Import a plot plan
Add a survey, builder plan, scan, or image as a background you can scale and trace.
On this page
A plot plan gives you a measured source to draw over. Klora accepts a PDF or image and places it behind the editable parts of your design.
Importing the file does not turn its printed lines or labels into editable Klora objects. You will set the source scale, then trace the property boundary, house, planting beds, and other features you need.
Klora imports the first page of a PDF. Put the plan you want to trace on page one, and remove password protection before importing it.
Choose a useful source
The best source is clear, square to the page, and includes at least one known measurement. A survey, builder plot plan, permit drawing, or clean scan usually works well.
Photos can also work, but a photo taken at an angle may introduce perspective distortion. Calibration sets the overall scale; it cannot make different parts of a skewed photo agree perfectly.
Import the file
Start the import
When creating a plan, choose the plot-plan import option. From an open design, open File and choose Import plot plan.
Choose a PDF or image
Select the file from your device. Klora accepts PDFs and image files. For a PDF, only the first page is used.
Wait for the background to appear
Klora saves the source with the design and places it behind the editable plan. A large PDF may take a moment to render.
Review the source
Move and zoom until labels, corners, and measured lines are easy to see. Confirm that the correct page or image was imported before you begin tracing.
On a phone or tablet, the system file picker may offer files, photos, or cloud storage. Choose the clearest original file available instead of a compressed screenshot when possible.
What happens after import
Klora turns on Tracing mode automatically. The source is shown clearly and shape fills are hidden so they do not cover the lines you are tracing.
For a new plot-plan import, Klora will guide you to set the scale when the design has not been calibrated. It will also ask for the property location when that is still unset.
A reliable setup order is:
- Set the scale.
- Set the property location when needed.
- Trace the property boundary.
- Draw or correct the house and major planting beds.
- Turn off Tracing mode before placing plants.
Replace the imported source
Importing another plot plan replaces the current plot-plan background. Check the scale again after replacing it, especially when the new source uses a different page size or drawing scale.
The PDF cannot be read
Remove any password protection and try again. You can also export the first page as an image and import that image instead.
Klora says the file type is unsupported
Use a PDF or an image file. Documents and drawing files from other applications need to be exported first.
The import completes but nothing appears
Open Layers and make sure the background plan is visible. Importing a plot plan also turns on Tracing mode, which should reveal the source automatically.
The source looks blurry
Use the original PDF or the highest-resolution scan available. A screenshot or messaging-app copy may not contain enough detail for close tracing.
The plan cannot be saved
Browser storage may be full. Create an account or sign in so your work can be saved to your account instead of relying only on this browser. You can also remove unneeded local files or plans, then try importing again.