Seven ways to start a floor plan
However your space exists today — as two measurements, a blueprint, a photo, or just the room in front of you — there's a starting point that fits. This guide walks through all seven, and when to pick each one.
Every way to begin is on Home, under Start a new floor plan: a room, a full floor plan, or a multi-story building — homes, workshops, clinics, barns, and more all work. Already in a design? Tap the house button at the top left of the editor to get back to Home; your design is saved automatically. You can grow any starting point later with more rooms, extra floors, a basement, or a yard.
The tiles below are ordered roughly by how much you already have in hand: nothing but a tape measure at the top, a finished RoomSketch3D file at the bottom. Every method ends in the same editor, so nothing is locked in — whatever you start with, you can refine everything afterward.
What you'll need
- •A RoomSketch3D account
In this guide
- 1
Rectangular Floor Plan — enter width & length
The fastest start for a standard four-wall room. Name the design, type the width and length (or tap a preset like 12×14′), pick feet/inches or meters/centimeters with the units toggle, and set a ceiling height — 8′ is the default, anywhere from 6′ to 30′ works. Click Create Floor Plan and the room is on your canvas, drawn to scale.
- 2
Custom Floor Plan — draw any shape
For everything that isn't a clean rectangle (L, T, U and more shapes). Tap a starting shape — Rectangle, L-Shape, T-Shape, U-Shape, Alcove, or Round — and the design opens straight in the editor, where you reshape it on the plan: drag walls, type exact lengths, split walls and add rooms (see edit walls on the plan). Or pick Draw Your Own at the top of the picker to place the corners yourself, one by one.
- 3
Floor Plan Image or PDF — trace it yourself or let AI draft it
Have a blueprint, a listing floor plan, or a sketch? Tap the tile and pick a JPG, PNG or WEBP image, or a PDF. Crop it to the plan you want, then choose your path: Let AI draft it has AI trace the walls, doors, and windows for you to check, or Trace it myself draws over the plan for full control. Either way you set the scale from a length you know on the plan, then check the walls and the doors and windows before the design is created. See Import a floor plan with AI.
- 4
Use Room Photo — AI analyzes your room
No floor plan at all? Tap the tile, pick a photo of the room itself and AI works out the layout — room shape, approximate dimensions, and the furniture it can see. Analysis takes up to 30 seconds and the result opens straight in the editor. AI can make mistakes, so treat it as a head start: adjust the room dimensions and furniture placement to match reality. Photos up to 20 MB (JPG, PNG, GIF, or WEBP).
- 5
AR Scan — walk the room with your iPhone or iPad
In the iOS app, on devices that support it, an AR Scan tile appears. Point the camera at the floor and tap each corner as you walk around the room — the floor plan draws itself from where you stood. When you tap Done, the design is created from the scan and opens straight in the editor, where you can type the exact length of any wall. iOS only; on Android, use Room Photo or Floor Plan Image instead.
- 6
Use Template — pre-designed layouts
Skip the blank canvas entirely. Browse pre-designed, fully furnished layouts — living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, offices and more, filterable by category — preview one, and click Use to make it yours. Everything in a template is ordinary furniture and walls, so you can resize the room, swap pieces, and rearrange freely.
- 7
From Backup — import a RoomSketch3D file
Restore a design you exported earlier, or open one someone shared with you. A RoomSketch3D file is a single .json that carries the whole design — name, room geometry, furniture, and floors for multi-story exports. Pick the file, confirm the name, and it's saved to your account and opened. Import and export live on the web app: on Home, each design in Your Designs has an Export (download) button.
Tips
Start rough, refine later
Every method lands in the same editor, and nothing is permanent — room size, wall positions, ceiling height, and furniture can all be changed afterward. Don't wait for perfect measurements to begin.
AI paths are head starts, not final answers
Both the AI floor-plan draft and the room-photo analysis are meant to save you the tedious first pass. Walk the result once with your tape measure and correct what's off — the editor makes that quick.
Got a floor plan as a PDF?
Upload it as it is: the Floor Plan Image or PDF tile takes a PDF as well as JPG, PNG and WEBP images.
Common confusions
Confusing Room Photo with Floor Plan Image
Use Room Photo when you're photographing the actual room in front of you. Use Floor Plan Image when you have a drawing of the plan — a blueprint, a listing floor plan, or a sketch. They're different tools for different inputs.
Looking for AR Scan on Android or the web
AR Scan uses Apple's ARKit, so the tile only appears in the iOS app on supported devices. On Android and the web, Room Photo or Floor Plan Image gets you the same head start.
Trying to import a backup inside the mobile apps
The From Backup tile and the per-design Export button are on Home in the web app. Open roomsketch3d.com in a browser to move .json files in or out — your designs then sync to the apps automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Which method should I pick?
If you know the room's measurements, Rectangular (or Custom for non-rectangular rooms) is the most precise. If you have a plan drawing, Floor Plan Image. If you only have the room itself, Room Photo on any device or AR Scan on iPhone/iPad. Templates are best when you want a furnished starting point to react to.
Do the AI features cost extra?
No. The AI floor-plan draft and room-photo analysis are included — RoomSketch3D is a one-time purchase of $19.99 with no subscription and no per-use fees.
What image formats can I upload?
Floor Plan Image or PDF accepts JPG, PNG, WEBP and PDF. Room Photo accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, and WEBP up to 20 MB.
Can I combine methods?
Yes — every method produces a normal, editable design. A common combo: AI-draft a floor plan image, refine the walls, then furnish it yourself or borrow arrangement ideas from a template.
Can I start a multi-story home?
Yes. Start with any method for the main floor, then add floors (and a basement or a yard) from the editor. Backup files preserve all floors when you export and re-import.
Start designing your room
Put this into practice in the floor planner: draw it, furnish it, walk through it in 3D — on web, iOS, and Android.
Open RoomSketch3DOne-time purchase · No subscription · Web, iOS & Android