Shapes
Shapes are Sparkel's most powerful feature for quantity extraction. A shape is a geometry you draw yourself — directly on a BIM model in 3D or on a PDF drawing in 2D — that represents a quantity you want to measure. As soon as you draw it, it appears in the quantity table with its measurements calculated automatically.
Why shapes exist
The fundamental problem with BIM-based takeoffs is that model quality is unpredictable. A wall element might have the wrong thickness. A slab might not subtract openings. A roof surface might be a simplified extrusion that doesn't reflect the actual geometry. In all these cases, extracting quantities directly from the model gives you a number you can't trust.
Shapes solve this by letting you measure what you actually want, independent of how the model is built. You see the geometry in the viewer, you draw the shape over the area or volume you care about, and you get the number. No reliance on model data. Full visual traceability.
Types of shapes
Area shapes — polygons or rectangles that calculate m². Used for floors, facades, roofs, wall finishes.
Line shapes — paths that calculate linear metres. Used for gutters, trims, skirting, drainage runs.
Volume shapes — 3D extrusions that calculate m³. Used for concrete pours, earthwork, fill volumes where the model geometry is unreliable.
How to draw a shape
Select the shape tool from the toolbar.
Choose the shape type — area, line, or volume.
Click to place points on the model surface or PDF drawing.
Close the shape (for areas and volumes) or end the line.
Name the shape — this becomes the item name in the quantity table.
The shape appears immediately in the table with its quantity.
Shapes in 2D and 3D
Shapes work identically in 2D (PDF drawings) and 3D (BIM viewer). In 2D, you set a drawing scale and Sparkel calculates real-world dimensions from your drawn shape. In 3D, shapes snap to model surfaces and calculate dimensions from the actual model geometry.
You can mix 2D and 3D shapes in the same project. All shapes feed into the same quantity table regardless of which input you used.
Shapes vs. linking
Use shapes when model geometry can't be trusted, when you need to measure something the model doesn't contain (like a finish layer), or when you want to define a quantity zone that doesn't correspond to a single model element. Use BIM linking when the model elements are reliable and you want quantities to stay updated automatically if the model changes.
Most projects use both — linking for structural elements where the model is solid, shapes for finish layers, complex geometry, and anywhere the model falls short.