Sharing Projects

Share your takeoff projects with clients, colleagues, or team members using secure share links. Recipients can view the complete takeoff without needing a Plan Count account.

Overview

Share links allow you to:

• Send read-only access to your takeoff results
• Share specific pages or the entire project
• Set expiration dates for temporary access
• Track views to see engagement
• Allow cloning so viewers can copy the project (requires credits)

Creating a Share Link

From the Project View

1. Open the project you want to share
2. Click the Share button in the toolbar
3. Configure your share options:
   • Share Type: Full project or specific pages
   • Expiration: When the link expires (optional)
4. Click Create Link
5. Copy the generated URL

Share Options

Option	Description
Full Project	Share all pages and all data
Specific Pages	Select which pages to include
Expiration	Set when the link stops working
Allow Clone	Let viewers copy the project

What Viewers See

When someone opens your share link, they see a read-only version of your project:

PDF View

• All PDF pages (or selected pages if configured)
• Detection overlays showing all detected symbols
• Zone polygons with inclusion/exclusion/area markers
• Linear paths drawn on the plans
• Annotations including cloud boxes, text annotations, and highlights
• Legend overlay with symbol counts and measurements

Sidebar Information

The sidebar shows:

• Symbol Tab: All detected symbols grouped by type
• Linear Tab: Linear measurements with paths and quantities
• Zones Tab: All zones with counts or area measurements

Navigation

Viewers can:

• Scroll through pages using continuous scroll or page controls
• Zoom in/out to examine details
• Use the minimap for quick navigation
• Open thumbnail strip to jump to specific pages
• Hover over symbols to highlight matching items

Linear Measurements in Shares

When you share a project with linear measurements:

What's Included

• All linear paths are visible on the PDF
• The Linear tab shows all rules and paths
• Measurements display based on your display mode setting:
  • Length mode: Shows total meters/feet
  • Lengths mode: Shows quantity needed with length in brackets

Scale Settings

Your PDF scale settings are preserved in the share:

• Viewers see accurate length calculations
• Metric (m) or Imperial (ft) display is maintained
• The scale ratio is used for all measurements

Example View

A viewer sees:

LED Strip                    Total: 4 (25.50 m)
├─ Path 1                    2 (12.30 m)
├─ Path 2                    2 (13.20 m)

Cable Tray                   Total: 18.45 m
├─ Main Run                  12.00 m
├─ Branch A                  6.45 m

Zones in Shares

Zones appear exactly as you configured them:

• Inclusion zones: Filter counts to show zone-specific totals
• Exclusion zones: Hide symbols from counts
• Area zones: Display calculated area measurements

Viewers can see zone names and boundaries but cannot edit them.

Annotations in Shares

All annotations are visible:

• Cloud boxes with any text content
• Text annotations with notes
• Highlight regions marking important areas

Managing Share Links

View Existing Shares

1. Go to your project
2. Click Share → Manage Links
3. See all active share links with:
   • Creation date
   • View count
   • Expiration status

Deactivate a Link

1. Find the link in the share management panel
2. Click Deactivate
3. The link immediately stops working

WARNING

Deactivating a link is permanent. Create a new link if needed.

Track Views

Each share link tracks:

• Total views: How many times the link was opened
• Clone count: How many times viewers cloned the project

Clone Feature

If enabled, viewers can clone your shared project to their own account.

How It Works

1. Viewer clicks Clone Project
2. They're prompted to sign in or create an account
3. Credits are deducted based on page count
4. A complete copy is created in their account

What Gets Cloned

• PDF files (all or selected pages)
• All detections and rules
• Zone configurations
• Linear rules and paths
• Annotation content
• Scale settings

Credit Cost

Cloning costs 1 credit per page included in the share.

Security

Link Protection

• Share links use cryptographically random tokens
• Links are not guessable or sequential
• Each project can have multiple independent links

Access Control

• Links can be deactivated at any time
• Expired links automatically stop working
• No sensitive account data is exposed

Viewer Limitations

Viewers cannot:

• Edit any content
• Download the original PDF files
• Access your account or other projects
• See your credit balance or billing info

Use Cases

Client Presentations

Share takeoff results with clients:

1. Complete your takeoff with all detections and zones
2. Add linear measurements for cable runs
3. Create a share link with appropriate expiration
4. Send to client for review
5. Track views to see when they've looked

Team Collaboration

Share work-in-progress with colleagues:

1. Create a share link for the current state
2. Send to team members for feedback
3. Make updates based on comments
4. Create a new link for the revised version

Contractor Quotes

Provide data for subcontractor pricing:

1. Include linear measurements for accurate quantities
2. Add area zones for surface calculations
3. Share with multiple contractors
4. Each can clone if they need their own copy

Tips

Best Practices

• Set expirations for sensitive projects
• Use specific pages when only part of the project is relevant
• Check display modes before sharing so quantities show correctly
• Review the share by opening the link yourself first

Common Questions

Can I edit after sharing? Yes, but changes don't affect existing share links. The share captures the project state at creation time.

Can viewers download the PDF? No, they can only view within Plan Count. Export functionality is disabled in share view.

Do share links cost credits? Creating a share link is free. Only cloning uses credits.

What if I delete the project? Share links stop working when the source project is deleted.