Interactive guide13 sectionsReal screenshots

How to use Mapmetra

A tab-by-tab tour of the Mapmetra estimating & takeoff app — what every button and panel does, and how to work through a job from an address to a finished tender. Use the sidebar to jump around, or the search box to find any control.

Map / Plans→ BOQ→ WBS→ Estimate→ Program→ Summary→ Tender

Home

Project Dashboard

Your home screen — a list of every estimating & takeoff project. Pick one to open it, review its headline numbers, or start a new project.

What's on this screen

+ New Project	Starts a new project (opens the New Project form).
Search address, name…	Filters your projects by address, name, client or reference.
Active / All toggle	Show only active projects, or all of them including archived.
Project card (left column)	Each card shows the address, client, suburb, status, how many revisions, and who last edited it and when. Click a card to preview it on the right; the trash icon deletes it.
Detail panel (right)	The selected project's summary: address, client / reference, created & updated dates, current revision, Total price (ex GST), Duration, a scope-of-work summary, and a Contents checklist (BOQ / WBS / Estimate / Tender).
Edit	Edit the project's details (name, client, address, etc.).
Continue Working On →	Opens the project workspace to keep working.
Save As	Saves a copy of the current revision as a new revision.
Save As new project	Clones the project as a brand-new, separate project.
Delete Revision	Deletes the currently selected revision.

How to use it

Search or scroll to find a project and click its card.
Check the headline price, duration and Contents checklist in the right panel.
Click 'Continue Working On' to open it — or '+ New Project' to start a fresh one.
Use 'Save As' to snapshot a revision, or 'Save As new project' to branch a variation.

💡 Tips

Revisions let you keep alternative versions of the same project side by side — the current one carries the 'Current' badge.

Home

New Project

Create a project. Every project is anchored to a real property address so the aerial map can open on it, and AI Assist can set it up from your documents.

What's on this screen

Property address *	Required. Search and select a confirmed address — a project can't be created without one.
Project name (optional)	A friendly name for the job (defaults to the address).
Reference (optional)	Your internal job / tender reference.
Client (optional)	The client or strata plan, e.g. 'Smith Strata Plan 12345'.
Assigned estimator (optional)	Who owns this estimate.
Notes (optional)	Free-text notes about the job.
AI Assist callout	Explains that as soon as the project is created, AI Assist opens automatically — drop in plans, scope, specs, subcontractor quotes, reports and approvals and it names & scales your plans and drafts your estimate.
Create project & open map / Cancel	Creates the project and jumps to the aerial map, or backs out.

How to use it

Type the property address and pick the confirmed match.
Optionally add a name, reference, client, estimator and notes.
Click 'Create project & open map'.
Drop your job documents into AI Assist when it opens — or add them later from the Plans and Estimate tabs.

Getting around

Top Bar & Navigation

The dark bar across the top of every screen, plus the folder-style tab strip inside a project. This is how you move around Mapmetra and reach the account-wide tools.

What's on this screen

Map Metra logo / 'Project Dashboard'	Top-left. Click it any time to return to your list of projects.
Project name (centre)	Shows which project you are currently working in.
Tab strip (Overview · Map Measure · Plans & Takeoffs · BOQ · WBS · Estimate · Program · Summary · Tender)	The folder tabs under the top bar move you between the stages of a project. A greyed tab with a padlock means your plan doesn't include that feature.
Ask AI	Opens the assistant for the current tab (e.g. the plan assistant, estimator or construction manager).
Folder (project files)	Opens the project's uploaded files (plans, scope, specs, quotes, reports).
Units: m	Sets the measurement unit used across the project.
Print	Print or save a PDF of the current tab.
RateBuild (blue button)	Opens the offline unit-rate builder overlay.
Bell	Notifications.
Help ( ? )	Help and the guided product tour.
Account avatar (initials) ▾	Account menu — company profile & tender branding, account settings, team, and sign out.

How to use it

Use the folder tabs to move through a project left-to-right, roughly in the order you work: measure → quantify → price → program → summarise → tender.
Click the logo to jump back to the dashboard at any time.
Reach account-wide tools (company branding, RateBuild) from the top-right regardless of which tab you're on.

💡 Tips

A padlocked, greyed-out tab means that feature isn't in your current access level — clicking it opens an upgrade prompt.

Inside a project

Overview

The project's home page — a read-at-a-glance summary of the job details, a mini aerial map, and where the estimate currently stands.

What's on this screen

Left sidebar	A second way to move between the project's tabs (Overview, Map Measure, Plans & Takeoffs, BOQ, WBS, Estimate, Program, Summary, Tender).
Project Information card	Project name, client, address, location, assigned estimator, reference, status, created & last-updated dates, and description.
Edit	Edit the project information.
Project Map card	A thumbnail aerial of the site with 'Map Measure' (open the full aerial to measure) and 'Street View' buttons.
Estimate Summary card	The current revision's status (e.g. Rev 1 Draft), 'View Estimate', and headline figures: Base Cost, Gross Profit, Gross Margin, Selling Price — plus tiles for the number of Categories, Items and Measures.

How to use it

Open a project and land on Overview to confirm the job details.
Use 'Edit' to correct any project information.
Jump straight into measuring via 'Map Measure', or into pricing via 'View Estimate'.
Watch the Estimate Summary fill in as you add rates on the Estimate tab.

Inside a project

Map Measure

Measure straight off a high-resolution aerial of the site — areas, lengths, counts and roof planes — without needing any plans. Ideal for quick site take-offs and areas you can see from above.

What's on this screen

Search any address to measure…	Recentres the aerial on any address; 'FREE MEASURE · NOT SAVED' means a scratch measure not tied to the project.
Toolbar — Select	Pick and edit existing measurements or markup.
Pan	Drag the map around.
Distance / Perimeter	Measure a length or the perimeter of a shape.
Area	Measure an area by tracing its outline.
Roof	Measure a roof (accounts for pitch).
Count	Tally items by clicking each one.
Fit	Zoom to fit your measurements.
Export	Export the measurements.
Markup	Add annotations / markup over the aerial.
Left panel toggles	Aerial View on/off, and show/hide Site Details, Measurement List, Measurements, Markup and Labels.
Search History & Measurements list	Recent addresses you've measured, and a searchable list of every measurement you've drawn.

How to use it

Search the site address (or open the project's map from Overview).
Pick a tool — Area, Distance, Count or Roof.
Click on the aerial to trace the shape or drop count points.
Read the result in the Measurement List; toggle labels on to annotate.
Export, or let the quantities feed your estimate.

💡 Tips

Aerial measuring is great for roofs, hardstand, façades and site areas; use Plans & Takeoffs when you need scaled internal detail.

Inside a project

Plans & Takeoffs

Upload PDF or image plans, set a scale, then measure directly on the drawings. Your take-off quantities flow into the BOQ and Estimate.

What's on this screen

PAGE LIST	Your uploaded plans. The red '+' uploads new plans; ▲/▼ reorder; each row shows the file name, size and page count and expands to its pages.
Plan viewport	Where the selected drawing renders. Empty state: 'No plan selected — Upload a plan, then select it to set a scale and measure.'
Set scale	Calibrate the drawing (draw a line of known length, or enter the drawing scale) so measurements read in real-world units.
Measurement tools	Length, area, count and markup tools — the same family as Map Measure, applied to the plan.
Ask AI (plan assistant)	Reads the drawing and suggests quantities you can tick to create measurement tools automatically.
Folder / Units / Print	Project files, the working unit, and print/PDF.

How to use it

Click the red '+' to upload your plan set (PDF or images).
Select a plan, then set its scale.
Choose a measurement tool and trace the elements you need.
Let the quantities carry through to the BOQ and Estimate — or use Ask AI to suggest them.
Rename, reorder or split pages from the Page List as needed.

💡 Tips

Always set the scale before measuring, or the quantities will be wrong.
Because plans often carry a consultant's letterhead, this guide shows the empty 'No plan selected' state.

Inside a project

BOQ — Bill of Quantities

The Bill of Quantities — a quick, preliminary priced sheet built from your measured take-off, grouped by drawing / area. A fast way to see quantities and a rough value before you build the full estimate.

What's on this screen

Headline tiles	Base Cost, Gross Profit, Ave. Gross Margin and Selling Price for the BOQ.
Toolbar	Import, export, move up/down, indent/outdent, delete, undo/redo, a Units selector, a 'Filter items…' search, and view toggles (collapse groups, layers, tree, columns, info).
Grouped rows	Items are grouped under headings by drawing / area (e.g. 'Block A GF'), each with its own subtotal.
Columns	No., Description, Qty, Source (e.g. 'Plans'), Colour, Width, Height, Depth, Thickness, Area, No., Calc Qty, Unit, Unit Price, Total, Wastage %, Net Qty and Markup.
Dimension fields	Enter Width/Height/Depth/Thickness/Area to compute a Calc Qty, and a Wastage % to get Net Qty.

How to use it

Do your take-off on Map Measure or Plans & Takeoffs so quantities land here.
Review the grouped items and tidy descriptions / units.
Add a Unit Price (and optional wastage) to get a preliminary total.
Use 'Filter items…' and the column toggles to focus the sheet.
Move on to WBS + Estimate for the full priced build-up.

💡 Tips

BOQ is the fast preliminary number; the Estimate tab is the full scope + margin build-up.

Inside a project

WBS — Work Breakdown Structure

The Work Breakdown Structure — organise the job into trade sections and activities. AI-imported documents land here as work items, ready to be given quantities and priced on the Estimate tab.

What's on this screen

SHEETS tabs	Multiple estimate sheets per project (e.g. 'Estimate 1', 'Estimate 2'); rename (pencil), close (×), '+ New sheet', and copy.
Toolbar	Move up/down, indent/outdent, delete, undo/redo, 'AI: Assign quantities', and info.
AI: Assign quantities	Lets AI match your take-off measurements to the right activities and fill in quantities.
WBS tree	Numbered sections (1, 2, 3…) with indented activities (1.1, 1.2…). Drag handles reorder; checkboxes select rows.
Quantity / Rate columns	Each activity has an 'Assign…' for its quantity and one for its rate (which you can pull from RateBuild).

How to use it

Import documents with AI (or add sections manually) so the trade structure appears here.
Indent / reorder rows to get the hierarchy right.
Assign a quantity to each activity — by hand or via 'AI: Assign quantities'.
Assign a rate (type it, or pull one from RateBuild).
Switch to the Estimate tab to see it priced with margin.

💡 Tips

WBS and Estimate are two views of the same sheet — structure here, price there. Use separate sheets for alternatives.

Inside a project

Estimate

The full priced estimate — every WBS activity with cost, contingency, margin and sell price, rolled up to a live project total with GST. This is where the tender number comes from.

What's on this screen

GST %	The GST rate applied to get inc-GST figures.
Headline totals	Base Cost, Gross Profit, Ave. Gross Margin and Selling Price, updating live as you edit.
Toolbar	Undo/redo, move up/down, indent/outdent, delete, expand/collapse, clear, formula tools, column chooser, export, and 'Hide totals'.
Columns	No., Item Description, Type, Cost Type (Lump Sum / Provisional / PC), Qty, Unit, Rate, Cost, Cont % (contingency), Margin %, Mark-up, Sell (exc GST), Sell (inc GST), Duration, Note and Clarification.
Rate cell	Type a number or start with '=' for a formula (e.g. =120*1.1); double-click later to see the formula again.
Section subtotals	Each WBS section rolls up to an ex-GST and inc-GST subtotal at the bottom.
SHEETS tabs	Same multi-sheet tabs as WBS — price alternatives on separate sheets.

How to use it

Set the GST %.
For each activity set a Qty, Unit and Rate, and a Cost Type where relevant. A fixed price is entered as qty 1, unit 'lump', with the amount as the rate.
Set Margin % (or Mark-up) and any Contingency to get the Sell price.
Add Notes / Clarifications for the tender.
Watch the headline Selling Price and section subtotals update, then feed the Summary and Tender.

💡 Tips

Rate and Qty cells accept '=' formulas, just like a spreadsheet.
'Cost Type' (Lump Sum / Provisional / PC) is the label the tender pricing split shows; new and imported rows default to Lump Sum, Provisional and PC tint the row, and a category follows its lines unless you pin it. It is separate from 'Rate type' (All-in rate / Breakdown / Build rate), which is how the row is priced.

Inside a project

Program

A construction scheduling tab: your WBS/estimate activities laid out as an MS-Project-style schedule sheet on the left with a Gantt chart on the right. Dates schedule themselves automatically from a project start date plus each task's working-day duration and Finish-to-Start (and SS/FF/SF) predecessors with lag, honouring a working-day calendar.

What's on this screen

Import	Menu: 'Import from WBS tab' (copies/replaces the programme with this project's WBS activities), 'Pull costs from WBS' (fills the Cost column from the estimate, keeps your schedule), 'Import a file…' (Excel, CSV or MS Project XML).
Export	Menu: Excel (.xlsx) schedule sheet, MS Project (.xml) round-trip, or Print / PDF to submit. Disabled until there are tasks.
Undo / Redo	Ctrl/⌘+Z and Ctrl/⌘+Y.
Add task / Add milestone	Insert a new activity row (Insert key) or a zero-duration key date shown as a diamond.
Indent / Outdent	Make the row a sub-task (Tab) or promote it up a level (Shift+Tab).
Link / Unlink	Chain selected activities finish-to-start (select 2+ with Shift/Ctrl-click), or remove their predecessors.
Duplicate / Delete	Copy the task and its sub-tasks (Ctrl/⌘+D), or delete the activity and its sub-tasks (Del).
Calendar	'Non-working days' popover: click days to mark them non-working (red); weekends auto-blocked; a badge shows the blocked-day count.
Ask AI (Construction manager)	Opens the assistant that builds, sequences and reviews the programme (sets durations & dependencies).
View	Switch layout: Split view (sheet + Gantt), Gantt chart only, Task sheet only, or Network diagram (activity precedence).
Design	'Gantt appearance': colour pickers for task bars, critical path, milestones, summary bars; toggles for bar labels, critical path, dependencies, today line, non-working shading.
Columns	Show, hide & reorder schedule columns.
Collapse all / Expand all / Zoom / Scroll to today	Collapse or expand group rows; change the Gantt day scale; jump to the today line.
Project start (date input)	Sets the schedule's start date; all auto-scheduled dates flow from it.
Schedule columns	# , Task name (double-click to rename), Cost, Dur (working days), Start, Finish, Float, Deadline, Cal (5/6/7-day week), Pred. (predecessors like 3, 5FS+2), Succ. (read-only).
Cost column	Link an estimate section (live total, 'est' badge) or enter a manual amount ('man' badge); group rows roll up.
Row right-click menu	Add task/milestone above or below, add subtask, indent/outdent, set working week, clear pinned start, remove dependencies, rename, link from here, duplicate, delete.
Gantt bar interactions	Drag a bar edge to change duration; drag a bar onto another task to link them.
Network diagram	Activity-on-node precedence diagram with FS/SS/FF/SF edge legend; steps left → right, hover a box for details.

How to use it

Set the Project start date, then Import → 'Import from WBS tab' (or an Excel/MS Project file) to seed activities.
Give each activity a Duration (working days) and set Predecessors, or select rows and Link to chain them.
Let dates auto-schedule; pin a Start or set a Deadline where needed, and mark non-working days in Calendar.
Use View to switch between Split, Gantt, Task sheet or Network diagram; tune display with Design/Columns.
Optionally use Ask AI to draft, sequence or review the programme.
Export to Excel or MS Project XML, or Print / Save as PDF to submit.

💡 Tips

Scheduling is continuous — there is no 'auto-schedule' button; dates recompute from start date + durations + predecessors on a working-day calendar.
A pinned Start earlier than a predecessor requires flags amber and isn't honoured — clear it to auto-schedule.
MS Project .mpp can't be read directly — save as XML (or Excel) then import; predecessors aren't imported, re-link them.

Inside a project

Summary

A one-page 'Project Summary' report that auto-generates from this project's estimate, program and takeoff — KPIs, cost-by-trade and rate-type donuts, margin bars, an indicative program Gantt, an S-curve, direct-vs-indirect split and a provisional-sums/risk table — ready to print or save as PDF.

What's on this screen

Indirect cost	Opens the 'Select indirect / preliminaries items' picker (tree of estimate items with per-category select-all); shows the current indirect $ when set.
Export PDF / Print	Prints just the report card as 'Project Summary' (Save as PDF); also wired to the top-bar Print button.
Report header	Project address as title with Client / Ref / Estimator line and an 'Internal' badge; all figures generated dynamically.
Executive summary card	Auto-written narrative paragraph.
KPI cards	Selling price (ex GST), Total price (inc GST), Base cost, Gross profit, Avg gross margin, and Cost per m² with a hand-editable area denominator.
Cost by trade / WBS category (donut)	Ex-GST sell price per WBS section with a ranked legend.
Cost structure by rate type (donut)	Base cost split across Material, Labour, Subcontract etc. (measured items only).
Gross margin by trade (bars)	Each section ranked by gross margin %; low/no-markup trades flagged.
Program (indicative) Gantt	Category bars from the real programme where one exists (overlaps shown), else cost-weighted. 'Adjust weeks' to hand-edit bars; 'Reset to modelled'.
Cumulative cost curve (S-curve)	Modelled cash flow — cumulative % and $ of ex-GST selling price across the program.
Direct vs indirect cost (stacked bar)	Indirect / preliminaries vs direct / trade; warns when indirect isn't set.
Provisional sums & risk (table)	Provisional/PC sum exposure, editable suggested contingency %, and total risk-adjusted allowance.

How to use it

Open the Summary tab; figures populate automatically from the estimate, program and takeoff.
If prompted, click 'Set up' to flag which estimate items are indirect / preliminaries.
Check the Cost per m² area denominator and pick the correct measured area.
Use 'Adjust weeks' on the indicative Gantt to fine-tune trade bars, or reset to modelled.
Set the suggested contingency % to see the risk-adjusted allowance.
Click 'Export PDF' (or top-bar Print) to print or save the report.

💡 Tips

All values are ex GST unless stated (AUD).
The indicative program uses the real Program schedule when built — otherwise a cost-weighted model; build the schedule in Program for true overlaps.

Inside a project

Tender

A page-based A4 document builder for tender/proposal submissions. Each page is rich text plus data-bound blocks (pricing tables, program Gantt snapshot, summary charts, insurances) that pull live project figures, with a right-hand Format inspector, page navigator, print/PDF export and an AI writer.

What's on this screen

Pages navigator	Left panel of pages; drag handle to reorder, double-click title to rename, rotate portrait/landscape, hide/show (Eye), delete (custom pages). Shows 'Saving…'/'Saved ✓'.
Add blank page	Appends a new custom page.
Page right-click menu	Rename, Duplicate, Move up/down, Insert blank above/below, Save as template, Apply template…, Delete.
Toolbar	Undo/Redo, AI, Rotate (portrait ⇄ landscape), zoom out/reset/in, Paper size picker, and Print / Export PDF.
Paper size menu	Grid of paper sizes with 'This page' and 'All pages' apply buttons.
Format inspector ('Edit page')	Right panel acting on the selected text: Font (family, size, colour), Style (bold/italic/underline/strike/super/subscript), Alignment, Lists, and line/character spacing.
Insert	Page-level blocks: Summary (live charts), Program (Gantt snapshot), Map Measure (aerial + notes), Insurances (insurances & licences page), Image, Table.
Pricing format selector	Segmented 'Lumpsum' / 'Cost split'. Lumpsum shows a scope with Edit / Reset to estimate breakdown.
Break down by	How deep to break the price down: Parent categories, Categories, Sub-categories, Sub-sub-categories, or Activities (full) — follows the estimate tree.
Pricing split table	Description, optional Cost type, Cost, GST, Inc GST, with a Total footer. 'Edit as table' overrides the estimate figures; 'Reset to estimate figures' reverts.
Program Gantt block	Paginated A4 Gantt with zoom, Compact/Normal/Wide scale, and 'Snapshot' to capture a clean image for the submission; double-click to fit the whole project.
Data-bound blocks	Cover, program Gantt, indicative claim schedule, and a credentials page with Licences and Insurances; hover 'Edit' to override the live default, or discard edits to refresh from project data.
Tender AI	Floating writer that drafts, rewrites and builds the whole proposal (Access Methodology, Executive summary, Polish everything, scope-to-prose, Company experience). A single Undo reverts its edits; never invents prices, quantities, dates or names.

How to use it

Build the document in the Pages navigator — reorder by drag, rename by double-click, add blank pages or insert bound blocks.
Click into a text block and format it with the 'Edit page' inspector.
On the pricing page choose Lumpsum or Cost split and set 'Break down by'; use 'Edit as table' to override figures if needed.
Adjust paper size/orientation and zoom; snapshot the Program Gantt for the submission.
Optionally use Tender AI to draft or restructure pages (one Undo reverts all its edits).
Click 'Print' to print or export the whole proposal as PDF.

💡 Tips

Bound blocks stay linked to live project data — editing only overrides the default; discard/refresh pulls the latest figures.
Pages default to A4 portrait; rotate per-page or set paper size for one page or all pages.
Hidden pages are excluded from the printed output.

Tools

RateBuild

A full-screen, offline unit-rate builder that stores your priced cost codes in the browser (survives refresh). Build up each code's rate from labour and material/equipment line items, then assign those rates onto estimate items via the Assign-rate picker.

What's on this screen

Header (Import / Add category / Close)	Dark 'RateBuild' bar with a 'Rate Build Summary' pill; Import rates, Add category, and Close (Esc).
New category dialog	Name (e.g. Demolition) and optional Prefix (auto-derived, uppercase, e.g. DEMO).
Summary table	Per category: Add code, Remove category, Subtotal. Columns Code, Description, Qty, Unit, Labour, Material & equip., Rate, Total, Last modified, Date created.
Row interactions	Click to select, double-click to open the breakdown; an 'unsplit' badge marks codes with unclassified items.
Breakdown popup	Editable description and two tabs: 'Rate' (locked summary) and 'Labour & materials' (edit). Footer Total / Saved ✓ / Save.
Rate tab	Read-only Labour rate, Material & equipment rate, Combined rate (bold), and Total (qty × rate). Edit values in the Labour & materials tab.
Labour & materials tab	Labour and Material & equipment sections with subtotals and '+ Add item'. Rates accept '=' formulas (e.g. =120*1.1); split any unclassified items.
Import rates dialog	Choose a CSV/Excel file (columns category, code, description, qty, unit, item_name, rate, type, tender); preview then 'Import n rows'.
Assign rate picker (RatePicker)	Opened from an estimate item: search codes, grouped by category; double-click or 'Assign rate' snapshots the code's Labour and Material-&-tools $/u (and unit) onto the item (copied, not linked).

How to use it

Open RateBuild from the blue top-bar button; 'Add category' (with an optional prefix).
Click 'Add code'; the breakdown opens automatically to price it.
Add labour and material/equipment line items (rates accept '=' formulas); split any unclassified items.
Check the computed Combined rate, set Qty/Unit, and Save.
Optionally Import a CSV/Excel of rates.
From an estimate item, open the Assign-rate picker and pick a code to snapshot its rates onto the item.

💡 Tips

Everything is stored locally in the browser and survives refresh; it isn't a server-side shared library by default.
Codes with 'unclassified' items must be split into labour vs materials so the combined rate is accurate.
Assigning a rate copies the numbers onto the estimate item rather than linking, so it stays correct on any device.

Plans & Takeoffs

Civil & Earthworks

Two civil tools that sit on the plan alongside the ordinary takeoff. Chainage gives every shape you measure a station along a centreline. Earthworks works out real cut and fill volumes between an existing-ground surface and a design surface, and writes them into your estimate. Both need the sheet's scale set first.

Where they are: on the takeoff ribbon, the vertical ⋮ strip at the right-hand edge of the Takeoff group (Area · Linear · Count) → Civil / earthworks. The same list is on the Civil button at the end of the Output row, if you have that row open.

What's on this screen

Alignment	Draws a civil centreline — a road, pipe run or kerb line. Click along it and double-click to finish. It is reference data, not a takeoff, so it never appears as a quantity.
Chainage	Opens the alignments panel: rename one, set its start station (type 5000 to tie in at 5+000, and the line re-stations itself), pick which one is active, or delete it.
Station everything on this sheet	On the active alignment. Stations every shape already measured on the page — for a centreline drawn after the takeoff. Changing a start station re-stations what is already on it automatically.
Surfaces	Creates and manages Existing ground and Design surfaces for this page, sets which one new levels attach to, shows how many levels each carries, and imports LandXML. A second surface with the same name is numbered for you — 'Design 2' — so the two can never be confused later.
Spot level	Click a point on the plan and type its RL. The popup names the surface it is going onto and lets you change it there. The tool stays armed for the next level — press Escape when you are done.
Contour	Traces a line at a single elevation; double-click to finish, then type the RL once for the whole line. Every vertex of the line feeds the surface, so a traced contour is worth far more than the one level it is counted as. Also stays armed until Escape.
Detect (AI)	Reads the printed spot levels off the sheet and stages them for review — nothing is added until you Keep it. Needs a plan that includes AI, with allowance left; if not, it says so rather than failing quietly.
Import LandXML	Takes a surface straight from your civil software rather than tracing it. It arrives at the sheet's scale; the Move control walks it onto the drawing in metres.
Cut/Fill	Draw a footprint and get the volume between two surfaces. The popup picks the surfaces (each shown with its level count), sets the sample grid, topsoil strip and swell/shrink, previews cut and fill live, and warns about any part of the footprint your levels do not cover.
Grid resolution (m)	How finely the footprint is sampled. Smaller is more accurate and slower. Partial cells are measured to the footprint edge, so small pads come out true.
Topsoil strip (m)	Depth taken off the whole footprint before any bulk earthworks. It is measured on its own row, and cut and fill are worked out from the stripped ground — so it is never counted twice.
Swell on cut % / Shrink on fill %	In-situ to loose, and loose to compacted. Swell is what actually leaves site on a truck; shrink is what you have to bring in to finish at level. Leave both at 0 to price in-situ volumes.
Recompute cut/fill volumes	Volumes are worked out when a footprint is drawn. Run this after adding levels or changing a design surface, or right-click one footprint to redo just that pair.

How to use it — start to finish

Set the sheet's scale. Click Scale, then either trace a known length in two clicks or pick the drawing's stated ratio. Nothing on this menu can measure without it, and each tool will stop you rather than guess. Ratios assume the PDF is at true paper size — check one known dimension before trusting one.
Create both surfaces. Open Surfaces, and under New surface add one Existing and one Design. A cut/fill volume is the difference between two surfaces, so you always need both.
Make a surface active by clicking its row. Levels you place next attach to it.
Put levels on it. Spot level for one point at a time — click, type the RL, press Enter, and keep clicking; the tool stays armed until Escape. Contour for a whole line at one elevation. Detect (AI) to read the printed levels off the sheet and accept them in one pass. Or skip tracing entirely and Import LandXML.
Check the popup's 'Adding to' line each time you start a run. It names the surface, its kind and how many levels it holds — and you can switch surface right there, which also makes it the target for the next level.
Repeat for the other surface. Three levels in a straight line cannot form a surface; spread them across the footprint, not along one kerb.
Draw a Cut/Fill footprint around the area you are pricing and double-click to close it. The panel opens with the surfaces that actually carry levels already selected.
Set the parameters — grid resolution, topsoil strip, swell and shrink — and read the live preview.
Save. The volumes land in your estimate as Bulk Excavation (Cut), Fill / Import and, where you set one, Topsoil Strip.
For chainage: draw an Alignment, set its start station in the Chainage panel, and make it active. Shapes drawn from then on carry a station; use Station everything on this sheet for work already measured.

Worth knowing

One manage-panel at a time	Surfaces and Chainage share a slot, so opening one closes the other. The Cut/Fill and RL popups step aside when a panel is open, so you can switch surfaces while a cut/fill is on screen.
Three levels in a line won't do	Levels picked along a single kerb cannot form a surface. The popup will say so rather than report a volume — spread them either side.
Cover the whole footprint	Any part of a footprint your levels do not reach is excluded from the total, and the popup tells you how many cells. A small volume with a large excluded count means sparse levels, not a small job.
'Has no levels yet'	The surface picked in that dropdown is empty. Each option shows its level count — switch to one that has some, or go back and add them.
A level count is rows, not points	A spot level counts as one and so does a traced contour, but every vertex of that contour feeds the surface. A contour is usually the fastest way to a good surface.
Escape puts everything down	It cancels a part-drawn shape, exits Spot level or Contour, drops the markup pen and closes any open ribbon menu.
Not yet modelled	Subgrade layers and mass-haul are not worked out — allow for them in your rates. Topsoil strip and shrink/swell are modelled, on the Cut/Fill panel.

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