If you are provided with paper plans instead of electronic images, do not despair! If requested, most Architects or plan providers can issue digital plans on a CD or Flash Drive, via e-mail, or possibly from a download site.

There are times that only paper plans are provided for one reason or another. Don’t break out the ruler and colored pencils just yet!

Options

There are alternatives to using paper plans:

• If your company has a reprographer on staff, he or she can scan these paper plans to digital format using a large format scanner.
• There are professional reprographic services available who specialize in digitizing paper plans - just check the local Yellow Pages or the Web for "Reprographic Services". On Center Software partners with ReproMax, a nationwide provider of reprographic services. For additional information on converting paper plans to digital images or to find a listing of reprographic companies in your area, please refer to the following web site: http://www.repromax.com.

Paper it is!

Although On-Screen Takeoff is designed to use digital plans (electronic drawings), using paper plans with a digitizer hard board is supported. See the next article for more information.

Working with Planroom Projects

Using Your Large Format Digitizer