A project in Exayard holds your construction plans, measurements, and reports in one place. Create a project, add files, and then take measurements on those files.
Creating a project
Click New project in the sidebar to open the project dialog. Enter a name in the Project name field. Names like "Smith Residence - Landscaping" or "Bid #2024-156 - HVAC Install" make it easy to find projects as your list grows. If your organization has custom properties configured, those fields appear below the name. Click Create and you are taken directly into your new project workspace.
You can rename a project at any time from the project menu in the sidebar — choose Edit to open the Edit project dialog and change the name.
Adding files
New projects open with the file explorer visible. Click the + button in the header to see upload options.
File upload opens a file picker for selecting PDFs, images, or CAD drawings from your computer. Multi-page PDFs are split into individual pages automatically, and each page becomes a separate sheet you can navigate and measure independently. JPEG, PNG, and TIFF images and DWG, DXF, and DGN CAD files are also accepted.
Folder upload preserves your folder structure inside the project. Select a folder and Exayard recreates the hierarchy, keeping related plans organized together.
New document creates a blank document inside the project that you can edit directly.
Aerial survey opens a satellite map view. Search for an address or navigate to your project location, then capture the current view. The captured image includes GPS-calibrated scale, so you can start measuring outdoor areas immediately without manual scale setup.
A progress indicator shows upload status while files process. Multi-page PDFs and large folders may take a moment to finish.
Setting the scale
Click Set scale in the sidebar. If Exayard detected a scale notation on your plan, it appears automatically. Otherwise, choose from preset scales under the Imperial or Metric tabs, or enter a custom scale — drawing inches to real feet under Imperial, or an X:Y ratio under Metric.
When you have a known dimension on the plan but no scale notation, use Draw distance. Click two points that represent a known measurement, enter the real-world distance, and Exayard calculates the correct scale.
Each page can have its own scale. Verify the scale when switching between pages, especially if your plan set includes sheets at different scales.
Organizing with folders
Create folders to group related files. Click the + button and select New folder, then enter a name like "Floor Plans" or "Electrical Details". Drag files into folders to organize them.
Toggle between grid and list views using the view button in the header. Grid view shows thumbnails for visual browsing, while list view provides a compact table with file details.
Next steps
With your project set up and files uploaded, you are ready to start measuring. See understanding the interface to learn about the workspace layout and measurement tools.