What is the roof plan?
The roof plan is a technical planning tool in Eturnity Expert that lets you generate standardized roof plans directly from existing project data. Once an order is signed and the project is handed over from sales to technical planning, the roof plan serves as the central working document for the installation team and as a submission document for authorities.
Previously, such plans were manually redrawn in external tools like AutoCAD or Microsoft Visio – a time-consuming, error-prone process that required duplicate data entry. The roof plan in Eturnity Expert eliminates this extra effort: roof outlines, panels, obstacles, and spacing are taken directly from the 3D layout.
Early adopters report: "Compared to SPT, very easy to use and to incorporate changes." – "It will make our lives easier and save us time: 5–10 minutes on simple projects, 20–25 minutes on complex projects."
Who is the roof plan for?
The roof plan tool is primarily intended for:
Technical planners – who prepare installation documentation after order signing
Project managers – who need plans for installation and authority submissions
Back-office staff – who compile documentation packages without deep CAD knowledge
The roof plan is suitable for projects of all sizes – from simple residential buildings to larger commercial installations.
License note: If you do not see this feature in your product, it may not be included in your current license. Please request a trial or contact support@eturnity.com to learn more.
Prerequisites
PV technology is enabled in the project
A 3D layout (not 2D/legacy) has been completed – the roof plan works exclusively based on the 3D data model
Inverter and string design are ideally already completed
Important: The roof plan supports only projects with 3D layout. When 2D legacy mode is active, a notice appears prompting you to switch to 3D mode.
Concept: Two work areas
The roof plan tool consists of two separate work areas that serve different purposes:
Page canvas – The main work area where you place roof elements, manage labels, the legend, scale, compass, and title block. This is where the final document is assembled.
Roof edit canvas – A separate canvas where you add dimensioning to individual roof surfaces and create custom drawing elements (polygons, circles). All elements created here automatically appear on the page canvas afterwards.
Core principle: Everything that affects the PV system (panels, obstacles, roof outlines) is defined in 3D layout. The roof plan is the place for labels and annotations – not for design changes.
Step 1: Navigate to the roof plan
Open the desired project in Eturnity Expert.
In the project navigation, go to Technical plans > Roof plan. This menu item appears only when PV technology is active in the project.
The page canvas opens. On first access, the page is still empty.
Step 2: Add a roof view to the page
The first step on the page canvas is always adding a roof view. Click Add roof and choose one of the two display options:
Entire project – Shows a bird's-eye view of the entire building, aligned to north (N at the top). Ideal for an overview plan or when you want to display multiple roof surfaces on one page.
Individual roof – Shows a specific roof surface, aligned to the longest edge (which appears at the bottom). The view is orthogonal to the roof pitch – optimal for detail plans with dimensioning.
Tip for multiple roof surfaces: A proven approach is to first place the entire project as an overview image in one corner of the canvas and arrange the individual roof surfaces with dimensioning below the overview image. This way, the installation team always has the overall orientation in view.
You can place multiple roof views on the same page and position them freely using drag-and-drop. Double-click a roof view to open the roof edit canvas for that surface.
Step 3: Add dimensioning (roof edit canvas)
Double-click a roof view to open the roof edit canvas. Here you have access to the Measurement tool.
How the measurement tool works
Double-click on a line – Automatically adds the dimension for that line.
Double-click on a panel or polygon – Adds all outer dimensions of the element.
Manual dimensioning – Click a start and end point to draw a dimension line between any two points (e.g. distance between a panel row and the roof edge). The dimension line snaps to objects.
The default unit is meters. In the page settings, you can switch to millimeters.
Tip for precise values: If you enter a value directly via the keyboard while drawing (e.g. 500), the element is set to exactly 500 mm/m – instead of a rounded measured value. This is recommended for presentations and official submissions.
Note on height differences: If you add dimensioning between points at different heights of the 3D building model (e.g. across separation lines), the height difference is included in the measurement. The displayed length is then geometrically correct but does not correspond to the horizontal distance. Dimensioning should therefore be set only within a single roof plane.
Step 4: Draw annotation elements
In the roof edit canvas, you can draw the following elements to represent additional information:
Polygon – Draw any areas, e.g. for fitting panels, snow guards, marked areas (e.g. "leave area clear") or elements that have been removed (e.g. a dismantled chimney).
Circle – Suitable for round objects such as safety hooks or cable penetrations.
For each element, you can:
Assign a color (transparent is also possible) – useful for authority requirements (e.g. "new panels in red")
Assign a name – this automatically appears in the legend
Select multiple elements of the same type with Shift + click and rename them together so they appear as a single legend entry
Practical example (Switzerland): Some municipalities require PV panel fields to appear visually closed. With the polygon tool, fitting panels or filler plates can be drawn and marked in a matching color.
Adjust panel colors for authorities
With the Panel selection tool, you can select panels directly on the canvas and change their color – for example when authorities require new panels to be marked in a specific color (e.g. red). Changed panel colors automatically appear in the legend.
Roof name labels
Enable Roof name labels in the layer settings. These are automatically taken from 3D layout. With the Move roof label tool, you can move labels or delete them if needed (e.g. when only a single roof surface is shown on a page).
Once you have finished dimensioning and annotations, click Save to return to the page canvas.
Step 5: Design the page canvas
Back on the page canvas, additional tools are available for designing the document:
Available elements on the page canvas
Arrows – For notes, cable penetrations, or other annotations. Line weight and color are adjustable.
Frames – To highlight or separate areas, e.g. to visually distinguish an overview from a detail plan.
Text – For free labels, room designations, or supplementary notes.
Image – Upload external images, e.g. cadastral extracts as background maps or cross-section drawings of mounting systems.
Image upload: cadastral plan as background
To display the PV layout on a cadastral extract, proceed as follows:
Upload the cadastral image using the Image tool.
Select the image and click Send to back to move it behind all other elements.
Then add the roof view (entire project), hide unnecessary layers (e.g. roof outlines, obstacles) and scale the display so that the panel fields are overlaid on the cadastral image.
Control layer visibility
For each roof view on the canvas, you can specify in the settings area which layers are visible:
Roof outlines
Panels / Panel fields
Obstacles
Panel index
Roof name labels
Dimensioning
Compass
Scale
Alignment options
In the settings area of a roof view, you can adjust the alignment:
To page (default) – The display is aligned to the right edge of the page.
North – The display is rotated so that north is at the top. Useful in combination with a compass when authorities require a north orientation.
Compass and scale
Enable a Compass and/or Scale via the settings. Both elements can be moved freely on the canvas. The scale automatically adjusts when you change the page size.
Step 6: Configure the legend
The legend is generated automatically and contains all relevant elements of the roof plan: panel types, custom annotation elements (polygons, circles), and roof information. By default, it appears on the right side of the canvas and can be moved freely.
Customize the legend
Show/hide sections – Hide panel data or individual annotation categories, for example, when they are not relevant for a recipient (e.g. authority).
Edit names – Click a legend entry and edit the name directly in the text field.
Exclude a roof surface from the legend – If you use a roof view purely as an overview plan and do not want it to appear in the legend, select the object and disable Include in legend.
Adjust font size – In the page settings, you can increase the legend font size if labels appear too small on smaller page formats.
Step 7: Check the title block
The title block is automatically populated with company, project, and system data and placed in the lower right corner of the document. It can be moved freely on the canvas.
In the current version, title block fields cannot be edited directly in the roof plan. The data comes from the project settings and company profile. Direct editability of title block fields is planned for a future version.
In the page settings, you can hide the title block for a specific page if it is not needed there.
Step 8: Configure page settings
Use Page settings to control the layout of the finished document:
Page format – A4, A3, A2, or custom
Orientation – Portrait or landscape
Measurement unit – Meters or millimeters
Show/hide legend – Controllable per page
Show/hide title block – Controllable per page
Recommendation for larger projects: Choose A3 as the page format so that dimensioning and legend text remain easily readable.
Step 9: Manage multiple pages
For more complex projects, or when you need different plan versions for installation and authorities, you can create multiple pages:
Add page – Each page starts empty and can be configured independently.
Duplicate – Duplicate a finished page and adapt it for a different recipient (e.g. hide the legend or change layer visibility).
Rename page – Assign meaningful page titles (e.g. "Roof South – Installation", "Roof South – Authority").
Delete page – Remove pages that are no longer needed.
Typical example: Two versions of a page
Create a complete plan page with all information for the installation team.
Duplicate this page.
On the copy, hide sensitive or authority-irrelevant layers (e.g. string labels).
Rename the pages accordingly.
Export the required page(s) as PDF.
Step 10: Track layout changes
If the 3D layout or string design is changed after the roof plan has been created, an Outdated notice appears on the affected pages. With a single click on Update, the roof plan is synchronized with the new data – without manual rework.
Important: Custom annotations (arrows, text elements, polygons) are preserved during the update. However, after an update, check whether positions and dimensioning are still correct.
Step 11: Export PDF
Click Export or Download PDF.
Select which pages to export.
Download the PDF or print it directly.
The exported PDF contains all visible elements of the selected pages, including the legend and title block. The PDF can be integrated directly into approval documents, installation packages, or customer reports.
No version history: There is currently no automatic version management for roof plans. If you want to archive older plan versions, export the PDF and save it in the project's file manager.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I edit panels or obstacles directly in the roof plan?
The roof plan is a documentation tool, not a design tool. All changes to the PV system – panels, obstacles, roof outlines – must be made in 3D layout so that all dependencies (yield calculation, string design, bill of materials) are updated correctly. The roof plan then automatically adopts this data.
How do I move or delete a roof name label?
Open the roof edit canvas by double-clicking the roof view. Enable roof name labels in the layer settings. Click a label to select it (it is highlighted in purple), then move it using drag-and-drop or delete it with the Delete key.
What should I do if dimensioning shows unexpected values?
Dimensioning drawn across separation lines or between points at different heights of the 3D model includes the height difference in the measured value. Set dimensioning within a single roof plane wherever possible to obtain correct horizontal distances.
Why doesn't drawing work in the roof edit canvas?
Safari has a known browser bug that prevents drawing in the roof edit canvas. For full functionality, please switch to Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.
Can I insert my own images (e.g. cadastral plans) into the roof plan?
Yes. Using the Image tool on the page canvas, you can upload any images and send them to the back. This allows you to overlay a PV layout on a cadastral extract, for example.
Known limitations
No Safari support: Drawing elements in the roof edit canvas does not work in Safari (browser bug). Please use Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.
No version history: There is no automatic version management. Older versions can be saved as PDF in the file manager.
Title block not directly editable: Title block fields cannot currently be edited directly in the roof plan. Changes are made via the project settings.
3D projects only: The roof plan supports only projects with 3D layout.
Next steps
After completing your roof plan, you can create the String plan in the next step, which visualizes panel wiring, string labels, and inverter connections.