Knowledge Base

Appraise-It Pro: Using Sketch32 (Part 1)

Direct Video Link: https://youtu.be/OV8ekf9o-f0

 

Sketch32 is a sketch program that’s designed to work with the Appraise-It Pro suite that supports multiple sketch pages.

With a report open in Appraise-It Pro, go to the Tools tab and select Sketch32. You’ll be presented with a blank sketching area.

 

Creating Areas

1. Go to the Create menu and select Area to create a new sketching area.

  • Think of an area as floor, outbuilding, basement or garage.

2. In the Create Area dialog, select the area’s Category and enter an Area Name.

  • The area’s category and name are for organizational purposes. 

3. Select the appropriate Post To value for the area.

  • Post To determines where this square footage will post to in the square footage calculations. “1”, “2”, and “3” post to levels 1, 2, and 3, respectively; “B” posts to basement, and “G” posts to car storage.

4. Select any additional settings the area requires.

  • Positive is selected by default, to add this area’s square footage to the total. To subtract this area’s square footage instead, select Negative.
  • You can change the area labels’ Font, and select a Fill Type to fill the area with a pattern.
  • The Exterior and Interior Dimensions settings control if measurement labels will be added to the sketch for exterior and interior walls.
  • By default, area information is included in the category summary and calculation details on the final sketch transferred into your report; uncheck Included in Category Summary and/or Print Calculation Detail to prevent this.

5. Select Create.

 

Drawing Exterior Walls

With an area created, the cursor changes to a crosshair to draw the area’s exterior walls.

1. Place the crosshair where you want your new area’s first corner to be.

  • If you have an existing area that you want to draw a new area next to (i.e. an attached garage next to a first-floor living area), select J on your keyboard to jump your cursor to the closest existing corner.

2. Select Enter to “drop the pen” onto the canvas.

3. Use the keyboard to enter the length of the wall, then use the arrow keys to move the pen away from the starting point.

  • If you need to draw a diagonal line, instead of locking in the line after drawing it, enter a second dimension and use an arrow key to move in another direction. For example, entering 6 and selecting the right arrow key then entering 8 and selecting the up arrow key will result in a diagonal line 10 units long.

4. Select Enter to lock in the line.

5. Continue until you have completed the area.

Your final side must connect back to your starting point; you cannot have open areas.
You can select Ctrl+C at any time to close the area by drawing a straight line from your current location to the starting point.

 

Drawing Interior Walls

Since interior walls don’t really affect a structure’s square footage, you don’t need to create a new area for them. Instead, they are associated with the current area. 

1. Ensure the correct area is selected in the Area drop-down list box on the toolbar.

2. Go to the Create menu and select Lines.

  • The cursor will change to a crosshair to draw an interior wall.

3. Place the crosshair where you want the interior wall to begin.

  • You can select J on your keyboard to jump your cursor to the closest corner as a reference point. Without selecting Enter to drop the pen onto the canvas, you can then enter a distance and use the arrow keys to move your cursor to a starting point perfectly aligned with the area’s exterior wall.

4. Select Enter to drop the pen onto the canvas.

5. Use the keyboard to enter the length of the wall, then use the arrow keys to move the pen away from the starting point.

6. Select Enter to lock in the line.

7. Continue until your interior wall is complete. When the final line is locked in, select Enter again to lift the pen up from the canvas.

  • The cursor will change to a crosshair to indicate you can start a new interior wall if needed.

 

Drawing Arcs and Curves

Sketch32 allows you to draw precise arcs and curves with just a few keystrokes. To do this, you will need to know two key measurements:

The Chord Length is the straight line between the beginning of the arc and the end.

The Arc Height is a straight line between the center point of the chord and the peak of the arc.

Any exterior or interior wall can include a curve.

1. When you reach the curve section of the wall, enter the chord length and use the arrow keys to draw a baseline.

2. Select Ctrl+B to open the Create Arc dialog.

3. Enter your Arc Height and select OK.

  • The Chord Length has already been entered based on your initial baseline.
  • The Angle value will be calculated automatically. (Do not delete the value in this field.)

4. Confirm the curve looks correct and select Enter to lock the line in.

 

Continue: Appraise-It Pro: Using Sketch32 (Part 2)

 

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Last Updated
August 21, 2020