Everyday know-how: quick reference
For everyone, once the basics are done: the things you need sooner or later. 6 lessons, 18 min. Full steps and pictures: getplotlay.com/learn/know-how/
| # | Lesson | How |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bring files into Plotlay4 min | Add overlay › Drawing or image file for plans and photos, Shapes from a file for map data. Import for item tables. Project files open as projects. |
| 2 | Show the labels you need2 min | Labels (left toolbar): untick the types you don’t need, keep Tidy labels by zoom on. Busy plan? Fewer labels, then zoom in for the rest. |
| 3 | Work faster with keyboard shortcuts2 min | ? or Help lists them. Ctrl+K search, Ctrl+Z undo, Ctrl+E export, Alt+1 to Alt+4 workspaces, Esc stops, W A S D in 3D. |
| 4 | Work without signal3 min | Before you go: open each project on the device, Install the app, Save this area offline. Changes wait on the device and sync when you are back online. |
| 5 | Where your data lives3 min | Signed out, projects stay in this browser. Sign in by emailed link or code, no password; add a passkey. Synced data is in Sydney. Revoke agent keys any time. |
| 6 | Fix common problems4 min | Missing in 3D or on the plan? Show its layer in Layers, or pick its level. Too many labels? Labels. Keys dead in 3D? Click in the view first. |
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. Guest roles: What a person you invite may do: Can view (look and walk through), Can comment and pick options, or Can edit. Viewers need no account. 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. Workspace: Site, Building, Capture or Documents in the top bar. A workspace changes which tools come first; it never hides anything in the project. Elevation and section: An elevation is a side of the house, or a wall from inside, drawn straight on. A section is a cut through the building along a line you place.
Plotlay · app.plotlay.io · Search any tool with Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on a Mac). Checked in the app on 14 October 2026.