There are many shortcuts built into ConstructConnect Takeoff to make working in the program more efficient. There are many functions accessible by right-clicking or using keyboard shortcuts. As a matter of fact, some functions can be accessed by one or both of these methods only (such as flipping takeoff or aligning Area takeoff to a grid).

Download a printable PDF of the most common shortcuts at the bottom of this article.

ToolTips

If you are wondering what a button does - hover over it...

If you hover over a piece of takeoff, you'll see a little pop-up that gives you details about that particular object...

Right-Click or "Context" Menus

Right-click your mouse (or left-click if your mouse is configured for left-handed users) to bring up the context menu. It's called the "Context Menu" because its options change depending on where that right-click occurs (it is "contextual" or "context-sensitive". Options for Context Menus are detailed in the articles that explain various screens and function.

Common functions you can find via right-clicking include Copy, Cut, Paste, Duplicate, Expand/Collapse All, and Delete along with many other functions/tools .

Keyboard Shortcuts

Typically, if a menu item can be accessed using a keyboard shortcut, the keystroke combination is listed next to the menu options, like this:

When a keystroke is indicated as Ctrl (or Alt or Shift) + some letter or number, that means you hold down the first button while pressing the letter or number - you do not press Ctrl, then +, then the letter/number.

Keyboard shortcuts, similar to context menus, often vary depending on where you are, or which window/tab has focus, in the application. The same combination may be re-used in the program but its function is different depending on what screen is open/has focus. There are also numerous shortcuts and commands available when you right-click (or alternate-click, for our left-handed users).

All Shortcuts and Context Menus are documented (also) in the relevant screen's documentation (for example, you find the shortcuts used on the Takeoff Window in the documentation for the Takeoff Tab and Takeoff Window (see Related Articles).

Common Shortcuts

There are several keyboard commands that are pretty much universal to most Windows applications and they function the same in Takeoff. They are also represented by the standard Windows control buttons and keyboard shortcuts:

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Cut	Ctrl + X	When used with Paste, moves the selected object(s) to the new location (removing it from the original location).
	Copy	Ctrl + C	When used with Paste, makes a copy of the selected object(s) (leaving the original object(s) unaffected).
	Paste	Ctrl + V	When used with Cut or Copy, tells the application to insert those objects at a specific point (whereever the cursor is pointing).
	Delete	Delete key	Deletes whatever is selected - some deletions, such as from the Masters, Plan Organization, Takeoff Items, require confirmation and CANNOT BE UNDONE. Deletion of takeoff object(s) can normally be undone by clicking the Undo button (or pressing Ctrl + Z).
	Select All	Ctrl + A	Selects all objects in whatever window or list that currently has focus. For example, if you click in the Takeoff Items list and press Ctrl + A, all Takeoff Items are selected. If you click in the Plan View window and press Ctrl + A, all takeoff objects on THIS sheet are selected.
	Undo	Ctrl + Z	Undoes the previous action - limited to takeoff manipulation (copy/cut/paste/delete).
	Redo	Ctrl + Y	Redoes the previously undone activity - only available when the Undo function is used previously.
	Close Window	Alt + F4	Closes the currently active Window - if there are unsaved changes, you are prompted to Save or Cancel - cancelling does not save your changes!
	OK	Ctrl + Enter	Closes the currently active Window after saving any changes.

All Grids, Lists, Panes

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Edit cell	F2	Sets the current cell or record in any list to edit mode.
	Escape/Backup	ESC	Ends edit mode, dismisses prompts and dialog boxes .
	Delete record	DEL	Deletes selected (highlighted) row(s).
	Add record	Insert	Adds a row/record to the list.
	Move to next field	Tab	Moves forward one field in a row or dialog box. If editing records in a grid with only one editable column (such as Layers), moves to the next row.
	Return to previous field	Shift + Tab	Moves back one field in a row/record. If editing records in a grid with only one editable column (such as Layers), moves to the previous row.
	Expand	Right Arrow	Expands the selected Section or Group.
	Collapse	Left Arrow	Collapses the selected Section or Group.
	Expand All	Ctrl + Plus sign (+)	Expands all groupings.
	Collapse All	Ctrl + Minus sign (-)	Collapses all groupings.
	Open, Grab, Accept	Enter	Either opens an object (for editing, such as Takeoff Item Properties) or 'sets' a cell's value and allows moving to another cell/field.

Projects and Bids List

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Duplicate	Ctrl + D	When one or more projects is selected, creates a copy of the selected project(s) (including all bids). Appends the word "Copy" to the Project Name and assigns a new Project #. When one or more bids is selected within the same project, creates a copy of the selected bids. Appends the word "Copy" to each Bid Name and assigns a new Bid #, in sequence.
	Delete	DEL	Moves the selected project (and all bids within that project) or the selected bid to the "Recycle Bin". Selecting a project or bid in the Recycle Bin and clicking the Delete button permanently removes the selected project (and all bids within that project) or bid without having to empty the entire Recycle Bin. (Selective Permanent Delete)

Plan Organizer

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Expand All	Ctrl + Plus sign (+)	When you add multiple Disciplines (when your image files are stored in subfolders of the selected Folder during adding Sheets), Sheets are automatically grouped by those disciplines. Expands all collapsed disciplines.
	Collapse All	Ctrl + Minus sign (-)	When you add multiple Disciplines (when your image files are stored in subfolders of the selected Folder during adding Sheets), Sheets are automatically grouped by those disciplines. Collapses all expanded disciplines.

Plan Set Editor

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Delete Page (Sheet)	DEL	Deletes a Page (Sheet). Warning If takeoff exists on this Page in any Bid within the Project, that takeoff is lost if you delete this Page. You are warned about this when attempting to delete a Page. Deleting a Page cannot be 'undone' so be careful when deleting any Page from your Project.
	Duplicate	CTRL + D	Duplicates the highlighted Sheet(s). This does not duplicate any takeoff or annotations on the original Sheet - you can always go back and copy and paste everything from the original Sheet to the duplicate copy.

Takeoff Tab

Takeoff Window

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Tool Toggle	Spacebar	When you select or grab a Takeoff Item, the space bar toggles between the Selection Tool and whichever Takeoff Tool was last used for that Takeoff Item. The various Takeoff tools are detailed in Related Articles.
	Undo	Ctrl + Z	Undoes the last action within a certain time. For example, you can undo deleting takeoff or annotations, but you must do so before you navigate to a different Sheet or close the bid or program.
	Redo	Ctrl + Y	Redoes an 'undone' action - only active after the Undo button is used.
	Magnifier Tool	Ctrl + M	Magnifies a region of a plan without changing the zoom level for the Sheet. Select the tool and click on the area to magnify. Un-magnifies when you select a different tool or a Takeoff Item to perform takeoff. If you wanted to zoom in on a particular region of the plan, hold down the CTRL key and click-drag on the plan. Press Ctrl + M again to turn off the Magnifier Tool.
	Select All	Ctrl + A	When your mouse cursor has focus within the Takeoff Window, Ctrl + A selects all takeoff and annotations (including all markups, Named Views, Punch Items, File Attachments, etc.). Use caution when selecting "All" - if your focus is on the Takeoff Items Pane or any other Pane, you are selecting all records in that Pane, you could be deleting all Takeoff Items and their corresponding takeoff (although, of course, you are prompted to confirm your actions).
	Cut	Ctrl + X	Used for moving something from one location to another.
	Copy	Ctrl + C	Used for copying something from one location to another.
	Paste	Ctrl + V	Used to paste something that was cut or copied to a new location.
	Duplicate	Ctrl + D	When you have selected one or more takeoff objects, they are duplicated and offset (just like Copying and Pasting) slightly down and to the right of the original object(s). *If you hold down the Ctrl + D keys, you enter "Paste-at-Click" mode. A representation of the takeoff objects is shown and when you click, they are pasted in the exact spot where you clicked. As long as you continue holding down Ctrl + D, you are in "Paste-at-Click" mode.
	Delete	DEL	Deletes selected takeoff object(s) or annotation.
		Ctrl + G	Opens the "GoTo sheet" dialog box so you can navigate to a specific sheet (number). (Not to be confused with the "Sloped Area view toggle", which is just the "G" key)
	Print	Ctrl + P	Opens the Print window.
	Splitter	Ctrl + S	Hold down and click on a segment (linear or area takeoff) to activate the Split command so you can split segment in two.
	Magnifier	Ctrl + click and drag	Use the Magnifier for viewing details without changing the zoom on the current Sheet. Handy for reading small print such as the scale on a page .
	Pan tool	Alt + click and drag	Click to move the plan within the Takeoff Window - available when the page is not zoomed to fit the screen. When you use the Pan Tool, the view within the Pan Indicator/Control changes according to the current view within the Takeoff Window.
	Zoom IN	+ (plus sign)	Zooms in. Only works with numeric keypad, dedicated plus/minus buttons.
	Zoom OUT	- (minus sign)	Zooms out. Only works with numeric keypad, dedicated plus/minus buttons.
		* (asterisk)	Sets the zoom level on the current sheet such that the entire Sheet is displayed (as large as possible). Only works with numeric keypad, dedicated asterisk button.
		/ (forward slash)	Sets the zoom level on the current sheet to 100% (full size). Only works with numeric keypad, dedicated forward slash button.
	Previous Sheet	PgUp (Page Up)	Moves to the previous Sheet in the bid .
	Next Sheet	PgDn (Page Down)	Moves to the next Sheet in the bid.
	First Sheet	Home	Navigates to the first Sheet in the bid.
	Last Sheet	End	Navigates to the last Sheet in the bid.
		ESC	When drawing Continuous Mode Linear takeoff and Area takeoff, backs you up one click.
		A	as in "Arch" - When drawing Linear takeoff or an Area takeoff segment, creates an arc that is a section of an oval, defined by three points; the legs of the arc could be extended out without ever touching
		R	as in "Round" - When drawing Linear takeoff or an Area takeoff segment, creates a round section of a circle, defined by the three points, that would complete the circle if the lines continued

Page Navigation

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Previous Sheet	PgUp or Page Up	The button to the left moves you back in the current bid, one Sheet at a time .
	Sheet Navigator drop-down	Ctrl + G	Opens a list, grouped by Discipline, of all Sheets in the current bid. If you know the number of the Sheet you want to view, you can use the Keyboard Shortcut to jump to it instantly.
	Next Sheet	PgDn or Page Down	The button to the right moves you forward in the current bid, one Sheet at a time .

Takeoff Items Pane

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	New Takeoff Item	Insert or INS	Opens the New Takeoff Item Wizard, if enabled, or a new, blank Takeoff Item Properties dialog box. See Related Articles for more information on setting your user preferences.
	Edit	F2	Opens the Takeoff Item Properties for the selected Takeoff Item (you can also double-click on a Takeoff Item in the list to open its Properties).
	Delete Takeoff Item	DEL or Delete	Deletes the selected Takeoff Item(s). Warning This permanently and irreversibly deletes the selected Takeoff Item(s) and all related Takeoff objects, on every Page in the current Bid, drawn with that Takeoff Item(s). This action cannot be undone.
	Duplicate	CTRL + D	Duplicates the selected Takeoff Item(s) and assigns a different color but leaves the name the same. Be sure to update the name so you can tell the two apart. Does not duplicate any takeoff, just the Takeoff Item(s).
	Select Objects	CTRL + T	Selects takeoff objects on the active Takeoff Window (if you have multiple open) for the selected Takeoff Item(s). If you click on a different Takeoff Window and click this button again, the objects in the first window remain selected. This is a handy way to reassign takeoff on multiple Pages to a different Takeoff Item. See Related Articles for more information on Selecting and Editing Takeoff objects.

Typical Groups Pane

There are other Keyboard shortcuts, that do not have an equivalent button, also detailed in the grid below.

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Add Typical Group	Insert or INS	Opens a new, blank Typical Groups Properties window so you can configure a new Typical Group.
	Edit	Enter	Opens the Typical Group Properties window for the selected Typical Group (you can also double-click on a Typical Group in the Pane to open its Properties).
	Delete	Delete or Del	Deletes the selected Typical Group(s). Warning This permanently deletes the Typical Group(s) and all Typical Group Frames and Markers from the current Bid. This action cannot be 'undone'.
	Select Objects	Ctrl + T	Selects all Typical Group Markers for the selected Typical Group(s) on the current/active Takeoff Window.
	Go To Frame	Ctrl + G	Opens the Page on which the Typical Group Frame exists, selects it, then zooms to fit the Typical Group Frame.

Overlays Pane

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Add Coordination Overlay	Insert or INS	Allows you to compare the current Page to any Plan in the Current Set. Useful for identifying collisions .
	Delete	Delete or Del	Removes the selected Coordination Overlay from the current Page.

View (Named View) Pane

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Go to View	Ctrl + G	Opens the Page on which the Named View exists, selects the Named View, then zooms to fit the named View.
	Layer Toggle	Ctrl + T	Toggles the "Links/Views" Layer on/off (when your focus is on the Views Pane).
	Delete Named View	Delete or Del	Deletes the selected Named View(s) and all associated Hot Links in this bid .

Zoom Tools

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Zoom Full page	*	Sets the Zoom % so the entire active page is displayed in the Takeoff window (also called "Fit to page") Keyboard shortcut - press the * key
	Zoom 100%	/	Sets the Zoom % to 100 Keyboard shortcut - press the / key

Bid Areas Dialog Box

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Add Area	Insert or INS	Adds a Bid Area below the selected area at the same level (not a child area).
	Add Sub Area (child of higher Area)	CTRL + I	Inserts a Child Bid Area under the selected Area.
	Edit	F2	Edits the Bid Area name .
	Delete Area	Delete or DEL	Deletes the current selected Area(s) and any Sub-Areas.

Summary Tab

Button/Control	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Lock Columns	Ctrl + L	When selected (shaded) locks the Takeoff Item identifier columns ("No." through "Bid Total") so they remain visible when you scroll to the right to see additional break-out columns.
	Export to Excel	Crtl + E	Exports the current Summary View to an Excel spreadsheet .

Worksheet Tab

Button	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	What it does/How it is used...
	Expand All	Right Arrow	Expands all row groupings. The Shortcut key only expands the selected section.
	Collapse All	Left Arrow	Collapses all row groupings. The Shortcut key only collapses the current section.
	Lock Columns	Ctrl + L	When selected (shaded) locks the Takeoff Item Information columns ("No." through "Total") so they remain visible when you scroll to the right to see additional columns.
	Add Takeoff Item Result	Ctrl + R	By default, the Worksheet Tab only displays the first (primary) Result for each Takeoff Item. If you like, you can add one of the other Results you specified instead of, or in addition to, the primary result.
	Add Manual Result	Ctrl + M	Adds a row where you can specify any quantity/UOM you need - not associated with any Takeoff Item.
	Export to Excel	Ctrl + E	Exports the current Worksheet View to an Excel spreadsheet .
	Export to Quick Bid™	Ctrl + Q	Exports the current Worksheet View to an *.OST file that can be imported into the Quick Bid Estimating program.
	Refresh Data	F5	The Worksheet Tab does not update automatically when you or another user makes a change that affects Results. This is so the screen isn't constantly refreshing/changing as you're using it. You'll be prompted to refresh (manually) anytime there are changes not reflected in what you are seeing on the screen, just click the refresh button or hit F5 to recalculate results.

Where to Start

Using Imperial or Metric Units of Measure