# Best app for on site floor plan surveying that works with Sketchup? **URL:** \ **Category:** Pro\ **Tags:** advice, floorplan, uvmapping, ipad\ **Created:** [August 21, 2018, 1:29am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/best-app-for-on-site-floor-plan-surveying-that-works-with-sketchup/75178 "2018-08-21T01:29:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mikehersey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bcef8e/32.png) [@mikehersey](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/mikehersey)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2018, 1:29am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/best-app-for-on-site-floor-plan-surveying-that-works-with-sketchup/75178/1 "2018-08-21T01:29:14Z")
Hi there! I work in film / tv as an art director. I often go to physical locations with limited time and need to quickly generate quick yet accurate floor plans that I later would like to bring into sketchup to pull up walls and model etc. I am looking for an app that will let me do this quickly & export as jpg and pdf if need be, add a scale etc. I tried magicplan and I think it’s really clunky and I could honestly draw it out with pen and paper faster. Are there any apps you all like to use for something like this? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Geo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/geo/32/82_2.png) [@Geo](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Geo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2018, 1:43am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/best-app-for-on-site-floor-plan-surveying-that-works-with-sketchup/75178/2 "2018-08-21T01:43:51Z")
> [@mikehersey](#): > > Are there any apps you all like to use for something like this? You’ll find some ideas in this topic… > [@Automatic Architectural Survey?](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/automatic-architectural-survey/51457): > > Hi all Where I’m making my internship in architecture two people have spent perhaps a full week in total measuring an old office building to get proper drawings of it as it is now before design any additions/modifications to it. The building has numerous staircases, a tower, an air raid shelter from WWII and is immensely complex. There must be a simpler way of doing this than manually sketch plans and sections and measure all relevant dimensions with a laser measuring device and then draft draw… * * * EDIT Searching the forum for **Leica** may yield topics of interest. [https://forums.sketchup.com/search?q=Leica](https://forums.sketchup.com/search?q=Leica) ---
**Author:** ![RTCool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/rtcool/32/181048_2.png) [@RTCool](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/RTCool)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/best-app-for-on-site-floor-plan-surveying-that-works-with-sketchup/75178/3 "2018-08-21T03:26:47Z")
[Leica BLK3D](https://lasers.leica-geosystems.com/blk3d) looks really slick, but pricey as I recall. The [Canvas](https://canvas.io/) attachment for the iPad is something I’m interested in, but haven’t tried yet first hand. I think I remember @TheOnlyAaron using one in a demonstration video, but I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![mikehersey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bcef8e/32.png) [@mikehersey](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/mikehersey)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2018, 4:15am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/best-app-for-on-site-floor-plan-surveying-that-works-with-sketchup/75178/4 "2018-08-21T04:15:22Z")
That’s pretty cool. I will definitely look into it. Probably a bit more advanced than I need. I really just need to quickly generate floor plans. I have been messing around with ArcSite which seems pretty cool and might work for what I need. The only drag is that they charge $35 a month after the trial ends. Keyplan Lite is also super easy but it seems more like a hobby app rather than a professional one. Thanks for the Canvas intel! ---
**Author:** ![simoncbevans](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/simoncbevans/32/15904_2.png) [@simoncbevans](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/simoncbevans)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2018, 10:14am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/best-app-for-on-site-floor-plan-surveying-that-works-with-sketchup/75178/5 "2018-08-21T10:14:55Z")
If all you want is to draw plans in 2D, you will probably find it faster to do it the old fashioned manual way and transfer data to SU. However, if you have the luxury of an assistant, why not just use a laptop loaded with SU and draw straight into the program whilst your helper measures as you direct. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_Odessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@Andy\_Odessa](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Andy_Odessa)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 8:02am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/best-app-for-on-site-floor-plan-surveying-that-works-with-sketchup/75178/6 "2019-04-05T08:02:36Z")
I would recommend [Live Home 3D](https://www.livehome3d.com/fields-of-use/floor-plan-app) for the task, you can quickly draw floor plans on site, then edit later if needed and export 3D model to .skp file. Free version is available for Win and iOS, for Mac the price starts at $20. ---
**Author:** ![bifterx](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bifterx/32/44878_2.png) [@bifterx](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bifterx)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 9:04am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/best-app-for-on-site-floor-plan-surveying-that-works-with-sketchup/75178/7 "2019-04-05T09:04:13Z")
i use structure sensor and canvas. awesome. you can upload the scans and get a layered sketchup model back. ---
**Author:** ![bifterx](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bifterx/32/44878_2.png) [@bifterx](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bifterx)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 9:05am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/best-app-for-on-site-floor-plan-surveying-that-works-with-sketchup/75178/8 "2019-04-05T09:05:27Z")
also magic plan is very very good, works with ARkit on iPad to map room shape initially. can export .dwg / pdf etc into su