Create Floor Plans from Measurements with New Floor Plan Notation
You can turn simple measurements into a complete, editable floor plan without drawing a single wall.
SmartDraw Floor Plan Notation is a simple, text-based way to describe rooms and buildings using a sequence of wall measurements. Measure your space, write down the dimensions in an easy-to-follow format, and import the notation into SmartDraw. SmartDraw automatically converts your measurements into a scaled floor plan you can continue editing.
Creating an accurate floor plan traditionally means drawing each wall, adjusting its length, positioning doors and windows, and carefully connecting rooms.
Floor Plan Notation gives you another option. Instead of constructing the plan manually, you can describe the space as you measure it.
Use the notation to record:
- Wall lengths
- Doors
- Windows
- Openings
- Connections between rooms
Once imported, your measurements become a complete SmartDraw floor plan. You can then move walls, resize rooms, add symbols, and customize the drawing using SmartDraw's floor planning tools.
Floor Plan Notation works by following the perimeter of a room.
Imagine standing inside the room and facing one wall. Record the wall's measurement, turn to face the next wall, and enter that measurement on a new line. Continue moving around the room until you return to where you started.
Each line represents one wall and begins with Right or Left to indicate the direction you turned. Doors, windows, gaps, and other openings can be included directly in the wall description.
The basic process is simple:
- Choose a wall as your starting point.
- Record its measurement.
- Turn right or left to face the next wall.
- Enter the next wall on a new line, beginning with the direction you turned.
- Continue around the room until the outline is complete.
- Add doors, windows, or openings where they appear.
- Connect additional rooms to build the complete layout.
If you can walk around a room and write down its measurements, you can describe it using SmartDraw Floor Plan Notation.
To use Floor Plan Notation, open any floor plan template in SmartDraw. In the SmartPanel to the left of the drawing area, select Import Measurements, enter your notation, and let SmartDraw generate the floor plan.
Start with a single room to become familiar with the format, then connect additional rooms as you build out the complete space.
With SmartDraw Floor Plan Notation, your measurements are no longer just notes. They become the foundation of an accurate, professional floor plan.
Learn more about SmartDraw Floor Plan Notation.