Measure

Measuring is in every Pro profile: the Measure group on the toolbar and the Takeoff menu (called Measure in profiles without estimating). Set the scale first, then measure.

Step 1: set the scale

While a measuring tool is active on a page without a scale, the status bar shows Scale: No scale set in orange, and measurements are paper sizes. Click that button (or Document → Set scale) to open the Set scale dialog.

From a preset scale

1. In Preset scale pick an imperial scale (1/16" = 1'-0" up to 3" = 1'-0", and 1" = 10' up to 1" = 100') or a metric one (1:1 up to 1:1000). For metric scales choose the Unit (m, cm or mm).
2. Apply to: Apply to all pages, This page, or A region of this page (viewport)…
3. Click Apply.

By two points (calibrate)

Use this when the printed scale is not reliable (scans, reduced prints).

1. Pick Calibrate in the Measure group (or click Calibrate… in the Set scale dialog).
2. Click both ends of a dimension whose real length you know. The longer, the better.
3. Type the Real length and choose the unit (ft' in", ft, in, m, cm, mm).
4. Choose Apply to and click Apply. The Length tool is selected so you can check another dimension right away.

Auto-scale from scale notes

Takeoff → Auto-scale from scale notes… reads notes like 1/4" = 1'-0" from the page text, checks them against printed dimensions where it can (dimensions agree / disagree), and lists one row per page. Tick the pages you trust and click Apply to checked pages. Sheets that carry several scales need viewports (next section).

Always check one known dimension after setting a scale. Raster copies from iCOS in particular need a check, because their sheet size is only estimated.

Several scales on one sheet (viewports)

For enlarged plans and details drawn at another scale:

1. In the Set scale dialog choose the scale (preset or calibrated), set Apply to = A region of this page (viewport)… and click Apply.
2. Drag a box around the area drawn at that scale.

Measurements inside the box use the viewport's scale, everything else the page scale. While a measuring tool is active, viewports show as dashed boxes with their name and scale (View → Show viewports turns this off). To remove one, open the Set scale dialog: Viewports on this page lists them with a ×. Viewports are Bluebeam-compatible: viewports made in Revu are read, and yours are saved so Revu uses them too.

The measuring tools

How to finish each one: Finishing drawings. You can also type exact lengths while drawing (12'6", 3.5m, 10<45).

The value of the selected measurement shows in the status bar and in Properties. Imperial lengths are shown in feet and inches to the nearest 1/8". Totals per subject are in the Markups list.

Drops and makeup (vertical runs)

For cable, conduit and pipe that goes up and down:

1. Select a Length or Polylength.
2. In Properties, Verticals (per vertex) has one box per point: type the drop or rise at that point (in the scale's unit, feet or metres).
3. Termination makeup adds extra length for the ends.

The total becomes plan length + verticals + makeup. The status bar shows both parts, e.g. plan 42'-6" + vert/makeup 18'-0".

Snapping

On vector PDFs, points snap to line ends, intersections, midpoints and the nearest point on a line, within a few pixels. A marker shows where it will snap.

• Hold Alt while clicking for a point without snapping.
• Takeoff → Snap to drawing turns snapping on or off (remembered).
• Count points never snap. Scanned pages have no lines to snap to.

Checking and exporting measurements

• Markups list: every measurement with its value, totals per subject, Export CSV (Excel).
• File → Export markups CSV: the same list as a file.
• In estimating profiles the Takeoff ledger groups everything by item: see Takeoff.

Bluebeam compatibility

Measurements are saved with Revu's own measurement data and the calibration as Revu viewports, so Revu shows them as real measurements. In estimating profiles, Revu measurements already in a file can be turned into iCOS takeoff items with Takeoff → Import Bluebeam measurements… (see Takeoff).

Related

• Finishing drawings
• Takeoff
• Compare revisions