YOUR FIRST PROJECT

From PDF to comparison.

The same workflow on phone, tablet and computer. For the short in-app tutorial, open the menu beside the logo, then More options → Help.

Try the sample project

In Help, select Open sample plans to explore the BREZA commercial space. Switch between Architecture · proposed, Electrical services and Mechanical services. The reference is the existing floor plan.

The sheets share the same scale and coordinates. Zoom into doors, dimensions and service symbols to compare details. Your last local project remains saved; use Open last local project to return to it.

Download the original sample PDFs: existing plan, proposed plan, electrical and mechanical. These examples are for learning the app, not for construction.

1. Create a project

Open the menu beside the logo and choose New project. Upload a reference PDF and a comparison PDF, choose matching pages and name your project. Select Import and align. Check the automatic suggestion against shared grids and corners.

A new project replaces the open one. Save to the cloud or export a backup first if you want to keep it.

2. Move, zoom and switch plans

On a phone or tablet, drag with one finger and pinch with two. Use the arrows beside the zoom controls to switch plans. On desktop, drag to pan and scroll to zoom. Switch with ← →, or hold the right mouse button and scroll. The fit button shows the entire plan.

Choose a set in the sidebar, then any plan in its list. Switching within a set preserves zoom and position. On desktop, press 3 for an overlay; use the opacity slider to compare the reference and selected plan.

3. Align three points

Open Alignment → 3 points. Zoom into the reference plan, move a clear corner or grid intersection under the crosshair and confirm. On the comparison plan, select the same physical point.

Repeat for three well-spaced pairs. The nudge arrows move by one screen pixel; Shift + an arrow key moves by ten. Use Back to correct a point. Select Apply alignment and check another part of the building.

Alignment adjusts position, rotation and uniform scale. Unevenly stretched scans may not match perfectly everywhere.

4. Add plans and sets

Choose Add plan, select a PDF and page, then select the set and enter a name. Each comparison plan has its own alignment to that set’s reference. Use New set for a different floor plan, elevation or section. Each set keeps its own view.

5. Export a backup

Open Menu → More options → Backups → Export backup. The .layervista.json file includes PDFs, pages, alignments and views. Save it to Files or another trusted location.

On another device, select Open backup. You will be asked to confirm before replacing the open project. Older .planshift.json backups also work. Backups are not encrypted and support up to 32 MB of PDFs.

Continue on another device

Sign in with your LayerVista email and password. Upload and align your plans, then wait for Saved to cloud in the menu.
Open the app on the other device and sign in to the same LayerVista account.
Choose My projects → Open. The PDFs, selected pages, alignments and view are downloaded.

When both devices are already open, use My projects → Refresh list → Open to load the latest cloud copy. This is not simultaneous collaborative editing. If both copies changed, save your local work as a copy or export a backup before opening the other version.

While offline, local changes wait in a queue. Reopen the app online and check the save status. Cloud projects support up to 32 MB of PDFs. Signing out does not remove local plans; delete local copies before leaving a shared device.

Install on your device

iPhone and iPad

Open the app in Safari and choose Share → Add to Home Screen. Open and save your project online before testing offline use.

Still seeing the old P icon or PlanShift?

Check cloud saving and export backups of local-only projects. Open LayerVista in Safari, refresh and add it to your home screen again. Check that the new icon and name appear. Open the new installation and verify your projects before removing the old icon. Separate installations may have separate local data.

Android

Open in a supported browser such as Chrome and choose Install app or Add to Home Screen. Open your project online first, then test in airplane mode.

Windows, macOS and Linux

In Chrome or Edge, use the install button in the address bar or browser menu. The app opens in its own window. Safari on Mac also offers File → Add to Dock.

To run independently of this hosted site, download the local package. It requires Node.js 22 or newer. Extract it and run Start-Windows.bat, Start-Mac.command or, on Linux, node server.mjs. This is a local web viewer, not a signed EXE or DMG.

Updates and troubleshooting

If you see an older version, open the LayerVista updater. It preserves saved projects. Check device storage and use unlocked PDFs. Do not clear browser data without a backup.

Contact support