Why AoI templates
An Area of Interest (AoI) is a rectangle that focuses symbol detection on part of a drawing, keeping title blocks, legends and notes out of the count. Drawings from the same office share the same sheet layout, so the AoIs that work on one sheet usually work on the next. An AoI template stores those rectangles, together with their names and the paper size they were drawn on, so you can apply them to any drawing of the same size.
AoI templates are company-wide: anyone in your company can import, update or delete them.
Where the controls are
In the takeoff workspace, click the AoIs, Legends & Zones button in the marker sidebar. The AoIs header carries an AoI templates dropdown with:
| Entry | What it opens |
|---|---|
| Import Template | The Import AoI Template dialog |
| Create Template | The Create AoI Template dialog |
| Update Template | The Update AoI Template dialog. Greyed out unless the drawing currently has an imported AoI template. |
Unlike zones, AoI templates are not in the toolbar's Actions › Import Template submenu; the sidebar dropdown and the Import from Files window are the two routes.
Naming AoIs before you save
New AoIs are labelled AoI 1, AoI 2 and so on. Click a name in the AoIs list to rename it inline and press Enter. Names are saved with the drawing and carried into the template, so a name like Ground floor plan tells the next estimator what the rectangle is for.
Saving AoIs as a template
- 1
Open a drawing with the AoIs drawn and named.
- 2
Click AoIs, Legends & Zones in the sidebar.
- 3
Under AoIs, open AoI templates and choose Create Template .
- 4
Enter a unique Template name.
- 5
Under AoIs to include, tick the AoIs to save. Select all and Clear all are above the list.
- 6
Click Save Template.
The template records the drawing's paper size and shows it as a badge wherever templates are listed. The drawing is marked as using the template, which enables Update Template.
Importing a template onto a drawing
- 1
Open the drawing that needs AoIs.
- 2
Open AoI templates → Import Template .
- 3
Pick the template whose paper-size badge matches the drawing. Each row shows the name, AoI count, creator, date and badge.
- 4
Click Import.
A toast confirms how many AoIs were imported. They appear on the canvas and in the AoIs list, and a Template: name line with an Clear template button appears under the AoIs header.
Placement and paper size
An AoI that fits within the drawing keeps its saved position. One that would fall outside the drawing's bounds is moved so its top-left corner sits at (300, 300), with its size unchanged, ready to be dragged into place. Matching the paper-size badge to the drawing is the simplest way to make every AoI land where it was drawn.
Drawing or importing AoIs locks them so they cannot be nudged by accident. If you need to move an imported AoI, click Unlock AoIs on the AoIs header first.
Updating a template from a drawing
- 1
On a drawing that was set up from the template, open AoI templates → Update Template .
- 2
Tick the AoIs to push into the template. Rows are badged Already in template or New.
- 3
Click Update Template, read the count of AoIs to be added and updated, and click Confirm.
Updates only add or modify. AoIs already in the template that you leave unticked stay as they were. Removing an AoI from a template happens on its detail page.
Managing templates under Templates › AoIs
With no drawing open, expand Templates in the left navigation and click AoIs . Templates are always created from a drawing, so there is no create button here.
The table lists Name (with the paper-size badge), # AoIs, Created By, Created At and Actions. Open a template with the eye or by clicking its row; delete it with the trash after the shared-across-your-company warning.
On the detail page you can rename the template with the pencil , and remove individual AoIs with the trash at the end of each row. The Remove AoI "…"? prompt has a Don't ask again checkbox; turn it back on under User Preferences › Confirmations › Removing an item from an AoI template. Back to AoI Templates returns to the list.
Common issues
The imported AoIs cover the wrong part of the sheet
The template was saved on a sheet with a different layout or size. Unlock the AoIs, drag them into place, and use Update Template so the template holds the corrected rectangles, or save a separate template for this paper size.
Update Template is greyed out
The drawing is not linked to a template. Import one, or use Create Template, which links the drawing as it saves.
Next steps
- Areas of interest — draw, lock and hide AoIs on a drawing.
- AoIs vs zones — when to focus detection with an AoI and when to count by zone.
- Zone templates — the matching flow for zones.
- Importing from other drawings — apply an AoI template and import groups in one step.
- Paper size and accuracy — where the paper-size badge comes from.