Guide

Three steps

Measure as you always do in PDF-XChange: one PDF per item, red lines for lengths, the area tool for m², circles for anything you count. Save each drawing. Then:

1 Drop your files in

Open the Take-off page and drop in all the marked-up PDFs for the job and your allowance sheet, all together if you like.

2 Check what goes where

The tool works out which line in your sheet each drawing belongs to, from the drawing's file name (the item, the height, ff/gf) and whether the line is priced in m, m² or nr. You'll see three lists:

• Needs a quick look: the tool wasn't sure, and a note says why. If it's right, click Looks right (or Accept all as shown). If not, pick another line from the drop-down, or Not used.
• Matched: open it to scan down. Change anything that's wrong.
• Not used: drawings it couldn't place, drawings with nothing measured on them, and possible duplicates (a second drawing for the same line and floor, such as an older version). Pick a line if one should count.

Any change you make is remembered on this computer, so next time it's already right.

3 Fill my spreadsheet

Click Fill my spreadsheet. A copy of your sheet downloads with the Qty column filled in. Your original is never changed.

• Green Qty: filled from the drawings.
• Amber Qty: filled, but there's a note to check. Usually it's a match you didn't confirm, or a figure quite different from what was in the sheet before.
• Your rates, totals and formulas stay as they were. Lines that follow another line (like =B8) are left alone.
• A new Take-off check tab lists every line with the drawings used, how it was measured and any notes.

When a drawing changes

Update it in PDF-XChange, save, then drop the drawings and sheet in again and click Fill my spreadsheet. The check tab shows which lines moved (e.g. "48.30 → 45.10") and which drawings changed.

Tips

• Put the item and height in the file name as you do now (e.g. liners 3600 high ff). That's what the matching uses.
• Save your allowance sheet as .xlsx to keep its colours. Old .xls files work but come back plain.
• Calibrate in metres or millimetres. Other units are flagged rather than counted.

Questions

Email richard@raworkflowsolutions.co.uk. This is a first version, so tell us anything that doesn't fit how you work.