Computer Aided Design (CAD) packages such as AutoCAD and Home Designer have tools that allow you to calculate square footage automatically, giving faster, more accurate figures than manual calculation can achieve. Calculating the area in square feet is essential for any number of tasks in planning and design work, from working out materials costs and maintenance regimes to making licence applications and adhering to fire regulations. The exact steps required to make the measurement depend on which CAD package you are using, though the technique is similar regardless of program.
AutoCAD
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Step 1
Open your design in AutoCAD. Find the "Object Snaps" or "OSNAP" button -- this is usually at the bottom of the screen. Right click it to open the settings window.
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Step 2
Tick the "Endpoint" box and the "Object Snap On" box. Click OK.
Step 3
Find the "Command Line," usually above the design window. Type "AREA" in the "Command Line." Use the cursor to click on the corners of the room. Go around the perimeter of the room, clicking each corner in turn, and click again on the first corner. The area in square feet will appear on the command line.
Home Designer Pro
Step 1
Open the design you want to measure, click the "CAD Configuration Button," which looks like a triangular set square tool. In the menu, click "CAD," and then click "Line." Click "Draw Line," which is a button with a diagonal line across it.
Step 2
Click and drag a line around the outside of the object you want to measure. Connect the last line to the first line.
Step 3
Click the "Select Objects" tool, which looks like a white cursor arrow. "Double Click" the line you have drawn. This opens the "Polyline Specification" window. Click the "Polyline Tab." This will display the area in square feet.