Creating a Simple Gross Area Schedule for Building Plans

Now we'll create a Gross Area Schedule—a streamlined process that builds directly on the foundation we established in our previous lesson. This schedule is considerably simpler than our earlier work, with fewer variables to manage, making it an ideal next step in developing your scheduling proficiency. The methodology remains consistent with what we've already mastered, ensuring a smooth transition.

Begin by navigating to Schedules/Quantities and select "Area, Gross Building"—this targets exactly what we're scheduling. Click OK to proceed. For this schedule, we'll focus on just two essential fields: name and area. This streamlined approach keeps the schedule clean and purposeful. Next, access the sorting and grouping options, where we'll configure the totaling function by changing the setting to "Grand Totals" to ensure proper calculation aggregation.

You have three display options available: Title, Count, and Totals. Selecting all three will display the title (as shown in your schedule), the count (representing the number of elements), and the final totals. In practice, this might show "Grand Total, two" followed by the cumulative area measurement. However, many professionals prefer using only Title and Totals, as the count often provides minimal value in gross area calculations and can clutter the presentation unnecessarily.

The formatting step is critical for proper functionality. Navigate to the formatting section, and you'll notice the area calculation is initially set to "no calculation." Change this to "Calculate Totals" to enable proper area computation. For visual consistency across your project documentation, apply the same graphics formatting used in your previous schedules—this maintains professional cohesion throughout your drawing set.

Apply the Wide Line Outline formatting we established earlier, leaving the remaining graphic adjustments to be handled within the schedule interface itself. Once your settings are configured, click OK. The schedule will automatically sort by name, which provides logical organization. Expand the schedule width to ensure all content is clearly visible and professionally presented.

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For typographic consistency, adjust the "Area Schedule Gross Building" title to match your established formatting standards. Apply the 3/16-inch font size with bold formatting we used previously—this maintains visual hierarchy and professional appearance throughout your documentation. Click OK to apply these changes, and your schedule is ready for sheet placement.

Close the schedule window to return to your Building Area Plans view. You'll find your newly created Gross Building Schedule available in the schedule browser. Position this schedule strategically on your sheet—placing it beneath the Level One plan works effectively since the gross area data applies to both levels in your project.

Fine-tune the schedule placement and spacing to enhance the overall graphic presentation of your sheet. One common formatting issue you'll likely notice immediately is the left-justified alignment of numerical values, which appears unprofessional and impairs readability in architectural documentation.

To correct this formatting issue, right-click on the schedule and select "edit schedule"—this reopens the schedule properties dialog. Alternatively, you can access this through the project browser by double-clicking the schedule name. This flexibility in access methods streamlines your workflow regardless of your current view.

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Navigate to the Formatting tab and locate the area field settings. Change the alignment from "left" to "right" for proper numerical presentation. This right-justified alignment follows standard conventions for numerical data in professional architectural documentation, improving both appearance and readability.

Apply the changes and close the schedule view to observe the improved formatting on your sheet. The right-aligned numbers create a much cleaner, more professional appearance that's significantly easier to read and interpret. This attention to formatting details distinguishes professional-quality documentation from amateur work.

With the Gross Area schedule complete and properly formatted, we're ready to advance to our next challenge: calculating and scheduling the Rentable Area, which involves more complex considerations and calculation methods.