PDF only
ZeroCount uploads PDF files only. The file picker is restricted to .pdf, and anything else in a drag-and-drop is filtered out before upload. There is no message for a rejected file, so if you dropped a mixed folder and some files are missing, they were not PDFs.
| Format | What to do |
|---|---|
| DWG / DXF (AutoCAD) | Plot or export to PDF from your CAD package first. |
| PNG, JPG, TIFF scans | Convert to PDF with a print-to-PDF tool, then upload. |
| Revit, IFC and other BIM files | Export the sheets you need to PDF. |
A vector PDF exported directly from CAD gives far better results than a scan or a screenshot printed to PDF. If you can choose, export from the drawing package rather than converting an image.
Vector and image drawings
Every uploaded PDF is checked for vector data, and the result shows as a badge on the drawing card:
- vector — the drawing carries its line work as geometry. Detect New Symbol can read symbols straight from the drawing data with exact positions and no scan time, and Auto Takeoff can measure pipe and cable runs from the lines themselves.
- image — the drawing is a scan or a flattened raster. The standard image detector is used, which searches the picture for matches.
Click the badge to see why the engine was chosen and, for vector drawings, how many symbol candidates were found. Both kinds of drawing can be counted; vector drawings are faster and more precise. See Vector and image drawings for a fuller comparison.
Multi-page PDFs
A PDF with more than one page is split on upload into one drawing per page. Each is named after the original file with a sheet number, for example Level 1 Services - Sheet 01.pdf, Level 1 Services - Sheet 02.pdf. A toast reads Drawing set split.
- The limit is 25 pages per PDF. A larger set is refused with Too many pages; split it in your PDF tool and upload the parts.
- Every sheet of a split set inherits the revision read from the original filename.
- If a PDF cannot be split (encrypted or damaged), it uploads as a single drawing and only its first page is used. The toast reads Uploaded as a single drawing.
Sideways drawings are turned upright
Landscape sheets are often saved into a portrait PDF, or plotted with a 90° offset. With the preference Auto-rotate drawings on upload switched on (the default), ZeroCount reads the text direction of a vector PDF and turns a sideways sheet so its text reads left to right before it is uploaded. The toast reads Rotated to read upright and tells you how many degrees the sheet was turned.
Scanned PDFs have no text layer to read, so they are checked on the server instead once uploaded.
To switch this off:
- 1
Open the user menu at the bottom of the sidebar and choose User Preferences .
- 2
On the Appearance tab, find the Uploads card.
- 3
Turn off Auto-rotate drawings on upload.
You can always rotate a drawing by hand afterwards; see Rotating drawings.
Size limit
The server accepts roughly 11 MB per PDF. Larger files are refused before upload with a Drawing too large toast. Heavy scans are the usual cause; re-save them at a lower resolution, or strip embedded images from a vector export.
Preparing drawings for the best results
- Keep the legend on the sheet. Auto Detect Symbols can read a drawn legend to name each symbol it finds.
- Avoid heavy backgrounds. Shaded floor plans and hatched areas can confuse the image detector. Remove Background and Ignore Colours in the workspace help, but a clean export helps more. See Cleaning up the drawing.
- Scan at 200 DPI or higher if you must scan. Low-resolution scans lose the fine detail symbols are matched on.
Next steps
- Uploading drawings — the upload zones, folder import and progress toasts.
- Vector and image drawings — how the two engines differ in practice.
- Drawing cards and badges — reading the vector and image badge and its popover.
- Rotating drawings — fix a sheet the auto-rotate did not catch.