the path is selected

Can't edit a path?

• Make sure you're in Select mode (press S)
• Click directly on the path line to select it

Curve not smooth?

• Drag further from the line to increase curve intensity
• For tight curves, insert additional vertices first

Wrong display mode?

• Click m/lengths toggle on the rule card
• Changes save automatically

CSV Export

Linear measurements export to CSV with:

• Summary table: Type, Symbol, Total Length, Unit Length, Units Needed, Path Count
• Detail table: Type, Path Name, Length, Units

This allows you to import into spreadsheets for pricing calculations.