Why pre-flight
The Excel export reflects exactly what's in the project at the moment of export. A scale that wasn't set, a group that wasn't named, a zone that overlaps the legend — they all show up in the workbook as soon as you press Export. Re-exporting is cheap, but spotting issues before export saves the back-and-forth with the QS who'll receive the file.
This is a 60-second sweep before the marquee event.
The checklist
1. Every file is past Stage 1
Files still sitting in Stage 1 contribute nothing to the export — they show up as a worksheet with just the metadata block and no group rows.
- 1
Open the project view.
- 2
For each file, glance at the small status indicator on the file card or open it briefly.
- 3
Any file still in Stage 1 needs at least one Submit before exporting.
2. Scales are set on every drawing
Without a scale, Linear and Area markers report raw drawing units, not metres.
- 1
Open each drawing in turn.
- 2
Check the scale dropdown in the toolbar . It should show a sensible value (e.g.
1 : 50), notNone. - 3
If you have Linear or Area markers and the scale was wrong, ZeroCount asks whether to recalculate — answer Yes.
See The scale system.
3. Calibration is in place (if needed)
If you've calibrated a drawing, double-check by drawing a quick Linear marker across a known dimension on it. The reported length should match real life within a small tolerance.
If something feels off, recalibrate before exporting — see Calibrating a drawing.
4. Group labels are real
Default Group 1, Group 2 labels are useless in the export. Rename every group to something meaningful — C-type fitting, Twin socket, Trunking 50×50 — before exporting.
The labels become the Takeoff Description column in the workbook.
5. Database links are in place
For any group you want priced, link it to a DB / CC / Assembly item. Unlinked groups still appear in the export but with blank Code and Description columns.
The fastest place to check link coverage is the project marker summary with the Hide linked (n) toggle on — anything still listed is unlinked.
6. Zones are drawn (if you want a per-zone breakdown)
If you want per-room or per-area totals in the export, every drawing that has zones needs them drawn before Export. Drawings without zones show a single All column in the per-file sheet.
In the Totals sheet, identically-named zones across drawings combine — so Office 1 on Level 1 plus Office 1 on Level 2 roll into one Totals column. If you want them separate, name them distinctly (e.g. L1 — Office 1, L2 — Office 1).
See Zones.
7. No leftover Annotation markers cluttering the canvas
Annotations don't appear in the export's quantity rows, but they do appear in Export Image (.png/.pdf) outputs if you generate those alongside the Excel. If you have temporary annotations you don't want in shared image exports, delete them or hide their group.
8. Cross-file summary is up to date
The export pulls cross-file totals from the cached project marker summary. If you've been editing several files quickly, switch through each file briefly so its summary refreshes — see project marker summary's "how the summary stays up to date" section.
9. You're in Stage 3
The Export button only appears in Stage 3. If you can't see it, move to Stage 3 on any open drawing.
A one-line version
If you're in a rush, the single highest-value check is:
Open the project marker summary. Look at every row. Does each one have a sensible label, a non-empty
Code, and aQtythat looks right?
If yes, you're export-ready. If no, fix what's listed before exporting.