Import A Drawing Underlay

An Underlay is a drawing, typically an architectural or mechanical plan of the proposed design.

The drawing space allows you to draw over a plan after importing underlays (PNGs) into the workspace. PNG files use lossless compression, which means that the image quality is not compromised during compression and decompression. This makes PNG a suitable format for storing graphics with sharp edges, line art, and images with transparency.

Once imported, a quick sequence of calibrating and setting user preferences allows for drawing thermal zones or spaces. The process is repeated for all zones and levels of the building.

An underlay is typically an architectural plan converted into a PNG (< 1 MB). The architectural plan should include dimensions, the building's cardinal direction, and all areas applicable to the assessment.

Import an Underlay

Import underlays by selecting ‘Underlay’ in the drawing space ribbon, press ‘+ Underlay’, and then locating the converted PNG (< 1 MB) from your local drive. To convert to a PNG, you can use your favourite PDF software or convert for free using an online tool. We recommend https://pdf2png.com/ as it is fast and provides high-quality PNGs.

Update an Underlay

Updating an underlay is often required as the design progresses, from concept through to construction.

Update an underlay by navigating to ‘Underlay’ in the drawing space ribbon, and clicking press ‘x ’ to delete. Next, select '+ Add Underlay' to import a new .PNG file from your local drive.