Estimation Modules
Digital Takeoff
Maxwell Systems Digital Takeoff allows you to perform a takeoff of anything found on a set of blueprints – without ever touching a set of blueprints!
With Digital Takeoff you download your plans to your computer from any online plan room, scan in your plans or upload them from a CD-ROM; there's no need for a digitizer board, stylus pen, or even a set of paper plans. Once your plans are loaded, you can measure and/or count simply by using your mouse. Digital Takeoff accepts many common file types, including PDF, TIF, GIF and CAD.
With Digital Takeoff you can:
- Create a takeoff by tracing a structure right on your computer screen
- Save thousands of dollars on printed blueprints
- Avoid the inconvenience of working with awkward, bulky paper plans
This technology allows you to quickly count items and measure length and square footage in full color. Create your own custom symbols to count items on each page of the drawing on your screen. When measuring LF simply choose a color for the line and then use your mouse to click and follow the item you are measuring. You don't even have to use a solid line, you can use dotted, dashed and combination lines. You also have the ability to increase, decrease, copy (which saves you from having to retrace when working on a project with multiple identical structures), rotate, move and flip branch runs, fixture counts, and more.
In addition, the Shape Recognition feature in Estimation allows estimators to further automate quantity counts using Digital Takeoff. This technology searches a set of plans and annotates like symbols and shapes for fast and accurate quantity counting. The Shape Recognition tool helps estimators eliminate time otherwise spent doing quantity counts by eye and marking by hand. The benefit is improved accuracy and time savings, not only when taking off original plans, but also when plans change.
Digital Takeoff also lets you customize your cost item libraries, or import them straight from other programs. If your plans change suddenly, you can easily compare the new plans to the older version using the Manage Sheet Revisions feature.

