iCOS PDF
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Getting started

Install, open files (also from the NAS and Explorer), tabs, saving and where everything is.

iCOS PDF is the company's PDF app. It reads and organizes PDFs like Acrobat, marks up and measures drawings like Bluebeam, does takeoff, and sends records to iCOS. This page covers installing, opening, saving and finding your way around.

How to install

  1. Get the installer iCOS-PDF-<version>-setup.exe (for example iCOS-PDF-0.2.8-setup.exe). Once iCOS PDF is installed, Help → Check for updates… offers newer versions with a Download button.
  2. Double-click the installer. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway (the installer is not code-signed yet; see Troubleshooting).
  3. Start iCOS PDF from the Start menu.

To update, run the newer installer over the old one. Your settings and tool chests are kept.

The first start

  1. The welcome screen asks What will you mostly use iCOS PDF for? Pick Office, Drawing review, Electrical estimating, Plumbing & HVAC estimating or Estimating — other trades (the All features link is for admins and testing). Only what that job needs is shown. See Profiles.
  2. Open Settings (gear button at the top right, or File → Settings) and fill in My name (markup author). Every markup and reply you make carries this name, and some steps (verifying as-built redlines) need it.
  3. In the same dialog you can switch Language (中文 / English) and choose how files open (Open files at: Fit page or Fit width).

How to open files

  • Open file on the welcome screen, the folder button on the toolbar, File → Open file or Ctrl+O. You can pick several files at once.
  • Drag PDFs from Explorer onto the window.
  • From Explorer: right-click a PDF → Open with → iCOS PDF, or choose Open with iCOS PDF directly in the right-click menu (on Windows 11, click Show more options first). If iCOS PDF is already running, the file opens as a new tab in the same window.
  • Recent files are listed on the welcome screen and in the Files panel.
  • Opening a file that is already open just switches to its tab.

Files on the NAS

  1. Click the Files button (folder tree) on the left rail.
  2. Next to Network places (NAS), click the folder-plus button (Add folder) and choose the folder. You can type a network path such as \\nas\projects into the address bar of the folder dialog. Mapped drives work too.
  3. The folder stays in the list. Click it to browse, click a PDF to open it. The bin button next to it removes it from the list (the folder itself is not touched).

Password-protected PDFs cannot be opened yet.

Tabs

Each file opens in its own tab under the toolbar. Click a tab to switch, click its × (or press Ctrl+W) to close it. A dot ● before the name means the file has unsaved changes.

How to save

  • Save (Ctrl+S) writes your markups into the same PDF. Changes are appended to the end of the file, so the original drawing and any digital signatures stay intact.
  • Save as (Ctrl+Shift+S, or File → Save as) writes a new file.
  • Markups are saved as normal PDF comments, so Acrobat, Bluebeam and other viewers show them too.
  • If someone else changed the file after you opened it (common on the NAS), iCOS PDF asks: Save as (keep both), Overwrite or Cancel.
  • Closing a tab or the window with unsaved work asks first.
  • Files the app creates (combined files, OCR copies, redacted copies…) open as new unsaved tabs. Save them to choose where they go.

How a file opens

Files open at Fit page, so you see the whole sheet. To open them at Fit width instead: Settings → Open files at → Fit width.

Simple and Pro

Older versions had a Simple / Pro switch. Now your profile decides: Office is the simple, Acrobat-like toolbar; every other profile is Pro, with the Bluebeam-style markup and measure tools. View → Toggle Simple / Pro mode jumps between Office and the Pro profile you used last.

Finding your way around

  • Menu bar: File, Edit, View, Document, Markup, Takeoff (called Measure when your profile doesn't estimate), Review, Batch, AI, iCOS, Help. Menus show only what your profile uses.
  • Command palette: press Ctrl+K and type part of a command's name, then Enter.
  • Left rail: Thumbnails, Bookmarks, Search, Comments, Files, and more panels (Search all documents, Sheet sets, iCOS…).
  • Right rail: Tool chest, Properties and the other side panels of your profile.
  • Right-click a markup for more actions.
  • Status bar (bottom): page number (type a number and press Enter to jump), page size, the drawing scale, the value of the selected measurement and the markup count.
  • Help → User guide (F1) opens this guide.

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