Tangible replaces manual measurement with an AI-driven workflow. The Takeoff Agent reads your design documents, maps every building element to a standardized assembly, and outputs structured, traceable materials data — ready for estimating, carbon reporting, or design comparison.

Quantify

The Takeoff Agent structures every building element as an assembly — a layered data model that defines exactly what a building element is made of. A wall isn't just "a wall." It's aluminum panels, insulation, a vapor barrier, studs, gypsum board, and paint — each tracked as a separate material with its own quantity and classification.

Tangible's Assembly Database contains standardized assemblies for walls, slabs, roofing, glazing, and more. The agent maps each element from your model to the best match, then fills in every material layer — including the ones the 3D model doesn't contain. For scope outside the model, quantities come in separately — see Unmodeled Elements.

Example assemblies

What the agent does

Behind the scenes, the agent handles the detail work that makes a takeoff accurate and traceable.

• Geometry extraction — Pulls linear footage, surface area, and volume from model objects using standardized formulas.
• Gap filling — Applies assembly defaults from the Assembly Database to fill in unmodeled layers (insulation, vapor barriers, sheathing, paint).
• PDF reconciliation — Navigates multi-page drawing sets to locate wall tags (e.g., "type INT-2B"), floor schedules, structural notes, and detail callouts, then cross-references them against the model to customize each assembly.
• Metadata extraction — Uses Revit parameters (family names, type comments, level assignments) to categorize building elements.
• Source citations — Every data point links back to its origin: a specific PDF callout, Revit element, or Tangible assumption.

Takeoffs come off the documents you provide, so the output matches the scope in them. You choose which scopes to include — the agent works through them one at a time, reviewing every Revit family individually before assigning an assembly.

Customize

Each material in an assembly starts with a default — a Tangible assumption based on the assembly type and industry standards. When the agent finds more specific information in the PDF drawings (a spec sheet callout, a wall section detail, structural notes), it customizes that material to match the actual design intent.

Common customizations include stud spacing, insulation thickness and R-value, concrete strength, and specific product selections. Anything the agent doesn't find in the drawings stays at the default, which you can always override.

Variables are reusable assumptions (e.g., "steel density" or "rebar %") applied in quantity formulas to keep calculations consistent. Variables can be overridden to match design intent or left at their defaults.

Customization happens at two levels:

• Project-level — Make one-off edits on a project: swap a material, override a variable, or adjust an assembly when the design or your review calls for it.
• Organization-level — Share your standard products and design assumptions with the Tangible team. They apply those choices when running takeoffs so outputs stay consistent across projects. (Coming soon) Self-serve workspace settings to manage organization defaults directly in the UI.

Use

Each assembly is encoded using industry-standard classification systems — MasterFormat and Uniformat — so the same data can be organized for estimating, sustainability reporting, or specification tracking.

Common questions

How accurate are the AI takeoffs?

The Takeoff Agent maps every Revit family to a standardized assembly, and every quantity links back to its source — model geometry, PDF callout, or Tangible assumption — so you can trace and adjust anything. When the Tangible team runs the takeoff, they verify the output before it reaches your workspace.

What level of detail (LOD) is required for BIM?

Any LOD works. At low LOD (100–200), Tangible applies smart defaults and industry baselines. As the model matures, replace defaults with product-specific EPDs and exact mix designs. Most projects use a hybrid — model data plus added quantities — to build a complete picture at whatever stage you're in.

How does Tangible handle discrepancies between models and drawings?

You choose which source to prioritize. If the PDF drawings are more current than the Revit model, override model quantities with verified drawing data. The agent flags discrepancies during processing so nothing slips through unnoticed.