How to track material moved between scan dates

Measure how much material was moved between two scan dates for progress tracking and invoice verification.

Written by Raymond Fuorry
March 31, 2026

Track Quantities measures how much material was moved between two or more scan dates within a defined area. This article explains how to use the tool, the difference between relative and cumulative views, and the contractor invoice verification use case.

How to use Track Quantities

To track material movement between scan dates, follow these steps:

1. Click Plan & Track, then select Track Quantities.
2. The Compare Surfaces heat map activates, comparing the current scan to the previous scan.
3. Draw a polygon around the area you want to analyze.
4. The tool displays: cubic yards removed, cubic yards added, and the net change between the two dates.
5. Use the date selector to change which previous scan is being compared. You can choose any two dates after drawing the polygon.

Availability: Gold and Platinum scans only.

Relative vs. cumulative view

Relative view shows the material movement between two specific scan dates — for example, what changed between March 14 and March 21. Relative data can be saved as a cumulative quantity (by clicking Cumulative before saving) or as an Exhibit.

Cumulative view shows a running tally of all material movement across every scan between two specified dates. If you select the most recent scan with the first scan, Track Quantities would provide the total historical record of work done in that location.

How to save and track quantities

Click Keep Tracking to save the area to the "Track Volumes" folder in Saved Quantities. Once saved:

• Historical data is calculated retroactively for all scan dates.
• Future scans automatically update the tracked area.
• You can download the data as a .csv file (only when saved as a quantity, not as an Exhibit).

Contractor invoice verification

Track Quantities is one of the most valuable tools for verifying contractor work. When a grading contractor submits an invoice claiming they moved 20,000 cubic yards of material, you can use Track Quantities to verify the actual amount moved. If the data shows only 10,000 cubic yards, that is a significant discrepancy that needs to be resolved — potentially saving tens of thousands of dollars.

Frequently asked questions

Does the cumulative view auto-update when a new scan comes in?

Yes. If you have a saved Track Quantities area and a new scan is published, the cumulative view automatically includes the new scan data.

Can I download the tracking data?

Yes. You can download Track Quantities data as a .csv file after saving the area as a quantity (via Keep Tracking). Data saved only as an Exhibit cannot be downloaded as .csv.

Pin feature

Click the Pin icon to lock a Measurement or Plan & Track tool on the map. Pinned measurements remain visible while you create additional measurements. Multiple pinned measurements can coexist on screen. Pinned measurements appear in a single pop-up window. You can fold(close) and unfold(open) individual measurement tools, and save all active tools as an Exhibit.