What electricians need from a base plan
An electrical base plan is the starting point for circuit layout, outlet placement, cable routing, and switch positioning. It needs to show accurate room dimensions, wall positions, door and window openings, and ceiling heights — all to scale and in a format that opens in electrical planning software.
Errors in the base plan propagate into the electrical design. A wall that is 20 cm off position in the drawing produces cable runs that do not match site conditions, outlet placements that conflict with furniture, and switch heights that need to be corrected on-site.
How base plans are currently created
Most electricians use one of three approaches to get a base plan before starting electrical design work.
Request from architect or client
Ask the building owner or architect for existing drawings. Fast when available, but drawings are often missing, outdated, or not in a usable digital format. Unreliable for renovation work.
Measure on-site manually
Tape measure or laser distance meter on-site, followed by manual CAD redraw. Accurate when done carefully, but takes 2 to 4 hours for a 3-room apartment — before electrical design begins.
LiDAR scan with iPhone Pro
Scan the space with Metaroom in 10 to 20 minutes. Export as IFC for DDS-CAD or DXF for other MEP software. Base plan is ready before leaving the site.
LiDAR scanning workflow for electrical base plans
The following workflow produces a complete electrical base plan from an on-site scan in a single visit.
| Step | What you do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Scan the space | Walk through each room with iPhone Pro or iPad Pro. The LiDAR sensor captures wall positions, ceiling height, and door and window openings continuously. No individual measurements needed. | 2 to 4 minutes per room |
| 2. Capture Snapshots | Photograph existing electrical infrastructure — consumer unit location, existing outlet positions, cable entry points, distribution boards — using Metaroom's Snapshot feature. Photos are linked to their floor plan position. | 5 to 10 minutes |
| 3. Export the base plan | Open Metaroom Workspace — via browser at studio.amrax.ai or from the Export button in the app. Export as IFC for DDS-CAD, or DXF for Ziemer SCC, RED CAD, and other MEP programs. | 1 to 2 minutes |
| 4. Open in MEP software | Import the IFC or DXF file into your electrical planning software. Room geometry, wall positions, and ceiling heights are available as a base layer for circuit and outlet layout. | 2 to 5 minutes |
Total time from arriving on-site to having the base plan open in electrical planning software: under 30 minutes for a standard apartment. Compare this to 2 to 4 hours with manual measurement and CAD redraw.
Which electrical planning software accepts Metaroom exports
| Software | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DDS-CAD | IFC | Full MEP planning suite for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing. IFC import gives full 3D room geometry with wall, floor, and ceiling data. |
| Ziemer SCC 4.1 | DXF | Specialist electrical planning software. DXF import provides the 2D base plan for circuit and outlet layout. |
| RED CAD | DXF | MEP planning software. DXF import provides the 2D base plan. |
| Jetplan | Electrical planning with PDF import as underlayer for layout. | |
| AutoCAD MEP | IFC | Full MEP workflows. IFC import gives 3D room geometry. |
| CASCADOS / E-CAD | IFC | Building automation and electrical CAD. IFC import supported. |
Use Metaroom's Snapshot feature to photograph the consumer unit, existing cable routes in walls or conduit, distribution board positions, and any visible electrical infrastructure before leaving the site. Photos are linked to their position in the floor plan. When you open the project in the Workspace, all photos are available alongside the base plan — saving a return visit if you need to check existing infrastructure during the design phase.
From scan to electrical plan: what the base plan contains
A Metaroom base plan exported as IFC or DXF contains the following information for electrical planning use:
| Data point | Available in DXF | Available in IFC | Use in electrical planning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall positions and lengths | Yes | Yes | Cable route planning, outlet placement |
| Door and window openings | Yes | Yes | Switch placement, clearance requirements |
| Room areas | Yes | Yes | Circuit load calculations |
| Ceiling heights | Yes | Yes | Lighting height calculations, cable drop lengths |
| 3D wall geometry | No | Yes | 3D cable routing in DDS-CAD and AutoCAD MEP |
| Room names and categories | No | Yes | Room-by-room circuit assignment |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Metaroom is a professional floor plan scanning app for architects, tradespeople, and energy consultants. You scan a room with iPhone Pro or iPad Pro — the app captures geometry automatically using LiDAR. The result exports as IFC for DDS-CAD and AutoCAD MEP, or DXF for Ziemer SCC and RED CAD. Ceiling heights, wall positions, and door openings are all included. A 3-room apartment scans in under 20 minutes. Subscription from €12.49/month.
