Creating zoning plans in Rayon

All about using Rayon to draft zoning plans and extract and present information based on architectural drawings.

What is a zoning plan?

A zoning plan is a foundational drawing that defines the permitted use, placement, and size of a development in accordance with local zoning regulations. It typically shows property boundaries, allowed building areas, and designated land uses.

How to create a zoning plan in Rayon?

Creating a zoning plan in Rayon typically takes between 1 and 2 hours, depending on the property's size and complexity. To get started, all you’ll need is a DWG or PDF of the property, along with information about the local rules and regulations relevant to your development.

🔗 Here is a link to Rayon's Zoning Template. Let's get started!

(1) Import your drawing: 5 minutes

Importing drawings in Rayon is easy.

• Select the Import DWG/PDF from the main menu of your model.

• Rayon will ask you to asses the scale of your drawing.

Read more about importing here.

(2) Draw a legend: 5 minutes

Draw a legend that lists permitted uses and building placement, and format it according to your local drafting standards.

• Use the Rectangle tool, then select it and set its Style from the right-side panel. There, you can set a color, hatch, line type, and more. Then save and name your style to use moving forward.

• Use the Text tool to add descriptions to your legend.

Read more about Styles here.

(3) Draw zones: 15-30 minutes

Rayon's Zone tool offers two ways to define areas:

• Polyline Zone: Use the Zone tool to draw a closed shape. Its tag will display the area in square meters, updating as you adjust the shape.

• Zone within a wall enclosure: First, draw walls to enclose an area on your floor plan. Then, use the Zone to fill that enclosed space with a simple click. The surface will display a square meter tag that updates as the enclosure is modified.

Read more about the zone tool here.

(4) Create a Zoning table: 15-20 minutes

Let’s list, count, and sum your zones quickly with Rayon’s table tool!

• Name zones by selecting them and editing their Name property.

• Add metadata to your zones for smart scheduling. For example, you can add to each zone a Category metadata property to group designated land use (like Public, Commercial, and Residential).

• Create a table listing zones according to their category by:

  • Generating a new table from the + button

  • Enabling the zone category only

  • Adding the Area and Category properties

  • Grouping your table according to Category

  • You now have a schedule that includes each zone name, category, and SQM, along with their total count and sum. Export it to an Excel sheet!

  Read more about Tables here.

(5) Share your work: 5 minutes

You’ve reached the last step! Now that you have your architectural zoning plan and a table with data, arrange them as pages and share directly from Rayon with a URL link.

• Import your table in PDF format and place it next to your architectural drawing.

• Place a page on your canvas and set its scale and paper size.

• Add a title block from Rayon’s block library and customize it.

• Share your work as a URL link by clicking the Share button and copying the URL. Now send it to stakeholders!

Read more about Pages here.

And…. That’s it! You completed the five steps of creating a zoning plan in Rayon. Feel free to customize and use Rayon's Zoning Template for your own projects! 🔗

For more step-by-step information, watch our full tutorial about how to create a zoning plan in Rayon:

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