Latest News from the GovWell team
Hi there,
Here we are again with another incredibly exciting update! The brand new Compare Mode for Plan Reviews is here!
Compare Mode is a brand new tool in your Plan Review toolbox that allows you to compare plan sets, mark them up while comparing, and navigate them all within a seamless, easy-to-use interface in your Plan Viewer. We listened closely to your feedback on what you wished our previous comparison tool had, and got to work to deliver an experience that further meets your needs.
To enter Compare Mode, look for the Compare Versions button at the top right corner of your Plan Viewer (available on version 2 or later only).
Compare Mode switches your view from a single file viewer pane to two. Each pane is labeled with the version, sheet, and page currently being displayed.
This allows you to easily compare the two versions side by side at all times. You can also navigate between pages using the arrows to the right of the plan selector.
Comments and Files are hidden to allow the two versions to fit the screen but if you need them at any time, the button to make them appear is located at the top left corner of the screen.
One of the most exciting features of Compare Mode is the ability to continue working on the current plan set – adding markups, measurements, comments, and more – without ever leaving the comparison viewer!
The sheet labeled Current is the live one. This pane has an orange outline and displays the toolbar beneath it. Comments, stamps, measurements, and more all work here exactly as they do in a normal review!
The Prior sheet now displays the previous review round's comments and markups in their original positions. Not only can you compare the plan files themselves, but you can also compare markups and comments from the previous version against the new plans!
Compare Mode offers you two view options:
Compare Mode highlights new items in blue and removed items in red, but you can select from a color palette to customize how these highlights are displayed.
Diff Opacity lets you turn the opacity of the highlights up, down, or off entirely.
Another great feature: whenever you zoom in or out or move your plans around, the comparison view moves with them.
If the overlay looks shifted or the scale doesn't match, use the Align feature! This allows you to select three matching points on the current sheet, then the same three points on the prior sheet in the same order.
This ensures the plans are properly aligned when using the Overlay comparison view.
If all of the above wasn't enough, we also have the brand new Snap to Content tool! This allows you to snap measurements to the actual line work on the plan files – walls, corners, and more – instead of placing them freehand, which can be imprecise.
Activate this feature by clicking the 🧲 Magnet icon on your toolbar. Once enabled, any measurement tool will detect the ink in the plan files as you draw.
You can also hold Option (or Alt on Windows) to temporarily disable snapping and place a point off the plan lines.
⚠️ Note: This feature works most consistently on vector CAD pages. Scans or flattened plot plans may not deliver consistent results.
💡 If you'd like to learn more about the features available for Plan Reviewers, please check out our Guide to Plan Review!
And that's it for now! We have plenty more in the works, so stay tuned for more updates soon! 🚀