Symbol Takeoff

Detect and count electrical symbols on your PDF plans. The symbol system uses pattern-matching rules to automatically find symbols, with manual stamping for anything the rules miss.

Overview

Symbol takeoffs help you:

• Auto-detect symbols using text pattern rules
• Manually stamp symbols the rules don't catch
• Organize by type (lighting, power, fire, data, etc.)
• Filter with zones to get counts by area

The Symbol Takeoff Panel

The right-side panel shows your detection rules grouped by type, with counts for each:

Row Actions

When you hover over a symbol row, action buttons appear:

Button	Icon	Action
Locate		Jump to and highlight all symbols of this type on the PDF
Stamp		Manually stamp a new detection of this type
Edit		Edit the rule settings (name, pattern, color, etc.)
Hide		Toggle visibility of this symbol type on the PDF

Quick Navigation

Click the Locate button to instantly pan to symbols and highlight all instances of that type across the current page.

Understanding Symbol Concepts

Rules vs Detections

• Detection Rules define what to look for (e.g., pattern "2A" for downlights)
• Detections are the actual symbols found on the PDF matching those rules

One rule can match many detections. For example, a "Downlight" rule matching "2A" might find 50 symbols across your drawings.

Adding Symbols

There are two ways to add symbols to your takeoff:

Method	How	Best For
Rules	Define a text pattern to auto-detect	Consistent symbol labels (2A, GPO, etc.)
Manual	Stamp tool to click and place	Missing symbols, graphical-only symbols

Symbol Types

Plan Count organizes symbols into categories. Choose the type that best matches your symbol - this affects how symbols are grouped in the takeoff panel, legend, and CSV exports.

Type	Description	Example Symbols	When to Use
Lighting	General lighting fixtures	Downlights, pendants, battens, fluorescents	Standard interior/exterior lighting
Emergency Lighting	Emergency/exit lighting	Exit signs, emergency battens, egress lights	Life safety lighting systems
Lighting Control	Switches and dimmers	Light switches, motion sensors, dimmers	Anything that controls lights
Power	Power outlets and points	GPOs, data/power combos, floor boxes	General power distribution
Fire	Fire detection and alarms	Smoke detectors, sounders, strobes, pull stations	Fire alarm and detection systems
Data	Data and communications	Data points, TV outlets, access points	Network and communication infrastructure
Unknown	Uncategorized symbols	Custom items, misc equipment	Symbols that don't fit other categories

Choosing the Right Type

The type you choose doesn't affect detection - it's purely for organization. If you're unsure, use Unknown and change it later. Grouping similar items helps when reviewing takeoffs and generating reports.

Detection Rules

How Rules Work

1. Each rule has a text pattern (regular expression)
2. Plan Count extracts all text from your PDF
3. Text matching the pattern becomes a detection
4. Detections display at the text's position on the PDF

Creating a Rule

1. Click the Symbol tab in the takeoff panel
2. Click + Add Rule
3. Fill in the rule details:

Field	Description
Name	Descriptive name shown in takeoff panel and exports (e.g., "Downlight 2A")
Type	Category from dropdown - affects grouping and legend organization
Pattern	Text to match in the PDF (e.g., 2A or GPO). Leave empty for manual-only rules
Label	Short display label shown on detections (optional, defaults to pattern)
Color	Visual color for detection rectangles on the PDF

Pattern Examples

Symbol	Pattern	Notes
Downlight 2A	2A	Exact match
Any GPO	GPO	Matches GPO, GPO1, GPO2, etc.
Exit signs	EXIT	Case-sensitive
Emergency lights	E[0-9]	Regex: E followed by digit
All A-series	[0-9]A	Regex: digit followed by A

Pattern Tips

• Patterns are case-sensitive (most PDFs use uppercase)
• Use exact text for precise matching
• Use regex for flexible matching (e.g., [0-9]+A for 1A, 2A, 10A)

Learning Regex

For more complex patterns, these resources can help:

• regex101.com - Test patterns with real-time explanations
• RegexOne - Interactive tutorial for beginners
• MDN Regular Expressions Guide - Comprehensive reference

Auto-Discovered Rules

When you upload a PDF, Plan Count can suggest rules based on repeated text patterns:

1. Upload your PDF
2. Click Discover Rules in the Symbol tab
3. Review suggested patterns
4. Enable the ones you want to use

Editing a Rule

1. Click the pencil icon on any rule
2. Modify the settings
3. Click Save

Changes immediately re-scan the PDF with the updated pattern.

Enabling/Disabling Rules

• Toggle the switch on any rule to enable or disable it
• Disabled rules don't detect symbols but keep their settings
• Useful for temporarily hiding a symbol type

Deleting a Rule

Click the trash icon on a rule. This removes all detections from that rule.

Manual Stamping

For symbols that rules can't detect (graphical symbols, inconsistent labels):

Using the Stamp Tool

1. Select a rule in the Symbol tab
2. Press A or click Stamp Tool
3. Click on the PDF where the symbol is
4. A detection is added at that location

INFO

Manual detections are tied to their rule. If you delete the rule, manual detections are also removed.

When to Use Manual Stamping

• Graphical symbols without text labels
• Damaged text the PDF can't extract
• Missing symbols the pattern didn't catch
• Custom symbols not in your rule patterns

Rule Settings

Name

Descriptive name shown in the takeoff panel and legend.

Type

Category that groups similar symbols. Affects:

• Grouping in the takeoff panel
• Legend organization
• CSV export categorization

Pattern

Regular expression to match text in the PDF:

• Leave empty for manual-only rules (stamp tool only)
• Use exact text for precise matching
• Use regex syntax for flexible matching

Label

Short text shown on detections in the PDF view:

• Defaults to the pattern if not set
• Keep short (2-4 characters) for readability
• Shown inside detection rectangles

Color

Visual color for this rule's detections:

• Pick from the color palette
• Helps distinguish symbol types
• Used in PDF export and legend

Viewing Symbol Counts

In the Symbol Tab

The takeoff panel shows:

• Rule list: All rules with counts
• Type grouping: Symbols grouped by type
• Total count: Sum of all detections
• Per-rule breakdown: Count per rule

On the PDF Canvas

Detections display as colored rectangles:

• Color matches the rule's color setting
• Label shows inside the rectangle
• Hover to highlight all symbols of that type

In the Legend

The on-screen legend shows:

• Symbol counts by type
• Color key for each rule
• Zone filtering if active

Filtered by Zone

When zones are active:

• Inclusion zones: Only count symbols inside
• Exclusion zones: Skip symbols inside
• Counts update in real-time as zones are edited

See Zones for zone details.

Removing Detections

Eraser Tool

1. Press E or select the Eraser tool
2. Click on any detection to remove it
3. Or drag to erase multiple detections

Erased detections are tracked so they don't reappear when rules re-scan.

Bulk Removal

To remove all detections of a type:

1. Disable or delete the rule
2. All its detections are removed

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
A	Select STAMP tool (requires symbol selected)
E	Select ERASER tool
V	Select tool (for viewing)
Delete	Delete selected detection

Tips

Best Practices

• Start with auto-discovery to find common patterns
• Use specific patterns to avoid false matches
• Group by type for organized takeoffs
• Name rules clearly for readable exports
• Use manual stamping sparingly - rules are more maintainable

Workflow Example

1. Upload PDF
2. Run Discover Rules to find patterns
3. Review and enable relevant rules
4. Add custom rules for missing symbols
5. Use Stamp tool for graphical symbols
6. Draw zones for per-area counts
7. Export PDF or CSV (see Export)

Common Issues

Too many false matches?

• Plan Count automatically filters out long text, sentences with punctuation, and multi-word phrases - this prevents legend descriptions from being detected
• Make the pattern more specific
• Use longer text strings
• Check if adjacent text is being matched

Missing detections?

• Check that the rule is enabled
• Verify the pattern matches exactly (case-sensitive)
• Try auto-discovery to see actual text in PDF
• Use manual stamping for graphical symbols

Detection in wrong position?

• This indicates PDF text extraction issues
• The text exists but is positioned oddly in the PDF
• Use manual stamping for accurate placement

Pattern not working?

• Test with a simple exact match first
• Escape special regex characters: \. \( \) \[ \]
• Remember patterns are case-sensitive