Tape Measure
Press K to activate the Tape Measure. Click two points to measure the distance and angle between them. Click any displayed value to type a new measurement and move the endpoint.
The Tape Measure renders a transient overlay — it does not create a permanent entity. The measurement disappears when you switch tools or press Escape. Use it for spot-checking distances and angles without placing a dimension annotation.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| K | Activate Tape Measure |
| Shift (hold while moving) | Constrain angle to increments |
| Escape | Cancel current edit / clear measurement |
Click-to-type any value
Click directly on the Distance, Angle, ΔX, or ΔY label in the overlay to enter editing mode for that field. Type a new value and press Enter to commit. The second endpoint moves to satisfy the edited constraint. Press Escape to cancel the edit.
Multi-segment measurement
Continue clicking after placing the second point to add more segments. The overlay shows each segment's distance. The total cumulative distance is displayed at the end. Click back to the first point to close the measurement loop.
Angle snap
Hold Shift while moving the cursor to constrain the measurement to angle increments (default 15°). This makes it easy to measure along cardinal directions or specific angles.
Clearing the measurement
Press Escape to clear the current measurement and start fresh. Switching to any other tool also clears the tape measure overlay.
Type an exact value
Click directly on any labeled value in the pill — Distance, Angle, ΔX, or ΔY — to enter edit mode. An inline text field appears with the current numeric value pre-selected. Type a new number and press Enter to reposition the endpoint; press Escape to cancel without changing anything.
When editing a value, unit suffixes are stripped automatically so you type just the number. For distance in imperial mode, you can also type feet-and-inches notation such as 5'6" and the tool will parse it correctly.
Chain multiple segments
Keep clicking past the second point to extend the measurement into a multi-segment chain. Each new segment shows its own distance and bearing, and a running total accumulates at the end of the chain so you can measure along an irregular path without adding the segments manually.
Constrain to angle increments
Hold Shift while moving the cursor to snap the current segment to fixed angle increments. This makes it easy to measure exactly along cardinal directions (0°, 90°, 180°, 270°) or common diagonals, which is useful when checking alignment between elements.
Clear the measurement
Press Escape to dismiss the overlay and return to the idle state, ready to start a new measurement. Switching to any other tool automatically clears the overlay as well. No drawing entity is ever created — the measurement leaves no trace on the plan.
Use the Tape Measure for quick spot-checks — measure between two points and compare the live readout against your spec before committing to a layout change. Zoom in first to place each point closely on the geometry you are checking.
The measurement overlay is temporary and will not appear in exported PDFs or printed plans. If you need a permanent labeled distance on the drawing, use a Dimension annotation instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my measurement disappear?
The overlay is intentionally transient. It clears when you press Escape, click a different tool, or switch editor modes. To keep a measurement permanently visible on the plan, add a Dimension annotation from the annotation toolbar.
How do I enter an exact distance after clicking the first point?
Place the first point, move the cursor roughly toward the target so the pill appears, then click to lock the segment. Click the Distance value in the pill, type your exact number (or feet-and-inches in imperial mode), and press Enter. The endpoint jumps to the precise distance from the start.
Can I measure along a curved or irregular path?
The Tape Measure measures straight-line segments only. For an irregular path, chain multiple clicks along the path — each segment shows its own length and the running total gives you the combined distance. For true arc-length measurement, place a dimension annotation on the arc.
The values are showing in the wrong unit system. How do I change them?
The Tape Measure uses your project's unit system setting. Open Project Settings from the top bar and switch between metric and imperial. All measurements on the canvas update immediately.
Does the Tape Measure snap to entity geometry?
The Tape Measure places points at the free cursor position rather than locking onto entity geometry, so it measures exactly where you click. To measure to a precise geometric point, click an exact value in the pill afterward and type the exact distance or offset, or place the points carefully while zoomed in. For a permanent, geometry-aware measurement, use a Dimension annotation, which can snap to object endpoints.