For sign shops, fabricators & awning teams

Turn Sign Surveys into CAD Drawings and Proofs

LaunchAI converts site-survey sketches, measured storefront photos and sign criteria into CAD drawings and scaled sign proofs. It prepares the quote using your shop rules, flags missing sizes and mounting details, and waits for your designer or project manager to approve.

See your sketches converted to CAD See the approval screen

For designers, estimators, project managers and owners at sign shops, electric sign fabricators and awning makers

Thursday. Sales did four surveys yesterday. All four want a proof by Friday.

The survey lives on the salesperson's phone: forty photos of a storefront, a 4' level held against the fascia for scale, and the survey form with a sketch on it. "Fascia 24'6, sign band 30"?, 18" C/L on raceway, white returns?" The landlord's sign criteria are a PDF somebody forwarded. The logo is a 200-pixel JPG from the customer's Facebook page. The awning job next door says "22'4" wide, 4' proj, 10" val, mount @ 9'." And the GC left a voicemail: power is "in the ceiling somewhere."

So you open CorelDRAW and start. Scale the photo off the level. Draw the fascia and the sign band. Rebuild the logo as vectors. Set the letters to the biggest the criteria allow, size the raceway, pick return depth and color, faces, trim cap, mounting. Mock it onto the photo for the proof. Then draw it again for the permit: elevation with sign area, frontage, site plan, electrical. Then type all of it into ShopVOX: letters, LEDs, power supplies, raceway, lift, install hours, permit fee.

All of that happens before anyone has paid you. The shop that sends a clean proof that already passes the landlord's criteria usually gets the deposit. The one that doesn't gets a landlord rejection, a two-week permit resubmittal, or a raceway on foam with nothing behind it.

What the job looks like today

  1. Scale the survey

    Work out real sizes from a level in a photo and a sketch on a form.

  2. Draw the proof

    Letters, raceway, returns and mounting, before anyone has paid.

  3. Read the criteria

    Max letter height, colors, lighting, share of frontage.

  4. Draw it again for permit

    Elevation, sign area, site plan, electrical.

  5. Type it again for the quote

    Every part and labor line, into the shop system.

Where it goes wrong

The survey is right. It just isn't the whole sign.

Salespeople measure what they can reach. The proof needs what the landlord, the city and the installer will ask about.

  • Fascia isn't the sign band

    The fascia is 24' 6". The usable band between the pilasters and under the coping is less, and the criteria cap the sign at a share of the frontage anyway.

  • Stucco or EIFS

    Real stucco over block holds a raceway. EIFS is foam with a skin, and without blocking behind it the sign is hanging on nothing. They look the same in a photo.

  • The criteria nobody read

    The customer wants 24" letters. The center allows 18" and wants returns to match the fascia. A proof that ignores the criteria wins the customer and loses the landlord.

  • Drop, with or without the valance

    4' projection, 10" drop. Rigid valance, it's in the drop. Loose valance, it hangs below it, and the awning is 10" lower over the door than anyone pictured.

Why it's still manual

Where sign design software still needs survey information

Sign shops have good design and shop-management software. It all starts after somebody has redrawn the survey.

  • Your CAD and quoting software

    Needs verified survey inputs

    CorelDRAW, Illustrator and Flexi provide design and production tools; shop systems handle estimating and job management. LaunchAI converts measured site surveys and sketches into CAD drawings and scaled proofs, then prepares the related quote information.

  • Generic AI and OCR models

    Needs source checks

    A chat model reads "18" C/L" as 18" centerline, "24'6" as 246, and "7328 faces" as seven thousand faces. It won't open the landlord's criteria, and it drops the question mark off "white returns?".

  • Image-to-CAD converters

    Needs dimensions and criteria

    Auto-trace and image-to-vector tools turn the logo JPG into lumpy curves and the survey sketch into a wobbly rectangle. Neither knows how big anything is.

  • Measuring apps and configurators

    Needs a complete survey

    Photo-measuring apps help when the salesperson remembers to use them. Most surveys still come back as photos, a level for scale and a sketch on the form.

Written on the paperGeneric OCR / AI modelLaunchAI agent
18" C/L 18" centerline 18" channel letters C/L is centerline on a drawing and channel letters on a sign survey.
24'6 246" 24' 6" (294") The foot mark is the first thing to disappear on a phone photo.
7328 faces 7,328 faces White 7328 acrylic faces, 6 letters Color numbers look like quantities to anything outside the trade.

How the agent does it

From site-survey sketches to sign proofs and quote drafts

The agent uses the measurements, photos and criteria your team supplies to prepare the proof in your design tools. Missing dimensions and conflicting requirements stay flagged for review.

ShopVOXMain St Bakery · channel letters · new quote Agent working · your login · this PC
GeneralDetailsPricingNotes
  • Front-lit channel letters on raceway ← Survey form
  • BAKERY · 6 letters ← Survey sketch
  • 18" ← Survey; criteria max 18"
  • 5" aluminum · color to confirm ← Survey, low confidence
  • 7328 white acrylic · 1" trim cap ← Your default
  • 18' 0" · painted to match fascia ← Letter layout + criteria
  • 1 circuit · disconnect at raceway ← GC voicemail 7:25
  • Boom lift · 2 installers · 4 hrs ← Your install table
Saved as draft. Nothing is sent until you approve.Send to review

  1. Reads the survey

    Sketch, photos, criteria and voicemails, with a confidence score on every value.

  2. Scales and checks

    Scales the photos off the reference and checks every size against the landlord's criteria.

  3. Drafts the proof

    In your design software, with your title block, your standard notes and the photo mockup.

  4. Prices it

    Letters, LEDs, power supplies, raceway, lift and install hours in your shop system.

  5. Your designer approves

    Confirm the flagged return color; the proof and quote go out.

Caught at the desk

Check sign sizes and survey gaps before approval

Today the order bounces when someone hits save. The agent runs the same checks first, fills what it can from a trusted source, and brings you only the one thing that needs a person.

Today

Convert to order · quote #10482Failed rules 4

Proof cannot go to the customer

  • Return color not confirmed
  • Sign band height not measured
  • Fascia material not identified
  • Power location missing

Verify the following

  • Letter height vs landlord criteria

With the agent

Agent checks · before review5/6 passed

  • Scaled from the survey

    Photo scaled off the 4' level; fascia agrees with the taped 24' 6" within 1".

    Pass

  • Letters meet the criteria

    18" letters; sign area within the center's share of frontage.

    Pass

  • Return color unconfirmed

    Written "white returns?". Drafted white; the criteria say match the fascia. Confirm.

    Needs you

  • Raceway fits the band

    18' raceway clears both pilasters and the door header.

    Pass

  • Wall can hold it

    A chipped corner in the survey photos shows stucco over block: standard anchors.

    Pass

  • Permit set started

    Elevation with sign area, site plan and electrical notes drafted for the city.

    Pass

Human review

You approve the drawing, not the typing

The paperwork on one side, the agent's drawing on the other, and every value it read in between, with the one it's unsure of called out.

LaunchAI Portal · Reviews

Approval you asked for

Approve the Main St Bakery proof Pending

The agent drafted the channel-letter proof from the site survey, checked it against the plaza's criteria and priced it. The return color note is unclear.

Medium risk 1 of 9 in your queue Sketch to CAD · step 02.5 · Review proof

Agent suggests: Approve after confirming white 5" returns. Fascia width and letter height match the survey and the landlord criteria.

Source sketchmain_st_bakery_survey.jpg
24' 6" fascia18" B A K E R Y raceway, white returns? door window
Storefront sign · elevationOpen in CorelDRAW
24' 6" FASCIA18" LTR B A K E R Y RACEWAY · 5" RETURNS WHITE EXIST. DOOR EXIST. STOREFRONT Storefront sign · elevation · Rev A ● Preview synced just now

Dimensions read from sketch

  • Fascia width“24' 6" fascia” 24' 6"
  • Letter height“18"” 18"
  • Copy“B A K E R Y” BAKERY
  • Mounting“raceway” Raceway, painted to match
  • Landlord max“criteria p.3” 18" · passes
  • ReturnsLooks like “white returns?” 5" white
Every value links back to where it was read on the sketch. Request changes Approve CAD

Inputs and outputs

Site surveys in. Scaled sign proofs and quotes out.

  • Site-survey forms with sketches and measurements
  • Storefront photos with a level or tape in frame for scale
  • Landlord and HOA sign criteria
  • Customer logos and artwork, in whatever file they found
  • Awning surveys: width, projection, drop, valance, mounting height
  • A scaled, dimensioned proof in CorelDRAW, Illustrator, Flexi or AutoCAD
  • A photo mockup the customer can approve
  • Permit drawings: elevation with sign area, site plan, electrical notes
  • The estimate built in ShopVOX, Corebridge or your estimating tool
  • Awning elevations, frame cut lists and fabric yardage

Your workflow

From sign proof to a checked estimate

Sign estimating software needs the construction details behind the proof. For the channel-letter example, letter sizes, faces, returns, raceway, lighting, installation access and labor all affect the price.

LaunchAI prepares the proof and estimate draft using the survey information and your configured shop rules. Your designer or estimator confirms the flagged details, checks the cost assumptions and approves the package before release.

Proof details
Copy, dimensions, materials, colors and the survey information behind the design.
Estimate inputs
Your configured material quantities, labor, equipment, installation and permit allowances.
Approval
Review both the proof and quote, with unresolved site or mounting details called out.

Your numbers

What it gives back to your team

Change the numbers to match your shop.

Example values. Put in your own.

25hours back per week
1,225hours back per year (50 weeks)
0.6full-time people's worth of typing

today with the agent: review only

Your software

Works with your sign design and estimating software

The page illustrates CorelDRAW and ShopVOX. Bring your software versions, sample survey and estimating rules so we can confirm the proof, quote and approval steps for your shop.

  • CorelDRAW
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • FlexiSIGN
  • AutoCAD
  • ShopVOX
  • Corebridge
  • Awning Composer
  • Outlook and text inbox

FAQ

Sign proofs and estimating: common questions

Can the agent draft in CorelDRAW or FlexiSIGN?

Yes. LaunchAI agents work in your desktop design software through the screen, the way your designer does, so CorelDRAW, Illustrator, Flexi and AutoCAD all work without a plug-in or integration.

How does it get real sizes from a photo?

From the reference your salesperson put in the frame, a level, a tape or a known door height, cross-checked against the measurements on the survey. If they disagree by more than your tolerance, it asks instead of picking one.

What if the survey is missing the sign band, the power or the wall type?

The agent never invents a dimension or a mounting condition. It flags what's missing, drafts the question to the salesperson or the GC, and can send a proof marked "subject to field verification" if you allow that.

Who approves before the proof or the permit goes out?

Your designer or PM. The agent prepares the proof, permit drawings and quote and stops. Every flagged value has to be confirmed, and nothing goes to the customer, the landlord or the city without that approval.

Does it do awnings too?

Yes. Width, projection, drop, valance and mounting height become an elevation, a frame cut list and fabric yardage in Awning Composer or your CAD, with the same check on whether the valance is in the drop.

Will it fill our estimate in ShopVOX or Corebridge?

Yes. It builds the job, line items, materials and labor in ShopVOX, Corebridge or your estimating tool with your team's logins, using your own pricing.

Can it use the pricing rules in our sign shop estimating software?

Bring a sample quote and your configured product, material and labor rules. The example prepares a ShopVOX quote; your team confirms how its own system represents fabrication, lighting, lift time, installation and permit allowances. Your estimator checks the draft price before it is released.

What kinds of signs does this workflow cover?

The page illustrates a physical storefront sign: survey measurements become a scaled proof, drawing draft and quote for designer review. Digital-screen playlists, display scheduling and remote screen management require a digital-signage system. Bring your sign type and sample survey so we can confirm the drafting workflow.

Can we use artwork from an online sign design tool?

Bring the exported artwork and the site survey together. Your designer needs to confirm real dimensions, usable artwork quality, sign construction and the applicable criteria before approving a physical-sign proof. The workflow on this page prepares that shop proof and quote in your existing tools.

Other industries

The same agent, other trades

Pools & outdoor living

Metal & fabrication

Kitchens, interiors & glass

Building products & structures

Signs, covers & soft goods

How the Sketch-to-CAD agent works

Send us last week's site surveys.

See your sign surveys converted into CAD drawings and proofs.

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