A north arrow is a small mark that does a lot of work. It tells a buyer which rooms get the morning sun, lets a planner orient the drawing to the site, and turns a floating rectangle into a plan anchored to the real world. This guide shows how to add an accurate north arrow to your floor plan with RoomPlot, using the device compass rather than a guess.
Why orientation matters
Without a north point, a floor plan is just a shape. With one, it carries meaning: a south-facing garden, an east-facing bedroom, a kitchen that bakes in the afternoon. Estate agents use it to sell light, surveyors use it to tie a plan to a site, and anyone planning glazing or solar needs it to be right.
Set north from the compass
RoomPlot reads the device's magnetic compass directly, with no location-permission prompt, so you can set orientation on site in seconds. There are two ways to do it:
- Auto. Hold the device flat, line it up with the building, and tap Use This Heading. An accuracy chip and an interference banner warn you if metal or magnets are throwing the reading off.
- Manual. Drag the on-canvas compass to set the angle by hand. The arrow snaps to 5 degree steps and to the cardinal points, so a square building reads cleanly.
Place it and bake it in
- Add the marker. Drop the North Arrow from the Real Estate symbol set onto the plan, usually in a free corner.
- Set the heading. Use Auto on site or Manual to dial it in, snapping to a cardinal where the building is square to the street.
- Check the accuracy chip. If the compass flags interference, step away from radiators, RSJs and laptops and take the reading again.
- Export with North on. The plan export and the multi-page report both have a North Marker toggle, so the arrow prints on every drawing.
Tip. Magnetic and true north differ by a few degrees depending on where you are. RoomPlot uses the magnetic heading and applies true heading opportunistically - for a sales plan that is plenty, but note the distinction if a drawing must be surveyed to true north.
One mark, more credible plans
A correct north arrow is the difference between a sketch and a survey. Set it from the compass, snap it to the building, and let it print on every export. For more on getting the fundamentals right, see how to create a floor plan or browse the full set of RoomPlot guides.
