Councils and development applications: quick reference
For owners, designers and certifiers preparing or checking a development application. 5 lessons, 18 min. Full steps and pictures: getplotlay.com/learn/councils/
| # | Lesson | How |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pin a plan or drawing to the map5 min | Add overlay › Drawing or image file › Pin to map…: click a corner on the drawing, then the map; three pins far apart › Apply. |
| 2 | Record the site and its boundary3 min | Site › Site details: address, Zone, Overlays, street edge, title facts. Leave unknown figures empty so they show as UNKNOWN. |
| 3 | Dimension the setbacks2 min | Site › Setbacks measures square from the outside walls to each boundary edge. Can’t see them? Labels › Dimensions and notes. |
| 4 | Run the compliance check4 min | Site › Compliance: read the note and Codes used; every UNKNOWN needs a fact or a decision › Make the summary PDF. |
| 5 | Make the plans to lodge4 min | Site details first › Make a document › Plans to lodge › Change › Title block… › Make the drawing set. Add a revision each issue. |
Words: Overlay: A drawing, plan or picture laid over the map or plan, such as a site plan PDF or a DXF. Pin it to line it up with the aerial. Pin (control point): A pair of matching points, one on a drawing and one on the map, that places the drawing. Two pins place it; a third shows how well it fits. Title block: The box on every sheet with the project, address, client, job number, drawn and checked by, and the revision. Filled in once per project. PASS, WARN, FAIL and UNKNOWN: The results of a check. UNKNOWN is not a pass: Plotlay is missing a measurement or a fact to tell, and the note says which. Layer: A group of things in a project, listed in the Layers tab. A hidden layer is left out of the plan, 3D and documents until you show it again. Design code: A set of planning or building rules for a place, such as a state’s planning code, built into Plotlay as a pack of checks. Choose the codes that apply to each project.
Plotlay · app.plotlay.io · Search any tool with Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on a Mac). Checked in the app on 14 October 2026.