CAD Blocks

Turn a product photo into a CAD block

Drop in a photo or a screenshot from the maker's website. CAD Blocks draws the plan, front and side elevations at the size you give it, and hands you a DXF for AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, Vectorworks or Chief Architect.

No card needed. A block takes about a minute and a half to draw.

Photo of the Empire gondola side chair
Item
Empire gondola side chair
Size
W 480 × D 520 × H 820 mm
Sized by
Estimated from the photo
Drawn in
84 seconds
Blocks
CHAIR_GONDOLA_EMPIREwith _PLAN, _FRONT and _SIDE
Download this DXF Open it in your CAD program and see for yourself.

How it works

  1. Add a photo

    Drop in a product photo, paste a screenshot from the maker's site or add a PDF spec sheet. Use up to four images of the same item.

  2. Give the size

    Type the width, depth and height from the product page for an exact block. If you only know one, the rest follows the photo. Or let it estimate the size and scale it later.

  3. Download the DXF

    The plan, front and side arrive as three named blocks. Insert them into your drawing, or resize them here for free if the size changes.

What's in the file

One DXF holds three blocks, drawn true size in millimetres or inches. It opens in AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp Pro, Vectorworks and Chief Architect, so it fits whichever program your studio uses.

Blocks in a file for a sofa called SOFA_3SEAT
BlockViewInsertion point
SOFA_3SEAT_PLANPlanBack-left corner
SOFA_3SEAT_FRONTFront elevationBottom-left, at floor level
SOFA_3SEAT_SIDESide elevationBottom-left, at floor level
Layers
Linework sits on layer 0 with ByBlock colour, so each block takes the layer you insert it on. Or choose I-FURN, I-FURN-DETL and I-FURN-HIDN.
Hidden edges
Legs under a tabletop and other edges you can't see use a dashed HIDDEN linetype.
Attributes
Description, maker, model, width, depth and height travel with the block, plus where the size came from.
Resizing
Change the width, depth or height after drawing and download again. It's instant and doesn't use a block.

Pricing

Prices in

Free

to try it

Blocks3 a month

People1

ExtrasNo card needed

Start free

Pay as you go

a block

BlocksBuy 5 to 100 at a time

People1

ExtrasBlocks never expire

Buy blocks

Pro Best for one designer

a month

Blocks40 a month

People1

ExtrasWorks out at a block

Choose Pro

Studio

a month

Blocks150 a month, shared

PeopleUp to 5

ExtrasShared team library and batch upload of many photos at once

Choose Studio

Every plan gives you a DXF with plan, front and side, free resizing, and a choice of detailed or quick drawing. A drawing that fails doesn't use a block.

Monthly blocks reset each billing month and don't roll over. Cancel any time from your account; your plan runs to the end of the month you've paid for.

Questions

How accurate are the drawings?

The overall size is exact when you enter it, because every view is fitted to your width, depth and height. The proportions inside, such as arm height or leg spacing, follow the photo. Views the photo doesn't show are inferred, so check the block against the maker's spec sheet before issuing drawings.

What counts as a block?

Each item you draw uses one block, and you get its plan, front and side in one file. Resizing a finished block is free. Drawing the same item again, for example with a different photo or new notes, uses another block.

Can I get DWG files?

Not yet. DXF opens in every major CAD program, including AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp Pro, Vectorworks and Chief Architect, and you can save it as DWG from there. Direct DWG export is planned.

Which photos work best?

A straight-on product photo on a plain background gives the most accurate drawing, and a screenshot from the maker's website works well. Add a second photo from the side, or a PDF spec sheet, and the side elevation improves. Busy room shots work if you say which item to draw in the notes.

What happens to my photos?

They're used only to draw your blocks. Each photo is sent to Anthropic's Claude API, which does the drawing and doesn't use it to train models. Your photos and blocks stay in your library until you delete them. The privacy notice has the details.

Can I cancel?

Yes, any time, from your account page. Your plan keeps working until the end of the month you've paid for, then you move to the free plan. Pay-as-you-go blocks you've bought stay in your account.

Can my team share blocks?

On Studio, up to five people share 150 blocks a month and one library, so everyone can find and reuse what's been drawn. Studio also lets you upload a batch of photos at once, which helps when you're working through a whole FF&E schedule.

Can I get a refund?

Yes, for blocks you haven't used. Ask within 14 days and we'll refund unused pay-as-you-go blocks, or a first month on a plan where no blocks were drawn. Email hello@cadblocks.app. The terms explain how this works with your right to cancel.

Draw your first three blocks free

Sign in with your email address, add a photo and download the DXF. No card needed.

Try 3 free blocks

Looking for a ready-made block? Browse the free furniture block library.