Announcement Text
.png)
iPhone LiDAR (introduced on iPhone 12 Pro in 2020 and present on every Pro model since) makes it possible to capture dimensioned 3D scans and floor plans of commercial interior spaces in minutes, without specialized hardware. For commercial interior mapping — retail spaces, restaurants, offices, healthcare facilities, multi-tenant build-outs — it's a meaningful productivity step over both LiDAR-equipped trucks and the previous generation of tape-and-camera workflows.
iPhone Pro models with LiDAR (12 Pro, 13 Pro, 14 Pro, 15 Pro, 16 Pro — standard and Max) can capture:
The hardware accuracy is solid for interior commercial work — measurements typically come within an inch on standard interior surfaces. Where iPhone LiDAR falls short is large open spaces (warehouses, big-box retail floors) and outdoor mapping at scale.
Pre-construction site surveys — Walk the space once, generate a measurable floor plan for the design team. Replaces tape-and-camera workflows that take half a day with a 30-minute capture.
Existing conditions for renovation — Capture before any demo work happens. The dimensioned record protects against "that wasn't here before" disputes.
Tenant fit-out documentation — Capture each tenant space pre-build-out and post-handover.
Insurance pre-loss documentation — Commercial property managers walking buildings as part of insurance carriers' pre-loss inspection processes.
Inspections — Code inspectors, building inspectors, and engineers walking commercial spaces and producing dimensioned reports faster than tape-measure workflows.
Large outdoor spaces — LiDAR range is limited to about 5 meters effectively. For site survey work over hundreds of feet, drone photogrammetry or terrestrial LiDAR scanners remain better.
Production BIM modeling — The mesh output from iPhone LiDAR is good for documentation but not for production BIM workflows that require high-accuracy point clouds. Use a terrestrial scanner for that.
Android-only fleets — iPhone LiDAR is an Apple platform feature. Crews on Android phones need a different 3D capture approach.
Manifold's Floor Plan Scan feature uses Apple's RoomPlan framework on iPhone Pro models to generate dimensioned 2D floor plans automatically. Walk a room once, get a structured floor plan with labeled walls, doors, and windows in seconds. Exports as PDF.
For 3D capture, Manifold's Orbit Measure feature uses computer vision (not LiDAR) and works on any iOS or Android phone. The two features cover complementary use cases: Floor Plan Scan for fast dimensioned 2D plans on iPhone Pro, Orbit Measure for full 3D capture on any device.
Pricing is $24/user/month for the Photo+Scan plan, which includes both Floor Plan Scan and Orbit Measure. No seat minimums.
For developers building commercial workflows that need room measurement from photos or video, Manifold has limited API access available for integration partners. The capability includes:
The API is not publicly self-serve today. Integration partners with significant volume can request access via a demo call.
iPhone Pro models with LiDAR (12 Pro and newer) are used for fast dimensioned floor plan capture, 3D room scans for documentation, pre-construction site surveys, existing-conditions capture before renovation, and inspection workflows. Capture times for a typical room are 30–60 seconds.
iPhone LiDAR is typically accurate to within an inch on standard interior surfaces at the 0.5–5 meter range, which is the working range for most residential and commercial interior measurement tasks. Accuracy degrades on highly reflective surfaces and at distances beyond 5 meters.
Apple's RoomPlan API is available to developers for free, but consumer-facing apps using it are generally paid. Manifold's Floor Plan Scan is included in the $24/user/month Photo+Scan plan with no seat minimums. Apple's own Measure app on iPhone Pro models can capture basic floor plans for free, but doesn't include the documentation, sharing, and reporting workflow contractors need.
Manifold has limited API access for integration partners that need room measurement from photos or video. The capability includes video-to-3D-scan processing and RoomPlan-format structured output. The API is not publicly self-serve; request access via a demo call.
Yes. iPad Pro models with LiDAR (2020 and newer) support the same RoomPlan and LiDAR-based 3D capture as iPhone Pro. Manifold's Floor Plan Scan and Orbit Measure work on iPad Pro.
Not via LiDAR — Android phones don't have the same LiDAR hardware. But via computer vision approaches like Manifold's Orbit Measure, any Android phone with a working camera can capture a measurable 3D scan from a 10–60 second video.
Book a demo — the demo covers both consumer use and developer API access.
Compare Manifold
Real pricing, honest comparisons. No spin.