Sketch2Space
Floor plan and 3D glossary
Short, plain-English definitions of the terms you'll meet when turning a floor plan into a 3D model. Each one links back to the guides where it's used.
DAE / COLLADA#
A DAE file (file extension .dae) uses the COLLADA format — an open standard for sharing 3D models between programs. Sketch2Space exports your model as a .dae file so you can open it in SketchUp, Blender, and most CAD tools. See Export to CAD.
BIM#
BIM (Building Information Modeling) is a way of describing a building as a smart 3D model where each element — wall, door, window — carries information, not just shape. BIM models are used across design, construction, and facilities management.
IFC#
IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is an open file format for exchanging BIM models between different software. It is an international standard, so an IFC model made in one tool can be opened in another.
Floor plan#
A floor plan is a drawing that shows a building from above, as if the roof were removed — the layout of rooms, walls, doors, and windows on one level. It's the starting point Sketch2Space converts into a 3D model.
Orthographic projection#
An orthographic projection is a flat, straight-on view with no perspective, so lines that are parallel in real life stay parallel in the drawing. Floor plans are orthographic top-down views, which is what makes them measurable.
Topology#
In a floor plan, topology means how the parts connect — which rooms share a wall, where openings sit, and the outer boundary — separate from exact measurements. Sketch2Space always preserves topology, even when exact dimensions have to be estimated.
Scale#
Scale is the relationship between a distance on the drawing and the real distance it represents (for example, 1 cm on paper = 1 m in the building). Sketch2Space uses scale clues in your sketch to size the 3D model correctly; where none are marked, it estimates from the drawing's proportions.