# Extension to automatically calculate area of multiple surfaces? **URL:** \ **Category:** Extensions\ **Created:** [May 4, 2019, 6:03pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717 "2019-05-04T18:03:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zoom123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/85e7bf/32.png) [@Zoom123](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Zoom123)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 6:03pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717/1 "2019-05-04T18:03:50Z")
This is a long shot, but is there an extension that will auto-calculate the area of specified surfaces? I want a quick way to calculate something like “Area of Surface 1 + Area of Surface 2 - Area of Surface 3” I am designing a house and I need to stay below a specified number of square meters, and as I change the design I need to keep doing those calculations manually. An automated way of doing this would be very helpful. ---
**Author:** ![eneroth3](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/eneroth3/32/1222_2.png) [@eneroth3](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/eneroth3)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2019, 8:59pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717/2 "2019-05-04T20:59:41Z")
If the surfaces are in the same drawing context you can just select them all at once and read the total area in Entity Info. ---
**Author:** ![ryanearl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@ryanearl](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ryanearl)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 12:29am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717/3 "2023-11-30T00:29:44Z")
I also feel like there’s a great need for this, and am surprised it hasn’t been addressed. Selecting multiple surfaces of complex shapes while avoiding edges can be a daunting task. ---
**Author:** ![Box](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/box/32/235164_2.png) [@Box](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Box)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 2:38am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717/4 "2023-11-30T02:38:51Z")
Within the same context you can just turn off edges to get a face area. ![GIF 30-11-2023 1-36-49 PM](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/a/6/a61cbd270c70951e70191a3a95ea1e4afda38321.gif) ---
**Author:** ![francisquitof](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/francisquitof/32/191263_2.png) [@francisquitof](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/francisquitof)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 2:47am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717/5 "2023-11-30T02:47:03Z")
You can select faces of complex objects without the edges with the free plugin selection Toys from ThomThom, you can also select only edges, smooth edges, hidden lines, groups components, guides, guide points, select by material, by area, convert groups and it’s instances into components and some more options, it’s one of my favorite plug-ins. You can also use Box’s method to avoid selecting edges. ---
**Author:** ![colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/colin/32/266703_2.png) [@colin](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/colin)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 1:44pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717/6 "2023-11-30T13:44:42Z")
If you are able to use SketchUp 2023 instead of 2022, there is a contextual menu to deselect edges: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/2/7/27b2d3217f9d36564a1165612dbe52bfbb856dd5.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Fredo6](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/fredo6/32/77024_2.png) [@Fredo6](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Fredo6)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 2:48pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717/7 "2023-11-30T14:48:55Z")
There is my extension [FredoTools::ReportLabelArea](https://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=40025&hilit=ReportLabelArea#p354050) which allows to interactively select faces/surfaces (or group / componets) and give their area. You can also report areas in the model. [![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/1/9/19b8371c04e0d278cd5e89fca06dfd1a3d801d1c.jpeg "ReportLabelArea - Labelling with Areas") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu31TpMq3pY) ---
**Author:** ![ferhat\_atmaca](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/ferhat_atmaca/32/173717_2.png) [@ferhat\_atmaca](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ferhat_atmaca)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2023, 3:46am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717/8 "2023-12-27T03:46:34Z")
You can use my plugin ([Atmaca Report Entities](https://extensions.sketchup.com/extension/b438cd47-d71c-44ab-8cf2-6ee23b952e67/atmaca-report-entities) ). When you run the plugin, it presents the materials in each group in the form of a group-by-group table. If you want, it also gives the total material area in the drawing. ---
**Author:** ![gsharp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/gsharp/32/25083_2.png) [@gsharp](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/gsharp)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2023, 4:42am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717/9 "2023-12-27T04:42:24Z")
You can of course colour the surfaces with a unique colour material and use the select by material option to total the area… use this technique all the time when doing urban landuse plans ---
**Author:** ![Anssi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/anssi/32/105_2.png) [@Anssi](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Anssi)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 11:41pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717/10 "2023-12-28T23:41:16Z")
> [@gsharp](#): > > You can of course colour the surfaces with a unique colour material and use the select by material option to total the area… use this technique all the time when doing urban landuse plans You don’t even have to do that. You can right-click on the unique material in the In Model section of the Materials browser and select Area from the context menu. ---
**Author:** ![gsharp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/gsharp/32/25083_2.png) [@gsharp](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/gsharp)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 3:43am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717/11 "2023-12-29T03:43:07Z")
AH yes… that too 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jean\_lemire\_1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/jean_lemire_1/32/665_2.png) [@jean\_lemire\_1](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/jean_lemire_1)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 3:14pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/extension-to-automatically-calculate-area-of-multiple-surfaces/94717/12 "2023-12-29T15:14:50Z")
Another way is to click on a face then Shift click on additional faces to add them to the selection. When done, you can read the total area in **Entity Info**.