Overview
Uploading Plans to Fieldwire is one of the first steps you'll take to get started on a new project.
The process is easy, regardless of whether you upload files from your computer or sync with Box, Dropbox, or OneDrive.
Only PDF (single or multipage), PNG, and JPEG files can be uploaded to the Plans tab. There is a 1GB size limit for plan uploads.
In some cases, Fieldwire uses the file names and bookmarks of your Plans to give the Plans sheet numbers and descriptions, so how you name your files can impact how the plans are named in Fieldwire. There are four common upload scenarios, so here's how to optimize for each.
Table of Contents
- Single-page PDF, no Bookmarks
- Single-Page PDF with Bookmarks
- Multi-page PDF, no Bookmarks
- Multi-page PDF with Bookmarks
- How Fieldwire Determines Plan Names and Descriptions (When Bookmarks Are Not Present)
Single-page PDF, no Bookmarks
When you upload a single-page PDF with no bookmarks, Fieldwire will use the file name to name the plan. If you have a single-page pdf with no bookmarks, keep the file name the Plan’s sheet number so you won't have to alter the plan name in Fieldwire.
Example:
If you upload a file named A101-first floor.pdf, with no bookmarks, Fieldwire names the sheet “A101-first floor” with an empty description.
If you upload a file named A101.pdf, with no bookmarks, Fieldwire names the sheet “A101” with an empty description:
Single-Page PDF with Bookmarks
When you upload a single-page PDF with Bookmarks, Fieldwire will name the sheet or sheets based on a properly formatted Bookmark. Sheet numbers come from the Bookmark text that precedes the hyphens; sheet descriptions come from Bookmark text that follows the hyphens. Only properly formatted, top-level bookmarks will be converted to the plan name and description in your Fieldwire project.
The bookmark would need the format: "X - Y" where X: Sheet Number, and Y: Description. You will also need to have the space between the hyphen in the bookmark.
If the Bookmark does not have a hyphen and space, then the filename is prioritized - This would be like uploading a single-page file without Bookmarks.
Example:
Uploading a file named “A101-first floor.pdf” with the Bookmark “10084 - FF” will name the sheet “10084” with the description “FF.”
Uploading a File named "A1.01.pdf" with the Bookmark "A1.01 - Site Plan" will name the sheet "A1.01" with the description "Site Plan".
Multi-page PDF, no Bookmarks
When you upload a multi-page PDF file, Fieldwire will use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to scan and name sheets. The Fieldwire OCR scans the title blocks within the PDF and names the sheets accordingly. No descriptions are added to sheets uploaded from a multi-page PDF without bookmarks.
The file must have selectable text for the OCR to successfully scan and name the plans (and automatically apply hyperlinks). Take a look at this article for more information about how to Format your plans for Fieldwire:
If your files are images (ex: scans or photos), you would need to convert them to text-based PDFs before uploading. Keep in mind that, after plans are uploaded, you can manually edit the plan names and descriptions.
Multi-page PDF with Bookmarks
When you upload a Multi-page PDF with Bookmarks, Fieldwire will label each sheet based on the properly-formatted Bookmarks. Like with Single-Page PDFS, you will need to ensure that the bookmarks are in the proper format with a hyphen and spaces.
Properly formatted Bookmarks take precedence over the OCR for sheet numbers and descriptions. Only properly formatted, top-level bookmarks will be converted to the plan name and description in your Fieldwire project.
Sheet numbers are derived from the Bookmark text. If a Bookmark has a hyphen and space, its corresponding Sheet description comes from the Bookmark text following the hyphen.
Example:
If you upload a file named “Addendum1.pdf” with Bookmarks “10084 - FF”, “10085 - 2F", “10086 - 3F,” etc., Fieldwire will label Sheet “10084” with the description "FF," "10085" with the description "2F," and so on.
Tip: Delete outdated, duplicative, or incomplete Bookmarks prior to uploading a multipage PDF.
How Fieldwire Determines Plan Names and Descriptions (When Bookmarks Are Not Present)
When you upload plan sheets (single or multi-page) without properly formatted bookmarks, Fieldwire follows a structured process to determine each sheet’s name and description. This process ensures that plans are labeled as accurately as possible based on the content of the file.
Step 1: Scan for a Title Block
Fieldwire first checks whether the uploaded PDF contains a title block with the following information:
- Sheet name (or number)
- Sheet description
If this information is found in the title block, Fieldwire uses it to name the plan and populate the description.
Once this information is captured, no further processing is required.
Step 2: If No Title Block Is Detected
If a title block is not found, Fieldwire determines whether the file contains a single page or multiple pages.
Single-page PDF
- Fieldwire uses the file name (without the file extension) as the sheet name.
- The sheet description remains blank.
Multi-page PDF
- Fieldwire uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to scan each page for a sheet name and description.
Step 3: OCR Results (Multi-page PDFs)
If OCR successfully detects a sheet name and description on a page:
- The detected text is used for the sheet name and description.
If OCR does not detect a sheet name or description:
- Fieldwire assigns the page number as the sheet name.
- The description remains empty.
Special Case: Title Block Exists but Information Is Incomplete
If a title block is present but the sheet name or description is missing:
- Any available text is used for the sheet name and/or description.
- If no usable text is found, the page number is used as the sheet name.
Summary of Naming Logic
When bookmarks are not present, Fieldwire applies the following priority:
- Title block information → Use detected sheet name and description
- Single-page PDF with no title block → Use file name
- Multi-page PDF with no title block → Use OCR
- If OCR fails → Use page number as sheet name
This process ensures your plans are named consistently while minimizing the need for manual renaming after upload.