Tools & Resources
AI Floor-Plan Import: Turn a Venue Plan Into a Seating Chart
Import a venue photo, screenshot, or PDF into an editable seating chart. Learn supported formats, AI import limits, DXF templates, and what to check before use.
Every seating chart starts the same way, whether it's your first event or your fiftieth: an empty canvas and a room you already know the shape of. The venue coordinator emailed you a banquet event order. The planner sent a photo of last year's layout. There's a CAD file sitting in a folder from when the ballroom was built. None of that is a blank page — it's a floor plan waiting to be traced.
AI floor-plan import skips the tracing. Upload what you already have, and SeatPlan.io reads the room for you.
For the wider planning process, see our wedding floor plan guide.
What It Actually Does
AI floor-plan import takes a venue plan you already have, such as a photographed printout, screenshot, or PDF, and builds a starting chart in the designer. Detected tables and special areas become editable elements. Event Manager also offers a separate DXF template import for supported CAD geometry.
It reads:
- Tables, with estimated shapes and seat counts that you should check against the original plan
- Table types, telling guest tables apart from head tables and service stations
- Special areas, including dance floors, stages, bars, and cake tables
You review and adjust the result in the designer before relying on it — this is a head start, not a finished chart.
The Three Ways In
Use the designer for supported images and PDFs. For a CAD file, use the Event Manager template import workflow.
Photo or screenshot.Snap a photo of the planner's printout, or screenshot an existing chart. The AI reads the tables, seat counts, and areas from the image. This uses one AI import.
PDF. Drop in a banquet event order or a printable seating chart directly — PDFs are read natively, with no need to flatten or convert them first. This also uses one AI import.
CAD (DXF). Event Manager can import supported DXF geometry into a template. Geometry import is unmetered; optional AI table detection uses an AI import credit. Check drawing units, room scale, and any unsupported entities before relying on the result.
How to Use It
- In the designer, click AI Import Floor Plan and add your file. Event Manager users can also start a new event from New Template → AI Import in the events dashboard.
- Optionally enter the real room dimensions in metres or feet for a more accurate result.
- Tables, seat counts, and special areas are detected and placed on the canvas.
- For a DXF template, check the reported drawing units, room dimensions, and imported geometry before placing guests.
- Review the result, fix anything that needs it, and start seating guests.
If you are setting up a venue you will use again, review the import and save your work on a plan that includes saving. Event Manager users can save reusable templates for future events in that room.
What You Get, by Plan
The designer offers a limited free trial and paid monthly AI allowances. Check the allowance shown in your import dialog before uploading; free availability and limits can vary.
| Plan | AI imports | CAD (DXF) exact scale |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Limited trial; check the import dialog | Not included |
| Pro / Collaborate | 3 a month | Not included |
| Event Manager | 3 a month | Unmetered geometry; AI table detection uses credits |
If you regularly work from architect-supplied DXF files, Event Manager provides the template workflow for supported CAD geometry. Image and PDF imports, and optional AI table detection from CAD, use the AI allowance.
Getting a Clean Result
A few habits give the import a clearer source to work from:
- Use the clearest source you have. A PDF banquet event order will read more reliably than a phone photo taken at an angle in low light. If you only have a photo, shoot it as straight-on and well-lit as you can.
- Enter real room dimensions when you know them. This anchors the scale of the import and makes the placement more accurate, especially for photo and screenshot imports.
- Always review before you rely on it. This is true of any AI tool reading a physical space: it gives you a strong starting layout, not a certified floor plan. Check seat counts, confirm table types, and verify special areas before you start seating guests or sending anything to a venue.
- Save the reviewed layout. Saving requires a paid plan. Event Manager templates let you reuse a room without importing the source again.
Who This Is For
AI floor-plan import earns its keep any time you're not starting from a truly blank room:
- Wedding planners and couples working from a floor plan the venue coordinator already sent over
- Venues and banquet teams who reuse the same ballrooms and function rooms constantly and want templates built fast
- Corporate and conference organizers turning an architect's CAD file or a hotel's banquet event order into a working chart
- Gala and fundraiser committeesstarting from last year's layout instead of redrawing the room from memory
If any of that sounds like your event, the import is worth trying before you place a single table by hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What file formats does AI floor-plan import accept? The designer’s file picker accepts PNG, JPG/JPEG, WebP, SVG, and PDF. Use the separate Event Manager template flow for DXF. Image uploads have a 12 MB limit; PDFs have a smaller 4.5 MB limit and normally need to be a single page. Check the dialog for current limits.
How accurate is it? AI can estimate tables, seat counts, and areas such as stages and dance floors. Check all of these against your source. DXF imports preserve supported geometry using the drawing’s scale information, but units and unsupported objects still need review. This feature is in beta.
Does it work on a phone photo, or do I need a proper scan? A phone photo can work. Take it straight-on in good light and include the complete plan. Prefer a clear source with readable labels; a PDF or CAD file still needs review.
How many imports do I get? Free designers have a limited trial; check the import dialog for your remaining allowance. Pro, Collaborate, and Event Manager include three AI imports per month under the standard allowance. Event Manager’s supported DXF geometry import is unmetered, while optional AI table detection uses credits.
Can I reuse an imported floor plan for future events in the same venue? Yes. Review the import and save your work on a paid plan. Event Manager lets you save the layout as a reusable template for future events.
Try It on Your Own Venue
Upload a clear image or a supported PDF to try AI floor-plan import. Event Manager users can import DXF geometry through the template workflow. Review and refine the result before using it for an event.
No signup required to try it. Review and refine every import before you rely on it.
