12.06.03 Adjusting Overlays to Line Up with an Earlier Revision Using the Overlay Toolbar

Last Updated: 2022-03-22 12:10

Sometimes, the two plans you are comparing using Overlay do not match up exactly. Whether their orientation, size, or alignment needs adjusting, use the options on the Overlays Toolbar to aligns and adjust the Plans.

Matching Base to Overlay

The goal is not to align the two Plans perfectly (pixel for pixel) but rather to make it possible to identify changes between the two Plans. Do not focus too much on perfection when using Overlays - it is meant as a tool to identify differences between Plans at a reasonable zoom level. If you zoom in very closely, pixel-level differences will be showcased and you will lose sight of what really changed from one plan to another.

Overlay Toolbar

The overlay toolbar shows on the left side of the Takeoff Window, next to the normal Takeoff and Annotations toolbars and is visible only when you have turned-on Overlays ( Overlay Toggle button ) in the Revision and Set Navigation Toolbar.

Button	Description	What it does/How it is used...
	Resize	Allows you to select points on the base plan and the Overlay that match up and then drag the Overlay plan to stretch/shrink it to match the base plan.
	Align	Allows you to make adjustments to the alignment (horizontal/vertical) to account for plans that are not positioned the same.
	Deskew	Allows you to straighten out a crooked plan - this happens most when paper plans are scanned in versus being saved to electronic format by the Architect.
	Rotate	Rotates the Overlay 90 degrees to the right with each click.
	Flip Vertically	Flips the Overlay on its Horizontal axis (the top becomes the bottom...)
	Flip Horizontally	Flips the Overlay on its Vertical axis (right to left...)
	Reset	Restores the Overlay to its original size, and orientation.

In the next few articles, we give you detailed instructions for using each option. We explain these functions in order that they would be used, logically, not in their order on the toolbar.

Note

If you get to a point where you are have difficulty adjusting your Overlay, just click the Reset Overlay button (

) and start over.

Construction Coordination Overlays - Identifying "Collisions" Between Trades

Deskewing a Crooked Overlay Plan