Imagine easily creating a perfect digital copy of any room, ready for design work, just by walking around with your iPhone or iPad. That’s exactly what Canvas is making possible. This Denver-based company is tapping into the advanced tech already built into your newer Apple devices – specifically, the LiDAR sensor – combined with powerful AI to completely change how architects, interior designers, and contractors measure and model spaces.
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Instead of spending hours with tape measures and sketching, Canvas lets you quickly scan a space and get professional-grade 3D models or 2D floor plans back within days. It’s all about saving time and making property documentation incredibly simple and accurate.
What is Canvas and Why Use It?
Canvas started from a company called Occipital, known for early 3D sensors. But everything changed when Apple added the LiDAR sensor to its iPad Pro and iPhone Pro models starting in 2020. This built-in tech was a game-changer for Canvas because it meant users didn’t need expensive, separate hardware to capture accurate 3D data.
The LiDAR in your device acts like a super-fast scanner, bouncing light to measure distances and capture the shape of a room. The Canvas app uses this data to create a detailed “digital twin” of the space. What makes Canvas special is the AI that then processes this raw scan data. It transforms the messy point cloud from the sensor into organized, editable files like CAD and BIM models.
For design professionals, this is huge. They can skip the tedious manual measurement process and go straight to the creative work, knowing their starting model is precise.
How Does It Work? (The Magic of LiDAR Scanning)
Using Canvas is designed to be as simple as possible:
- Open the App: Launch the Canvas app on your LiDAR-equipped iPhone Pro or iPad Pro.
- Start Scanning: Walk through the space you want to capture. The app guides you, showing you what areas you’ve covered. Think of it like “painting” the room with your device.
- Upload: Once you’ve scanned everything, upload the data directly from the app.
- Choose Your Output: Select the type of file you need – a 3D model for design software, a 2D floor plan, or a simple measurement report.
- Receive Files: Canvas’s AI processes the scan data, and you receive your requested files, compatible with popular design software, usually within a few days.
The app even gives you a real-time preview during scanning so you can be sure you haven’t missed anything important.
Scanning a living room with an iPad to create a 3D digital model
Tools for Design Pros: Scan To CAD and Plan To CAD
Canvas offers two main services to turn real-world spaces or existing drawings into usable design files:
- Scan To CAD: This is Canvas’s core offering. You scan a space with your iPhone/iPad LiDAR, and Canvas converts it into a professional, layered CAD or BIM model. This is perfect if you need an accurate “as-built” model (a model representing the space as it currently exists) to start designing remodels, additions, or interiors. Canvas supports major software like SketchUp, Revit, Chief Architect, AutoCAD, and more.
- Plan To CAD: Have old 2D floor plans saved as PDFs or .dwg files? Plan To CAD can take these flat drawings and turn them into editable 3D models for software like SketchUp, Chief Architect, Revit, and AutoCAD. It’s a great way to bring existing plans into a modern 3D workflow.
Getting the Right Output: Deliverables
Canvas understands that different professionals need different types of information. That’s why they offer several output formats that plug directly into your existing tools:
- Editable CAD Models: Get full 3D models ready for design work in your preferred software (SketchUp, Revit, etc.). Ideal for detailed design and visualization.
- 2D Floor Plans: Need a simple layout for permits or traditional drafting? Get standard 2D plans in PDF or .dwg format.
- Measurement Reports: If you just need dimensions and square footage for estimates or material orders, these reports provide the key numbers without needing a full model.
The goal is for the final file to open perfectly in the software you already use, eliminating extra conversion steps.
Who is Canvas For? (Use Cases and Project Size)
Canvas is designed primarily for professionals working on residential and light commercial projects. This includes:
- Interior Designers: Quickly capture existing spaces to plan furniture layouts, finishes, and renovations.
- Remodelers & Design-Build Firms: Get accurate measurements for estimates and design proposals without hours on-site.
- Architects: Create precise as-built documentation for renovation projects or additions.
While great for homes, apartments, and small offices, Canvas is less suited for complex industrial sites, highly detailed mechanical/electrical scans, or purely outdoor environments.
Pricing is based on the size of the area you need processed, measured in square feet. A single scan can capture a significant amount of space, but for larger projects like entire homes or buildings, you can easily combine multiple scans into one unified project deliverable. This means there’s no limit to how large a property you can document with Canvas.
Canvas is changing the game for property professionals by using accessible technology like iPhone LiDAR and smart AI to turn tedious measurement tasks into a simple scanning process, letting them focus on what they do best: designing and building.
