In this video, we'll walk through how to use the Underlay tool in Paragon to bring a DXF drawing into your layout. An underlay lets you trace directly over an existing plan as you create walls, and it also works as a reference for locating plumbing, HVAC, and other MEP needs, so you can optimize your layout.
Let's take a look. Begin in the Layout view of your Paragon project. Select the Underlay tool, which lets you upload a DXF file into your layout. Choose the DXF drawing you want to bring in. In the Upload DXF window, select the appropriate layout and preview your drawing. If the drawing needs to be turned, use the Rotation control to rotate it on screen to the correct orientation. Don't worry about getting it perfect here, because scale and rotation can both be adjusted later. When the drawing looks right, click Upload to add it to your layout.
Your DXF appears in the layout and can be seen in the right-hand menu under Snapping Underlays. Select the DXF from that list to open its properties. In the properties panel, enter a new scale if the drawing needs adjusted. Then use Pick Origin and select a point at the lower left of your underlay to set the underlay's origin point on the drawing. If needed you can also adjust the rotation of the underlay, and you have the ability to control the visibility of each of your underlays. Multiple underlays can be uploaded at the same time and you can control each under the tool icon.
With the underlay placed and aligned, you're ready to start tracing walls. Right-click anywhere in the scene and select the Wall tool from the menu. By default, your first wall point begins at the scene's origin. If you'd like your walls to start somewhere else, press the escape key once or go over in the properties and use the pick option to set a new starting point. With snapping turned on, move along the lines of the underlay and click to place each wall point. The snapping tools help you lock onto endpoints, intersections, midpoints, and other snapping points as you trace. Continue clicking to add each wall segment, following the underlay as your guide. When you're finished, your new walls appear in the right-hand menu under Walls. You can hide and view the underlay as needed.
And that's how to use the Underlay tool to bring DXFs into Paragon, trace your walls, and reference MEP locations for truss alignment. Working from an underlay saves time and improves accuracy.
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Use DXF Underlay to upload a DXF into a project to streamline wall input by tracing the DXF.
Additionally, you can underlay a .DXF anytime throughout the project enabling you to easily view the location of MEP accessories, such as plumbing fixtures and HVAC ductwork.
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