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Turn a handwritten kitchen sketch into an editable Excel takeoff with ChatGPT
PartialEvidence: Described by posterPosted Last checked
ChatGPT turned a kitchen sketch into an Excel takeoff with formulas, but missing details meant it wasn't a complete materials count.
How to use this
- Tap Copy prompt.
- Open ChatGPT.
- Paste it into the message box.
- Send it, then read the answer before acting on it.
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Prompt
These are the person's own words, as shared in the source.
Turn this kitchen drawing into an editable Excel sheet with columns for item description, dimensions (mm), material, quantity and notes. Add area formulas and totals by material wherever there's enough information. If any handwriting is unclear or a measurement is missing, mark it with a red question mark. Do not guess.
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Optional stronger version
Our rewrite with extra checks. The poster didn't test it.
Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish. Goal: A rough materials takeoff from a hand-drawn plan, with every uncertain value flagged. Questions to ask me first: - What does the drawing show, and in what units? - Which materials need totals? - What will the takeoff be used for? Inputs (fill in or confirm): - Drawing: [PHOTO OR SCAN] - Units: [MM / INCHES] - Materials: [CABINETS, COUNTERTOP, TILE] - Use: [QUOTE, ORDER, ROUGH BUDGET] Rules: - Mark unclear or missing values with a red question mark; never guess. - Use formulas, not typed totals. - Keep one row per item. - Note any unit conversions you made. Checkpoint: Show the extracted table before adding formulas and totals. If you get stuck: If the drawing lacks a needed dimension, list it under 'measure on site'. Verify before you finish: Every value in the sheet traces back to the drawing or is flagged. Output: An editable Excel file with formulas, totals by material and a list of flagged items. Done when: I have a takeoff I can check against the drawing and finish on site.
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Your prompt
Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish. Goal: A rough materials takeoff from a hand-drawn plan, with every uncertain value flagged. Questions to ask me first: - What does the drawing show, and in what units? - Which materials need totals? - What will the takeoff be used for? Inputs (fill in or confirm): - Drawing: [PHOTO OR SCAN] - Units: [MM / INCHES] - Materials: [CABINETS, COUNTERTOP, TILE] - Use: [QUOTE, ORDER, ROUGH BUDGET] Rules: - Mark unclear or missing values with a red question mark; never guess. - Use formulas, not typed totals. - Keep one row per item. - Note any unit conversions you made. Checkpoint: Show the extracted table before adding formulas and totals. If you get stuck: If the drawing lacks a needed dimension, list it under 'measure on site'. Verify before you finish: Every value in the sheet traces back to the drawing or is flagged. Output: An editable Excel file with formulas, totals by material and a list of flagged items. Done when: I have a takeoff I can check against the drawing and finish on site.
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AI tool
Outcome
A Rundown community member photographed a hand-drawn kitchen sketch covered in handwritten measurements and asked ChatGPT to turn it into an editable Excel sheet with item descriptions, dimensions in millimeters, materials, quantities and notes, adding area formulas and totals by material where there was enough information, and marking unclear handwriting or missing measurements with a red question mark instead of guessing. The result was a structured spreadsheet with uncertain values and gaps flagged for review. The drawing didn't contain everything needed for a complete materials calculation, so checking the source and confirming units remained part of the job. The author then had ChatGPT save the workflow as a skill so the columns, conversions, formulas and uncertainty rules don't need re-explaining for future drawings.
Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.
Known limitations
PartialThe source says it only partly worked, or had a significant problem a person had to deal with.
What went wrong: Gave an editable sheet with formulas and every unclear value flagged, but the drawing lacked details needed for a complete materials calculation.
Source
- Posted
- by Rundown community member
- Last checked
- Method:
- How we verify
https://app.therundown.ai/community/posts/5aa911eb-d002-4460-9623-8d56742a512e
Context: Posted anonymously to The Rundown community (date from the post's UTC timestamp). The prompt is quoted verbatim from the post. The drawing lacked some details, so the takeoff wasn't a complete materials calculation.
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