How groups get created
You don't usually create groups directly — they appear when you do something that needs one:
- Stage 1 auto-detection creates one Detection group per template found.
- Auto Count Symbol drag creates a new Detection group.
- Auto Count (linked Takeoff) creates a Detection group linked to a database item.
- Count Symbol / Linear Measurement / Area Measurement in the Takeoff dropdown each create their respective group types.
- Annotation tools create Annotation groups, one per annotation sub-type.
So "creating a group" usually means picking the right tool, not pressing a "New Group" button.
Renaming a group
Each group's label is editable inline:
- 1
Double-click the group label in the sidebar. The label becomes an input field.
- 2
Type the new name.
- 3
Press ↵ to save, or ESC to cancel.
The new name appears immediately and flows through to the Excel export's Takeoff Description column.
Rename groups at the start of Stage 3, before linking to database items. A group like C-type fitting — 1x36W is harder to mix up later than Group 4.
Deleting a group
Removing a whole group at once:
- 1
Open the dotted menu on the group's row.
- 2
Choose Delete Symbol Group at the bottom. The menu item is red to flag the destructive action.
- 3
The confirmation dialog appears — "Delete Symbol Group? — Are you sure you want to delete this symbol group? This action cannot be undone.".
- 4
Click Delete to confirm, or Cancel to back out.
Every marker in the group is removed from the canvas along with the group itself. Other groups are unaffected.
Group deletion isn't reversible by Undo (the action lives outside the per-file undo stack). If you might want the markers back, drag them to a holding group first, or duplicate the project before deleting.
Duplicating a group
There's no direct "duplicate group" button. To create a copy of a group with the same markers:
- Use the project's merge tool in reverse — merge into a new placeholder.
- Or, on Detection groups, use the + button to add a parallel set of markers via Auto Count Symbol into a fresh group.
Most workflows don't need duplication — if you find yourself doing it often, the project is probably tracking too many similar items separately and should be consolidated.
Group menu — the full list
The dotted menu on each group row contains:
- Linked Item info block (if linked) — shows the linked code/description with an to unlink.
- Link Item — opens the database picker if not yet linked. See Linking to database items.
- Visibility — sub-menu with Cover and Hide . See Group visibility.
- Reimage Group — change the group's thumbnail image. See Custom marker icons.
- Delete Symbol Group — destructive; confirmation dialog (see above).