A computing system configured to: (1) render, via a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed by a client station, a three-dimensional view of a construction project using a three-dimensional model file that defines a set of meshes representing physical objects of the construction project, wherein each mesh comprises a set of triangular faces, and wherein the GUI includes a measurement tool for obtaining a shortest distance between a first mesh and a second mesh; (2) receive a request to obtain the shortest distance between the first mesh and the second mesh; (3) calculate a set of distances potentially comprising the shortest distance between the first mesh and the second mesh by first reducing one or both of: (i) the number of faces between which distances are calculated and (ii) the number of distances that are calculated; and (4) determine the shortest distance between the first mesh and the second mesh.