How to use Site Plan

1. Start with your gate

Save your gate in Designer, then open its Site Plan. The gate, posts, columns, and hardware provide the starting geometry. Make structural changes in Designer; use Site Plan to arrange the equipment around the gate.

Read the INSIDE and OUTSIDE labels on the plan before placing equipment. Check the gate opening direction and turn on the gate path when you need to see swing clearance. For projects with multiple panels, choose the gate in Equipment for before adding its devices.

2. Add devices

1. Open an equipment category, such as Pad Mount Swing Gate Openers, Access Control, or Reversing Devices. Available categories depend on the gate type.
2. Click a device name to add its first instance. Use its + button to add another.
3. Select the device on the drawing or in its equipment list to open its controls. Check its label, dimensions, rotation, and placement.

Photo eyes and other paired equipment can add both sides together. Use Edit independently when the two sides need different adjustments. For a slide operator, use Mounting side to choose Inside or Outside.

Device only lets you work with the device without its normal installation assembly. Decouple device separates movement of a device from its concrete pad when that option is available.

3. Position and edit

Choose Select, then click an item. A glow identifies the selection. Drag to reposition it, or use the arrow keys for small adjustments. Holding an arrow key increases movement speed. Use the measurement controls for precise placement and Rotation (°) to change the device heading.

Turn Snap on to align with available drawing points and edges. Use Undo or Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z to reverse the last drawing action. Select an item and use Delete to remove it. Clicking empty drawing space keeps the open equipment section available.

4. Measurements and labels

New devices start with Show dimensions unchecked. Select a device and check it when you want its size dimensions shown. Placement measurements and manually drawn dimensions are separate from that device-size setting.

1. Choose Dimension in the drawing toolbar.
2. Click the two points you want to measure. Use Snap to pick the intended faces or endpoints.
3. Adjust the dimension line position and check that its endpoints still measure the intended distance. Use the toolbar controls to change dimension display and font size.

Use Text to place a note and Arrow to draw a pointer. Edit equipment labels in their controls, and use the label visibility controls to reduce clutter before exporting.

5. Size loops

Loop sizes are calculated from the current gate when you add them. Saved default sizes do not override this calculation. Check existing loops again if you later change the gate size.

Outside and inside loops

Width is gate width minus 8′, limited to 1′–50′. Depth is 6′.

Center loop

Depth is 6′. From a 10′ opening up to 15′, width is opening width ÷ 2.5. At 15′ and wider, width is opening width minus 9′, up to 50′. Adding a center loop is disabled below 10′ and is not offered for slide gates.

Exit loop

Starts at 6′ × 6′. Its drawing position is schematic; check the separate setback value.

For example, a 10′ gate gets a 4′ × 6′ center loop; a 15′ gate gets a 6′ × 6′ loop. The width calculation allows clearance on each side equal to ¾ of the shortest side. Confirm the loop’s actual position using the placement measurements.

6. Concrete and conduits

Select an equipment pad to adjust its size and placement. Use the concrete controls to add separate rectangular or round pads. Check the device position within the pad after changing either one.

Open Conduit to review the routes. Use Add custom conduit for an additional run, choose its type, and edit its points and bends. Check the endpoints at each device or pad and use the conduit legend to identify the different runs. Show conduits controls their visibility.

7. Reuse defaults

When default-saving controls are available, configure a device and its placement before saving the default. Review both sides of paired equipment, including independent edits and measurement endpoints. Defaults apply to newly added equipment; they do not replace the need to check the layout for each gate.

Global defaults are shared. Use those controls only when you intend to change future placements for other plans. New devices still start with Show dimensions unchecked, and loops still use the current gate’s automatic sizing formula.

8. Save and download

1. Review gate clearance, equipment locations, concrete pads, conduit routes, labels, and measurement endpoints.
2. Click Save Site Plan to retain the editable layout.
3. Set File name and choose landscape or portrait. Review the sheet preview and visible drawing layers.
4. Choose Download PDF or Download PNG. To export a selected area, select the relevant items and use Download selected detail PDF.