Overview
When preparing files for Dusty, regardless of whether you are using Revit, AutoCAD, or another design toolthe most important concept to understand is this:
Dusty does not align with software coordinate systems. Dusty aligns with physical control points on the jobsite.
Symptoms / What You’ll See
If coordinates and control are misunderstood or inconsistent, you may see:
- Printed layout shifted or rotated from expected locations
- Files that look correct in the software but do not match the slab
- Misalignment between trades using different exports in the Dusty Portal
- Time lost re-prepping files to correct avoidable offsets
Why This Happens
All design software uses multiple coordinate systems:
- Internal (software origin)
- Local or Project-based coordinates
- Shared or survey-based coordinates
These systems only define how elements relate to each other inside the model. They do not guarantee alignment to the real world.
Dusty operates differently. The system establishes alignment by measuring surveyed control points placed on the jobsite and matching them to the same points in the file. Without that connection, global or shared coordinates have no practical meaning in the field.
How to Fix or Prevent
Use these universal rules across all software platforms:
- Pick one coordinate system and stay consistent
- Do not mix internal, local, and shared coordinates across exports or trades.
- Tie the file directly to surveyed control points
- Control points must exist in the CAD or Revit file and physically on the slab.
- Avoid global or georeferenced setups unless all files are using the same coordinate systems
- GPS, latitude/longitude, and state plane coordinates do not improve Dusty accuracy unless they directly map to field control.
- Verify alignment before printing
- Confirm orientation, scale, and known dimensions against control points laid out on site.
Best Practices
- Treat control points as shared project infrastructure
- Use more than the minimum number of control points whenever possible
- Lock coordinates early and communicate them across teams
- Remember: control determines accuracy, not the software coordinate system