Your first camera site plan, from setup to handoff.

1. Create a site

Open the workspace and choose New site. Give the project a name you will recognize later. Add the client and address details you have; you can begin without an address when working from a drawing.

On a phone or tablet in the field, Use device location can set the map position without an address. It requests one position with your permission; it does not continuously track you. If permission is denied or the position is inaccurate, enter an address, use coordinates, or choose a point on the map instead.

If you are exploring for the first time, the workspace’s Quick start walkthrough and searchable Help explain the tools inside the app.

2. Choose a map or import a drawing

For a mapped site, choose a Google address suggestion and confirm the location. Use aerial or street view according to the detail you need.

For a drawing, import a PDF or image. A multi-page PDF asks you to choose a page first. Crop the drawing area and place it into the plan. You go straight into editing; scale is optional and can be set later.

3. Check position and scale

Select an imported drawing to move it with the center handle, resize it from a corner, or rotate it using the handle above it. Keep the drawing aligned to the site if you use it with a map.

When distances matter, choose Set scale and use a known distance from the drawing. Check another known distance afterward before relying on coverage reach or measurement labels.

4. Place and aim the cameras

Open Cameras, choose an equipment profile, and place the unit on your plan. Select the unit and adjust each view’s direction, angle, and reach. Use Undo if a change does not look right.

Give equipment useful names and add installation notes while the intended location is clear. See the coverage-planning guide for obstacles and important limitations.

5. Review the plan

Check entry points, storage areas, neighboring buildings, and the routes people use. If building trim helps, enable it in Site setup and inspect the outlines rather than assuming all obstacles were detected.

Add dimensions, arrows, and numbered notes. Save a revision before making a large alternative layout if you want a point to restore later.

6. Arrange the PDF page

Open PDF layout. Double-click or double-tap inside the map frame, or select it and choose Edit view. Drag to pan and scroll or pinch to zoom its contents. The lower-right controls adjust the active view; Frame view chooses a rectangle inside it. Done or Escape returns to page navigation. Applied templates keep the frame's position and size locked until you deliberately unlock it.

Drag to pan the page and pinch or use the zoom controls for a closer look. Use an unlocked object’s center handle to move it, and double-click or double-tap text to edit. Add a legend only if the page needs one; it is off in the default layout.

Type ordinary text directly. Automatic fields can use a page-only value or update their project source everywhere. Image properties offer crop, filters and white-background removal while preserving the original. Switching templates preserves your chosen site area.Save a template once the layout is ready to reuse.

7. Print or download the plan

Print PDF starts printing directly. Open Options for exports, PDF download, and Package while keeping the layout in view. Choose an output and wait for preparation to finish. If the browser blocks opening the result, use the provided fallback link.

Use Download PDF for the finished document or Export for presentation formats and a complete project file. Presentation exports retain supported editable objects, while imported imagery remains pictures.

8. Assemble the full package when you need it

From PDF layout, open Options → Package. Choose a starter or import a package if you do not have one yet. The package sheets appear behind the Site controls panel; close the panel to arrange the pages, and reopen it using its floating button.

Use Site & fields for project and client details, Equipment & pricing for quantities and rates, and Page layout for page order and presentation. Choose or import a template from these controls. Plan PDF returns to the single-sheet layout.

Save the package to the site, preview every page, then print or export. Learn how installation and recurring equipment rates work.

9. Keep a backup you control

Download a .camlayout project backup after important work. Open that file on another device to continue there. Export reusable templates separately when you need to transfer your template library.

Projects are tied to this website in this browser profile. Clearing site data, using another profile, or opening a different domain can make the saved workspace unavailable. There is no automatic cloud backup or sync in the current beta.