New time-saving features added to TOTAL Sketch

The April TOTAL Sketch update introduced some significant usability improvements. Two notable improvements are Properties and Actions panels and the ability to directly set the width and height dimensions of any symbol.

Properties and Actions panels

The new panels expose already existing functions in a way that makes them easily accessible. Every part of the sketch (area, symbol, label, line, etc.) allows for certain actions to be performed and also for certain properties (font, size, etc.) to be modified. For example, a “Bedroom” label has editable properties like font type, size, and formatting. Additionally, you can perform certain actions for the very same label, such as flipping, duplicating, or deleting it. Similarly, symbols also have editable properties and available actions. In the past, if you wanted to modify properties or to perform specific actions, these functions could only be accessed by right clicking on the object. The new Properties and Actions panels expose the functions in a fast and easy way.

These new panels are shown by default stacked under the Sketch panel:

The new panels can also be “detached” and placed anywhere on the screen or can be completely turned off. To manage the visibility of the new panels simply go to View -> Panels:

Every time you select a different part of your sketch, these panels will automatically display the available properties and actions. For example, if I select the “Bedroom” label, the new panels will give me quick access to properties and actions specific to labels.

As you can see from the screen above, I was able to quickly change the font type and size of the selected “Bedroom” label.

Setting symbol dimensions

Another significant improvement in this TOTAL Sketch update is the ability to modify the width and height dimension of any symbol. Before this update, you had to place the symbol on the sketch and then resize it by dragging the corners of the selected symbol. And while this worked and will continue to be a resizing option in TOTAL Sketch, it sometimes presented a challenge. With the coming TOTAL Sketch update, you can simply select the symbol and using the newly added Properties panel, directly input the desired width and height.

In the example above, I was able to quickly change the dimensions of the toilet symbol from its default values to 2’x2’.

Also, notice in the image below that if you place your mouse cursor over an area, TOTAL Sketch will display the square footage of that area, as well as the total square footage for the entire sketch.

There’s even more coming very soon

There are other major usability improvements that we are working on and will be available in future TOTAL Sketch updates. We will follow up with more details soon, but here is a sneak peak:

• New larger toolbar icons for easy access on touchscreen devices running on Windows OS.
• Many new hotkeys for frequently used functions – from “Save As” and “Print Preview” to “Swap POB”.
• New functions to speed up sketching, such as the ability to draw straight from the current cursor position to the nearest wall (bypassing all pop points in between).

We're excited to bring you these improvements in TOTAL Sketch.