Overview
Use the Overlay tool to easily import, overlay, and view design plans against your orthomosaic maps in DroneDeploy. Overlays aid in planning and analyzing your maps, visualize design surfaces for cut and fill functionality, and help you import data from integrations such as ProCore and BIM360.
Supported overlay formats
The table below outlines the supported file types, their visibility, primary use case, and required subscription tier.
| File Type | Visible Location | Use-Case | Availablity Tier |
| PNG | 2D | Design plan, Site maps | Individual, Enterprise |
| 2D | Design plan, Site maps | Individual, Enterprise | |
| Shapefile (lines and polygons) | 2D | Design plan, Site maps, Contours | Individual, Enterprise |
| DXF | 2D, 3D | Design plan, Cut, Fill, and Volume Analysis | Enterprise |
| IFC | 3D | Design Analysis and Comparison | Enterprise |
| GeoTIFF | 2D, 3D | Cut, Fill, and Volume Analysis | Enterprise |
| XML | 2D, 3D | Cut, Fill, and Volume Analysis | Enterprise |
| Web Layer | 2D | Feature, Map, and Tile Layers | Enterprise |
Note: Shapefiles for overlays must contain lines or polygons. Point shapefiles are not accepted.
How to add an overlay to your map
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Access the Overlay tool
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From the Explore Tab, click the + option in the Overlays section.
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You can also add files from the Overlays panel.
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Select the file source
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Choose the file type from the pop-up window for local files.
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Align and process the file
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For non-georeferenced files (PNG, PDF), align the file to your site using the provided alignment tools immediately after the upload.
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The file will begin processing automatically for georeferenced files. You will recive an email once the Overlay has completed processing.
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All files will be organized in the Overlays tab in the left panel. Use this panel to create Overlay Folders toggle them on and off, rename them, and change the color of your layers.
Overlay Folders:
Overlay On/Off toggle in the Overlays tab:
EPSG code selection
Setting the EPSG code for uploaded design files (including DXF, GeoTIFF, and XML) ensures accurate alignment with the map.
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Set the desired coordinate system for the project and all future uploaded design files in Project Settings.
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Upload a design file from the Add Overlays menu.
Uploaded design surfaces will inherit the EPSG code set in Project Settings. If no EPSG code is set in Project Settings, the system uses prior logic, such as the file's native coordinate system or inferring the best coordinate system given the project's location.
Further reading
Uploading and Aligning PNG and PDFs
Uploading Design Files for Cut/Fill (DXF, TIFF, XMLs)
Upload a 3D DXF for Visualization & Cut/Fill analysis
v2.2