Bring reference material into your project as an underlay. Trace over it, plan on top of it, and keep it pinned in place.
Add underlays (CAD or image) from the toolbar's Context group button, Main menu → Import, or just drag and drop the file straight onto your canvas. You can add multiple underlays, move them, and change their levels from the capsule menu.
CAD underlay (DXF, DWG)
- Choose CAD Underlay (DXF, DWG) and select your file. (💎 DWG import requires a paid plan; DXF is available to everyone.)
- If the file's units aren't specified, Hypar asks you to choose them. Files that appear larger than 5 km trigger a scaling prompt so you can correct the units.
- Use the placed underlay’s capsule menu to move it to a different level, replace, change units or pin in place.
- Replacing a drawing: choose Replace in the capsule menu and pick the new file. Your current drawing stays on screen while the new one loads, and its label reads Replacing… until the new one lands. The swap counts as one undo step. If the new file fails to load, Hypar keeps the original drawing in place.
Image or PDF underlay (PNG, PDF, JPG)
- Choose Image Underlay (PNG, PDF, JPG) and select your file.
- Set the scale so the drawing measures correctly. Either choose a known scale (e.g. 1/8" = 1'-0") or click a dimension on the underlay and Set real-world length to what it should measure. Hypar warns you ("Scale not set!") until a scale is applied.
- Hypar also sanity-checks units; if your underlay looks imperial but the project is metric (or vice versa), it offers a one-click switch of project units.
- Use the placed underlay’s capsule menu to move it to a different level, replace or pin in place.
- If you import a vector PDF, Hypar will even snap to your PDF lines.
Trace an image underlay into rooms
Turn a floor plan image or PDF into editable spaces, stairs, elevators, shafts and corridors in one click, instead of redrawing it by hand. Select the underlay and Hypar reads it in the background. When the trace is ready, the Trace button on the underlay's capsule menu shows how many rooms it found.
- Set the underlay's scale if you haven't yet. Until it's set, the button reads "Set the scale to trace".
- Rest the pointer on the button to preview the rooms on the plan.
- Click it to apply the trace.
Rooms become spaces. Stairs, elevators and shafts become the matching elements. Circulation areas become corridors, so you don't have to delete room-shaped spaces. Hypar then snaps walls that nearly meet and zooms to the result.
Laser scan (LAZ, LAS) ( 💎 paid feature)
- Choose Laser Scan (LAZ, LAS) in the main menu under import and select your file.
- Pick a processing Quality (Low, Medium, High, Max) and click Import. Higher quality takes longer to process.
Last verified against Hypar v0.2.050 — November 2, 2026.