Cutouts (holes) in areas
Select an area, rectangle or circle and choose Add cutout (right-click menu, the Cutouts section of the Selection tab, or the command palette). Draw the hole inside the area with the polygon tool (click its corners, then double-click or Enter) or press B and click two corners for a rectangle. The hole shows as a gap in the fill and the quantity becomes net: labels, the Selection tab, Schedule, Totals and exports all use gross minus cutouts. The Selection tab shows gross, each cutout and net. Drag a cutout's points to edit it, Alt-click a point to delete it, or right-click inside the hole and choose Delete this cutout. Cutouts move, copy and copy to other pages with their area. Volume uses the net area.
Perimeter with cutouts
By default an area's perimeter is its outer edge only - what you usually want for skirting or edge trims. Tick Perimeter includes cutout edges in the Selection tab to add the edges of the holes too (for example nosings or upstands round a void). The Selection tab shows the cutout perimeter either way.
Spacing tool (J)
Places items at set centres, like joists at 400 mm, studs at 600 mm or posts at 2.4 m. Choose Spacing on the toolbar, then in the bar above the drawing pick Along a line or Across an area, type the centres (400, 400mm, 0.6 m, 16" or 2' all work) and the ends (both ends, start only or neither end). Along a line: click the run's points and double-click or press Enter. The count is shown and a tick marks each item. Across an area: click the outline and finish; members are laid in the chosen direction (0 = left to right, 90 = top to bottom) and each is clipped to the area, so you get a count and the total member length. Change centres, ends or direction later in the Selection tab, or drag the points - the count updates straight away. Spacing markups appear in the Schedule (type spacing, quantity in items, member length column), Totals (a spacing row and a spacing length row), legend and exports.
More than one scale on a sheet
Where a sheet has details or viewports at different scales, choose Scales on the toolbar (W) or Draw Scale Region in the PDF tab and click two opposite corners round the viewport. Then pick its printed scale (1:5, 1:20, 1/4" = 1'-0" and so on) or choose Measure a known length to calibrate it from the drawing. A measurement whose points are all inside a region uses that region's scale; everything else uses the page scale. Regions show faintly with their scale. Click a region's edge to select it, drag its corners to resize, right-click inside it to change its scale, or press Delete to remove it. If a measurement crosses a region boundary you get a warning and it is listed in Checks; it uses the scale where it starts. Typed lengths, snapping, imperial units, slope and times all follow the region's scale.
Page scale preset
PDF tab > Page Scale Preset (or the command palette) sets the page scale from its printed scale instead of calibrating. This assumes the PDF is at its true paper size; calibrating from a known dimension is always the safest check.
Times (multiplier)
Select a markup and set Times in the Quantity section of the Selection tab (or use the command palette: Set times). The quantity becomes Times x the measured value everywhere: labels, Markups list, Schedule, Totals and exports, shown as e.g. 50.00 sq m (4 x 12.50). Decimals are allowed; use Deduction for negative quantities. Count markups multiply their point count. Old projects open at x1.
Slope / pitch
For a pitched roof or ramp measured on plan, set Slope on a length, polyline, arc, area or circle. Type degrees (30), a rise:run ratio (1:2 or 6/12) or a percentage (15%). The true quantity is the plan quantity divided by cos(slope); the Selection tab shows plan, slope and on-slope values. Apply slope only to lengths that run up the slope. Perimeters are not slope-corrected.
Copy to other pages
Select one or more markups, right-click and choose Copy to other pages, or use the command palette (Copy selection to other pages / all pages). Copies land at the same position on each chosen page and use that page's calibration. One Undo removes them all.
Add and delete points
Select a polyline or area, then double-click an edge to add a point there, or Alt-click a control point to delete it. Right-click also offers Add point here and Delete point. Drag points to move them. Undo reverses each change.
Length and area together
Areas and circles show the perimeter (or circumference) beside the area in the Markups list, the Selection tab and the Totals. View Options > Area + perimeter turns the perimeter on or off on drawing labels.
Control points
View Options > Handle size (Normal, Large, Extra large) and Handle colour (including high-contrast Lime on black and Black on yellow) make control points easier to see and grab. Settings are remembered.
Imperial units
View Options > Units shows quantities as calibrated, in metric (m, sq m, cu m), in imperial feet and inches (ft-in, sq ft, cu yd) or in decimal feet. This only changes how quantities are shown and exported; the project keeps its calibration. Calibration and typed lengths accept 12' 6", 12ft 6in, 150" or 12.5 ft as well as metric values; a plain number uses the chosen or calibrated unit.
