Cutouts & Islands

What Are Cutouts?

Cutouts create "holes" in area measurements. They're essential for accurate parking lot measurements where you need to exclude:

Landscape islands - Trees, planters, grass areas
Traffic medians - Concrete dividers, raised islands
Buildings - Structures within the lot boundary
Light pole bases - Concrete pads around poles
Dumpster pads - Non-paved enclosure areas

Key Point: The cutout area is automatically subtracted from the parent measurement. One area with cutouts is more accurate than multiple separate areas.

How to Create a Cutout

Select the Parent Area

Click on an existing area measurement to select it. The area must already exist before you can cut from it.

Activate Cutout Mode

Click the scissors icon in the toolbar, or press C. The cutout tool only works when an area is selected.

Draw the Cutout Shape

Click to place points around the island or median, just like drawing an area. The cutout must be completely inside the parent area.

Close the Shape

Click the first point, press Enter, or click "Finish" to complete the cutout.

Success! The cutout is created and subtracted from the parent area.

The Measurements Panel now shows "(X cutouts)" next to the area measurement.

Managing Cutouts

In the Measurements Panel

When you select an area with cutouts, you'll see a nested list:

▼ Main Parking Lot

45,230 SF (3 cutouts)

├ Cutout 1 (6 points)

├ Cutout 2 (4 points)

└ Cutout 3 (8 points)

Cutout Actions

Edit a cutout: Click the edit (pencil) button to drag vertices
Delete a cutout: Click the trash icon to remove it (area is recalculated)
Add more cutouts: Select the area and repeat the cutout process

Multiple Cutouts

You can add as many cutouts as needed to a single area:

Create your first cutout as described above
With the same area still selected, press C again
Draw the next cutout
Repeat for each island or median

Each cutout is tracked separately and can be edited or deleted independently.

Important Rules

Cutouts Must Be Inside

The entire cutout shape must be within the parent area boundary. Cutouts that extend outside will not work correctly.

Cutouts Can't Overlap

Cutouts should not overlap each other. Draw each island as a separate cutout.

Select Area First

The cutout tool is disabled unless you have an area measurement selected. Always select the parent area before pressing C.

Tips for Cutouts

Draw Big Areas First

Draw the full lot boundary first, then add cutouts for islands. This is faster than trying to trace around obstacles.

Simple Shapes Work

For irregular islands, approximate with rectangles or simple polygons. Perfect accuracy isn't always necessary for estimates.

Check Island Totals

The cutout square footage is shown when you select each cutout. Verify it matches your expectations.

Undo Works

If you make a mistake, Ctrl+Z undoes the last cutout creation. You can also delete individual cutouts.