Questions, answered.

The product

What is CameraCAD for?

Designing camera coverage on a real floor plan: placing real camera models, seeing exactly what each one covers once walls cut its view, finding the blind spots, and handing over a scaled drawing the installer and the client can both work from.

Who uses it?

Installers and integrators pricing and planning jobs, consultants writing specifications, facilities teams checking what an existing system covers, and people planning their own home.

Do I need to install anything?

No. It runs in any modern browser on Mac, Windows, Linux or a Chromebook. Your documents are saved to your account and open wherever you sign in.

Does it work on a tablet?

It opens and draws on a tablet, and a view link works well on a phone for walking the site with a client. Detailed drawing is easiest with a mouse or trackpad.

Plans and files

What floor plans can I bring in?

PDF, DWG and DXF come in as vector geometry you can snap to. Images, such as scans and photos, come in as a tracing underlay. 3D models in glTF, OBJ, FBX, IFC and similar formats are cut into a plan. For outdoor sites, the map tool places satellite imagery at true scale from an address.

I only have a photo of the plan. Is that enough?

Yes. Place it as an underlay, click two points of a known distance such as a door opening, type the length, and the sheet is to scale. Then trace the walls. Reading a floor plan lists what to check first.

Can I export my drawing?

Print any framed area to paper or PDF through the browser, at a standard scale with a title block. A dedicated PDF export and a camera schedule export are on the way.

Accuracy

How accurate are the camera cones?

The angle comes from the manufacturer's published field of view for the model and lens setting you chose, or from the sensor and focal length when no angle is published. The cone is then ray-cast against every wall and column you drew. The geometry is exact to the drawing; the drawing is as good as the survey behind it.

Where do the DORI distances come from?

From EN 62676-4's pixel densities applied to the camera's resolution and angle. Where a manufacturer publishes DORI figures, the catalog carries them too. Treat them as the best case under good light; DORI, explained covers what they leave out.

Does it model night-time performance?

Not as an image. The catalog records each camera's IR range and minimum illumination, and the articles on low light and WDR explain how to plan for them.

The camera database

Which cameras are in the database?

Over 15,000 models from 25 manufacturers, with lens, sensor and range data. You can browse it here without an account.

My camera is missing. What can I do?

Place a custom camera and enter its field of view and resolution; it behaves exactly like a catalog model. Then tell us the model so we can add it.

Does the database show NDAA status?

Not yet. Filter by manufacturer and confirm with your supplier; NDAA compliance explains what to ask.

Sharing and your data

Can my team work on the same drawing?

Yes, at the same time. You see each other's cursors, changes sync instantly, and each person's undo covers only their own changes.

Can a client see the plan without signing up?

Yes. A view link opens straight away in the browser, with no account.

Who can see my floor plans?

You and the people you share them with. The privacy policy lists what is stored and why.

Not answered here? The documentation walks through the editor, and support is one message away.