A flat plan tells a client the layout. A 3D model lets them walk it. When you scan a property with LiDAR, RoomPlot captures a real, dimensionally-accurate 3D model of the space, and you can export it as a USDZ file - the format iPhones and iPads open in augmented reality with a single tap. This guide explains what USDZ export is, exactly what it does and does not do, and how to share it.
What USDZ export actually is
USDZ is Apple's 3D file format, and it is what powers AR Quick Look - tap a USDZ and it opens full-screen, ready to place in the room around you. In RoomPlot, exporting to USDZ shares the original LiDAR scan of the floor: the immersive 3D capture you made on site. It is worth being precise here, so nobody is surprised. USDZ export is offered only on LiDAR-scanned floors, and it is the scan itself, not a model rebuilt from a hand-drawn or heavily edited plan. If you drew a floor manually, there is no LiDAR scan behind it to export.
Tip. Scan cleanly if you plan to share in 3D. Good lighting and a steady, complete walk of each room give a tidier USDZ - the in-scan torch helps in darker rooms and switches off by itself when you leave the scanner.
How to export it
From the editor, open the export menu and choose More, then 3D Scan (USDZ). RoomPlot writes the USDZ from the scanned floor and hands it to the standard iOS share sheet.
- Message or email it - the recipient taps the file and it opens in AR Quick Look on their iPhone or iPad, no app required.
- Save it to Files or the cloud to attach to a listing or a project folder.
- Preview it in-app in Realistic, Technical or Wireframe view before you send.
When 3D is the right deliverable
A USDZ is not a replacement for a floor plan - it is a complement. Reach for it when the spatial feel matters: an estate agent showing a client the volume of a room, a designer walking a renovation before it starts, or a surveyor recording a space in full 3D for the file. For the printed particulars, the flat plan and the report still do the work; the USDZ adds the wow. If you want the model to live in a plan edit rather than the raw scan, remember that today's export is the scan itself.
Plan, report, then 3D
A tidy workflow is: scan the property, tidy the 2D plan and produce your branded report, then export the USDZ from the same scan to send alongside it. That way the client gets the measured plan for the detail and the AR model for the feel, from one visit. To understand the trade-offs between the two views, see our guide to 2D vs 3D floor plans, and for the capture options read LiDAR scan vs manual drawing. Browse the full set of RoomPlot guides to get more from every scan.
