Digitize Floor Plans with ChatGPT or Claude for Plan7Architect – Paper, PDF or Image to DXF

You can let ChatGPT or Claude (AI assistants) redraw your floor plan as a DXF file and import that file into Plan7Architect. The DXF is drawn with the exact dimensions from your plan. After the import, every wall corner is a real snap point, so you trace your walls exactly on these points.

This is more accurate than the usual way of scanning a plan, loading it as a background image, scaling it and tracing it roughly.

Please note: the DXF is a 2D drawing, not a 3D model. It is your exact template. You draw the walls, windows and doors on top of it, and Plan7Architect creates the 3D model from that as usual.

Step 1: Let ChatGPT or Claude create the DXF file

1. Open claude.ai or chatgpt.com. With Claude, the free plan is enough.
2. Upload your floor plan as an image or PDF.
3. Copy the prompt below, paste it into the message field and send it.
4. Download the DXF file that the AI creates.

Prompt to copy

Attached is a floor plan. Create a DXF file (version R2000) of it that I can import into my CAD software.

- Draw everything at real size. Use the dimensions written on the plan, not the proportions of the image. 1 drawing unit = 1 cm.
- Draw walls with their real thickness and leave openings for doors and windows.
- Use only single LINE entities, plus ARC for door swings. No polylines, no blocks, no hatches, no DIMENSION entities.
- Put walls, windows, doors, stairs, text and dimensions on separate layers.
- Add the dimension chains from the plan as simple lines with tick marks and numbers.
- Make all text black.
- If a dimension is missing on the plan, estimate it from the image and list every estimated value at the end.
- Before you give me the file, check that the room sizes add up to the overall dimensions.

If your plan is dimensioned in feet and inches, change the first point to 1 drawing unit = 1 inch.

Step 2: Import the DXF into Plan7Architect

1. Click File at the top, then Import, and then Import again.
2. Select the DXF file.
3. Select the unit that is used in the file. With the prompt above, this is centimeters (or inches, if you changed it).
4. Click once with the left mouse button in the drawing area to place the floor plan.

The floor plan now lies in your 2D view. You can click and edit every single line.

Step 3: Check the wall thickness

Look at the dimension chains to see how thick the outer and inner walls are. If you cannot read the thickness from the plan, measure it with a manual dimension.

Step 4: Trace the walls on the snap points

1. Select a wall from the catalog and enter the wall thickness.
2. Move the mouse exactly into a corner of the imported plan. The cursor snaps to the corner. Click there to start the wall.
3. Click on the next corner to finish the wall, and continue around the plan.

If the wall lies on the wrong side of the line, press W to align the wall to the left, to the right or centered.

Then add windows and doors in the same way. The 3D model is created automatically from the walls you have drawn.

Good to know

• It works best with plans that have dimensions written on them. Without dimensions the AI can only estimate. In that case, tell it at least one known wall length.
• Photos taken at an angle and hand sketches are less accurate.
• Compare a few dimensions with your original after importing.
• Your plan is a PDF? Here is the short guide: How to import a PDF floor plan into Plan7Architect.

You only have an image and do not want to use a DXF?

You can also load the image as a background and trace over it. This is shown in the tutorial Import a floor plan image file and trace over it. More about DWG and DXF files is shown in the DWG & DXF import and export tutorial.

Still not working?

Log in to your customer account and create a support ticket. Send us your floor plan and the DXF file, then we can check it.