Polycam

By audience

Architecture

• Scan existing conditions on a site visit with an iPhone or iPad and leave with a dimensioned point cloud instead of booking a terrestrial scanner.
• Export the layered DXF floor plan (walls, openings, fixtures on separate layers) as the base for an as-built set in Revit or AutoCAD.
• Use Space Mode captures as an underlay to trace accurate wall geometry on renovation and adaptive-reuse projects.

Interior Design

• Capture a room in minutes and pull room-by-room square footage and wall surface areas for finish schedules.
• Import scans into SketchUp via the Polycam extension and model furniture layouts against real dimensions.
• Object Capture existing millwork and fixtures to reuse as to-scale 3D content in client presentations.

Designer / Drafter

• Start from a layered DXF instead of hand-measured field sketches, with wall, opening and fixture linework already separated.
• Slice the exported point cloud at plan height in AutoCAD and trace walls with snapping to build a clean as-built base.
• Re-scan and re-export when field conditions change rather than repeating a manual measure-up.

Surveying/Geomatics

• Export georeferenced LAS/LAZ point clouds (Business plan) and load them into ArcGIS Pro for 3D geospatial analysis.
• Georeference scans against ground control points in CloudCompare before handing data to the survey deliverable.
• Process drone imagery into aerial photogrammetry meshes for site and building-envelope documentation.

General Contracting

• Document site progress and existing conditions with a phone scan and attach the model to the project record.
• Capture concealed in-wall conditions before drywall closes up, creating a dated visual record.
• Pull room areas and wall surface areas into a spreadsheet as a sanity check on material takeoffs.

Specialty Contracting

• Restoration crews scan damaged interiors and export an ESX floor plan straight into Xactimate for carrier-compliant estimates.
• Capture pre-existing damage before mobilising to protect against later scope disputes.
• Scan tight or hazardous areas from a phone instead of measuring them by hand.

Facilities Management

• Build a phone-captured 3D record of plant rooms and equipment spaces to support maintenance planning.
• Re-scan spaces after churn or fit-out so as-built documentation stays current.
• Share a virtual walkthrough link with remote vendors quoting work on a space.

By phase

Concept & Planning

• Capture the existing building or site in one visit to establish base conditions before design starts.
• Generate quick floor plans and area takeoffs to test feasibility and programming assumptions.

Design

• Bring point clouds and floor-plan DXFs into Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino or SketchUp as the measured base for design work.
• Check design decisions against captured reality rather than assumed dimensions.

Construction

• Scan progress and in-wall conditions before closeout for a dated, measurable visual record.
• Re-measure field conditions on the spot when shop drawings conflict with what is actually built.

Closeout & Operations

• Deliver as-built 3D models, floor plans and virtual walkthroughs as part of the closeout package.
• Keep a re-scannable spatial record for facilities teams and future renovation work.