e-PlanSoft’s Scout™ Tool inspects PDFs uploaded directly to e-PlanREVIEW® (EPR) as well as PDFs sent over by integrated partners using EPR’s Connect APIs.

What Is Scout?

Scout is designed to inspect uploaded PDFs and confirm that they meet certain requirements for being accessible and viewable within EPR. These requirements apply to the PDF filename, file data, and to a limited extent the content of the file.

Using Scout in EPR

Scout will inspect any PDFs uploaded to EPR under the “PLANS” file type to ensure they can be processed and viewed correctly within EPR.

Uploading Files

To upload a file directly into EPR:

1. Open an existing project record.

2. Click on the DOCUMENTS tab.

3. Click (upload) on the lower right.

4. In the upload screen, either click on SELECT FILES or drag and drop files into the file window.

   1. If you need to upload more files, click on (add) on the lower right. Additional files will be added to the current list.

5. Files are sorted into either “PLAN” or “ATTACHMENTS” windows based on file type:

   1. PDFs are listed under “PLAN” by default, but can be dragged over to the “ATTACHMENTS” window if needed.

   2. All non-PDFs are listed under “ATTACHMENTS” by default. These cannot be moved.

DOCUMENTS Tab	File Upload Screen	File Sorting Screen

Processing Files

1. Once files are sorted, click on PROCESS to begin the inspection of the files listed under “PLANS.”

2. A window will pop up to show the progress of each file being inspected by Scout. (Larger files may take longer to inspect.)

3. Once all files are inspected, the progress window closes and the screen reloads. The results of the inspection are displayed as a file status.

Process Button	Progress Window	File Status (Scout Results)

Evaluating Scout Results

Clicking on the (eye) icon next to the file status will pop open a window that lists every condition inspected by Scout and states whether the file passed or failed that condition.

• Conditions that pass the inspection are identified with a (green checkmark).

• Possible problems requiring user attention are identified with a (yellow warning sign) and are described in more detail.

• Confirmed problems requiring correction before submittal are identified with a ❌ (red x) and are described in more detail.

Scout Warnings

Scout displays a warning symbol for conditions that it thinks a user may want to manually inspect further before completing the file upload.

Files with warnings can still be uploaded to EPR, however.

Scout Failures

If a document failed Scout inspection, you cannot finish uploading it to EPR until the issue(s) identified by Scout are corrected.

This requires you to:

1. Address whatever condition(s) Scout marked as failed, either in the PDF or by going back to the CAD file and generating a new PDF.

2. Delete file(s) that failed Scout by clicking on the (Delete) icon.

3. Upload the corrected file to EPR and ensure it now passes Scout inspection.

Scout Warnings	Scout Failures	Deleting Files

Finishing Uploads

Once all plan files have successfully passed Scout inspection, click FINISH to complete the upload process.

• Plan files will go to the INTAKE page, ready for you to create new or provided updated review assignments.

• Attachment files will be processed automatically and can be accessed from either:

  • The project ATTACHMENTS tab

  • By clicking the Attachments Tool ( ) in the EPR Review page

Conditions Inspected by Scout

Below is a list of inspected conditions and Scout’s expected default behavior. If an agency modifies this default behavior, you may need to consult with an agency administrator for further instruction.

Related articles

• Page:
  Scout PDF API
• Page:
  Standard Comments Library
• Page:
  Scout Inspector Tool
• Page:
  Assignment Distributions
• Page:
  Performing Intake