Integrate Photo to CAD API

Quickstart

1. Open your dashboard and turn on Developer mode to reveal the API section — this link does it for you. New here? Create a free account first; email only, no card.
2. Create an API key — you get 5 free conversions to start. It's shown once, so store it securely.
3. Convert.

It's a plain REST API — call it from Python, Node, or any language. Here's the full convert-and-poll flow:

curl -X POST https://photocad.ai/api/v1/convert \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PHOTOCAD_API_KEY" \
  -F "image_file=@photo.jpg"
# → { "id": "…", "status": "processing" }   X-Credits-Charged: 0.0

# Python
import requests, time

r = requests.post(
    "https://photocad.ai/api/v1/convert",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"},
    files={"image_file": open("photo.jpg", "rb")},
)
conversion = r.json()

while True:
    time.sleep(5)
    s = requests.get(
        f"https://photocad.ai/api/v1/conversions/{conversion['id']}",
        headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"},
    ).json()
    if s["status"] != "processing":
        break

if s["status"] == "complete":
    dxf = requests.get(s["files"]["dxf"], headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"})
    open("drawing.dxf", "wb").write(dxf.content)

// Node.js
const form = new FormData()
form.append("image_file", new Blob([await fs.readFile("photo.jpg")]))

const kickoff = await fetch("https://photocad.ai/api/v1/convert", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${API_KEY}` },
  body: form,
}).then(r => r.json())

let status
do {
  await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 5000))
  status = await fetch(`https://photocad.ai/api/v1/conversions/${kickoff.id}`, {
    headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${API_KEY}` },
  }).then(r => r.json())
} while (status.status === "processing")

Free to start

Free to start. Every new key comes with 5 free conversions — real DXF/SVG/PDF output, so you can judge the results on your own images and hand a real file to whoever will use it. No card required.

Sandbox. To test your integration itself — polling, parsing, error handling — call the endpoint with a sample file. It returns a real, pre-generated drawing instantly and never spends a credit, so you can wire up your code before spending anything.

curl -X POST https://photocad.ai/api/v1/convert \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PHOTOCAD_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "sample": "car" }'
# → { "id": "…", "status": "complete" }  — instant, free; samples: car, building, dog

When your 5 free conversions are used, add a card and you're billed $2.00 per conversion, with automatic refunds if one fails.

Pricing

One credit converts one image into every output format. Start with 5 free conversions, then a flat $2.00 per credit — no tiers, no commitment, credits never expire.

• Auto top-up keeps your integration running unattended — off by default, one toggle in your dashboard.
• Failed conversions are refunded automatically — you pay only for delivered drawings.
• Your API credits also work on photocad.ai — same account, same balance, code or browser.

POST /api/v1/convert

Starts a conversion. Returns 202 with the conversion id immediately; the work runs in the background (see Polling).

Send the image one of three ways

Images are resized to 2,400 px on the long edge on arrival, so anything larger gains nothing — pre-resize or use image_url for big files.

Accepted formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP, TIFF, GIF, HEIC/HEIF, SVG — and PDF: a single-page PDF converts directly; for multi-page PDFs pass page (1-based) to choose the page. One page per request.

Options

Options travel with the image — as extra form fields (multipart) or JSON keys:

# multipart — options as extra -F fields:
curl -X POST https://photocad.ai/api/v1/convert \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PHOTOCAD_API_KEY" \
  -F "image_file=@photo.jpg" \
  -F "remove_background=true" -F "detailed=true"

# JSON — options alongside the image:
{ "image_url": "https://example.com/photo.jpg",
  "remove_background": true, "detailed": true }

Response 202

{ "id": "0f6f…", "status": "processing", "credits_remaining": 19 }

The X-Credits-Chargedheader reports this request's exact ledger movement (1.0, or 0.0 for free and sandbox conversions).

GET /api/v1/conversions/{id}

Poll until status is terminal.

{
  "id": "0f6f…",
  "status": "complete",
  "title": "Gable Roof Plan",
  "width_mm": 300, "height_mm": 227.1,
  "preview_url": "https://photocad.ai/api/v1/conversions/0f6f…/files/preview",
  "files": {
    "dxf": "…/files/dxf", "svg": "…/files/svg",
    "pdf": "…/files/pdf", "geometry": "…/files/geometry"
  },
  "credits_remaining": 19
}

Failed conversions return status: "failed" with an error object — and the credit has already been refunded automatically.

GET /api/v1/conversions/{id}/files/{format}

Formats: dxf · svg · pdf · geometry · preview. Files are generated on demand from the stored geometry — the URLs never expire, and output options apply per download. Same drawing, many sizes, no extra charge.

Output options (query parameters)

geometryreturns JSON: every vector path as point coordinates in mm (Y-up, origin bottom-left — the same convention as the DXF), plus the drawing's width and height.

Size limits:DXF, SVG, and geometry have no size limit — export a bracket at 40 mm or a building at 1:1. PDF is capped at ~5 m per side (the PDF page format's own ceiling); for anything larger, use DXF or SVG.

GET /api/v1/account

{
  "credits": { "total": 42, "subscription": 0, "api": 42 },
  "plan": "free",
  "ceiling": { "limit": null, "used": 3 },
  "free_conversions": { "granted": 5, "remaining": 2 }
}

Call once at startup, then track your balance locally via X-Credits-Charged; credits_remaining on conversion responses is always authoritative.

Recipes

GET /api/v1/conversions/{id}/files/dxf?longest=200

# 1. Convert once — subject isolated, maximum detail:
POST /api/v1/convert
{ "image_url": "https://example.com/photo.jpg",
  "remove_background": true, "detailed": true }

# 2. Poll to complete, then pull each format at its own size:
GET /api/v1/conversions/{id}/files/dxf?longest=3000
GET /api/v1/conversions/{id}/files/pdf?longest=150&stroke=0.13

POST /api/v1/convert
{ "image_url": "https://example.com/plans.pdf", "page": 3 }

GET /api/v1/conversions/{id}/files/geometry?longest=100
// → { "units": "mm", "width": 100, "height": 75.9,
//     "layers": [ { "paths": [ { "closed": true, "points": [[14.7, 94.8], …] } ] } ] }

Polling & latency

Conversion is asynchronous by nature — this is generative drawing, not millisecond inference. Poll GET /api/v1/conversions/{id} every 3–5 seconds. Typical completion is 60–120 seconds; occasional conversions take up to ~3 minutes. Your credit is only kept if the conversion succeeds.

Errors

Every error returns the same envelope, and no credits are charged for failed requests:

{ "errors": [ { "code": "out_of_credits", "title": "Out of credits", "detail": "…" } ] }

Retry guidance: back off exponentially on 5xx; on 429/503 wait the Retry-After seconds. Do not retry 4xx errors unchanged.

Rate limits

20 conversions/minute per key, 60/minute on read endpoints. Standard X-RateLimit-* headers on every response. Limits are per key.

FAQ

What is the PhotoCAD API?

A REST API that converts any photo, drawing, scan, or PDF into CAD-ready DXF, SVG, PDF, and raw-geometry files from your own code — the same engine behind photocad.ai.

What file formats does the API output?

DXF, SVG, PDF, and raw geometry as JSON, all from a single conversion. You can request each format at any physical size, with no extra charge.

What can I send the API?

JPEG, PNG, WebP, TIFF, GIF, HEIC/HEIF, and SVG images, plus PDF (pass a page number for multi-page files). Send the image inline, as base64, or as a URL we fetch (up to 50 MB).

Can I export drawings at real-world scale?

Yes. Set the physical size with longest or max_width/max_height in whatever unit suits the drawing — mm, cm, m, km, or in, ft, yd, mi. DXF and SVG have no size limit, so a building can be exported 1:1; PDF is capped at about 5 m per side by the format itself.

How much does the API cost?

Start free with 5 conversions on your first key, then a flat $2.00 per credit — one credit converts one image into every format. No tiers, no commitment, and credits never expire.

Is there a free way to test my integration?

Yes. Send a sample instead of an image and the sandbox returns a real, pre-generated drawing instantly, with no credit spent — so you can wire up polling, parsing, and downloads before spending anything.

How long does a conversion take?

Conversion is asynchronous: you POST an image, get an id, and poll every 3–5 seconds. Most conversions finish in 60–120 seconds; occasional ones take up to about three minutes.

Are failed conversions charged?

No. If a conversion fails, the credit is refunded automatically — you pay only for delivered drawings.

Is there a webhook?

Not yet — polling is the v1 pattern. Completion webhooks are planned.

Changelog

• Jul 2026 — Free to start. 5 free conversions with your first key, flat $2.00/credit, sample-backed sandbox (replaces test mode).
• Jul 10, 2026 — v1. Initial release: convert, status, files with output options, geometry format, account; PDF/HEIC input; auto top-up.
• Planned. Completion webhooks — polling is the v1 pattern.