AI Space Takeoff

AI Space Takeoff uses computer vision to automatically identify rooms and spaces on your floor plan drawings, saving time on manual space creation.

How It Works

Image Analysis

The AI analyzes your floor plan to identify:

Room boundaries (walls, partitions)
Window openings, only when you choose a Window Type in the dialog
Labels and room names
Typical space patterns

Space Detection

For each identified space:

Creates a polygon boundary
Calculates area
Reads the room name from the drawing label
Applies the envelope types you selected

Review Process

You review the generated spaces before they’re added:

Toggle each space to include or exclude it
Approve to keep the included spaces on the level
Cancel to discard the level’s generated spaces

Using AI Space Takeoff

Starting Takeoff

Place your floor plans on their levels in Sheets & Maps
Navigate to Building Model > Spaces
Click the Auto Takeoff Spaces button (the sparkles icon) in the toolbar

The takeoff runs on each level in scope that has a placed sheet. If the project has a map, level 1 is also included and gets one space for the footprint of the building at each map’s location. Levels that still have generated spaces waiting for review are skipped. If no level qualifies, HVAKR shows No levels ready for Auto Takeoff. Place a sheet on a level that does not already have suggestions.

Takeoff Options

In the Auto Takeoff Spaces dialog, choose:

Apply to all levels or Apply to level N only - which levels the takeoff runs on
Wall Type, Window Type, Roof Type, and Slab Type (all optional) - envelope types assigned to the generated spaces. Roof types apply to the top floor only; slab types to the ground floor only.

Click Run to start the analysis.

Processing

Wait for analysis:

A progress indicator shows status
Larger drawings take longer
You can cancel a run in progress
Results appear when complete

Reviewing Results

After processing, the generated spaces enter a review mode (Reviewing Level N). You review one level at a time. Each generated space is marked as either Included or Excluded, with a legend showing the two colors.

Toggle Spaces

Click any generated space to toggle it between Included and Excluded
Only the included spaces are kept when you approve

Approve or Reject

Click Approve (or press Enter) to add the level’s included spaces to the model
Click Cancel (or press Esc) to discard the level’s generated spaces

After you approve or cancel a level, HVAKR moves to the next level that has generated spaces. Review ends when no level is left.

Refining Spaces

Approved spaces behave like any other space — refine them with the standard editing tools:

Boundaries - select a space and drag its vertices to adjust the outline
Space Type - change the assigned type from the space’s properties
Name - rename the space from its properties

Best Practices

Drawing Quality

AI works best with:

Clear, high-resolution images
Visible room boundaries
Legible text labels
Standard architectural conventions

Optimal Use

For best results:

Use standard floor plans
Ensure scale is set correctly
Take off one level at a time for large buildings

Review Carefully

Always verify:

Boundaries match the drawing
Space types are correct
Areas are reasonable
No spaces are missed

Troubleshooting

Poor Detection

If spaces aren’t detected well:

Check image resolution
Verify scale calibration
Take off a single level at a time
Fall back to manual drawing

Incorrect Boundaries

If boundaries are wrong:

Approve, then adjust the boundary
Or reject and draw manually

Missing Spaces

If spaces are missed:

Draw them manually
AI may miss unusual shapes
Small spaces may be overlooked