Congratulations on choosing ConstructConnect Takeoff™ for your plan viewing, takeoff, and estimating needs.
Whether you are new to electronic takeoff or have used on screen takeoff applications in the past, we recommend you take a few minutes to review this User Guide so you become familiar with ConstructConnect Takeoff and how various screens and tools work. We know reading about a software application is no fun, but even though we feel the program is fairly easy-to-use it takes time to learn any new system. You could probably figure out how to use the basics of ConstructConnect Takeoff by randomly clicking on buttons and pressing keys on your keyboard, but save yourself some time and frustration and use this User Guide as it is intended.
As a general rule, we provide you some recommended ways to use the software but, really, there are no hard and fast rules about the correct way to estimate. Your organization has to use ConstructConnect Takeoff in a way that makes the most sense to you. We give you some ideas on how we think the tool can best be used - you take it from there.
Getting Started
Before diving into using ConstructConnect Takeoff, we feel it is important that you get familiar with the program - at least so you can find your way around. Investing a few minutes to learn about the application improves your efficiency and helps you get the most out of the program, so you can bid the most projects in the least amount of time!
Although you can print the articles in this User Guide, we encourage you not to do so. Of course, sparing a tree is one thing, but more important, our product and support information is subject to change and if you print an article, you may be referencing out-dated information. Create a Favorite to this user guide in your preferred Web browser for quick access instead (or click the "?" in the application to launch this user guide).
See CCTKO 2 - 01 Printing - Overview for information on printing your plans, takeoff, and markups.
Quick Tips
Shortcuts - Shortcuts are available throughout the program and can help you save a lot of time. Keep reading this chapter for more information. When you are instructed to use a shortcut (or set of shortcut keys), we show you something like this: to add a new record, press Ctrl + Plus (+), to collapse a list, press Ctrl + Minus (-), or to paste something, press Ctrl + V. If the key being referenced could be confused with a term, the term is spelled out (Plus, Minus, Asterisk instead of +, -, *).
Tool Tips - If you are unsure what a button does, hover the mouse pointer over the button and a Tool Tip appears. A tool tip is a brief description of the button or function.
Context Menus - Right-click on most objects and within most windows to view a Context (or Pop-Up) Menu.
Learn the Basics - Chapter 1 of this User Guide covers shortcuts, searching, filtering, and general 'How to get around the program'. Although you may be tempted to skip right to "getting some work done", save yourself a lot of time and frustration and read this chapter, even if you do not read any others.
Typographical Conventions
Bold Text - indicates a screen or tab in the application.
Italicized Text - indicates a menu choice or selection you can make or an important term.
Underlined Text - your browser will use some sort of underlining to indicate terms that are defined in our Glossary.
Mouse Clicks
When looking at screenshots within the user guide, the color of the cursor indicates whether you:
Single-click (yellow)
Double-click (green)
Right-click (blue)
Click-n-drag (red).
The instructions always indicate the steps you are to perform so you do not need to rely on the color change.
Notes, Cautions, Warnings, and Learning Goals
Indicates a helpful tip, trick, or simply an informational notice.
Program logic that you need to understand or some action that you could perform that would cause you significant lost time.
Critical information that could cause data loss, incorrect
takeoff results, or something else that cannot be easily fixed, if at all.
Indicates what we'd like you to learn in an article or section.
Confirmation Prompts
There are a few confirmation prompts used to verify different actions (such as deleting Conditions, Plan Sets, other actions) that cannot be 'undone' - actions that are immediate and permanent.
We try not to overwhelm you by asking you to confirm too many actions, so if you are prompted to confirm an action, please read the prompt carefully - it is likely important and clicking "Yes" or "Continue" too quickly may cause you to lose work.
Getting the Most Out of this User Guide
This User Guide provides you, the end user, with a detailed reference for ConstructConnect Takeoff and provide the information in a way that is clear and easy-to-use. This user guide compliments comprehensive software Training provided by ConstructConnect.
Take a little time to familiarize yourself with the product (and install it, if necessary). This user guide is organized to help you with basic concepts and then builds on that with advanced concepts and features. Many articles include videos so you can see a real-world application of how a feature/function works!
Common Questions
Be sure your browser allows popups before clicking one of the links below:
How to Get Help
In the application, if you click on your name in the upper-right corner, you see the Settings and Help Menu - there are numerous options for getting help there.
Links
Hyperlinks
In many articles, there may be links to other, relevant articles or even external Websites. Usually, these links open in a new window, so be sure your Internet browser allows Pop Ups.
Previous 
and Next Article 
Buttons
There are buttons that open the Previous and Next article at the bottom of each User Guide article. This allows you to 'page' through the user guide, moving from one article to the next and back. These links open in the current window.
Related Articles
Below the Previous/Next buttons you may find links to "Related Articles" with information that complements the current article.
So, without further adieu...
