Open two PDF revisions in Split View
Open both drawing revisions so each has its own tab. Click Split View in the toolbar to show two panes with one drawing in each. Before comparing, check the sheet title and revision so you know which issue is on each side.
The sample has revision B on the left and revision A on the right. Keep those labels in mind when reviewing cabinet elevation changes; a later-looking detail does not by itself prove which drawing is the current issue.
Zoom and pan each PDF pane to the same detail
Roll the mouse wheel to zoom out until you can recognise the sheet. Hold the middle mouse button and drag to pan. Move the cursor over the cabinet detail and roll the wheel to zoom into that location.
Repeat in the other pane until the same cabinet is visible at a useful size. In this demonstration each pane is positioned separately. It is manual side-by-side PDF review, not an overlay or a demonstration of synchronised viewports.
Identify both revisions
Open the two files and check the revision shown on each sheet.
Turn on Split View
Use the toolbar to show one drawing in each pane.
Find the matching cabinet
Zoom with the wheel and pan with the middle mouse button in each pane.
Compare the detail
Read the two versions beside one another and check the specific change.
Compare doors and drawers on a cabinet elevation
Revision A shows a pair of cabinet doors. Revision B shows a bank of three drawers in the same position, with a revision triangle above it. The video pauses on both so you can read the change directly.
A revision marker helps locate a reported change, but it does not replace looking at the detail itself. Check the geometry, notes and dimensions that matter to the review. This lesson demonstrates a visual cabinet revision check, not automatic detection of every drawing difference.
Keep the revision comparison specific
When a difference needs a comment, identify the sheet, cabinet or detail and the revision being discussed. A note such as Confirm drawer arrangement is clearer than an unlocated instruction to check changes. The separate cloud-and-callout lesson shows how to put a review note on a PDF.
If you also compare measured distances, check the scale of each PDF independently. Equal zoom percentages do not establish equal drawing scale. Split View helps you inspect two drawings; it does not decide which design is approved or ready for fabrication.
Common questions
Does this tutorial show automatic PDF difference detection?
No. It shows manual side-by-side review in Split View. The reviewer identifies the change from doors to drawers by looking at the two cabinet elevations.
How do I pan and zoom the two PDF drawings?
Use the mouse wheel to zoom the pane under the cursor. Hold the middle mouse button and drag to pan. Repeat in the other pane to bring the same detail into view.
Are the two viewports synchronised?
The lesson positions and zooms each pane separately. It does not demonstrate synced viewports, an overlay or automatic alignment.
Does matching the zoom make both PDFs the same scale?
No. Screen zoom and calibrated drawing scale are different. Check each file's known dimensions before comparing measurement results.
Video transcript
Read the transcript
0:00Here's how to put two revisions side by side, and compare the same detail,
0:04in LayrPDF.
0:06Open both revisions. Each one gets its own tab up top.
0:10Click Split View in the toolbar. Now there are two panes, one drawing in each.
0:15Roll the mouse wheel to zoom each pane out, until you can see the whole sheet.
0:19Hold the middle mouse button and drag to slide a drawing around.
0:24Now zoom into the area you want to check.
0:26Put your cursor on the detail and roll the wheel. The zoom follows your cursor.
0:31Do the same in the other pane, on the same spot.
0:36Now compare them. On the left, revision B has a bank of three drawers.
0:40On the right, revision A has a pair of doors in the same cabinet.
0:45Revision B also has a revision triangle above it, marking the change.
0:50So: open both revisions, turn on Split View,
0:52and zoom each pane to the same detail. Then compare them by eye,
0:56and take your time.
0:59See LayrPDF. The link's in the description.
Put it into practice
Try these steps on your next drawing.
Open a PDF in LayrPDF and follow along with the lesson.
