v8.4.0 - PDF takeoff measurements scoped to the document, and a one-click resource expand.

8.4.0 is a small, precise release that removes two everyday frictions in takeoff and the bill of quantities, and tightens how the public demo behaves on a shared server. Nothing here changes how you work; it changes how reliably the things you already do behave when files share a name or when you click an expander once and expect it to open.

What is new in version 8.4.0

• PDF takeoff measurements scoped to the document. Measurements are now tied to the project and the specific document they were drawn on, rather than keyed by the document's file name. Two files that share a name, in the same project or across projects, no longer surface each other's measurements.
• Resources expand on the first click. The resources under a bill-of-quantities position now expand on the first click of the chevron instead of needing a second click, the way every other expander in the grid already did.
• The hosted demo keeps its cost databases read-only. Each regional catalogue is several hundred megabytes and the public demo runs on a small shared server, so installing a catalogue there is now disabled with a clear note that points to self-hosting. Browsing every catalogue the full product ships is unchanged, and nothing is restricted on your own machine or server.

Measurements that stay with their drawing

When you mark up a PDF in takeoff, every measurement belongs to one drawing. Until now those measurements were keyed by the document's file name, which is fine until two drawings share a name - a common thing when a revision keeps the same file name, or two projects each have a GA-Plan.pdf. In that case the measurements drawn on one could appear on the other, which is exactly the kind of quiet mix-up that erodes trust in a quantity.

8.4.0 scopes measurements to the project and the specific document they were drawn on, so a shared name is no longer a collision. Each drawing carries its own measurements and nothing else, whether the matching name sits in the same project or another one. This was reported as issue #238.

One click, not two

In the bill-of-quantities grid, every row with detail behind it opens on a single click of the chevron - except the resources under a position, which used to need a second click to open. That inconsistency is gone: resources now expand on the first click like everything else in the grid, so the drill from a position into the labour, material and equipment under it is one motion instead of two.

A demo that stays light on a shared server

The public hosted demo runs on a small, shared machine so anyone can try the platform without installing anything. Each regional cost catalogue, though, is several hundred megabytes, and letting visitors install them on that shared box was never going to be practical. Installing a catalogue on the public demo is now disabled, with a clear note that points to self-hosting if you want the priced data. Browsing every catalogue the full product ships is unchanged, and on your own machine or server nothing is restricted at all.

By the numbers

Install or upgrade

pip install --upgrade openconstructionerp

The desktop installers for Windows, macOS and Linux carry the same one-installer setup, and the Linux build includes the CAD and BIM converters for DWG, RVT and IFC. You can grab the latest installers from openconstructionerp.com/download. If you run an external PostgreSQL through DATABASE_URL, nothing about that connection changes. Questions or trouble upgrading, write to info@datadrivenconstruction.io.