Download PDFs/files that are uploaded to the workspace

Hi Jes. Sure, we'll add this.

If anyone has ideas where we should put this in the UI, feel free to shoot them over. We're trying our best to keep the UI as simple as possible, yet have all the features needed.

Well currently when you load up zztakeoff.com and you're already logged in, it shows the same 14 day trial welcome page that non-members see, except for the little blue 'My Takeoffs' link in the top right.

You could have users who are already logged in see a member's landing portal instead of the public welcome page, and things like this could be accessed from there.

Could also throw dashboards up on there and things like that. Lots of possibilities

Hey everyone! 👋 Let's talk about the mock-ups and potential improvements!

Looking at Image 1 (zzTakeoff's current workspace) it Shows where the "Project Files" Tab might be added

Image 2 shows a mock-up of a proposed "Projects Files" Tab showing a project file management style with clear download icons (↓) next to each file - similar to what we could implement! Notice how it organizes files by category (Architectural, Structural, Hydraulic - User Named Folders) with files appearing below with file sizes and versions clearly displayed.

💭 We'd love your thoughts on:

Downloads:

• Would you want download buttons like in Image 2?
• Prefer downloading entire projects or individual files?

🤝 Your feedback will help us merge the best of both worlds while keeping things user-friendly!

📝 Note: These mock-ups are discussion starters! eventual implementation will depend on community feedback and technical feasibility.

👍Keep those great suggestions coming!

Sam, did not catch your post the other week for some reason.

I like the concept you drew above. I like the download buttons in image 2, and my answer to the second question you asked would be both.

I would want the ability to either download individual files, or download everything for backup/data recovery purposes if local storage crashes.

Also it would just give me added peace of mind to know that I could quickly view/access my internal templates and all my supplier/vendor related PDFs etc instead of having to open up another cloud drive or hunt them down in my email or PC files.

It would just be convenient to know that I could simply pull up an old project and literally anything and everything pertaining to the project can all be uploaded and accessed here on this platform in the future.

Image 2 is awesome—this gets me excited about PDF management, which is a huge problem in our industry. One of the biggest challenges we face is keeping track of the most current set of drawings (version control is everything). Seeing a V1 and V2 of the same PDF in the mock-up is exactly what we need.

A simple interface to update drawings is going to be key here. Typically, we either receive individual sheet revisions or an entirely new set of drawings, and the system needs to handle both efficiently. The ideal setup would align with how drawings evolve—we start with a Concept Set, move into Schematic Design (SD), then Design Development (DD), and finally Construction Documents (CD). Throughout this process, we’re constantly slip-sheeting updates (V1 to V2) and integrating new revisions, which adds complexity.

One thing to keep in mind: how do we handle the next set of drawings? Ideally, each major update would be captured as a new milestone within a project, and version control would happen within that milestone. This structure would allow for better tracking while ensuring we don’t lose historical context.

I’d love the ability to transfer takeoff between milestone sets as needed. This would be a game-changer in making PDF management more efficient and intuitive for estimators. As GCs, we’re constantly navigating multiple revisions and drawing updates, and having a structured, milestone-based approach would streamline that process significantly.

Hi Kyle,

Just working on a mock-up to see if I have adequately captured your Suggestions:

1️⃣ The 1 above is the Project File Tab

2️⃣ The User configurable Milestone Section.

3️⃣ The Tag Showing Current Document

📝 Note: This mock-up is for discussion starters! eventual implementation will depend on community feedback and technical feasibility.

The general structure of the documents here would be perfect for a blueprint tab. However, the key here is, as Kyle suggests, the “ability to transfer takeoff between milestone sets.” And that is exactly what I have been trying to communicate on this forum. Without copying and pasting everything, we need to be able to show that old takeoffs are relevant to a new print.

Imagine you had completed an estimate only to receive a series of revised prints at wide enough intervals for you to issue a new estimate every time. Now suppose that almost nothing has changed with your takeoffs and that it matters to your manager or your customer on which version of the print you are showing your work. If you have experienced this before, then you know that this sort of revision hell must be avoided—because it can literally take hours or days to accomplish what amounts to nothing.

Thanks for all the input. We for sure will be adding the ability to move takeoff measurements to new versions of each page (this will be quite easy to do, once we have version control in place). We realize this is a big pain point for previous takeoff software, and our goal is to make it a lot easier to manage receiving new versions of plans. I've spent many hours on Zoom calls with General Contractors and Subcontractors the last few weeks going over their flow of receiving plans and getting new versions, how they collaborate with subs, etc. using their current solutions. This is definitely a point they all mentioned as a pain point. The top item that stood out was "I want to know that I'm always looking at the latest set of plans", and second was "I want an easy way to transfer my takeoff measurements to the latest set". Another was single click overlay option to compare older versions to newer versions of specific pages. We're excited to be working on solving these problems, and hope to come up with a solution you guys love to use. It will take a little time to "evolve" into solving all of these things, but the software will continue to get better and better. 🙂

Thanks Heber! This is what I needed to hear from you guys. If you could address these issues adequately, it would convert masses to zzTakeoff even without AI functionality.

This is fantastic! I literally just got off the phone with another tech-nerd GC, pointed him to this post, and shared it with a few people here.

@John, I love the "without AI functionality" comment—spot on!

One piece of feedback: Instead of making number 2 fully flexible, I’d suggest hardcoding those buckets, as I believe they are fairly standard across the industry (though I’m wrong a lot 😆). Here’s why: From a data engineering perspective, consistency across all jobs opens up huge opportunities for advanced analytics and automation. If every project follows the same structured categories, you can unlock some epic data insights without the chaos of inconsistent labeling.

That said, I’d still want the flexibility to create custom drawing sets within those standardized headings. Something like this:

Concept

• Conceptual Design Package
• Preliminary Design Set
• Feasibility Study Drawings

Schematic Design (SD)

• 50% SD Set
• 100% SD Set
• Basis of Design (BOD) Package

Design Development (DD)

• 50% DD Set
• 80% DD Set
• 100% DD Set

Construction Documents (CD)

• 50% CD Set
• 90% CD Set
• Issued for Permit (IFP)

Having standardized milestone categories but allowing customization within them would give us the best of both worlds—structured data for automation while keeping it flexible enough for real-world workflows. 

As much as I like the idea of preset design phases/milestones, it doesn’t have much relevance for residential construction in my area. Sometimes it seems like it goes from a stamped set, to design, to “Ship it yesterday” in the course of a day.

If these existed as preset folders, I don’t see why you couldn’t rename them however you want and still be able to analyze the data therein.

Can we add “napkin drawing” to your list, Kyle? ;)