Documentation

Getting Started

Open your first PDF, find the toolbars, and learn how the LocusBIM workspace fits together for PDF markup and 3D coordination.

Getting Started

LocusBIM's PDF Markup engine lets you annotate construction and engineering drawings directly within the app, without leaving your BIM workflow.

Figure 1 shows the workspace with a drawing open. The top bar carries the menus and the 3D Viewer / PDF Markup / Split tabs; below it sit the toolbars (page navigation and zoom, the markup tools, and the Cost Impact row); the page thumbnails run down the left, the drawing fills the center, and the markup sidebar (search, filters, and the Khatam actions) is docked on the right.

The LocusBIM PDF Markup workspace: top menu bar and 3D/PDF/Split tabs, the navigation, markup, and Cost Impact toolbars, page thumbnails on the left, a drawing in the center, and the markup sidebar on the right.
Figure 1. The PDF Markup workspace — menus and tabs on top, toolbars beneath, page thumbnails left, the drawing center, the markup sidebar right.

Opening a PDF

Use File → Open PDF… (Ctrl+Shift+O) or click the Open PDF button in the toolbar. A native file picker opens; select any PDF file. The document renders at fit-width zoom automatically.

All toolbar buttons use a unified 20×20 SVG icon system with 1.5 px stroke weight. Hover over any icon to see a scale-up micro-animation and a tooltip with the tool name and keyboard shortcut.

Navigating Pages

Use the Navigation toolbar: click ◄ ► to move between pages, type a page number directly, or use the Fit Width / Fit Page buttons to adjust zoom.

Switching Between 3D and PDF

Click 3D Viewer or PDF Markup in the top tab bar to switch between views. Click Split to show both side by side with a draggable divider — useful when cross-referencing a floor plan against the 3D model. See the Workspace Layout section for details.

Tip: Right-click any markup on the canvas to link it to a 3D element, or use the sidebar to filter and manage all markups on the current page.
Related topics
  • NavigationPage navigation, zoom, fit-to-width, and scroll controls for working with multi-sheet PDF drawing sets in LocusBIM.
  • Workspace LayoutSplit view, side-by-side panels, and drag-to-resize dividers for working in PDF and 3D viewer at the same time.
  • Keyboard ShortcutsComplete keyboard reference for LocusBIM — markup tools, navigation, undo/redo, and the Ctrl+F find bar.