Q: What is Document View?
A: Document View is Layer's in-app document builder that makes it easy to create custom reports, presentations, and proposals from data that exists in Layer form fields and in a Revit model. It is the first drag and drop tool of its kind to make it possible to format both project data and Revit data in one easy-to-export document. Learn more >

Visit our Getting Started with Document View article for a step by step guide for setting up Document View.

​Q: Can I change the page size, page orientation, or page margins of a new document or existing template?

A: Yes. The default page size for Start from Scratch documents is 8.5"x11". To change the page size, page orientation, or page margins; click the Three Dot icon in the upper right corner, then choose Page Settings from the drop down menu.

​Q: What page sizes can I use?

A: We currently offer Letter, Legal, Ledger, A3, A4, A5, B4, B5, JIS-B4, and JIS-B5 sizes; portrait or landscape page orientation; and fully customizable page margins. If you need a different page size different from those listed above, please contact help@layer.team.

​Q: Can I add headers and footers to my document?

A: Yes. You can add headers and footers to a document by dragging and dropping the Header or Footer block onto the document in edit mode. These special blocks will appear on every page, even when the document is exported as a PDF Report. If an element spans multiple pages in the exported PDF, the headers and footers will still appear on every page.

​Q: Can I create a document based on certain filter settings?

A: Yes. Any filters that are applied to the view using the Filter button in the upper right corner of the Document View screen are also applied to the document, even when it's exported as a PDF Report. By applying a filter, you can export a PDF with only a subset of the category elements or even a report with only one single element.

​Q: What fonts can I use in my document?
A: We currently support these fonts in Document View: Arial, Brush Script MT; Courier New; Garamond; Georgia; Helvetica; Lato; Space Mono; Tahoma; Times New Roman; Trebuchet MS; and Verdana. Contact us at help@layer.team with further questions.

Q: How do I save changes to a document?
A: To save document layout changes, click the blue Publish button in the upper right corner of the navigation bar. Publishing the document only publishes the layout of the document, not the data. Note that Layer will ask if you would like to publish changes when you navigate away with unsaved changes.

​Q: Can I edit a published document?

A: Yes. Note that all Element Data fields are dynamic and will update when the Layer form field is updated. Publishing the document only publishes the layout of the document, not the data. If you require a static snapshot of a document, simply export a PDF Report.

​Q: Can I edit Element Data fields that are pre-populated with Layer form field data?

A: No. Document data is one-directional. You will need to edit the data in the Layer form field, not in the document field. Use Static fields to insert custom one-off text, images, and page number that are not linked to Layer form field data. Static field data will not be pushed back to the Layer form fields.

​Q: Can I edit an exported PDF?

A: Not in Layer. You can use third-party software like Acrobat to edit text. We recommend making changes to the original Layer form field data, then re-publish the document, and re-export the PDF Report file for the most accurate data management workflow.

​Q: Can I view a document in full-screen mode?

A: Full-screen mode is not available at this time, but is on our roadmap. We recommend exporting a PDF Report and then viewing it in full-screen mode. Please contact us at help@layer.team to register interest or to be notified when this feature is available.

Q: Can I choose which images appear or remove certain images in a document?

A: Currently, you can only insert the First File Only or All Files into documents. If the images are pulled in from the Layer form field (Files field or Element Images field) you cannot remove them from the document without removing them from the Layer form field.

​Q: Can I re-order how images appear in a document?

A: Currently, images cannot be re-ordered at this time, but the feature is on our roadmap. Please contact us at help@layer.team to register interest or to be notified when this feature is available.

A: There are currently two types of document templates available: Layer's pre-built templates and custom Company templates. Both types of templates are completely editable and can be re-saved as a Company template.

👉 You'll find the menu to start from a template after creating your Document View

​Q: Who can access Company templates?

A: Layer users who are part of your Company billing account have access to Company templates. Need to share a template with someone outside of your company? Contact us at help@layer.team.

​Q: How do I edit an existing Company template?

A: To update a Company template, navigate to the Setup Your Document window > Company tab > then click the Three Dot icon to edit the template. Currently, only the original template creator, project owner, or Company admin can update Company templates. If you are neither of these, simply open the template you wish to update, then re-save it as a different template file.

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Need more help? Click the chat box or email help@layer.team.