For steel building & post-frame order desks

Turn Steel Building Sketches into CAD Drawings

LaunchAI converts dealer sketches, order forms and phone notes into CAD building models, elevations and approval drawings. Your team confirms dimensions, openings and flagged details before release. Your engineer owns structural analysis, connection design and final engineering approval.

See your sketches converted to CAD See the approval screen

For order desks, estimators and drafting departments at steel building, carport and post-frame manufacturers and the builders and lumber dealers who quote them

March, first warm weekend. Every dealer lot sold a building.

You come in to a stack. Dealer invoices with the grid on the back, a box drawn on it, "40x60x14" across the top and a roll-up drawn on what is either the sidewall or the end, depending on which way you hold it. A photo of the same form on a truck dash. A lumber yard emailing a pole barn off a contractor's legal pad. Three voicemails, one of which is a dealer reading you a building over the phone from the customer's driveway.

So you open the builder and type it in. Width, length, leg or eave height, roof style, pitch, gauge. Frame-outs, door sizes and which wall they're on, walk door, windows, wainscot, lean-to and which side. Then the part the sketch never has: the county, so you can set the wind and snow cert. Is the lot level. Concrete, asphalt or ground anchors. Colors for roof, walls and trim, because the dealer wrote "same as the house."

Every wrong guess shows up later and costs more each time: a revised approval drawing if engineering catches it, a red tag if the inspector does, and if nobody does, a crew standing on site with a 12' door and an 11' header. The first manufacturer back with a clean drawing and a price usually gets the deposit.

What the job looks like today

  1. Decode the form

    Which wall is which, what "x14" means, whose handwriting that is.

  2. Type it in

    Size, roof, doors, frame-outs, lean-tos, colors: field by field.

  3. Chase the dealer

    County, pitch, door heights, anchor type. Leave a message.

  4. Price and send

    Check the material list, set the cert, send the quote.

  5. Wait on drawings

    Engineering finds what you missed, and it goes around again.

Where it goes wrong

Every red tag started as a box on the back of an invoice

Dealers sell buildings, not drawings. The sketch tells you what the customer pictured, and leaves out most of what engineering and the install crew need.

  • The door is taller than the wall

    A 12' roll-up needs header room above it for the drum. On 12' legs it doesn't fit; on a 14' eave it does. Same door, same dealer, same afternoon: one of them is a problem.

  • Left side, from where?

    "Door on the left side" means one thing standing in the driveway and the opposite thing standing in the backyard. The sketch rarely says which end is the gable facing the road.

  • Non-cert in a cert county

    The customer told the dealer he didn't need a permit. The county needs 140 mph and 30 psf ground snow, stamped. Now it's new drawings, heavier gauge and a new price after the deposit.

  • The lot that isn't level

    "Pad is ready" on the form, "slopes about a foot" in the photo. Over 3" out of level and the crew either can't install or you're quoting uneven legs on site.

Why it's still manual

Where steel building design software still needs clean input

This trade bought configurators to stop hand-quoting. They work for the orders that come in through them. A lot of yours still don't.

  • Your CAD and quoting software

    Needs reviewed inputs

    Building configurators and CAD tools create models and approval drawings. LaunchAI converts dealer sketches and order dimensions into CAD building models and drawing packages. Engineering calculations and design checks remain in your engineering workflow.

  • Generic AI and OCR models

    Needs source checks

    A chat model reads "4/12" on an image of the order form as a date or a fraction, "3070" as a quantity, and fills in eave height with whatever is typical. It won't tell you which side the lean-to is on because the sketch doesn't, and it won't say that it guessed.

  • Image-to-CAD converters

    Needs measured geometry

    Image-to-CAD converters trace the box on the grid. You get four lines in a DXF, no doors, no pitch, no loads, and a building that is as long as the dealer's handwriting was wide.

  • Measuring apps and configurators

    Works best with complete input

    Customer-facing 3D builders get the self-serve buyer. The dealer at a gravel lot with a customer on the phone still writes it on an invoice, and the custom shop with a lean-to and a mezzanine never fit the builder anyway.

Written on the paperGeneric OCR / AI modelLaunchAI agent
4/12? 4/12 (date: Apr 12) Roof pitch 4:12, low confidence, sent to the order desk Pitch is written like a fraction and a date; only the sketch says it's a roof.
3070 3,070 Walk door 3' 0" x 7' 0" Door shorthand looks like a quantity to anything that hasn't hung a door.
sides 2 pnl dn "sides 2 panel down" (note dropped) Sidewalls partly enclosed: 2 panels from the eave down Carport shorthand changes the wall, the trim and the price.

How the agent does it

From dealer sketches to building models and approval drawings

The agent prepares the configuration in your existing builder using the dimensions and rules your team supplies. Missing details stay flagged for review before the quote or drawing package is released.

SmartBuildHollister garage 40x60 · new quote Agent working · your login · this PC
GeneralDetailsPricingNotes
  • 40' 0" x 60' 0" ← Order form, top line
  • 14' 0" ← "x14" on sketch
  • 4:12 ← Sketch note, low confidence
  • 1 @ 12' x 12' · front gable ← Sketch + dealer voicemail
  • 3070 · right sidewall ← Sketch, "3070"
  • 1 @ 3040 ← Sketch, "win"
  • 140 mph · 30 psf ground snow ← Your county table
  • Burnished slate / ash gray / white trim ← Dealer email 7:03
Saved as draft. Nothing is sent until you approve.Send to review

  1. Reads the order

    Forms, photos, sketches and voicemails, with a confidence score on every value.

  2. Applies your rules

    Your county load table, header clearances, gauge by cert, standard trims.

  3. Builds the building

    Opens your builder and models it the way your best order desk person would.

  4. Asks only what it must

    No county? No lean-to side? It drafts the text to the dealer instead of guessing.

  5. You approve

    Confirm the flagged pitch; the quote goes out and the order queues for engineering.

Caught at the desk

Resolve building dimensions before engineering review

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 5

Order incomplete · cannot send to engineering

  • Roof pitch not confirmed
  • Wind and snow cert not set for the county
  • Overhead door framed-opening height missing
  • Lean-to side not specified
  • Anchor type not selected

Verify the following

  • 12' door on a 12' leg: header clearance

With the agent

Agent checks · before review5/6 passed

  • Size matches the deposit

    40' x 60' x 14' agrees with the dealer invoice and the price class it was sold at.

    Pass

  • Roof pitch unclear

    Written "4/12?". Modelled at 4:12; confirm before engineering.

    Needs you

  • Doors clear the header

    12' x 12' roll-up on a 14' eave: header clearance meets your minimum.

    Pass

  • Loads set for the site

    County lookup: 140 mph, 30 psf. Order switched from non-cert to certified.

    Pass

  • Latest change applied

    Voicemail 7:20 moved the walk door to the rear end of the right sidewall.

    Pass

  • Anchors and site

    Concrete slab per the dealer: concrete anchors. Lot photo looks level.

    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 Hollister 40 x 60 quote Pending

The agent built the garage from an image of the dealer's form and a voicemail and priced it. The roof pitch is hard to read.

Medium risk 1 of 27 in your queue Sketch to CAD · step 03.1 · Review building model

Agent suggests: Approve after confirming the 4:12 pitch. Size, doors, walk door and window match the sketch; loads are set from the county.

Source sketchtri-county_order_2231.pdf
40' wide14' eave 12x12 RU door 3070 4/12? win
Steel building · front elevationOpen in SmartBuild
40' 0" SPAN14' EAVE 12' x 12' RU DOOR 3070 WALK DR 4:12 PITCH 3040 WIN Steel building · front elev · Rev A ● Preview synced just now

Dimensions read from sketch

  • Width“40' wide” 40' 0"
  • Eave height“14' eave” 14' 0"
  • Overhead door“12x12 RU door” 12' x 12' roll-up
  • Walk door“3070” 3' 0" x 7' 0"
  • Window“win” 3040
  • Roof pitchLooks like “4/12?” 4:12
Every value links back to where it was read on the sketch. Request changes Approve CAD

Inputs and outputs

Dealer forms in. Building models and approval drawings out.

  • Dealer order forms and invoices with the sketch on the grid
  • Photos of the form, the lot and the customer's existing buildings
  • Lumber yard and contractor pole-barn sketches
  • Phone and voicemail changes: doors, sides, lean-tos
  • Site address for wind and snow cert, colors and trim
  • The building entered in SmartBuild, Pole Barn Pro or your 3D builder
  • Elevations and a 3D view the customer can sign
  • Material list and price from your current price book
  • An approval drawing package queued for engineering
  • A short list of questions back to the dealer, only for what's missing

Your workflow

Prepare clear inputs for steel connection design software

Steel connection design software checks how a connection carries the forces supplied by the engineer. A building sketch and a CAD elevation provide geometry; the engineer also needs defined members, materials, design actions and connection details.

The workflow on this page prepares the building configuration and approval drawings from dealer paperwork. Connection calculations, member sizing and engineering approval remain with your engineering team and its chosen design tools.

Source documents
Dealer sketches, opening dimensions, building configuration and the latest engineering instructions.
Questions to resolve
Unclear dimensions, missing member references and details that have not been approved.
Engineering review
The engineer establishes forces, selects connection details and verifies the design before fabrication.

Your workflow

Prepare the geometry for steel truss design software

A dealer sketch can establish the requested span, roof pitch and building openings. Steel truss design also needs the engineering definition of the truss: supports, members, materials, loading and connection requirements.

LaunchAI prepares the building configuration and draft drawing from the supplied information. Your truss designer and engineer select the truss system and verify its members, bracing and connections in their design workflow. Unclear dimensions stay open for review.

Building geometry
Confirm span, pitch, eave height, openings and the latest sketch revision.
Engineering inputs
Supply approved support conditions, member definitions, load data and connection requirements.
Design release
The engineer verifies the truss and its interfaces before manufacturing or erection.

Your numbers

What it gives back to your team

Change the numbers to match your shop.

Example values. Put in your own.

47hours back per week
2,333hours back per year (50 weeks)
1.2full-time people's worth of typing

today with the agent: review only

Your software

Works with your building configurator and drafting tools

The illustrated workflow uses SmartBuild. Structural steel design software handles engineering calculations separately. Bring your builder version, rules and sample order so we can confirm the drafting and review workflow.

  • SmartBuild
  • Pole Barn Pro
  • DriveWorks
  • Your 3D building configurator
  • AutoCAD
  • MBS engineering software
  • Your dealer portal
  • Excel, email, text and fax inbox

FAQ

Steel building sketch-to-CAD: common questions

We already have a 3D builder for dealers. Why an agent?

Your builder is fast once somebody types the building in. The agent does that typing from the forms, photos and voicemails dealers actually send, and handles the custom jobs that don't fit the builder at all.

Does it work in SmartBuild, Pole Barn Pro or our own order system?

Yes. LaunchAI agents use your software through the screen with your team's logins, the same way your order desk does. There's no integration, export or API project.

How does it set wind and snow loads?

From the site address and the county table you give it, the same one your order desk uses. If the county needs a cert the dealer sold as non-cert, it flags the order before it reaches engineering.

What happens when the sketch doesn't say which side the door is on?

It doesn't pick one. It holds the order, drafts a one-line question to the dealer with the sketch attached, and can model your default so the price is ready the moment they answer.

Who signs off before anything goes to the customer or engineering?

Your people. The agent prepares the model, price and approval drawing package and stops. Every flagged value has to be confirmed by someone on your team, and nothing is released or ordered without that approval.

Can it handle pole barns from the lumber yard counter too?

Yes. Post spacing, truss spacing, overhangs, girts, wainscot and sliding doors from a contractor's sketch go into Pole Barn Pro or your estimating tool the same way. For the trusses themselves, see lumber and trusses.

Does LaunchAI replace steel design software for structural analysis?

LaunchAI prepares inputs, building configurations and draft drawings from the paperwork your team receives. Structural analysis, load combinations, member capacity checks and engineering sign-off stay in your engineering workflow. The CAD drawing on this page is prepared for review by your team.

What if the sketch is missing connection forces or member details?

Those inputs need to come from the engineering documents or your engineer. The drawing workflow can surface the missing information, but a sketch does not establish design forces, member grades, bolt grades or weld requirements. Engineering must resolve the details before connection calculations and fabrication release.

Which building information should be confirmed before engineering review?

Confirm the building dimensions, roof pitch, openings, site information and the latest approved specifications. Engineering input values must come from your approved documents and rules. Any conflict between the dealer form, drawings and later instructions should be resolved before the package is released.

Can this replace cold-formed steel design software?

Cold-formed steel member, connection and bracing checks remain with your engineering team and its specialist design software. LaunchAI prepares the dealer information and building configuration illustrated here. Confirm profiles, thicknesses, material specifications and approved engineering inputs before the package is released.

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The same agent, other trades

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How the Sketch-to-CAD agent works

Send us a week of dealer order forms.

See your building sketches converted into CAD drawings.

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