- 03 Jun 2021
- 6 Minutes to read
- Print
- DarkLight
- PDF
User Interface Reference
- Updated on 03 Jun 2021
- 6 Minutes to read
- Print
- DarkLight
- PDF
Sections
- Top navigation menu
- Project name
- Project tabs
- Current page action buttons and filters
- Plan Groups and plans
Top-left navigation menu
- New - Click to create a new Project, Project Template or Take-Off Template.
- Projects - Clicking here will bring you back to the Project List.
- Recent - This displays links to your last "Viewed Projects" and last "Updated Projects". The "Updated Projects" section shows any project that has been modified by any user in the system.
Top-right navigation menu
User Menu
Shows a menu with the full name of the person logged in, a link to the Setup (Billing, Users, Integrations, etc.) page and a Log Out button.
Help menu
We are a team who are eager to help you succeed in using Groundplan, thus we've added a very accessible button which gives you the menu for getting prompt assistance. From the help menu, you can:
- Click the User Guide option to be redirected to our complete set of help guide articles;
- Send us a message through an Intercom chat within Groundplan, where you can continue working while we assist you;
- Click the Training Videos option to watch our short tutorials;
- View the Shortcut keys; and
- Enable the editor tips;
Plans tab: Action buttons and filters
- Actions you can perform on this page. In this case, we're in the "Nares Consultancy Office" Project, in the "Plans" page and we can either upload new plans or create a new group of plans.
Groups can also be sorted alphabetically (and even numerically). However, the default "Plans" group is an exception to this, as it will always remain on top of the list even if you rename it.
To work around this, given that this group is empty, you can delete it and add new groups instead.
- When available, you'll be able to change between Tile, List or Table views;
- The filter allows you to filter the plan list by plan name;
- When available, you'll be able to sort the page content by several parameters.
If you want to customise the way that they are sorted alphabetically, use prefixes like "A-" or numbers (i.e. 1 - Plumbing, 2 - Flooring, 3 - Electrical) to arrange them in your preferred sequence.
Editor
The editor is the page where you do your take-off. Below is a simple mapping of the parts of the editor, and being familiar with them will help a lot when you require support in the event of an issue.
Sidebar
The sidebar contains all settings that you need for your plan and stages.
If your browser width is less than 1091px (at 100% zoom level), the values for the Total Quantities for the Project and the Mark Plan as Complete button will be hidden.
- The Stages tab is where you can add a new stage or link from the worksheet, show and hide your stages, and manage the stages you use in your plan;
- The Scale tab is where you set the scale of the plan, add enable the grid tool;
- The Details tab is where you can rename the plan, change its status, rotate the plan (does not include the counts, measurements and markings), save or download the plan, setup title block, snip the plan or to delete it altogether.
Toggle buttons
You can use these buttons to maximise your screen size during take-off.
- The Toggle Fullscreen button will simply hide the top navigation menu, the project name, and the project tabs so you can maximise the height of the editor;
- The Toggle Sidebar button is enabled by default so clicking it will hide the sidebar, allowing you maximise the width of the editor.
Below is a screenshot of how your screen could look like when the Toggle Fullscreen is enabled and when the Sidebar is hidden:
Zoom
The zoom in, zoom out and select zoom level buttons are also available in the sidebar for your convenience. Although it is easy to zoom in and out your plans by scrolling your mouse, or using your fingers to zoom-pinch if you're using a tablet, these buttons are especially useful if you need a definite level of magnification on your plan.
If your browser width is less than 777px (at 100% zoom level), the Select zoom level button will be hidden.
Rotation
These buttons will allow you to rotate your plan along with the measurement and markings in a 90ยบ increment, clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.
If you need to rotate the plan only, and do not want to include the measurements and markings in the change that you need to apply, go to the Details tab and use the Revision Rotation buttons instead.
Legend
This button will allow you to add the legend to your plan.
If your browser width is less than 702px (at 100% zoom level), the Legend button will be hidden.
If you can't find this button, click the Toolbox button on the top of the editor, as it is listed as one of the options there.
Drawing Tools
These buttons are your tools for adding markings on your plans.
If your screen size is around 1024x768px, only the Snap to objects button will be hidden. Going less than 702px in browser height will then hide the Arc Tool, followed by the Ruler tool.
It is best to use devices which will allow you to use a bigger browser window. You can also enable the Toggle Fullscreen button to expand your editor height, and these buttons will appear.
To learn more about these tools, check the Drawing Tools articles.
Editor Toolbar
The editor toolbar has two "modes": The Select mode and the Drawing mode.
Select Mode
If you can see the Undo, Redo, and Compare buttons, and sometimes the Toolbox button on the top of the editor, it means that you are on Select Mode.
On this "mode", your hand or select tool is enabled by default, and you can easily select measurements and markings on the plan.
Press ESC to disable any active tools and enter Select mode.
Drawing Mode
The Drawing mode is enabled whenever you select and enabled a drawing tool, or when you are actively measuring parts on your plan.
This is only likely to happen if you are using mobile devices or if you zoomed your browser.
You will know that you are on this mode when you see the enabled drawing tool or measurement on the top of the editor, along with the settings and option for that measurement or tool.
Plan Navigation Buttons
These two buttons at the bottom of the editor provides you with a quick way to open the next or last plans (depending on how your plans are arranged or sorted) without going back to the Plans page.
If you need to jump to another plan, and not the next one on your list, you may want to use the Jump to Plan option instead. You will find it by clicking on the Recent Plan button on the upper-right side of your screen, just across the current plan name.
Clicking the Recent Plan button will show you your recently viewed and updated plans. This is very useful when there are multiple users working on the projects at the same time.
If your browser width is less than 892px (at 100% zoom level), these buttons will appear on the left.