Detect Symbols (TE)

Devon Streckfuss
Updated

Count a repeated symbol in one pass. Mark the symbol once, and STACK's AI finds every match on the sheet, places a count on each one, and adds the counts to a Count item in your takeoff.

What to Know

  • Detect Symbols is on the Detect tab in the right panel of PLANS & TAKEOFFS. It replaces Autocount.
  • STACK looks for matches on the sheet where you captured the symbol. To count another sheet, open that sheet and capture the symbol there.
  • The counts go into a new Count item, or into a Count item you already have.
  • You don't need to set a scale to count symbols. STACK asks for a scale only when you add the counts to an existing Count item that uses a custom symbol size.

Capture a Symbol

Open the plan and zoom in until you can clearly see one example of the symbol you want to count.

  1. In the right panel, click the Detect tab.
  2. Click Symbols.
  3. Click Select Symbol.
The Detect tab in the right panel, with numbered marks on the Detect tab (1), Symbols (2), and Select Symbol (3)
Steps 1 to 3: the Detect tab (1), Symbols (2), and Select Symbol (3).
  1. On the plan, click one corner of the symbol, then click the opposite corner to draw a box around it. The symbol appears in the panel.
  2. Check the options under the symbol:
    • Rotation is on by default. STACK also finds the symbol when it's turned 90, 180, or 270 degrees, or mirrored.
    • Select Text when your box includes text. STACK then looks for matches of that text, not only the symbol.
A ceiling tag boxed on the plan (4), the captured symbol shown in the panel, and the Rotation and Text options (5)
Steps 4 and 5: the symbol boxed on the plan (4) and the Rotation and Text options (5).

TIP
Pick a clean example of the symbol, away from busy areas and lines that cross it. Don't use the symbol from the plan's legend.

You can also open the Detect tab by clicking Detect on the toolbar above the plan. It opens on Interiors, so click Symbols next.

Choose Where the Counts Go and Run Detection

  1. Click Add measurements to and choose where the counts go:
    • To add them to a Count item you already have, select it from the list.
    • To start a new Count item with your own name, type the name in the search box and select Create "name". The name shows a New tag, and the item is created when you run detection.
The Add measurements to list open, with a search box, New Count item, and the project's existing Count items
The Add measurements to list shows your existing Count items.

NOTE
If you leave New Count item selected without typing a name, STACK names the new item for you (Symbol 1, Symbol 2, and so on). You can rename it later in the Takeoffs list.

  1. Click Detect and Measure.
Add measurements to set to a new Count item named Ceiling Height Tags with a New tag (6), and the Detect and Measure button (7)
Steps 6 and 7: a named new Count item (6) and Detect and Measure (7).

Review the Results

A banner at the top of the plan shows that STACK is analyzing the sheet. When it finishes, the banner shows how many measurements were found, and every match on the sheet has a check.

The banner reads measurements found, and a green check marks each matching ceiling tag on the plan
Each match is counted and marked with a check.

Zoom out to check the counts across the whole sheet. The quantity appears on the Count item in the Takeoffs list, ready for your estimate.

Related Articles

Create Takeoffs (TE)
Floor Plan AI
Search, Sort, and Group the Takeoff List (TE)

See how others use this feature in the STACK Community.

If you need additional assistance, please Contact Us or email build-support@stackct.com.

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