---
title: Upload a Steel Drawing
description: How to drop a PDF into FrameAI and watch GPT-4o extract beams, columns, and connections from your drawings.
category: Get Started
---

## Upload a Steel Drawing

This guide walks you through uploading your first PDF and reviewing the extraction results.

## Before you start

Make sure your PDF meets these requirements:

| Requirement | Details |
|-------------|---------|
| File format | PDF 1.4 or higher |
| Maximum file size | 50 MB |
| Minimum resolution | 150 DPI recommended |
| Page size | A4 through A0 |
| Orientation | Portrait or landscape — both work |

PDFs with **password protection**, **rotated pages**, or **scans under 72 DPI** may have reduced extraction quality.

## Step 1: Open the pipeline

Log in at [frameai-structural.polsia.app](https://frameai-structural.polsia.app) and click **Open Pipeline**.

If you don't have an account yet, click **Try free** on the homepage — no credit card required.

## Step 2: Drop your PDF

Drag your PDF file onto the upload zone, or click **Browse files** to select it from your file system.

```
<div class="screenshot-placeholder">
  📸 Screenshot: The upload zone showing a highlighted drop target.
  TODO: replace with actual screenshot
</div>
```

You can also drop multiple PDFs at once — they'll be processed as a batch.

## Step 3: Configure the job

Before processing, set three options:

### National Annex
Select the country whose National Annex to apply:

- 🇳🇱 **Netherlands** — NEN-EN 1993-1-1 NDPs from NVN-ENV 1993-1-1
- 🇩🇪 **Germany** — DIN EN 1993-1-1 NA
- 🇫🇷 **France** — NF EN 1993-1-1 NA
- 🇮🇹 **Italy** — UNI EN 1993-1-1 NA
- 🇧🇪 **Belgium** — NBN EN 1993-1-1 NA

The National Annex controls partial factor values (γM, γF), imperfection factors, and combination rules.

### Load cases (optional)
If your PDF doesn't include a member schedule, FrameAI can infer loads from structural geometry. For more accurate results, paste or upload a load case table with:

- Load case name (e.g., G, Q, W)
- Characteristic values (kN, kNm)
- Combination factors (ψ0, ψ1, ψ2)

### Connection design
Enable automatic EN 1993-1-8 connection design. When enabled, FrameAI will:

- Identify beam-to-column and beam-to-beam joints
- Size end plates, bolts, and welds
- Produce a connection calc report PDF

## Step 4: Submit for processing

Click **Process**. Your PDF is sent to FrameAI's extraction engine. Processing typically takes 30–90 seconds depending on page count.

## Step 5: Review extraction results

When processing completes, the job dashboard shows:

```
<div class="screenshot-placeholder">
  📸 Screenshot: The job dashboard with extracted members highlighted.
  TODO: replace with actual screenshot
</div>
```

Review each extracted element:

| Confidence | What it means |
|------------|---------------|
| 🟢 High (>85%) | Element extracted correctly — review briefly |
| 🟡 Medium (60–85%) | Cross-check the profile and dimensions |
| 🔴 Low (<60%) | Manual review required — check the original PDF |

You can click any member to edit extracted values directly. Overrides are saved to the job with an audit trail.

## Step 6: Run Eurocode checks

Once you're satisfied with the extraction, click **Run calculations**.

FrameAI will:

1. Classify each cross-section (Class 1–4)
2. Apply member imperfection factors
3. Calculate buckling ratios (λ̅)
4. Check utilisation ratios (ξ = σ_Ed / σ_Rd)

Results are colour-coded: green = OK, yellow = at limit, red = overstressed.

## Troubleshooting

**No members detected**

- Check that the PDF uses standard profile designations (HEA, HEB, IPE, RHS, SHS, CHS)
- Non-standard or hand-drawn profiles may not be recognised

**Wrong profile detected**

- Click the member → edit profile manually
- FrameAI will remember your correction for future jobs

**PDF won't upload**

- Maximum file size is 50 MB
- Password-protected PDFs are not supported — remove the password first

## Next steps

- [Run Eurocode Calculations](/docs/tutorials/run-eurocode-calculations) — understand what the results mean
- [Export to Fabrication](/docs/tutorials/export-to-fabrication) — download shop drawings and DSTV NC1