Publish a visitor floorplan and check it before an event
Understand the separate import and publishing charges, inspect a public visitor link on mobile, and plan for the end of its 90-day publishing period.
Build3D Floorplans product documentation · Reviewed 22 October 2026
Prepare colored exhibition styling
Choose Settings, Appearance, Exhibition. Select a booth and Customize booth to change furniture, displays and shell details inside its footprint. Adjust the hall floor color and background separately. Save, preview and republish to update the visitor view. This styling is included in publishing; standard exports remain free. See the styling guide.
Preview and buy geographic sharing
Use Settings, Geographic map & QR locations to place the whole drawing or individual halls. Preview map placement is free. Standard publishing is 10 credits for 90 days; geographic sharing adds 5 credits, for a total of 15 on a new publication. On an existing publication the add-on costs 5 credits for the remaining period, up to 90 days. Updates during active add-on access are free. Review the total before confirming.
Verify geographic accuracy
Use two distant matching drawing points and real coordinates to calculate origin, rotation and scale, then check a third corner and all entrances in the preview. Uniform scaling cannot correct a distorted scan. Use reliable venue measurements and verify placement with the organizer. The link embeds a map on Build3D Floorplans; it does not upload an indoor map into Google Maps. See the alignment guide.
Separate preparation from publication
Saving a project keeps editable work in your account. Publishing makes a visitor-facing version available through a link. A successful import does not automatically activate public navigation. Review the drawing, labels, entrances and floor connections first. Private previews are useful for editing, but they are not a replacement for testing the actual visitor experience.
Understand which action uses credits
A standard import costs 1 credit per selected page or drawing when the reviewed layout is saved. Failed or cancelled standard imports release their reservations. AI import has a confirmed quote and is charged when a valid editable result is delivered, even if you do not save it. Publishing one floorplan is a separate 10-credit action covering 90 days. Editing, furniture and standard exports are free; publication updates and embedding are included during the active period. See the public pricing explanation before purchasing.
Activate and publish from the sharing controls
Open the sharing controls for the intended floorplan and read the cost and period before confirming. Use the generated visitor link, not the editor URL in your browser’s address bar. An editor link belongs to the account workflow and may lead another person to sign in. Check that the publication includes the latest saved changes you intend visitors to see. Do not publish confidential contact notes or unnecessary personal details.
Test as a visitor
Open the generated link in a private browser window where you are not signed in. Repeat the check on a phone. Search for a known space, select a starting point and request a route. Check floor switching, names, doors and the route to destinations near irregular boundaries. If you embed the viewer, test it on the actual host page as well as directly: its available space and surrounding controls can affect usability.
Plan for updates and expiry
Keep the editor project as the maintained source. During an active publishing period, updates do not require a new import or a new publishing charge merely because you edit existing geometry. After the publishing period expires, the public link becomes unavailable while the owner can continue editing privately. Publishing does not renew automatically. Check the active-until date in the app before an event and before printing or distributing visitor materials.
Set appropriate expectations
Anything sent to a public browser can be inspected or captured. Do not promise that a public floorplan cannot be copied. Do not present route output as certified accessibility, emergency guidance or surveyed construction data. Give visitors a venue contact or staffed help point for conditions that differ from the drawing. If billing or publication status is unclear, contact support with a reference rather than passwords or full payment details.