Markup tools
Plan Markup keeps the tool set small on purpose: the shapes an estimator actually draws on a plan, each one a keystroke away.
The tools
Section titled “The tools”| Tool | Key | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Line | L | Runs, limits of work, leader lines |
| Arrow | A | Pointing at something specific |
| Rectangle | R | Boxing an area of scope |
| Ellipse | E | Circling items |
| Revision cloud | C | Flagging scope and changes the way plans already speak |
| Pen | P | Freehand sketching |
| Highlighter | G | Sweeping over notes and spec references |
| Text | T | Notes on the sheet |
Press V for select, H or hold Space to pan. The measurement tools (length, area, count) live on Measure and takeoff, and the full key list is on Keyboard shortcuts.
Properties
Section titled “Properties”Every markup carries its own style, editable in the properties panel:
- Label, which is also what groups measurements into takeoff totals
- Color and line width
- Opacity, so highlights and fills sit over the drawing without burying it
- Fill for closed shapes, with its own opacity
- Dash pattern, for things like distinguishing existing from proposed
Style a tool once, then save it as a preset so the same look and label come back with one keystroke.
Editing
Section titled “Editing”- Select, move, delete. Press V, click a markup, drag it, or hit Delete. Hold Shift while moving to constrain to horizontal or vertical.
- Vertex editing. Select a markup and drag its handles to reshape it: stretch a line, resize a box, fix one leg of a traced run without redrawing the rest.
- Duplicate. ⌘D copies the selected markup, handy for repeated tags.
- Nudge. Arrow keys move the selection a hair, Shift-arrow moves it ten times as far.
- Undo and redo. ⌘Z and ⇧⌘Z, as deep as you need. Draw freely; nothing is precious.
While drawing, hold Shift to snap lines to 45 degree angles and keep rectangles square. Mid-trace, Backspace removes the last vertex you placed, so one bad click does not restart a long run.
Non-destructive by design
Section titled “Non-destructive by design”Nothing you draw touches the PDF. Every markup auto-saves to a sidecar file next to the plan, and the original file stays byte-for-byte what the GC sent. When you want a PDF that carries the markups, you export a copy.