Every dwelling count, FAR calculation, and construction cost estimate starts with a building usage on the map. The Buildings tool shortcuts to all of the Building Usages in your project template. In the drawing toolbar, this button's icon looks like a skyscraper.
If your project template doesn't have the usage you need, check the Marketplace: open the Content Library (from the main menu, or the + on any panel tab), click the Marketplace tab, then choose Usages.
What is a Building Use?
The Building usage type represents built form.
Building properties: Floor to Floor, Levels, Stack Order, Efficiency. For Residential types: dwelling count and dwelling count per level.
Giraffe's default template also ships cost fields like hard cost, soft cost, sale price, and net rent on Building usages. These are editable custom properties, not properties Giraffe enforces on every Building usage.
Draw a building
Click the Buildings tool in the drawing toolbar.
Select a usage from the dropdown.
Click on the map to draw a rectangle.
The draw-bar only offers a rectangle for Building usages. To draw one as a polygon, line, or point instead, draw a plain shape with the Polygon, Polyline, or Point tool, then select the Building usage from the usage dropdown in Quick Properties.