Fire3D can now produce a full automated fire alarm design from a floor plan PDF. You upload the PDF; the software detects the scale and crops out the floor plan itself, then detects rooms and doors, room uses and escape routes. You choose a suite of devices to use, and Fire3D auto-fills the design with those devices to the BS 5839-1 rules.
The devices auto-added are detector heads, detector bases, sounders, VADs and manual call points (MCPs). Other parts cannot be detected from a floor plan and can be added manually.
That automated design is included in both paid plans, Growing and Unlimited, and in the 30-day free trial. The trial does not need a credit card. Plan prices and limits are on the Fire3D pricing page.
This page describes that workflow. Coverage checking, zone plans and specifications have their own pages, linked below. The clause references are from BS 5839-1:2025, summarised in our own words. They are a guide for designers and do not replace the standard.
How the automated design works
The sequence below is the one Fire3D follows once you upload a floor plan PDF. The images are temporary placeholders. Final screenshots of each step will replace them.
1. Upload a floor plan PDF
Start by uploading a PDF floor plan of the premises. That file is the starting point for the automated design.
2. Crop the floor plan
Fire3D detects the scale and pulls out the part of the uploaded floor plan you want — the floor plan itself. It discards the legend and the white space of the original PDF, so the crop can be placed into a new engineering drawing with your logo. The result is meant to look like AutoCAD output.
3. Rooms and doors
The software then detects rooms and doors on the plan, so the layout is broken into the spaces a fire alarm design has to treat separately.
4. Room uses and escape routes
It also detects room uses and escape routes. Those features of the plan inform how the spaces and the ways people leave the building are treated in the design.
5. Choose a device suite and auto-fill
You choose a suite of devices to use. Fire3D then auto-fills the design with those devices to the BS 5839-1 rules. The devices auto-added are detector heads, detector bases, sounders, VADs and manual call points. Other parts cannot be detected from floor plans and can be added manually.
Vector-based PDF output
All Fire3D output is vector-based PDF, so detail is preserved at any zoom level, like AutoCAD output. The cropped floor plan is placed into a new engineering drawing that can carry your logo.
The designer still owns the design
An automated layout is a starting point. A competent person still has to review the design, add any parts that were not auto-filled, make any changes the premises need, and sign it off. Fire3D does not replace the designer, the specification, or BS 5839-1. Auto-filling the design to the BS 5839-1 rules is not a certificate of compliance.
The category of system is part of that review. BS 5839-1:2025 clause 4 does not itself recommend which category should be installed in a given building. It treats Categories M, L1 to L5 and P1 to P2 as a menu, and it says the category must be included in the specification. If an enforcing authority, insurer or purchaser has already stipulated a category, clause 4.1 says that category should be used. If the designer has not been told the category, clause 4.2 says they should make clear to the purchaser (or the purchaser’s agent) the category their design would conform to, so further advice can be taken.
FIA guidance on selecting and specifying a fire alarm category under BS 5839-1 (Version 2, January 2026) puts the responsibility for choosing the appropriate category with the fire safety specialist, not with the fire alarm system designer or contractor. Fire3D’s automated design does not take that decision away from the people responsible for it. See the FIA’s guidance on BS 5839-1 fire alarm categories, and our post on BS 5839-1:2025 key updates for a wider summary of the current standard.
What you can generate after the devices are placed
Once there is a design on the plan, the rest of the Fire3D toolkit can be used in the usual way:
- Fire alarm coverage checks for detector spacing, sounders, VADs, manual call point travel distance and zone search distance, against BS 5839-1.
- Fire alarm specification and as-fitted drawing software, including an as-fitted designer that pulls devices through from the automated design.
- Fire alarm zone plan software, to produce the printed plan that sits beside the panel.
Related guides already on the blog include fire alarm detector spacing, sounder coverage calculation, VAD coverage calculation and how to make a zone plan.
Which plans include automated design
Full automated fire alarm design is available on both Growing and Unlimited, and can be used during the 30-day free trial. On the pricing table (confirmed 11 November 2026, Europe/London):
- Growing is £49.99 per month, or £499.90 a year when billed annually, with 5 floorplan uploads per month, £5 AI credits per month and 1 user account.
- Unlimited is £99.99 per month, or £999.90 a year when billed annually, with unlimited floorplan uploads, £10 AI credits per month, and 1 user plus 2 colleague accounts.
Both plans also include the emergency lighting designer, specification and as-fitted tools, quote tools and the zone plan designer. Compare the plans on the Fire3D pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
What does the automated fire alarm design actually do?
You upload a floor plan PDF. Fire3D detects the scale, crops out the floor plan itself (discarding the legend and white space), detects rooms and doors, room uses and escape routes, and — once you have chosen a suite of devices — auto-fills the design with detector heads, detector bases, sounders, VADs and manual call points to the BS 5839-1 rules. Other parts can be added manually.
Which devices are auto-added?
Detector heads, detector bases, sounders, VADs and manual call points (MCPs). Other parts cannot be detected from floor plans and can be added manually.
Is the output like AutoCAD?
You do not need AutoCAD. The cropped floor plan is placed into a new engineering drawing with your logo, and is meant to look like AutoCAD output. All Fire3D output is vector-based PDF, so detail is preserved at any zoom level, like AutoCAD output.
Does the software choose the BS 5839-1 system category for me?
No. Auto-filling the design to the BS 5839-1 rules is not the same as choosing the system category. BS 5839-1:2025 clause 4 does not recommend which category to install, and FIA guidance (Version 2, January 2026) states that selecting the appropriate category is the fire safety specialist’s responsibility, not the system designer’s or contractor’s. An automated layout still has to be reviewed against the category that has been specified for the job.
Is automated design included in both plans?
Yes. It is included in Growing (£49.99 per month, or £499.90 a year billed annually) and Unlimited (£99.99 per month, or £999.90 a year billed annually), and in the 30-day free trial. Full limits are on the pricing page.
Can I still produce specifications, as-fitted drawings and zone plans?
Yes. After the devices are on the plan, you can generate specifications, as-fitted drawings, device schedules, zone plans, coverage summaries and quotes in the usual way. The as-fitted designer pulls devices through from the automated design. Those PDFs are vector-based, so detail is preserved at any zoom level.
Can I try it before I subscribe?
Yes. A 30-day free trial with access to all core features is available, and sign-up does not require a credit card.
Related pages and guides
Try automated fire alarm design on a plan of your own
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