Quantities
Review and export the computed quantity takeoff for every entity in your project — areas, lengths, volumes, and unit counts derived automatically from entity geometry.
The Quantities panel shows the computed measurements for every entity type in the project. Unlike the Cost View (which applies prices), Quantities is a pure measurement summary:
- Areas (m²) — paving surfaces, planting areas, lawn areas, water features
- Lengths (linear m) — paths, walls, fences, edging, irrigation pipe runs
- Volumes (m³) — raised beds, pond volumes, topsoil depths
- Plant counts (units) — individual plants placed on the canvas
All quantities are derived from entity geometry in real time — they update automatically as entities are added, resized, or removed.
Access Quantities from Cost > Quantities in the top bar, or as a standalone report from the Deliverables panel.
Open the Quantities panel
Click Cost in the top bar and select Quantities from the Cost panel sidebar. The Quantities panel opens showing a categorized list of all entity types detected in the current project.
Entities are grouped by type. Each row shows:
- Entity type / name — the category and specific product name
- Quantity — computed measurement from entity geometry
- Unit — m², lm, m³, or units
- Override — an optional manual override field (see Step 3)
Only entity types that are present in the project appear in the list. Empty categories are hidden.
Read the quantities
Each row in the Quantities panel reflects the geometric measurement of all entities of that type:
- Area entities (paving, planting areas, lawn) — total surface area in m² across all entities of that type
- Linear entities (paths, walls, fences, edging) — total length in linear meters
- Volume entities (raised beds, pond volumes) — total volume in m³
- Point entities (individual plants, lights, emitters) — total count of placed instances
Click a row to highlight all matching entities on the canvas.
Clicking a row to highlight entities is helpful for quality-checking quantities — you can visually confirm which entities are contributing to each row's measurement.
Override a quantity
In some cases you may need to adjust a computed quantity — for example, to add a waste factor for paving cuts, account for inaccessible survey areas, or reflect a contractor's measurement that differs from the drawn geometry.
To override a quantity: 1. Click the computed quantity value in the Override column 2. Enter the adjusted quantity 3. An override indicator (pencil icon) appears next to the row to show that a manual override is active
The Cost View uses the overridden quantity for line total calculations when an override is set.
To clear an override and return to the computed value, click the override field and delete the value, or click the Reset icon next to the row.
Apply a waste factor by overriding the paving quantity to 110% of the computed area (multiply the value by 1.1). This accounts for cutting losses on irregular shapes and pattern offsets.
Area, linear, and unit quantities
The engine handles three quantity types automatically. Area quantities (m² or ft²) apply to closed surface shapes such as lawns, beds, and paving. Linear quantities (m or ft) apply to path-based objects such as fences, edging runs, and irrigation pipes — the engine reads the total path length. Unit counts apply to point objects such as plants, lights, and irrigation emitters — the engine counts instances. All three types feed their values into the matching row in the Cost Table.
Quantities grouped by surface class
The engine groups results by semantic surface class — not by individual shape. If you draw three separate gravel areas, all three contribute to a single Gravel row in the Cost Table. This keeps the table concise regardless of how many shapes make up a surface type. Each surface class maps to a single product in your Pricing Catalog, so costs scale automatically as you add or modify shapes.
Quantities in reports
Surface take-off totals are included in client reports generated from the Document Center. The report uses the same net quantities shown in the Cost Table. If you need gross figures for a material order — for example to account for cutting waste — add a waste factor as a percentage uplift on the Pricing Catalog product rather than adjusting the drawn shape, so the plan still reflects the actual installed area.
All quantities update in real time as you draw, resize, or delete objects. There is no refresh button — the Cost Table always reflects the current state of your design.
To account for cutting waste or material overordering, add a percentage uplift on the matching product in the Pricing Catalog rather than inflating the drawn shape. This keeps the plan area accurate while the cost line correctly reflects your ordering quantity.
Hiding an object, layer, surface class, or tag changes only what is displayed. Eligible costable objects remain in full-design quantity and cost totals until they are deleted or otherwise made non-costable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I manually override a computed quantity?
No — the engine is the single source of truth for all surface quantities. Manual overrides are not supported on individual shapes. To adjust the cost side without changing the drawn area, set a waste-factor uplift or adjust the unit price on the matching product in the Pricing Catalog, or add an Additional line item for the extra cost.
What unit system are quantities displayed in?
Quantities display in the unit system set under Project Settings — metric (m², linear m) or imperial (ft², linear ft). Changing the unit system updates the Cost Table immediately. All areas are stored internally in square meters and converted at display time.
Why does a path drawn on a lawn reduce the lawn's quantity?
This is net mode, the default. The engine subtracts the path's footprint from the lawn so each surface class reflects only the ground it actually covers. You pay for the path as a path, not also as lawn underneath it. If you need the full lawn area regardless of overlaps — for example when estimating topsoil — switch to gross mode or use the material-order report.
Does the engine handle curves and irregular shapes accurately?
Yes. The engine uses exact polygon boolean operations on the full vertex outline of each shape. Curved beds, diagonal walkways, organic borders, and rounded rectangles are all measured by their true outline rather than approximated by a grid — the same outline used to render each shape is used to compute its area.
Why is a surface shape not appearing in the Cost Table?
Only shapes with a recognized surface semantic class contribute to quantity totals. Check that the shape has a surface class assigned — open the shape's inspector and look at the Surface Class field. Shapes classified as 'none' and structural elements are excluded; hiding a layer or object only removes it from the canvas display.