How to find the total area of a closed room or shape in BricsCAD?

ByCADbrief Staff

Short Answer

Yes — in BricsCAD, the fastest professional way to find the total area of a closed room or shape is to create a boundary or select an existing closed polyline, then read its area with the AREA command. This works reliably for most 2D plans. Limitation: open or overlapping boundaries can return wrong results or fail.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: If the room boundary is not fully closed, BricsCAD may calculate no area or the wrong area without being obvious at first glance. Small gaps, overlapping wall lines, or islands inside the room are the most common real-world causes of bad results.

How to Find the Total Area of a Closed Room or Shape

  • Command: AREA

  • Shortcut: AA

  • Quick Steps:

    1. On the command line, start AREA by typing AA, or go to the Ribbon if your workspace shows drawing tools.
    2. If the room is already a closed polyline, choose the Object option and select the boundary.
    3. If there is no closed polyline, first create one from the room outline using BOUNDARY, then run AREA and select it as an object.

Variables & Settings

  • Key Setting: In the BOUNDARY command, use the Island detection option carefully.

  • Expert Setting: If island detection is enabled, internal objects such as columns, shafts, or enclosed fixtures may affect the generated boundary. For room takeoff, verify whether internal islands should be included or excluded before accepting the result.

Why it Fails

  • Cause 1 (Geometry): The room outline has tiny gaps, duplicate segments, self-intersections, or does not form a true closed loop.

  • Cause 2 (layers/Locks): Boundary objects are on locked or hard-to-select layers, making it easy to pick the wrong object or fail to generate a usable boundary.

  • Cause 3 (Command/Logic): Using point-pick area logic inside incomplete walls instead of selecting a true closed object can produce incorrect results, especially in messy plans.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

  • Quick Fix: Run BOUNDARY to generate a closed polyline, then use AREA with the Object option on that new polyline.

  • Manager’s Verdict: For professional floor plans, always calculate area from a verified closed polyline rather than raw wall lines. It is faster to check, easier to edit, and more dependable for quantity takeoff and room schedules.

FAQ

Can I find area without making a polyline first?
Yes, but selecting a closed polyline with AREA is usually more reliable.

Does BricsCAD show the area in the Properties panel?
Yes, if you select a closed polyline, its area is typically shown in Properties.

Can I calculate multiple room areas at once with AREA?
No, AREA is mainly for one boundary at a time; use separate closed polylines for each room.

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