The Comparison Tools

Owned by Jorge Raya-Navarro
Last updated: Apr 03, 2023
6 min read

The Compare ( ) button lets users compare two selected document pages or page versions using either “overlay” or “paired window” views.

When selecting specific pages, users can choose from:

  • Two different documents in different projects

  • Two different documents in the same project

  • Two different pages in the same document

  • Two different versions of the same page

Using Overlay Mode

You can compare two documents or document pages, one overlaid on top of the other, if you use the “Add Overlay” option.

This is called “Add Overlay” because it allows you to overlay another document or page on top of the document or page you are currently reviewing to compare the two.

  1. Click on the Compare ( ) button in the toolbar.

    Comparison Tool Icon and Comparison View Window

  2. If comparing two full documents, toggle on “Auto-Apply Overlay on All Pages.”

    1. This option takes longer to render overlay layers, so only use it if you intend to compare all or most of the documents' pages.

    2. If only one or a few pages need to be compared, skip this and compare individual pages instead.

  3. To compare two specific pages:

    1. If the page you are viewing in the Review window has a previous submittal version, the comparison tool will automatically suggest the prior version for you, showing the label “previous” next to it.

    2. If the overlay is from a page in another project, change the Project Number.

    3. If the overlay is from a page in another document, choose the Document in the dropdown.

    4. If the overlay is from a page in another submittal, choose the Submittal in the dropdown.

    5. If the overlay is from another page, choose the Sheet Number/Page # in the dropdown.

  4. Click on ADD OVERLAY.

    1. The Overlay Controls panel pops up.

      Overlay Control Panel

    2. The current page in Review will re-render in a new color.

    3. The selected overlay page renders in a contrasting color.

    4. In the Layers panel, EPR temporarily adds a DOCUMENT (COLORED) and an OVERLAY layer that you can switch on/off as needed.

  5. In Overlay Mode, you can view where pages match up (the colors blend) as well as where they are different (colors are different).

  6. You can also move the overlay layer around as needed by using the arrow keys on your keyboard or by typing a number directly into the X and Y fields in the Overlay Controls window.

    1. To move along the X axis, tap the left (˂) or right (˃) arrow keyboard keys to move one (1) unit at a time, or press and hold down the key to move quickly.

      1. Alternatively, type directly into the X field (use negative numbers for nudging left).

    2. To move along the Y axis, use the up (˄) or down (˅) arrow keyboard keys to move one (1) unit at a time, or press and hold down the key to move quickly.

      1. Alternatively, type directly into the Y field (use negative number for nudging down).

  7. Scale is shown as a percentage, set to 100 percent ( % ) by default.

    1. To make the overlay smaller, type in a number lesser than 100. 

    2. To make the overlay larger, type in a number greater than 100.

    3. If you hover in the scale field, you can click the arrow controls inside the field to change the number as well.

  8. The current Overlay and Original layer colors are shown at the bottom of the Overlay Controls panel.

  9. To reset every value after making changes, click Reset.

  10. To exit overlay mode, click on the 'X' on the upper right of the control. 

The Overlay and Original document layers are created using default colors that have been found to blend together best in supported browsers. These choices can be changed in the user’s Preferences, but we recommend keeping the defaults for the best experience.

How to Change Overlay Color Preferences

While the default “Original document” and “Overlay” color settings are recommend for the best comparison experience, you can change the colors used if desired.

  1. First, click on the Menu icon ( ) to find the Preferences option.

  2. Then, click on Preferences to bring up the "Workspace Preferences" window. 

  3. The current “Original Document” and “Overlay” colors are displayed near the bottom right of the window.

  4. Click on the current “Original Document” or “Overlay” color to choose a different color from the color picker tool that pops up. Alternatively, if you know a specific hex color code, type it into the field below the color swatch instead.

  5. After making changes, click SAVE to confirm these changes or click CANCEL to ignore any changes.

From now on, any time you trigger a new overlay it will use the updated colors for comparison. This is user-specific, so no one else will be affected by your personal overlay color choices.

How to Restore Original Overlay Colors

If you try new comparison colors and are not satisfied with the results, it’s easy to go back to the original (recommended) settings.

  1. Click on the Menu icon ( ) to find the Preferences option.

  2. Click on Preferences to bring up the "Workspace Preferences" window. 

  3. Click on RESET TO DEFAULT near the bottom to restore all preferences to their default values, including the comparison color choices.

  4. Click SAVE to complete.

Using Paired Window Mode

You can compare two document pages in side by side windows if you use the “Paired Window” option.

To start using this mode:

  1. Click on the Compare ( ) button in the toolbar.

  2. If comparing two full documents, toggle on “Auto-Apply Overlay on All Pages.”

    1. This option takes longer to render overlay layers, so only use it if you intend to compare all or most of the documents' pages.

    2. If only one or a few pages need to be compared, skip this and compare individual pages instead.

  3. To compare two specific pages:

    1. If the page you are viewing in the Review window has a previous submittal version, the comparison tool will automatically suggest the prior version for you, showing the label “previous” next to it.

    2. If the overlay is from a page in another project, change the Project Number.

    3. If the overlay is from a page in another document, choose the Document in the dropdown.

    4. If the overlay is from a page in another submittal, choose the Submittal in the dropdown.

    5. If the overlay is from another page, choose the Sheet Number/Page # in the dropdown.

  4. Click on OPEN PAIRED WINDOW, where the selected page loads in a secondary window.

    1. The secondary window displays the Project Number, Document name, Submittal version, and Sheet/Page number at the top.

  5. Paired Window mode allows you to compare two ways:

    1. PAIRED MODE, the default view, lets you resize or move within one page and the system will mirror that behavior for you (automatically resize and move the other page) to match.

    2. UNPAIRED MODE, which is activated by clicking the UNPAIR button on the upper right of the secondary window, lets you control the position and zoom of each page separately. This option is best for when users want to compare two different regions or view each page at different zoom levels.

    3. To go back to PAIRED MODE, click the PAIR button on the upper right.

  6. While using Paired Window, you can markup on the page in the Review window but not the page in the secondary window - that one is for reference only.

  7. Click on REFRESH to reset the secondary window size and zoom.

 

Related articles