Uploading & Scaling Floorplans

How to upload and scale a floorplan image or PDF in PlanStudio.

If you have already located your campus you should now have a satellite image available to you in the background, If you have not created & located your campus please go back and complete those steps first before continuing. If you have followed those steps but do not see a satellite image in the background click on your Plans menu and turn on the visibility for the site plan by clicking the Eye Icon, If required then also make sure the Satellite Layer is visible in the browser panel.

Uploading Images

Adding a Graphic

There are three ways to upload an image of a floorplan to use in PlanStudio

If you have been provided a PDF or Image file of the existing floorplans you can click the Pink Plus Button in the bottom right corner of the Plan Editor and select the Add Graphic button, this will let you select an image from your device to upload and scale, as well as let you choose the page number, rotation and format of the image.

If you have not been provided and image file but there are existing Evacuation diagrams or floor plans available while you are on site, you can upload a graphic of the floor plan by taking a photo on your device, To do this click the Pink Plus Button and select the Add Graphic (using Camera) option, This will launch the camera on your device and you can then take a photo of the floorplan to use, you can then use the the Straighten Document Tool if required and scale the plan to use that as a reference.

The last option is to upload a Georeferenced image, this is an image file that also contains the location data, so the image file will be automatically scaled and positioned over the satellite image for you.

Converting CAD Files

If you have a CAD file such as a .DWG or .DXF file you want to import into PlanStudio you will first need to convert it into a .PDF file so it can be imported as an Image and then uploaded.

Follow this Tutorial to learn how to Convert a CAD file to a PDF

Straighten Document Tool

If you need to straighten a photo you took, or any other graphics / images you have been provided, you can use the Straighten Document Tool. To use the Straighten Document Tool select the image you want to edit and go to the bottom of the inspector panel, in the bottom left corner there is a button for Straighten Document. Simply follow the animation on the right and place the four corners on the edges of the document to straighten it out. You will then see a preview of the document and you can then press done to make the change.

Adding Attribution

Once your image has been uploaded you will be presented the option to add an Attribution, this can be a legal requirement if you have been given permission to use data or imagery from a third party, so this is the opportunity to give them credit for their data if that is part of your agreement with them for using their documents.

Scaling & Editing Images

Measurements Tool

If the floorplan includes dimensions or a scale bar, you can use the Rescale From Measurements Tool. This lets you alter the size of the graphic by drawing a line over a known length on the plan (a dimension, scale bar or a known object size like the width of a doorway), Enter the measurement into the tool settings and press Rescale, you can now rotate the graphic and move it into place and start drafting.

Point to Point Scaling 

For a graphic that does not have any measurements or dimensions on it you can use the Point to Point Scale Tool. Draw a line from point 'a' to point 'b' on the graphic, and then draw the same line over the top of the building you want to line the graphic up with. You can then also use the free transform mode to manually resize the image, holding shift to lock the proportions and also rotate the image if you still need to line it up.

Cropping Tool

With the graphic uploaded you can then use the Cropping Tool to cut off the edges of the graphic to hide irrelevant information and focus on the floorplan. To do this select the cropping tool and drag in the edges on each side until you are satisfied.

Renaming and Reordering Graphics

If you have multiple Graphics for a Plan you might need to edit the order or name them to keep track of amendments or different variations. to view all the Graphics you have uploaded, Open up your browser panel and expand the Graphics layer, you can then rename a graphic if by right clicking on it, control the order of the graphics by dragging them up and down the list or lock / hide a specific graphic prevent you from seeing or accidentally moving the image while you work.