How it works
CAD (computer-aided design) software produces precise, scaled drawings of a building. DWG is a common file format for them; Autodesk describes .dwg files as the native file format for its AutoCAD software. Architects and facilities teams usually hold a set of drawings for each floor, with layers for walls, doors, furniture and room labels.
To build an interactive floor plan, the drawing is imported and turned into spaces: rooms, desks, zones and neighborhoods, each with an ID that the booking and reporting system can use. The geometry gives accurate areas and positions.
Drawings go out of date when layouts change. If nobody updates them after a refit, the digital floor plan, area reports and seat counts all drift away from what is on the floor.
How to measure it
- Check that every floor has a current drawing, dated after the last layout change.
- Confirm drawings are to scale and include furniture, so desks can be placed accurately.
- Agree who updates drawings after a change and how the change reaches the digital floor plan.
Examples
- A facilities team sends the DWG file for each floor so the booking system can map every desk and room.
- After a refit, the architect's updated drawing replaces the old one before the floor reopens for booking.
Common mistakes
- Tracing a scan or photo of a plan when an accurate drawing exists, which loses true scale and exact positions. A vector PDF exported from CAD can keep geometry and scale, but a scan cannot.
- Importing drawings without furniture layers, so desks must be placed by hand.
- Letting drawings fall behind the real layout after moves and refits.
How Kadence helps
Kadence SpaceOps imports floor plans and includes floor plan editing, so admins can keep layouts current in the browser after import. Employees then book desks, rooms and other spaces on the interactive floor plan and search it to find a person, desk or room.
Frequently asked questions
What is a DWG file?
A DWG file is a computer-aided design drawing. Autodesk describes .dwg as the native file format for its AutoCAD software, and architects and facilities teams commonly use it for floor plans.
Do you need CAD files to create an interactive floor plan?
They give the most accurate result, because they carry real dimensions and positions. A vector PDF exported from CAD can also keep geometry and scale. A scan or photo has to be traced, so areas and desk positions are less precise. Whatever the source, check it against the current layout and validate dimensions after import.
What is the difference between a CAD floor plan and an interactive floor plan?
A CAD floor plan is a technical drawing for architects and facilities teams. An interactive floor plan is built from it for everyone else: a live map where people see free desks and rooms, find colleagues and book space.
Related terms
- Interactive floor plan A live, clickable map of an office that shows desks, rooms and people, and lets employees book space and find colleagues.
- Editable floor plans Floor plans that workplace teams update themselves, without CAD skills or an architect, typically with a review step before changes go live.
- Workplace digital twin A live digital model of buildings, spaces and the people who use them, used to see how space performs and test changes first.
- CAFM (computer-aided facilities management) Software that links floor plans to a database of rooms and assets to run space, maintenance and service requests.
- BOMA standards The Building Owners and Managers Association methods for measuring office floor area, used in leases, benchmarks and space reporting.
- Floor plate The area and shape of one floor of a building, which sets how many people, rooms and teams fit on it.
Sources
- What is DWG?, Autodesk
Kadence editorial team · Last reviewed