Knowledge base · Measuring

Counts & AI detection

Counting is the most repetitive work in a takeoff — and the easiest to hand to AI, as long as a human stays in charge of the final number. Here's both halves.

Counting by hand

The Count tool on the Home tab is one-click-one-marker: pick the tool, click each fixture, and every click drops a numbered marker and bumps the tally. Markers under the same subject stay grouped in the Quantity Takeoff tree, so "Workstations ×9" reads as one line with nine sheet locations behind it. For a dozen items, hand-counting is still the fastest thing in the app.

Nine red count markers over an open office area with matching count rows in the takeoff tree
Nine markers, one subject, nine rows in the tree — every count traceable to a spot on the sheet.

Before you use AI: bring a key

AI Detect runs on Google's Gemini models using your own API key, which you paste in under Settings → General → AI. There's no per-seat AI surcharge from us — usage bills directly to your Google account at their rates, and you keep full control of the spend. Until a key is configured, the AI features simply sit idle.

Settings dialog, General / AI section, with the Gemini API Key field, a Get a free key link, and the Detection model field
Settings → General / AI: paste your Gemini key (stored only on this computer) and, if Google ever renames the model, update the Detection model field without waiting for an app update.

Running AI Detect

AI Detect lives at the right end of the Home ribbon. Tell it what you're counting, and it works the sheet in tiles — slicing the drawing into overlapping regions and scanning each one — so a symbol in the far corner of an E-size sheet gets the same scrutiny as one dead center.

Home ribbon with the AI Detect button at the right end of the tool cluster
AI Detect sits on the Home ribbon, right after the manual tools it accelerates.

Out of the box, AI Detect proposes counts — doors, fixtures, receptacles, piers, anything that repeats as a symbol. It does not draw your areas or volumes; those stay yours.

Review and approve

Every detection carries a confidence score, and the workflow is built around your judgment:

  1. Detections at 85% confidence or higher are auto-accepted and placed as count markers immediately.
  2. Lower-confidence finds are flagged for review instead of silently counted.
  3. The review panel gives you three levers: Accept all, Accept high-confidence, and Reject flagged — sweep the obvious ones in, throw the doubtful ones out, and spot-check anything in between.
AI Detections review panel over a foundation plan: 32 proposals grouped by subject with Accept all, Accept high-confidence, Reject all, and Reject flagged buttons, and proposal markers on each detected pier symbol
A real review pass on a foundation plan: 30 concrete piers proposed (29 high-confidence), each marker sitting on its symbol, waiting for your Accept.

Accepted detections become ordinary count markers — same tree rows, same editing, same undo as if you'd clicked them yourself. And if a run finds nothing, you'll get a status message saying so; no news is displayed news, never a silent shrug.

AI for linear work: trace runs

Counting isn't the only repetitive job. For linear scope, drag the region-scoped "AI: trace runs" marquee over a portion of the sheet and the AI proposes linear runs within just that region — useful for dense corridors of partition or long conduit and pipe routes. Scoping to a region keeps the results focused and quick to review.

Good practice: run AI Detect one symbol type at a time and reconcile against the legend as you go. AI does the clicking; you still own the quantity that hits the bid.

AI not behaving?

A human answers support tickets — usually the same day.