Obtain a Digital Signature

Before getting started, you will need to have a valid digital signature. View our guide to digital signatures for more information.

A valid time stamp should also be included.

Include Table of Contents & Sheet Titles

When exporting/publishing to PDF, it is important to remember to include a table of contents and appropriate sheet numbers and sheet titles. Please see the following helpful guides:

AutoCad

- Publish the Set

- Create Bookmarks

BlueBeam

- Bookmarks and AutoMark

Other Helpful Tips

How to flatten comments/stamps in a PDF file using Adobe.

1. Select Print Production from the tools in the top toolbar.
   
   
2. Choose Preflight from the menu on the right sidebar.
   
   
3. Select PDF Fixups from the pop-up dialog box.
   
   
4. Select Flatten Annotations and Form Fields.
   
   
5. Select Analyze and Fix from the lower-right of the dialog box.
   
   
6. Save the file using a different name so that you do not overwrite the original file.

How to flatten comments/stamp in CAD.
After plotting, publishing, or exporting a drawing from AutoCAD to PDF, when looking at the PDF in a PDF viewer, each block of text has been put into the Comments List in the PDF. This is due to a feature that provides searchable text in a PDF when using SHX fonts, however, there is no option to turn this off without installing Service Pack 1. To solve this issue:

1. Install AutoCad 2016 Service Pack 1.
   
   
2. On the command line in AutoCAD, enter EPDFSHX 3) Set thevalue to zero (0).Without this service pack, the workarounds are to use AutoCAD 2015 or older to create PDFs, use a third-party PDF driver, or change the text in your drawing to a TrueType font.

Troubleshooting Digital Plan Room Error Messages

I cannot access the plan room.
In order to access the Digital Plan Room, you must be a contact on the application. Please contact the primary contact on your application and request to be added.

Certificate has been revoked.
Your certificate has been revoked by the certificate authority (CA). It is possible that your identity or certificate have been compromised. Contact your CA for questions regarding the revoking of your certificate and to obtain the steps necessary to have your certificate re-issued. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, re-sign the document with a valid certificate, and re-upload the file.

Certificate has invalid dates.
The certificate was not valid at the time the file was signed or there is an issue with the timestamp. Verify the certificate is valid before signing the file by contacting your Certificate Authority. It is possible that the Certificate Authority may need to re-issue your certificate. Otherwise, if a timestamp was not applied to the signature, apply the time stamp to the signature and verify the clock on your computer is not set to a past date. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, re-sign the document with a valid certificate and re -upload the file.

Certificate is expired.
The certificate has expired. Each certificate has an expiration date. Verify the certificate is valid before signing the file. Please contact your Certificate Authority to resolve the expiration issue. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, re-sign the document with a valid certificate and re-upload the file.

Certificate issuance date is in the future.
The certificate has a future date. Ensure the certificate.is valid before signing the file. You may need your Certificate Authority to re-issue your certificate. If the certificate is valid, apply a timestamp to the signature and ensure the clock on your computer is set to a past date. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, re-sign the document with a valid certificate and timestamp, and re-upload the file.

Certificate was expired at the date of signature.
The certificate has expired. Each certificate has an expiration date. Ensure the certificate is valid before signing the file. To resolve, please contact your Certificate Authority. Once the issue has been resolved with your Certificate Authority, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, re-sign the document with a valid certificate and re-upload the file.

Certificate was issued after signing date.
The certificate was not valid at the time the file was signed or there is an issue with the timestamp. Verify the certificate is valid. It is possible that the Certificate Authority may need to re-issue your certificate. Please contact your Certificate Authority to resolve the issue. If a timestamp was not applied to the signature, apply the timestamp to the signature. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, re-sign the document with a valid certificate, and re -upload the file.

Document has been modified since it was signed.
Per the Florida Administrative Code 61G15-23.003, the electronic signature is invalidated if any data in the document is changed after the signature has been added to the document. Some third-party products will slightly modify the plan. Please use Adobe Acrobat Reader instead of other PDF creation products like Foxit Phantom PDF. These products will cause the error. To resolve this error: Remove the signature field from the document, re-sign the document, and re-upload the file. If you continue to receive the error, please watch Digitally Signing Documents with Adobe.

File is corrupted.
The uploaded file is inaccessible, unusable or damaged and the system is unable to open it. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon and upload a new copy of the file.

File is encrypted.
The uploaded file is encrypted, or password protected. The system cannot process encrypted or password protected files. Please remove the password protection from the file. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon and upload a new copy of the file.

File is not signed.
A digital signature is required for this document type. Please add a valid digital signature to the file. For instructions and information regarding digital signatures, please see the our Digital Signature Guide. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, re-sign the document, and re-upload the file.

Invalid Certificate.
The certificate is not valid. Verify the certificate is valid before signing the file by contacting your Certificate Authority. It is possible that the Certificate Authority may need to re-issue your certificate. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, re-sign the document with a valid certificate and re-upload the file.

Invalid certificate on signing date.
The certificate was not valid at the time the file was signed or there is an issue with the timestamp. Verify the certificate is valid. It is possible that the Certificate Authority may need to re -issue your certificate. Please contact your Certificate Authority to resolve. Otherwise, a timestamp was not applied to the signature and the clock on your computer is set to a past date. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the Remove icon, re-sign the document with a valid certificate and timestamp and re-upload the file.

One or more signatures have problems.
Please ensure digital signatures meet the digital signature guidelines. Please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon. Re-sign the file and re-upload the signed file. If you are receiving this message and you are using a valid 3rd party Certificate Authority, please email Building@westonfl.org or call (954) 385-0500.

Revocation checks could not be completed.
The system was unable to validate the certificate with the certificate authority (CA). The CA system may be down, or there was an error communicating with the CA. If the problem persists, please email Building@westonfl.org or call (954) 385 - 0500. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, re-sign the document, and re-upload the file.

Root certificate is not trusted.
A certificate authority (CA) is a trusted entity that issues electronic documents to verify the identity of a digital entity. The issuing CA is not trusted by the agency, because it does not meet the professional board rules security standards. Self-signed documents are not accepted per the Florida Administrative Code 61G15-23.003. The new requirement states that you must have your own identity, digital seal and signature validated by a 3rd party Certificate Authority. Local Engineers, Architects, and Surveyors are using Entrust, IdentTrust, VeriSign, and GlobalSign most frequently. For more information on digital signatures please see the Digital Signature Guide. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, re-sign the document with a valid certificate, and re-upload the file. If you are receiving this message and you are using a valid 3rd party Certificate Authority, please email Building@westonfl.org or call (954) 385-0500.

Signature date is in the future.
The signature date on the document is in the future. A timestamp was not applied to the signature and the clock on your computer is set to a future date. Please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon. Re-Sign the document with a valid timestamp and re-upload the file.

Signature does not have a valid time stamp.
Signature does not have a valid timestamp from a Timestamp Authority (TSA). The timestamp is used as a reference point for checking validity of the signature. Once the issue has been resolved, please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, re-sign the document, apply a timestamp to the signature, and re -upload the file.

Unknown error.
This error may signal an error on the Plan Room server or an issue with the PC or connection used to submit the review package. Please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon and try resubmitting a second time and if the problem persists, please email Building@westonfl.org or call (954) 385-0500.

File Format not supported as a plan set.
All plans must be in PDF format. Please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, and re-upload the file as PDF.

File format not supported as a supported document.
All reviewed documents must be in PDF format. Please remove the file by clicking the ‘Remove’ icon, and re-upload the file as PDF.