Draw Area Lines

There are several different ways you can draw area lines in TOTAL Sketch's sketcher. TOTAL Sketch is optimized for pen‑based input, making sketching a breeze. With a pen input, bear in mind that you can and should adjust each line after drawing it. In particular, for very short walls, it's easier to draw a long wall and adjust it down than attempting to draw a short wall and adjusting it up. To draw area lines with a pen:

1. In a sketch, click the down arrow beside the Draw button in the toolbar or choose the Draw panel at the right side of the screen and select Area Lines.
2. Now, simply draw a line (or several lines) and wait for TOTAL Sketch to interpret it. Once the interpretation is done, a line appears in your sketch. Once set, there are several things you can do to adjust the line:
   • Adjust Line Length — To adjust the length of the line, write the length (in feet) over top of the existing length label for the line. After a moment, TOTAL Sketch automatically converts it to digital input and resizes the line.
   • Adjust Line Angle — If your line intersects with another line, you can adjust the angle between the two lines by simply writing the appropriate angle (in degrees) over top of the existing angle label in your sketch. After a moment, TOTAL Sketch interprets your handwriting and changes the angle.
   • Adjust Line Direction — To do a basic direction adjustment, write the new direction for the line over top of the line. TOTAL Sketch recognizes all major compass directions (N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE, SW).

     To assist you in notating the changes in your sketch, TOTAL Sketch support a number of Gestures you can draw on your sketch. For instance, to change the line length, direction, or angle, you can draw a line from the existing label away from you sketch and write in the new value at the end of your "call out" line.

3. Depending on your TOTAL Sketch preferences, for short lines, you may be prompted for an exact line length. If you're prompted, enter the exact line length using the provided keypad and then click the return arrow (to the lower right). These prompts appear specifically when Pen Mode is enabled. More information on TOTAL Sketch settings can be found here..

   

4. Repeat this process for any additional walls. As you do, take note of the visual cues that appear in the interface to assist you in drawing. Visual cues include:
   • Line Colors — Line colors correspond to the angle of the line. Green lines indicate that the line is vertical. Teal lines indicate that the line is horizontal. Red lines indicate that the line is at 45 degrees from the line to which it's attached.

     

   • Dot Colors — As you sketch, a variety of dots may appear around your line. Red dots indicate a standard "pop point." Blue dots indicate a specialty pop point. Pop points assist you in sketching by jumping to specific points on your sketch. The red pop points indicate end points for your next line that line up with other intersections in your sketch. Blue pop points indicate that you can draw a line with a mirrored angle to one that you've recently drawn (as with bay windows, for instance).

     

   • Pulsating Dots — The pulsating dots that appear at the end of a line indicate that the line is open on the pulsating end.

     

5. As necessary, click an end point to any line in your sketch (regardless of whether the area is open or closed) and drag it to adjust your line(s).
6. When you're ready to close the area, draw the last line or click the A key on your keyboard to auto‑close the area.
7. If you've configured TOTAL Sketch to do so, you're prompted for an area definition. Enter the areas details and click OK to save the area.