LiDAR 3D Scanning with RoomPlan

LiDAR scanning turns your iPhone or iPad into a precision room-measurement tool. Using Apple's RoomPlan API, Estimatics captures the full 3D geometry of a room — walls, doors, windows, and openings — and converts it into a measurable floor plan and 3D model. A typical room scan takes under 60 seconds and produces data you can use immediately in your estimate.

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Supported devices

LiDAR scanning requires a device with Apple's LiDAR depth sensor:

If your device doesn't have a LiDAR sensor, the LiDAR Scan option won't appear in the Capture menu.

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How to scan a room

1. Open the job in the iOS app and go to Capture
2. Tap + Add Media and select LiDAR Scan
3. Assign the scan to a room or area
4. Hold your device at roughly waist height and point it toward a wall
5. Walk slowly around the perimeter of the room — you'll see walls, doors, and windows appear in real time on screen as a 3D visualization
6. Make sure you cover every corner and opening — the on-screen model will highlight areas that need more coverage
7. Tap Finish Scan when the room is fully captured

The scan uses 30-second segmented recording loops internally, stitching the segments together into a single cohesive model. You'll see a real-time 3D wireframe on screen as you move through the space, so you always know what's been captured and what still needs attention.

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What gets captured

A completed LiDAR scan produces several outputs:

• USDZ 3D model — a full three-dimensional model of the room that you can rotate, zoom, and inspect in the app or export to other tools
• 2D floor plan — a top-down layout derived from the 3D geometry, showing walls, doorways, and windows with accurate positioning
• JSON room layout data — structured data containing every detected surface, opening, and dimension, used by the AI analysis engine
• Derived measurements — room area (square footage), wall perimeter, ceiling height, and individual opening dimensions are calculated automatically from the scan data

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Viewing and exploring scans

RoomPlan Gallery

All scanned rooms for a job appear in the RoomPlan Gallery within the Capture tab. Each entry shows a thumbnail of the floor plan and the room name. Tap any scan to open it.

USDZ Preview

Tap a scan to open the full 3D model viewer. Pinch to zoom, drag to rotate, and swipe to pan. The USDZ preview lets you inspect the room from any angle — useful for verifying that all walls and openings were captured accurately.

Room Explorer

For jobs with multiple scanned rooms, the Room Explorer lets you navigate through scanned spaces interactively, moving from room to room as if walking through the property. This gives adjusters and reviewers spatial context that flat photos cannot provide.

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Export options

You can export scan data in formats that integrate with your existing workflow:

• PNG floor plan — a clean 2D image suitable for reports, supplements, and carrier submissions
• DXF file — a CAD-compatible format that imports directly into Xactimate, Symbility, and other estimating platforms for takeoff

To export, open a scan and tap the Share icon, then choose your format.

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Tips for best results

• Scan slowly — moving too fast causes the sensor to miss surfaces. A steady walking pace works best.
• Ensure good lighting — LiDAR works in low light, but RoomPlan's visual processing performs better in well-lit rooms.
• Cover corners completely — pause briefly at each corner so the scanner registers both adjoining walls.
• Hold at waist height — this angle gives the sensor the best view of walls from floor to ceiling.
• Minimize clutter — large objects like stacked boxes can occlude walls. Move obstructions when practical.
• One room per scan — for best accuracy, scan each room individually rather than attempting an entire floor in a single pass.

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Offline capability

LiDAR scans are generated entirely on-device — no internet connection is required during the scan itself. The USDZ model and floor plan are saved locally and upload automatically when your device reconnects to WiFi or cellular data.

Because USDZ files can be large (especially for spacious rooms), the upload timeout is set to 1 hour per file. If an upload is interrupted, it resumes automatically on the next connection.

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Frequently asked questions

How accurate are LiDAR measurements? Apple's RoomPlan API typically achieves accuracy within 1–2 inches for wall lengths and room dimensions. Results improve with slower scanning speed and better lighting.

Can I re-scan a room if the first attempt was incomplete? Yes. Delete the incomplete scan from the RoomPlan Gallery and start a new scan for that room.

Do LiDAR scans count toward my storage? USDZ files are stored as part of your job media. They follow the same storage policies as photos and videos on your plan.

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Last updated: April 2026 · Questions? Use the Resources panel in the app or email support@aiestimatics.com