facadetool.com

facadetool for autocad

Help & user guide. Turn a facade photograph into a clean, .dxf drawing, imported directly into your current AutoCAD model and ready to edit as native geometry.

Press F1 inside AutoCAD at any time to open this page.

1. What it does

facadetool converts a photograph of a building facade into a clean vector drawing. Inside AutoCAD, the plugin sends your photo to facadetool.com, returns a .dxf and a .png, and places the linework straight into your active drawing at full size. The geometry arrives as ordinary AutoCAD objects, so you can move, layer, trim, and dimension it exactly like anything you draw by hand.

2. Requirements

  • AutoCAD 2025 running on Windows.
  • An active internet connection. The conversion runs on facadetool.com, so the panel needs to reach the network.
  • The free Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime. The panel uses it to render. It ships with most current Windows installs. Download it from Microsoft if the panel appears blank.
  • A facadetool.com account. Free to create. Conversions use credits on your account.

3. Installing the plugin

Install facadetool from the Autodesk App Store. After it installs and AutoCAD restarts, the plugin loads on its own. A facadetool tab appears in the ribbon and the FACADETOOL command becomes available at the command line. There is no manual NETLOAD step and nothing else to configure.

4. Workflow

  1. Open the panel. Type FACADETOOL at the command line, or click the facadetool ribbon tab and press its button. The facadetool panel docks inside AutoCAD.
  2. Sign in. Log in with your facadetool.com account in the panel. If you are new, create an account in the same panel in a few seconds.
  3. Upload a facade photo. Drag in a new photograph, or pick a file you uploaded earlier. A straight, evenly lit shot of the facade gives the cleanest linework.
  4. Convert. Start the conversion. This uses credits. facadetool returns three items and keeps them in the panel: a .dxf vector drawing, a .png preview, and your original photo.
  5. Insert into your drawing. Click the .dxf to import the vector geometry into your current drawing. You can insert the .png or the original the same way. Imported objects arrive already selected and zoomed to view, ready to drag into position.
  6. Edit freely. The result is ordinary AutoCAD linework. Move it, trim it, place it on layers, and dimension it exactly like geometry you drew yourself.

5. Scale & units

facadetool writes the DXF at full size. On import, AutoCAD reads your drawing's $INSUNITS setting and scales the geometry to match, so the facade lands at real measurements in your model. If a result looks too large or too small, confirm that $INSUNITS matches the units you are drawing in, for example millimeters or meters.

6. Credits & pricing

Installing the plugin is free. Each conversion uses credits from your facadetool.com account. Buy credits in packs sized to your projects, with no punitive expiry, or move up to a Pro membership. See current pricing.

7. Troubleshooting

  • The panel is blank or will not load. Confirm you have an internet connection and that the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime is installed. Reopen the panel once it is in place.
  • Nothing imports when you click a result. Make sure a drawing is open and active in AutoCAD, then click the .dxf again.
  • You cannot sign in. Reload the panel by closing it and running FACADETOOL again. If it continues, sign in once at facadetool.com in a browser, then return to the panel.
  • Geometry imports at the wrong size. Check your $INSUNITS setting (see section 5).

8. Support

Questions, bugs, or feedback are welcome. Email support@facadetool.com and we will get back to you.

9. Privacy

Read how facadetool handles your photographs and account data in the Privacy Policy.