Scan a room with LiDAR

LiDAR scanning is the fastest, most accurate way to build an inventory. You walk the room with your device, the scanner measures the space and the furniture in it, and each piece lands with a real, measured cube in cubic feet. If you talk while you scan, the app turns what you say into inventory items as you go. This is called walk and talk, and it is the heart of Van Line Pro.

Who this is for: Crew and estimators building an inventory on-site. You'll need: An iPhone or iPad Pro with a LiDAR scanner, and camera plus microphone permission (the app asks the first time).

Before you start

• LiDAR needs a Pro device. It works on iPhone Pro models (12 Pro and newer) and iPad Pro. On a non-Pro iPhone or the Simulator, the app shows "Scanning unavailable" instead of the scanner. Use Photograph items or Dictate items on those devices.
• Grant camera access when asked. The first time, the app explains why before iOS shows its prompt. Tap Allow camera & continue. See Camera, microphone & photo permissions.
• Have the job open. Scanning happens inside a job. Create or open one first.

Start the scan

1. Open the job and tap Scan a room (LiDAR).

2. Pick or name the room. If you skip it, the app names rooms Room 1, Room 2, and so on. You can rename it on the review screen later.

3. The camera view opens and the scanner starts. Walk slowly around the room, pointing the device at the walls and at each piece of furniture. Moving slowly is what lets the scanner see and size each piece.

   Tip: Keep a steady, walking pace and give each large piece a moment in frame. Rushing past furniture is the most common reason a piece lands as an estimate instead of a measurement.

Walk and talk: say what you see

As you scan, just say each item out loud. Each thing you say appears as a card floating over the camera, newest at the bottom.

• Say "oak dresser" and a card appears for it.
• Say "six dining chairs" and you get six pieces, each numbered individually when the room is imported.
• Say "scratch on the top left corner" and the app turns it into a condition code on the current card. It is added only when you confirm it.
• Say "pile of stuff on this counter" and the app opens carton estimating for the pile.

Each card shows the item name, category, its measured cube, and a badge:

• MEASURED (green) means LiDAR locked a real measurement onto that piece.
• EST. (gray) means the size is a catalog estimate, not a measurement.

You also feel it: a firm tap on the device means a real measurement locked on; a soft tap means it landed as an estimate.

What each card button does

Important: Nothing you say is added to the inventory on its own. Every card waits for you to tap Add, and the review screen after you finish is the final check. This is the confirm-first rule that keeps the inventory truthful.

Photograph damage during the scan

Tap the camera button on any card to photograph pre-existing damage without stopping the scan. The photo is taken straight from the live view. If AI photo analysis is on for your company, the app suggests condition codes from the photo, and you review and confirm each one before it lands. See Photographing damage.

Flag a misc pile

For loose goods that get boxed rather than moved as-is (a counter of kitchen items, a closet shelf), tap Misc pile or say something like "pile of books on the counter." The app opens carton estimating: describe the pile, optionally photograph it, get a carton suggestion if AI is on, adjust the counts, and add them. See Boxes & cartons.

Finish and review

1. When the room is done, tap Finish Scan (or say "done"). The live scan stops and the app builds the room model. You'll see "Building room model…", then "Identifying items…".

2. On the review screen, check every line before it lands:

   • The room name is editable at the top.
   • A measured floor plan appears if the scan produced geometry.
   • Each item has an include/exclude toggle and shows its cube and badge.
   • A line marked "Confirmed during walk" is one you already tapped Add on. A line marked "Heard during walk — not confirmed" arrives unchecked: include it or drop it.
   • Damage shows as "Pre-existing: Scratched, Dented", or as a heard note you still need to code by hand.

3. Tap Scan another room to keep going in the same session (rooms get aligned into one home), or tap Done to import everything into the job.

Result: Each included piece is imported as an individually numbered item with its measured or estimated cube and weight, filed under its room. Confirmed cartons show up under Packing materials on the job.

Good to know

• One piece, one measurement. If you set a quantity above 1 (say, "six chairs"), the app releases the single LiDAR measurement and gives every piece a catalog estimate instead. Measurements are for single pieces.
• RoomPlan sees coarse shapes. Apple's scanner reports furniture as broad types (most cabinets, dressers, and wardrobes come back as "Storage / Cabinet"). The app refines the real name from what you say and, when AI is on, from vision. The measured size always comes from LiDAR.
• Weight is derived from cube. You don't enter weight; the app calculates it from the measured cube and the item's category. You can override it by hand in the Item Editor. See Categories & how weight is estimated.
• Numbers are permanent. Each piece gets a permanent inventory number at import. To retire a stickered piece later, void it, don't delete it. See Item numbers: Void vs. Delete.

Common mistakes

• Walking too fast. Pieces land as estimates instead of measurements. Slow down and let each large item sit in frame for a beat.
• Saying a quantity when you want a measurement. "Two nightstands" gives you two estimated pieces. If you want each measured, scan and name them one at a time.
• Assuming what you said was added. It wasn't until you tapped Add and kept it on the review screen. Always work the review screen before tapping Done.
• Skipping damage because you're mid-scan. Use the card's camera button and say the damage out loud. An un-noted scratch becomes a claim at delivery.

Troubleshooting

• "Scanning unavailable" — your device has no LiDAR scanner, or you're on the Simulator. Use a Pro device, or capture by photo, voice, or catalog instead.
• "No objects were detected. Try again, moving slowly so the scanner sees each piece of furniture." — the scan ended without finding furniture. Rescan more slowly, keeping pieces in frame.
• A card dropped to EST. after it was MEASURED — the scanner retracted that detection mid-scan (it lost the piece). Re-point at the item, or fix the cube by hand in the Item Editor.
• Camera is off / "Camera access is off" — turn camera access on for Van Line Pro in the iOS Settings app. See Camera, microphone & photo permissions.

Related articles

• Walk & talk: narrate items while you scan
• Choosing a capture method
• The review screen after a scan
• The Item Editor, field by field
• Record pre-existing damage