Get ready to design your layouts
Before you start
These tips will help you get the best possible scan.
Use a LiDAR device
iPhone Pro / Pro Max, or a recent iPad Pro.
Charge up
Start with your device charged to at least 80%.
Turn the lights on
Even lighting, no dark corners.
Set the doors
Open interior doors and closets. Keep exterior doors closed.
Clear the walkways
Move bags and clutter off the floor. Leave the furniture where it is.
Avoid mirrors
Cover or avoid large mirrors and glass, which interfere with the LiDAR sensor.
Step 1 of 4
Downloading Scanner App
Get Polycam installed and your account set up.
Download Polycam from the App Store
Everything in this guide works on the free tier.
Open the app and tap Sign Up
Choose Continue with Email, Continue with Apple, or Continue with Google.
Create your account
With email, enter an address and password, tap Create Account, then confirm the address from your inbox. Apple and Google sign you in directly.
Allow camera access when the app asks
Polycam needs the camera and the LiDAR sensor to capture your space.
Step 2 of 4
How to scan your space
One continuous scan covers your whole apartment.
Open Space Mode
Tap the camera button on Polycam's home screen and choose Space.
Start at the entrance
Tap the white circle to begin, then move along the left wall with the camera aimed toward the center of the room.
Move at a walking pace
Slow and steady. Rushing is the most common cause of tracking loss. Turn your whole body to change direction.
Fill in the blue grid
Blue marks surfaces Polycam has not captured yet. Keep scanning until white mesh replaces it. Use the flashlight icon for dark corners.
Scan floor to ceiling
Tilt up to catch ceiling corners and edges. Include doors, windows and fixtures, and scan behind furniture where you can.
Cover every room in one pass
Work through the apartment in a continuous loop without stopping the capture. Scan each area only once.
Tap Done, then process
Once no blue grid is left, tap Done. Polycam will ask how to process the scan — use the default settings.
Step 3 of 4
Process and Export
Turn the finished capture into a file you can upload.
After your scan has processed
Open the layers
Click Layers in the top left, switch to 3D floorplan, then turn off Furniture and Ceiling.
Start the download
Tap the download button in the top right.
Export as GLTF
Under Mesh, select GLTF, then tap Export.
Save the file
Email it to yourself, or save it directly if you are on a computer.
Step 4 of 4
Upload your Scan to Layout
Already signed in? Click below to upload. If not, you'll create an account first.
Drop in your GLTF file, add a few details, and your apartment opens in the designer right away.
Free covers one apartment at a time, and you can swap it for a new scan whenever you move.
- Unlimited apartment uploads
- No limit on furniture pieces per room
- Save every space, unlimited
- Turn a photo into custom 3D furniture, 10 a month
- Open your designs on any device
Cancel anytime. No long-term commitment.
Common mistakes
What goes wrong most often, and how to fix it.
Space Mode is not in the app
Your device does not have the LiDAR sensor. Space Mode is only available on the devices listed under Before you start.
The upload was rejected
We take one GLTF file, up to 200 MB. If Polycam gave you anything else, redo the export and pick GLTF under Mesh.
The file is over 200 MB
Export again and let Polycam process at its default quality rather than the highest setting.
Your furniture is still in the model
The Furniture layer was on at export. Reopen the scan, toggle it off under Layers, and download again — no rescan needed.
There are holes or missing walls
Blue grid was left on those surfaces when you tapped Done. Rescan, and watch for the blue to turn white everywhere before finishing.
The walls came out crooked
Caused by moving too fast or rotating the phone to change direction. Rescan at a slow walk, turning your whole body instead.