Levels, Layers & Floor Plan Underlays

Working with Levels

A map can have several levels: a ground floor, a mezzanine that covers part of the footprint, a full first floor. Each level has its own floor shape and its own contents, and stairs and lifts connect them for routing and the 3D walk.

Adding & Managing Levels

1. Click the Manage levels icon next to the level selector in the header.

2. Click Add level. The new level starts as a copy of the ground-floor footprint and is named Level 1, Level 2 and so on. Type over the name to rename it.

3. Set the Floor height in millimetres for each level. This is the floor-to-floor height: it decides where the level above sits, and stairs and lifts span the gap automatically.

4. Use Move up / Move down to reorder levels, Duplicate to copy a level with all its contents, and the bin icon to delete one. Deleting a level with items on it asks you to confirm with Delete N items?. The last remaining level cannot be deleted.

Switching Levels

Use the level selector in the header to switch the level you are editing. The level name fades in briefly over the canvas so you know where you are. In 3D, switch levels from the picker on the right instead; the header selector is disabled there.

Shaping the Floor

New maps start as a rectangle. The tools under Building in the Build tab reshape the footprint of the current level:

• Edit shape: drag the corners of the floor; lengths and angles are shown as you go. Click a diamond on an edge to add a corner. Click a corner and press Delete to remove it.

• Extend floor: drag a rectangle that overlaps the floor's edge, adjust it, then click the green tick (or press Enter) to add that area to the floor.

• Cut floor: drag a rectangle over a corner or edge, then confirm, to remove that area. Use it for the missing corner of an L-shaped building or to trim a mezzanine.

A change is refused if it would remove the whole floor, split it into separate pieces or cut a hole in the middle. Walls drawn with the Wall tool are clamped to the footprint, so they cannot run outside the building.

Layers

The Layers tab groups everything on the map into layers by kind. Top of the list draws on top. Lock a layer to click straight through it, which is handy when a zone sits over the racking and keeps catching your clicks.

Each row has:

• An eye to Hide or Show the layer.

• A padlock to Lock or Unlock it. Locked items cannot be selected or moved, and a selection box skips them.

• Arrows to Bring forward or Send back.

• A count of the items on the current level.

Tracing a Floor Plan

If you would rather build the map yourself but have a drawing to work from, lay it under the grid as a floor plan underlay. One drawing per level; it is saved with the map, shown faintly under everything you place, and never appears in routing, exports or the 3D view.

Adding the Plan

1. Open View options (the eye icon in the header) and find Floor plan underlay.

2. Click Upload a plan to trace and choose a PDF (first page), PNG, JPEG or WebP. A toast confirms Floor plan added - drag it into place, then set its scale.

3. Make sure Floor plan underlays under Show is on. It is also the eye on the Floor plan row in the Layers tab.

You can also attach a plan when creating a manual map, under Floor plan to trace (optional); it is fitted to the ground floor for you.

Positioning & Scaling

• Toggle Movable and drag the drawing into position with the select tool, then switch back to Locked so you do not nudge it while building.

• Set the Opacity slider so the plan is visible without hiding the grid. Paper clear hides the drawing's white paper so only its lines show; turn it off for photographs.

• Under Size & position, type the width of the whole sheet in metres, or click Fit to building to stretch it to the footprint. Rotate 90° turns it a quarter turn.

• For an exact scale use Calibrate scale: click Measure, click two points on the plan whose real distance you know (a bay, a wall, a dimension line), enter that real length in metres and click Apply. The plan is rescaled about its centre.

• Replace swaps in a different file; Remove takes the plan off this level.

Example

A distribution centre has a ground floor and a mezzanine over the packing area. The manager adds a level named Mezzanine with a floor height of 5000 mm, then uses Cut floor to trim it to the 20 m by 15 m the mezzanine covers. They place a Staircase from Ground floor to Mezzanine, upload the mezzanine drawing as an underlay, calibrate it against a known 2.7 m bay and trace two rows of Shelving bay over it. Switching to 3D shows the mezzanine sitting at 5 m with the stairs rising to it.

Best Practices

Set Floor Heights Before Placing Tall Racking

The editor refuses a rack taller than the clear height to the floor above. Set realistic floor heights first so you are not fighting that check later.

Lock Zones While You Place Racking

Areas sit under racking by default, but locking the Zones layer while you build guarantees every click lands on the racks.

Calibrate, Then Lock

Calibrate the underlay once against the longest known dimension you can find, then lock it. A drawing that shifts a few centimetres mid-build quietly puts every rack in the wrong place.

FAQ

Can a level have a different shape from the ground floor?

Yes. A new level starts as a copy of the ground footprint, and you reshape it independently with Edit shape, Extend floor and Cut floor.

Can I have more than one plan on a level?

One underlay per level. Replace it to swap the drawing.

Does the underlay show in 3D or in exports?

No. It is a tracing aid only. It is saved with the map so it survives duplicates and version restores.

If a floor change is refused and you cannot see why, undo the last step and try a smaller cut or extension; contact Helm support if a shape you need is impossible to draw.