Linear Takeoff Tool

Overview

The linear takeoff tool measures runs of cable, trunking, conduit, pipework, or any other item sold by the metre. You trace the route on the drawing by left-clicking at each corner or change of direction, and the software calculates the total length.

Setting up a linear takeoff

1. 1

   Make sure the correct service is active in the service panel.

2. 2

   Click the Linear Takeoff button in the toolbar.

3. 3

   Enter a description — for example, 225 Trunking.

4. 4

   Choose your colour. Using a distinct colour for each material type helps you distinguish different runs at a glance.

5. 5

   Set the pixel size, which controls the thickness of the line drawn on the PDF. A moderate size of 5–10 is usually suitable. If the line is too thick, it can obscure detail and create an ugly "exploded" appearance at tight corners.

6. 6

   If the run is a vertical riser rather than a horizontal route, tick the Riser option and enter the riser height. This tells Ensign X that the measurement represents a vertical distance that would not appear at its true length on a plan drawing. The software records the riser length you specify (e.g. 3.5 metres per drop) without requiring you to trace it on the plan.

7. 7

   Optionally fill in product code, hours, and cost.

8. 8

   Press Start.

Corner-to-corner measuring

1. 1

   Left-click at the starting point of the run.

2. 2

   Left-click at each corner or change of direction along the route. Ensign X draws a line between each pair of clicks, following the path you trace.

3. 3

   Use the mouse wheel (press and hold) to pan the drawing and follow the run across the page.

4. 4

   Right-click to finalise the run. The measured length is logged in the service panel.

Each run appears as a separate line in the service panel, grouped under the active service. You can measure multiple runs of the same item by repeating the process — left-click to start a new run, trace it, and right-click to finalise.

The riser option

When you tick the Riser option in the setup dialog, the software adds a specified vertical distance to the takeoff. This is used for:

• Pipe drops — vertical sections of pipework between floors.
• Cable risers — vertical cable runs in riser cupboards.
• Trunking risers — vertical containment sections.

You enter the riser height (e.g. 3.5 metres) in the dialog. Each time you place a riser marker on the drawing (with a single left-click), the software records that length. If you use the multi-select feature with risers, each item you have selected will have its own riser length recorded — for example, two pipes at 3.5 metres each gives you 7 metres total.

Line thickness and the "explode" effect

If your linear measure creates an ugly "exploded" appearance at tight angles — where the line fans out at a corner — the pixel size (line thickness) is too high for that scale. To fix this:

1. Right-click to finalise the current run.
2. Reselect the same item (the system remembers your last settings).
3. Lower the pixel size — try dropping it by half.
4. Press Start and continue measuring.

The measurement values are not affected by line thickness. It is purely a visual setting that controls how the takeoff line appears on the drawing.

Worked example — measuring trunking runs

Consider a floor plan with three separate runs of 225mm trunking:

1. Click Linear Takeoff, enter 225 Trunking, choose red, set pixel size to 5, and press Start.
2. For the first run, left-click at the start, left-click at each corner, then right-click to finalise. The service panel shows the length — for example, 12.4m.
3. The tool returns you to ready state. Left-click to start the second run, trace it corner to corner, and right-click to finalise.
4. Repeat for the third run.

Each run appears as a separate line in the service panel, all grouped under the active service. You can review or adjust each one individually after placement.