For a lot of CAD work, the slowest part is the first one: getting an existing space into AutoCAD to draft over. If the room already exists, an iPhone LiDAR scan skips the tape-and-graph-paper step — BeaverPlot scans the space and exports it as a DXF you can open straight in AutoCAD as dimensioned linework.

Good to know

A scan is a fast starting point, not a measured survey. Bring the DXF in as a base to draft over and verify critical dimensions against the real space before you rely on them.

What you'll need

An iPhone 12 Pro or later Pro model (or a recent iPad Pro) with LiDAR, on iOS 17+.
BeaverPlot with a Pro subscription — DXF export is a Pro feature.
AutoCAD, or any CAD tool that opens DXF (most do).

Scan to DXF, step by step

Scan the room

Walk the space slowly with the camera on the walls, doors, and windows. New to it? The room-scanning guide covers the technique.

Calibrate to a real measurement

Measure one wall with a tape, select it, and enter the true length. BeaverPlot scales the whole drawing to match — the difference between "roughly right" and CAD-ready. Use the longest wall available.

Export as DXF

Open the project, choose Export, and pick DXF. Save it to Files, AirDrop, or email it from the iOS share sheet.

Open in AutoCAD

In AutoCAD, use Open (or DXFIN) on the file. The walls and openings come in as linework you can trace, offset, and detail. Check the drawing units are set the way you expect before dimensioning.

Tip

Keep the imported scan on its own layer (for example SCAN-REF). You can draft your production linework on separate layers and dim or freeze the reference whenever you need to.

Common questions

Is DXF export free?

No — DXF export (like PDF and IFC) is a Pro subscription feature. Scanning, editing, and the on-device USDZ preview are free.

Will it open in tools other than AutoCAD?

Yes. DXF is a widely supported interchange format — DraftSight, LibreCAD, BricsCAD, and most CAD packages open it.

Do I need Revit or BIM software instead?

Only if you want a parametric model. For flat drafting, DXF is the right pick; if you need building elements in Revit, export IFC instead.

Walk the room, calibrate, export — and you're drafting over an accurate base in AutoCAD instead of starting from a blank sheet.

How to Export an iPhone Scan to AutoCAD (DXF)