Building Survey/Modelling tools, Estate agent use(?)

tigerstyle · 9 Oct 2013 at 10:56

Hi all, this seems the best forum to get a to the point thread going, hopefully!

I've got a task where I have to survey some buildings soon in a floorplan then potential SketchUp kind of fashion. And am looking for tools/software to make the job as smooth and quick as possible, also painless

There are also photos to go along with the survey, perhaps some software has a 'database' function built in?

As far as the tools go I think a prerequisite is a handheld laser range finder, has anyone got experience of one of the nicer Leica models with built in Bluetooth? Is that really the time saver it looks to be? Hopefully that'll be a direct to ipad solution.

Wondering what software seems to be favoured amongst estate agents, mini 3d models are quite popular on rightmove etc now, so must be a few options?

Trifid · 9 Oct 2013 at 11:22

Is this what you're after?

http://www.floorplanner.com/

I used it previously, seem to remember it crashed if the model was too big (an entire floor instead of just a single room).

tigerstyle · 9 Oct 2013 at 11:39

Maybe something like this? http://www.orthograph.net/
Perhaps the detail of furniture/stuff in the room isn't so important, but the quality of the drawing tools is? We'd like quick and good looking 3d views of buildings, easy to manipulate and show clients.

But will play around with that tool now!

Nightglow · 9 Oct 2013 at 11:55

OrthoGraph is a great app, it's a shame there is no android version yet. :mad:

tigerstyle · 9 Oct 2013 at 12:39

Yeah thats right, have you used it personally Nightglow?
I'm going to get on it this afternoon, but a quick question, when I draw my room, can I easily add the location of lights in the ceiling too? And add info on there spec/wattage etc?
I guess my main question aside from dimensions is what 'info' can be stored to go along with the room and does it then chuck it all in a nice database/list for you to access later.

And seems to go beautifully with a fancy bluetooth range finder too! But just found out it's only the newest ipads that do bluetooth properly, my old one here won't cut without spending more money on a dongle/adapter, silly... Roll on Android!

Nightglow · 9 Oct 2013 at 13:05

tigerstyle said:
Yeah thats right, have you used it personally Nightglow?
I'm going to get on it this afternoon, but a quick question, when I draw my room, can I easily add the location of lights in the ceiling too? And add info on there spec/wattage etc?
I guess my main question aside from dimensions is what 'info' can be stored to go along with the room and does it then chuck it all in a nice database/list for you to access later.

And seems to go beautifully with a fancy bluetooth range finder too! But just found out it's only the newest ipads that do bluetooth properly, my old one here won't cut without spending more money on a dongle/adapter, silly... Roll on Android!

No I haven't sadly, seen a estate agent measuring up a local house, & he also was using a i pad, so being noisy, when & had a look, found he was using this OrthoGraph, being using it for over a year, all very clever, I like the 3D walk through & the way you can export to sketchup..

Had a google when I got home, & found it's been out around 2 years & was shocked it still isn't available for android which surprised me.

I'm not a apple fan, never will be, so I will just have to wait for the android version.