Web Sketch: What are Features & Labels in Sketch?
A practical Web Sketch guide for appraisers based on the What are Features & Labels in Sketch? tutorial.
Use this article when you are working in Web Sketch and need a practical reference while building or reviewing a sketch for a report. The video walkthrough is linked below, and the article restates the workflow in appraiser-friendly terms.
Before you begin
Open the correct report and confirm you are sketching the intended subject, dwelling, unit, or related structure. If the sketch will support GLA, exhibits, or report commentary, keep your field notes, measurements, photos, and assignment requirements available while you work.
What this tutorial covers
- How to place features and labels so the exhibit is readable.
- The sidebar is the main work area for drawing features, labels, tools, and sketch settings.
- The Generate Exhibit action sends the completed sketch exhibit back to the report.
- Labels and custom labels clarify what each shape or area represents.
When to use this
Use features and labels when the sketch needs to communicate what an area, item, or condition represents.
Video walkthrough in article form
Start in the correct sketch context
In this video, this walkthrough will talk about the differences between features and labels in the platform.
Work from the sidebar
Right now, the workspace includes the sidebar open up with all these features.
Label the sketch clearly
Features are things like a door, fireplace, a pool, stairs. We are adding to this list all the time based on your recommendations. Labels are things that exist within your report.
Check each shape before moving on
Whether it is a bath that's half full, a bedroom, a den, a breakfast room, and so on. All these correlate to things like your subject property, your property amenities, vehicle storage, and all that as well. For example, the workspace includes this shape here.
You want to just put a. For example, you can put a door in there. After placing a feature inside the shape, you want to, For example, make the scale larger or smaller.
In this case, it is probably just a little bit, you know, too big, right? While it is selected, you can select my minus key on my keyboard to reduce it down to the proper scale. If I also want to move it, you can select on my arrow key, move up, and move.
Move it here, there. I like that. Also find some stairs here.
, Uh, grab some stairs here that are pointed that way, and drag it and put it there. For example, also that the stairs are going the wrong direction. Maybe I, I did my scan wrong.
To select it and rotate it, it is the same as you would with any other shape, just on these icons here as well.
You will select Shift, move it to the left, and you can rotate it in these degrees. If you want to move it as well, you can do that, or just drag it and bring it wherever you want. That's also how you can rotate these features, and talk about labels a little bit.
If you want to drag a label in here, The basic workflow is the same method. For example, you can put this, uh, call it a den and put it there. If I want this to not be in the middle, For example, you can scale this down a little bit and have this be here, you can also do that as well.
You can really have as many shapes and labels and features as you want within this, just so long as it somewhat fits within the canvas.
It is also helpful to notice that if you actually save this, do that right now. For example, you can save this whole area.
Generate the report exhibit
You will select the Generate Exhibits From this, and you will see that in our sketch, it is now going to reflect these exactly.
If we go here, you will find here that it is saved there in that exact position and in the label. It is a little bit hard to see right now 'cause we made things a little bit small, but that's effectively how it works there. That's the labels and the features within the Avenu Sketch platform.
Practical workflow
Add features to show relevant sketch elements and use labels to make the exhibit understandable without extra explanation.
Use custom labels when the standard label set does not describe the item clearly enough for the report.
Review the exhibit from a client or reviewer perspective. Labels should clarify the sketch, not clutter it.
Field review tips
Labels should match report terminology and be easy to read in the generated exhibit.
Appraiser review checklist
- Confirm the sketch is attached to the correct report and property structure.
- Confirm labels, areas, and totals match your field notes and intended report use.
- Confirm any generated exhibit is readable before relying on it in the report.
- Recheck the report section where the exhibit or calculated area appears.
Related Web Sketch tutorials
This article is part 14 of 14 in the Web Sketch tutorial series. Use the Help Center search for web sketch to find the other drawing, labeling, calculation, and exhibit guides.