Welcome to the eTakeoff Newsletter

In each copy of the newsletter we’ll bring you news, usage tips,
interviews with eTakeoff users and more.

Product News – Important Notice

eTakeoff Advanced Version

eTakeoff Advanced has been released to replace eTakeoff Pro and ProPlus. Pro and ProPlus will continue to be maintained for existing users. Click here for a chart comparing all eTakeoff versions. Through April 2012, we are offering special prices for upgrades from Basic, Pro and Pro-Plus to Advanced and Premier. Click here to see these offerings.

McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge Integration

By special arrangement with McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge, we have added advanced integration with the Dodge planroom. We have also enabled Pro functionality for Basic users when working with files from McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge. With the advanced integration, once you have set up an eTakeoff project from a Dodge project, you can download additional files and even refresh the drawing list without returning to the planroom. Dodge View users may wish to see the eTakeoff/Dodge View Comparison. For long time eTakeoff users who also use Dodge (or are considering Dodge), you may want to watch the Dodge Training Videos.

eTakeoff Releases 3.0 and 3.1

Release 3.1 of the eTakeoff Viewer was released on April 2, 2012. Major enhancements include batch printing, multiple quantites in the measurement list, measurement flip and rotate, advanced measurement editing and more. Numerous enhancements were made to the control panel including controls for the drawing tree and for quantity worksheet assignment. Click here to read about these and other enhancements.

eTakeoff’s new CEO

We’re pleased to announce that Curtis Peltz has recently joined the eTakeoff team as CEO. Curtis was the President/CEO of Timberline Software until the sale of Timberline to Sage Software in 2003. Curtis continued with Sage as the General Manager of the Timberline Construction/Real Estate business unit until 2006. Since then he has had his own consulting practice. Curtis is an industry expert in the area of computerized cost estimating. In his tenure at Timberline, he was the creator of Timberline’s first minicomputer estimating system and later led the team that built Precision Estimating in DOS and Windows. Precision Estimating became one of the construction industry’s most successful estimating solutions.

“I’m very excited to join John and his team at eTakeoff. I’m not only impressed by the quality and elegance of eTakeoff as a takeoff solution for estimators of every stripe, I’m impressed by the staff supporting it as well. In fact, I think eTakeoff is one of the industry’s best kept secrets and my goal is to change that!”

Basic Viewer Tips

Copy Quantities to Other Applications

The Basic (free) version of eTakeoff does not allow you to save measurements or quantities. However, you can copy measurement quantities and paste the values into any application that supports copy & paste. For example, you can paste data into an Excel spreadsheet. Once you take off a measurement, right click on the measurement, select “Copy Measurement” then click on the quantity that you want to save.

Next, switch to the Excel spreadsheet, right click on a cell and Paste the quantity into a cell.

Advanced Viewer Tips

Extra Drawing Window

This feature allows you to open multiple, extra windows to display drawings. You can open as many extra drawing windows as necessary. These windows can be moved and displayed on as many monitors as you have connected to your computer. eTakeoff remembers where each window is, the size of the window, what drawing is displayed and the zoom factor on the drawing, and it remembers these setting for each project. eTakeoff will redisplay the memorized windows whenever you open the project.
Watch the video for details. Extra Drawing Windows are included with Pro, Pro-Plus, Advanced and Premier.

Welcome to the eTakeoff Newsletter

In each copy of the newsletter we’ll bring you news, usage tips,
interviews with eTakeoff users and more.

Case Study

LeBlanc Building Company

LeBlanc Building Company is a premier commercial/residential specialty framing contractor based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Established in 1983, they serve the Phoenix metropolitan area. Click here to read an interview with their estimator Mark Des Groseilliers.

Basic Viewer Tips

Standard Scales

Add scales that you commonly use to the Standard Scale List. Standard scales are pre-defined, commonly-used scales that can be quickly assigned to a drawing or part of a drawing. The Standard Scale List Window provides a list of scales. You can add, delete or change the standard scales from this list. This window can be invoked by clicking on Options/Edit Standard Scales.

Advanced Viewer Tips

Drawing Import is designed to quickly name and organize construction drawing files for use with the eTakeoff viewers. It has the following general capabilities:

• Import files from Disks, CD-ROMs or scanners.
• Separate multi-page files into individual files.
• Organize drawings in multiple sub-folders underneath a main folder.
• Quickly view the title block of each drawing and name it.
• Automatically add the drawings to an eTakeoff project.

Watch the video for details. Drawing Import comes standard with Premier and is available as an Add-on to Pro and ProPlus.

Welcome to the eTakeoff Newsletter

In each copy of the newsletter we’ll bring you news, usage tips,
interviews with eTakeoff users and more.

Product News

eTakeoff Release 2.6

Version 2.6 of the eTakeoff Viewer was released on August 8, 2011. Major enhancements were made to Pattern Search including the faster searching, the ability to define and reuse search areas, and the ability to refine a search. A batch “Import” capability was added to quickly name drawings and add them to a project. There’s also a “quick rename” feature that lets you quickly change an individual drawing or page description. Dimension Annotations were added. Click two points and the distance between them is displayed without creating a measurement (see screen shot above). Click here to read about these and other enhancements.

Basic Viewer Tips

Loading Plans from CDs, Emails, Zip Files, etc.

It’s as easy as 1-2-3 to load a set of plans into eTakeoff from a CD or DVD, an email, a Zip file or a Plan Room.

1. Manually create a folder for your project.
2. Copy the plan files to the folder.
3. Create a New Project in eTakeoff by browsing to the folder you created in step 1, and eTakeoff will automatically scan the project folder (and any sub-folders) and add the drawing files to the eTakeoff project.

View larger image
For detailed instructions, watch the video, eTakeoff Training Video – Load Drawings & Create Projects.

Advanced Viewer Tips

Creating Traces

Standard traces are pre-defined, commonly used traces that can be quickly assigned to a measurement in the Pro and ProPlus versions or a Quantity Worksheet item in Premier. Traces define the colors and other characteristics used to display mesasurements.
Learn how to create and use traces in these 2 videos:
  

Partner Profile

CDCNews

CDCNews is the industry’s leading regional provider of public and private commercial construction leads and has provided timely, accurate, and detailed commercial construction leads to general contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers, construction management firms and manufacturer representatives for more than 35 years.
Free Download! CDCNews white paper “Finding and Utilizing Quality Construction Leads”

Welcome to the eTakeoff Newsletter

In each copy of the newsletter we’ll bring you news, usage tips,
interviews with eTakeoff users and more.

Case Study

Bejarano Construction Services

Bejarano Construction Services is an interior build-out subcontractor in Texas. They specialize in metal framing, drywall and finishing, focusing on commercial and government projects from 20,000 to 100,000 square feet.Click here to read an interview with their senior estimator, Gerald Shaffer.
 

Basic Viewer Tips

Training Videos Just a Click Away While Using eTakeoff

eTakeoff offers a series of training videos that show you how to use our viewer. These videos are available on-line from within the product. With eTakeoff opened, simply click on Help / Watch Training Videos and you will be connected to the eTakeoff website with the ability to learn about the functionality of eTakeoff in short, easy-to-digest sessions.
 

Advanced Viewer Tips

Annotations

Annotations allow you to mark up the drawing with text, lines and arrows, rectangles, circles, hyperlinks, clouds and freehand drawing tools. Annotations are available in the Pro, ProPlus and Premier versions. Click here to watch the Annotations video

Welcome to the eTakeoff Newsletter

In each copy of the newsletter we’ll bring you news, usage tips,
interviews with eTakeoff users and more.

Product News

eTakeoff Release 2.5.50

Release 2.5.50 contains a number of minor fixes and two big enhancements. The enhancement that all users (Basic, Pro, Pro-Plus and Premier) will notice is page descriptions. Many projects are being distributed as a single PDF file with multiple pages, one page per drawing. These files are often generated by CAD software that inserts drawing descriptions (PDF Bookmarks) for each page. eTakeoff now adds those page descriptions to the page number drop-down list and the Control Panel drawing list. So no more having to remember which page is which.

The other big enhancement is Project Control. Now you can store more information about projects, hide projects that aren’t used, automatically export projects after they’re changed and see all your projects in a list. Project Control isn’t available to Basic users.

The new release can be downloaded here.

Pattern Search Enhancements Planned

A number of enhancements are planned for the Pattern Search add-on. Click here to see what’s coming and give us feedback and new ideas.

Basic Viewer Tips

The Bird’s Eye Window

The Bird’s Eye View Window shows a small view of the entire drawing. This option can be invoked by clicking on “View/Bird’s Eye Window” or clicking on the “Show/Hide Bird’s Eye Window” button. Read more…

Advanced Viewer Tips

Creating and Using Layers

Layers in eTakeoff work like layers in CAD drawings. Measurements and annotations can be assigned to layers. Then the layers can be turned on and off to show or hide the measurements and annotations assigned to the layer.

You can add, delete or change the standard layers.

Welcome to the eTakeoff Newsletter

In each copy of the newsletter we’ll bring you news, usage tips,
interviews with eTakeoff users and more.

Case Study

Kent Companies of Texas

Kent Companies is the 19th largest commercial concrete contractor in the U.S. Their Dallas location serves Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico. They’ve been using eTakeoff for about 3 years. Click here to read an interview with their senior estimator, Dan Hoppe.

Basic Viewer Tips

Scan for Drawings

Press this button (on the Project Toolbar) to scan the project folder (and its sub-folders) for drawing files. A drawing scan is usually performed when the project is created. But if you have manually added drawings to the folder since then, scanning again is the easiest way to add them to the project.

When you press this button, eTakeoff searches the project folder and its subfolders and displays all drawings found in the Drawing Scan Window. That window displays all drawings found and allows you to select which ones you want to add to the project.

Modify the Look of eTakeoff with User Preferences

Window/control look and coloring – eTakeoff supports several color themes that match themes found in Microsoft Office (Blue, Black and Silver). To change the theme, select “Admin/User Preferences” from the main menu, go to the “Look” tab and select a theme from the “Window/control look and coloring” drop down list.

Large (24 pixel) Toolbars & Buttons – The standard toolbar buttons are 16 pixels (dots) tall. If you have a high resolution monitor, that can be quite small. To make them larger, select “Admin/User Preferences” from the main menu, go to the “Look” tab and check the box for “Use large (24 pixel) toolbars”.

Changes to these preferences will not take effect until the next time you start eTakeoff. There’s a checkbox in the preferences to automatically restart eTakeoff after you make changes.

Advanced Viewer Tips

Measurement List

The Measurement List is a tool that automatically keeps track of all measurements in a project. As you measure, each measurement is saved to the list. It is configured as a grid with Rows and Columns. The rows represent each individual measurement. The columns represent information about the measurements. It is available at any time with the click of a button. Click here to watch a short training video

Welcome to the eTakeoff Newsletter

In each copy of the newsletter we’ll bring you news, usage tips,
interviews with eTakeoff users and more.

Product News

eTakeoff Release 2.5

Release 2.5 of the eTakeoff viewer is now available with a host of enhancements for Basic, Pro, Pro-Plus and Premier users. Read More…

The new release can be downloaded here.

eTakeoff Pattern Search

Release 2.5 includes our new auto counting feature called Pattern Search. Pattern Search can be used to automatically find multiple occurrences of symbols representing components that need to be counted such as fixtures, switches and receptacles. A sample pattern is selected in the drawing. Then eTakeoff searches the entire drawing for other occurrences of the symbol. The results are displayed in a grid to easily make additions or deletions. The selected matches are then converted into a count measurement. Click Here to watch the introductory video. (Pattern Search is sold as an add-on to our Pro, ProPlus and Premier versions.)

Basic Viewer Tips

Setting a Drawing Scale

You may set the drawing scale either by selecting it from a drop down list or by typing the dimensions into the Drawing Scale Edit Dialog screen. Click here to watch a video. Or select the topic “Scale, Drawing” in the help file index.

Calibrating Scales

In some cases, the scale may not be shown for a drawing or the scale is inaccurate, but one or more dimensions are specified on the drawing. In this case, you can specify the scale by “Calibrating” it. Click here to watch a video. Or select the topic “Scales, Calibrating” in the help file index.

Advanced Viewer Tips

Using the Control Panel

The Control Panel is a vertical panel that can be docked on the left or right side of the Main Window. Different “Controls” can be placed in the panel to provide quick access to functions that are normally accessed via multiple mouse clicks. Here are some of the functions available to place in the Control Panel; Bird’s Eye Window, Drawing List, Layer List, Measurement Edit, Quantity List, Rotation, Trace List/Tree. Click here to watch the Control Panel training video. Click to watch the video: Using the Control Panel.

Partner Profile

UDA Technologies

UDA Technologies is a software company that specializes in construction management software, most well-known for their award-winning program – ConstructionSuite. Measurements created in eTakeoff can be easily transferred to ConstructionSuite Estimating. Click here to read about UDA’s products for construction companies.

Welcome to the eTakeoff Newsletter

In each copy of the newsletter we’ll bring you news, usage tips,
interviews with eTakeoff users and more.

Case Study

Excellence in Stone

Excellence in Stone is a tile and marble subcontractor in south Florida specializing in high-end residential and commercial projects. Their projects include the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami and the Versace house. They have been using eTakeoff for about two years. Click here to read an interview with their head estimator, Silvia Rojas.

Basic Viewer Tips

Measuring with eTakeoff Basic

Measurements are taken using a color coded measurement system called Traces. eTakeoff Basic comes with 4 standard traces: Area, Count, Length and Perimeter. You can take simple measurements to calculate Square Foot and Lineal Foot
quantities and to perform counts. You can also total all measurements of a similar type on one drawing using the “Disconnect Point” tool. To watch a training video on how to use these tools, click here. These work well for most simple trades. The Basic version also supports more advanced measurements, like Arcs, curves and Cut-Outs. To watch a training video on these more advanced features, click here.

Advanced Viewer Tips

Anatomy of an Extension

Extensions allow user input and calculations to be added to individual measurements. For example, a “Wall Area” extension would allow the user to enter the wall height, then calculate the wall area as the measurement length multiplied by that height. eTakeoff provides a library of pre-defined standard extensions that can be used by Pro, ProPlus and Premier users. Pro users are only allowed to use the pre-defined extensions. ProPlus and Premier users can create their own set of extensions. Click to watch the video: Extensions Part 1 – Overview.