PDF Upload

Upload PDF construction plans to Plan Count for automatic symbol detection and counting.

Supported Formats

Plan Count works best with vector PDFs exported from CAD software (AutoCAD, Revit, etc.). These contain extractable text that allows for symbol detection.

Format	Support	Notes
Vector PDF	Full	Best results - text is extractable
Hybrid PDF	Partial	Some text may be detectable
Scanned PDF	Limited	No text extraction (image-based)

TIP

Export your drawings directly from CAD software as PDF for best results. Scanned or photographed plans won't have detectable symbol text.

Uploading Files

Drag and Drop

Simply drag a PDF file from your computer and drop it onto the upload area.

Click to Browse

Click the upload area to open a file browser and select your PDF.

Multiple PDFs

You can add multiple PDFs to a single project. Each PDF is shown as a tab at the top of the viewer.

Page Selection Modal

For PDFs with 2 or more pages, a Page Selection Modal appears after upload. This lets you choose exactly which pages to include in your project.

Why Select Pages?

• Save credits - Only pay for pages you actually need
• Faster loading - Fewer pages means quicker processing
• Cleaner projects - Exclude title blocks, legends, and other non-plan pages

Using the Modal

Left Panel - Thumbnail Grid:

• All pages displayed as scrollable thumbnails
• Click a thumbnail to select/deselect that page
• Selected pages show an orange border and checkmark
• Hover over any thumbnail to see a larger preview

Right Panel - Preview:

• Shows the currently hovered page at full size
• Hover to zoom in (2.5x magnification)
• Click to deep zoom (5x magnification)
• Mouse position pans the zoomed view
• Use Prev/Next buttons to navigate

Selection Controls:

• Select All - Select every page in the PDF
• Deselect All - Clear your selection
• Page count shows "X of Y selected"

Credit Cost

The modal shows the credit cost based on your selection:

• Each selected page costs 1 credit
• A warning appears when selecting more than 15 pages
• Consider deselecting non-essential pages (title blocks, general notes) to save credits

Large PDF Handling

Plan Count is optimized for large PDFs with memory-conscious loading:

Progressive Thumbnail Loading:

• Thumbnails load one at a time to prevent browser overload
• A loading spinner shows for thumbnails still being rendered
• Hover over an unloaded thumbnail to prioritize its loading

Adaptive Performance:

• Loading speed adjusts based on your device capabilities
• Low-memory devices use smaller buffers for smooth performance
• Black thumbnail detection automatically triggers re-rendering

Memory Tiers:

Device RAM	Behavior
< 4GB	Conservative loading, reduced quality
4-8GB	Balanced performance
> 8GB	Full quality, faster loading

INFO

Chrome is recommended for the best experience with large PDFs, as it provides memory usage information to optimize loading.

After Upload

Once you click "Continue with X pages":

1. Page Extraction - A new PDF is created with only your selected pages
2. Text Extraction - Symbol text is extracted from each page
3. Pattern Matching - Detection rules identify symbols
4. Visualization - Colored rectangles appear over detected symbols

The process typically takes a few seconds per page.

Tips for Best Results

1. Use vector PDFs - Export directly from CAD software
2. Select only needed pages - Save credits and improve performance
3. Check page orientation - Both landscape and portrait pages are supported
4. Review the preview - Ensure pages contain the expected content before continuing

Common Issues

Thumbnails Loading Slowly

This is normal for large PDFs. The system loads thumbnails progressively to prevent browser slowdown. See Troubleshooting for more details.

Pages Appear Blank

• The PDF may be a scanned image (no extractable text)
• The page may genuinely be blank
• Try hovering to trigger a re-render

Credit Warning

If you see a warning about large selection:

• Consider which pages are essential for your takeoff
• Title blocks, legends, and general notes often don't need detection
• You can always upload additional pages later