The Groundplan area tool is used to calculate metres, square metres, volume, footprint or add pitch on plans or Google Map images, enabling accurate material and labour estimates ahead of a site visit. These appear in the bill of materials on the quantities tab.
Related articles: Area cut-out tool | Negative areas | Adding parts and labour
Add a new area measurement
Within a stage click +area
Complete the required details
Select the measurement unit or add a pitch degree
Click create, if additional parts and labour are required lick create & add more parts
Using the area tool to begin measuring
To measure an area, set the plan scale.
On the plan, click to begin an area
Double-click to complete the area
📝Navigation hints:
Click once to change direction
Click, hold and drag to pan around the plan
Hold SHIFT to draw a straight line and hold in 15-degree increments
Hold CTRL / Command⌘ and press Z to undo the last point
Drawing modes
Square drawing mode
After an area has been created, choose square drawing mode to draw rectangles and squares.
Click freeform, then click square
Click once to begin
Move to the opposite side corner and click once to complete
Curve drawing mode
After an area has been created, choose curve drawing mode to draw curves.
Click curve
Click once to begin
Click once along the curve, close to the apex / highest point for best results
Click at the end of the curve
Click the curve button again to return to freeform or click the last point to complete
📝When curved mode is enabled, it will not disengage until the button is clicked again.
To create curves and straight lines in the same area
In freeform mode, click at the beginning of the curve
Press Q
Click once along the curve, close to the apex / highest point for best results
Continue on or click the last point to complete
📝When the curve is complete, freeform mode will automatically engage.
To transform the last straight segment into a curve
In freeform mode, click the point at the beginning of the curve
Click at the end of the curve
Press W and moving the cursor back to the apex / highest point of the curve and click once
Continue on or click the last point to complete
📝When the curve is complete, freeform mode will automatically engage.
How to edit existing areas
📝Note: The settings modal remains open during editing and requires a click to close once editing is complete.
Press ESC, zoom in and click the area
Click settings to:
Edit fill colour, line style, line colour and line width changing all areas associated with this measurement
Change the selected area to a negative
Add or edit parts & settings or labour
Click total to:
Enable / disable show totals
Edit text colour, text size and number format
Change the selected area to a negative
Add parts & settings
Click +add to:
Create another area
Create an area cut out
Click actions to:
Click measurement actions to:
Hide this measurement from the plan
Select all of the measurements
Rename
Adjust the measurement value
Add or edit parts & settings and labour
Erase all, removing all lengths from the plan
Delete the measurement from the whole project permanently
Adjusting area totals
⚠️Warning: Adjusting totals will lock the value.
Adding or removing areas after adjusting the plan or project totals will not be reflected in the totals. Editing individual areas will not be shown when the value is adjusted.
To adjust measurement totals, click the individual area total ( * ), click the plan total ( * ) or project total (^)
Enter new value in number form (e.g.
3) or via a formula (e.g.2*10)Click save
To remove an adjusted total, click the adjusted total and clear the value
Please note: Entering 0 will give an adjusted total of 0
📝Note: The asterisk (*) on the area value means that the total is adjusted. The hat (^) on the measurement total means that it contains an area(s) that is adjusted.
Unit of measure and supported references
There are different options for unit of measure when creating areas.
Area Measurement Unit of Measure (UoM) |
| Part Supported References |
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Groundplan uses simple Excel-type formula to calculate parts and labour. The Formula follows the PMDAS Rule: Parentheses (brackets) first followed by multiplication, division, addition, then subtraction. Calculations are prioritised within the brackets. More detailed information about formulas with examples are provided in our article Using formulas in Groundplan.
Each formula must contain a supported reference/s to be accepted and relate directly to elements on the plan.
The below image displays how the main supported references correspond to a plan:
What else can the area tool be used for?
Adding rooms / areas to help create a new floor / construction plan.
Draw over items on a hand-drawn plan (Figure A)
Calculating the roof area with a roof pitch also applied
Calculating cubic metres / feet when measuring concrete or soil
Frequently asked questions
Is there a way to show the total of an area on the plan?
Is there a way to show the total of an area on the plan?
Yes.
To enable, click show total in the style section when creating a new measurement.
Alternatively, within an existing measurement, head to settings then click total to enable show total. Number formats include metric (mm², cm², m²) and imperial (in², ft²).
How can I measure the same item across the project instead of creating a new one each time?
How can I measure the same item across the project instead of creating a new one each time?
Selecting link from worksheet allows an existing stage to be selected and used to create one project total for the measurement.
To combine marked-up stages, please use the transfer tool. This moves measurement totals from one stage or one measurement to another.
How can I work out the perimeter of an area I drew to calculate requirements for tack strips?
How can I work out the perimeter of an area I drew to calculate requirements for tack strips?
After creating an area, you can add a part for perimeter inside the measurement.
Calculate the perimeter using the formula =Len and the unit of measure as m.
This formula measures the perimeter around the area and the perimeter of any area cut-outs that have been created.
Is there a way to see the list of cut-outs I made?
Is there a way to see the list of cut-outs I made?
Unfortunately no.
As these are cut from the total quantity, there is no record kept. If you require a list of cut-outs, consider using a negative area as these will be listed on the area breakdown.
