Get Chief Architect as-builts by scanning a space with your iPad or iPhone

[BenFromCanvas]

Hi,

I'm Ben with Canvas. Canvas is an app that turns your iPad or iPhone into a power tool: you can scan rooms in seconds, entire homes in minutes, and capture every measurement in a space. You immediately get an accurate 3D model of the space on your device that you can refer to anytime, share with others, and get any measurement on demand. Remodelers and architects renovating existing spaces can then use our Scan To CAD service to get design-ready, professional-grade, and editable files in two business days. Our existing customers call this "the easy button" for creating as-builts.

 

I'm posting here because we just launched support for Chief Architect and are eager to see what Chief Architect users are going to do with it! For that reason, I'm offering promo codes for a complimentary Scan To CAD output to Chief Architect, which is a $39 value. You'll receive: 

• 3D .plan file of the room
• 3D .dwg file
• 3d. dae file
• and reprocessing, which colorizes your scan

If you have a LiDAR-equipped iPad Pro (released in March 2020) or a new iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max, please comment or send me a direct message with your email address and I'll send you a code. We're hoping you'll share your experience with the forum!

Download Canvas for iPad or Canvas for iPhone.

[Chopsaw]

16 minutes ago, BenFromCanvas said:

You immediately get an accurate 3D model

 

Sounds great Ben.  Could you expand on the level of accuracy of your system as I think that is the key factor for Chief Architect users.  Thanks.

[BenFromCanvas]

5 minutes ago, Chopsaw said:

 

Sounds great Ben.  Could you expand on the level of accuracy of your system as I think that is the key factor for Chief Architect users.  Thanks.

Thanks for the question! You can read more about accuracy here.

 

But, here’s the short answer: If you are using Canvas with a LiDAR-enabled iPad or iPhone (includes most Pro models launched since 2020), most measurements should be within 1-2% of what's verified manually with a tape measure, laser distance meter, or existing blueprint. 

[rgardner]

12 hours ago, BenFromCanvas said:

Thanks for the question! You can read more about accuracy here.

 

But, here’s the short answer: If you are using Canvas with a LiDAR-enabled iPad or iPhone (includes most Pro models launched since 2020), most measurements should be within 1-2% of what's verified manually with a tape measure, laser distance meter, or existing blueprint. 

Isn't that kind of a high accuracy difference?  Thats almost 5" off in 20'... Which is not unrealistic to have a larger room in a larger home Master bedroom or Great room.  Matterport boasts a max of 1% and that is alot in some cases which is why I require a hover.to scan in addition to a matterport for as-builts if I am doing them for one of my contractors.

[BenFromCanvas]

5 hours ago, rgardner said:

Isn't that kind of a high accuracy difference?  Thats almost 5" off in 20'... Which is not unrealistic to have a larger room in a larger home Master bedroom or Great room.  Matterport boasts a max of 1% and that is alot in some cases which is why I require a hover.to scan in addition to a matterport for as-builts if I am doing them for one of my contractors.

 

Totally fair to call out that that kind of tolerance won't work for every project and use case. Like any other tool, 3D capture has uses where it's a game-changer on its own, uses where it needs a bit of help, and uses where it's not the right fit at all. For example, if you're ordering and installing custom cabinetry and have a super tight (1/16") tolerance, you're probably going to want to take those measurements manually. But that would be true of most 3D scanning solutions outside of the super-high-end tripod scanners, usually in the $5K or even $10K+ range, and usually, they take hours more to complete the scan.

 

Hover is actually about a 5% tolerance, according to their FAQs: https://help.hover.to/en/articles/392328-how-accurate-are-the-measurements. This matches with what you'd generally expect from Canvas *without LiDAR* too (as the app does support non-LiDAR iPhones going back to the iPhone 7). 

 

We actually have a flow where you can submit any critical dimensions with your scan and we'll match it in your Scan To CAD result in Chief Architect: https://support.canvas.io/article/198-how-to-submit-manual-dimensions-to-canvas. In this way, you're always getting comparable accuracy to what you would've gotten the old-fashioned way for the measurements that really require it, and leveraging the time-saving benefits of 3D scanning for everything else. 

 

Another common workflow we see within design-build and remodeling firms is to use Canvas to scan the whole home (and convert to Chief or another output) on the initial visit, and then update the measurements in the CAD model over time as the project progresses. Doing a full site survey and 3D model (manually) that early in a project is often far too time-consuming to justify, especially when the project scope is not yet defined and you might not even know what you need to capture. But having that 3D model early on means you can engage the client about design choices and plans weeks earlier than you otherwise would (and 3D scanning means you capture everything, not just what you think you need).

 

You might be interested in this case study from Lotus Construction Group about their workflow.

All in all, we really try to focus on two things: being blazing-fast (scanning a room takes about a minute) and bridging to the tools and workflows people use to get their job done (like Chief Architect). Accuracy will only get better as it becomes cheaper and cheaper to integrate higher-quality sensors and the technology keeps improving. It wasn't that long ago that even 1% cost $50K and took a full day of scanning time and another few days of painstakingly tracing a point cloud. Now it fits in your pocket!

[Kbird1]

 

And for those of us who will never use an Iphone or Ipad?    ie an Andriod App when?

 

(or Windows? not sure how the Tech works...or Data from a Leica Disto 7500i for eg.) 

 

M. 

[BenFromCanvas]

On 11/14/2020 at 2:40 PM, Kbird1 said:

 

And for those of us who will never use an Iphone or Ipad?    ie an Andriod App when?

 

(or Windows? not sure how the Tech works...or Data from a Leica Disto 7500i for eg.) 

 

M. 

 

We actually are already working on bringing our tech to Android! We don't have an exact ETA to share, but that's the next step for us in terms of platform. We also do have plans to incorporate laser distance meter measurements as a means of augmenting the flow I described above for adding critical dimensions: https://support.canvas.io/article/198-how-to-submit-manual-dimensions-to-canvas.

We have many customers who are Windows users - they use Chief Architect (or one of our other output formats) on that platform, but have purchased the $799 iPad Pro for scanning, as they find that it's a relatively small upfront investment in terms of ROI for the amount of time they save measuring and building the as-built models. 

[jtcapa1]

I like the ease at which this can be done for sure.  We already take copious photographs of the existing home, so this is a small step in a slightly different direction.  I like the "augmenting" the flow by taking some critical measurements, so that the 3d scan becomes more accurate.  Just a couple of quick X,Y & Z measurements of some of the rooms could get the accuracy much closer.  But right now you've got a disconnect that could easily be overcome:

Quote

In order to help you get a model that includes these tight tolerances, you can submit a drawing or diagram with any manually verified dimensions with your Scan To CAD order. Then, we will override the existing values for those dimensions with the measurements you provide and use the scan to process everything else.

I've seen other recent software measuring tools that incorporate inputting on the fly measurements while you take those Lidar images.  See the new Houzz Pro 3d App

That would put those critical measurements into the scan, saving time and money on your end.

 

Question:  Is there another device one could buy that is not an iPad or iPhone?  Some kind of handheld Lidar attachment?

[BenFromCanvas]

45 minutes ago, jtcapa1 said:

I've seen other recent software measuring tools that incorporate inputting on the fly measurements while you take those Lidar images.  See the new Houzz Pro 3d App

That would put those critical measurements into the scan, saving time and money on your end.

 

Question:  Is there another device one could buy that is not an iPad or iPhone?  Some kind of handheld Lidar attachment?

 

Thank you for the suggestion about incorporating critical measurements during the scanning process. We are already working on implementing an easier method to add manual measurements, but seeing your comment helps validate our decision to do so.

At this point, we don't support devices other than iPads and iPhones, but are working on supporting Android devices.

[DianneDSC]

1 hour ago, jtcapa1 said:

See the new Houzz Pro 3d App

 

Did anyone who watched this video notice the wall going through the closet door? Ha Ha!!

[AbbeyK]

I am so excited to learn about this new option!

[rgardner]

On 11/18/2020 at 11:45 AM, DianneDSC said:

 

Did anyone who watched this video notice the wall going through the closet door? Ha Ha!!

That’s very common with the auto created floor plans with scanning software.  Same problem with matterport files too.  That’s why I don’t like to use them.  I have gotten five different ones from matterport canvas and another one I don’t remember the name of and every one had major mistakes like this.

[BenFromCanvas]

29 minutes ago, rgardner said:

That’s very common with the auto created floor plans with scanning software.  Same problem with matterport files too.  That’s why I don’t like to use them.  I have gotten five different ones from matterport canvas and another one I don’t remember the name of and every one had major mistakes like this.

I'm sorry to hear you had issues with your Canvas scan! That certainly shouldn't happen -- it's possible we weren't able to recognize the door properly due to it not being captured fully in the scan, the door being opened in the middle of scanning it, or something else. Hard to say, but I'd absolutely be happy to look into it for you because I wouldn't want you to walk away with the feeling that that just happens 

Feel free to message me privately, email me at ben@canvas.io, or engage here if you'd like to discuss the errors in your Chief Architect file.

[TennVol]

Just posted this on another thread as well - 

 

Very interested in Canvas and am looking forward to Dan Baumann's presentation on this today.  One question - how well does it work for exterior elevations? ...and, more particularly, how are those integrated with the interior scans that get stitched together to create a whole house model?  And of course, what does that add to the cost? 

 

Any one doing this (yet)?  

[HetrickDesign]

I'm very interested in this! I switched to using HOVER to get most of my exterior measurements, which really saves me time, but so far there's been no high-tech affordable method for getting the interior done without manually measuring. I would be super interested in trying CANVAS if it could also do exteriors. HOVER has been nice since it gets roof slopes, overhangs, ect. I just use those measurements in combination with my interior measurements to draw as-builts. It'd be super cool to have CANVAS deliver me a 3D model of the as-built with just 30-90 minutes of walking around with a tablet.

 

 

[TennVol]

2 hours ago, nVisionTEKBIM said:

I'm very interested in this! I switched to using HOVER to get most of my exterior measurements, which really saves me time, but so far there's been no high-tech affordable method for getting the interior done without manually measuring. I would be super interested in trying CANVAS if it could also do exteriors. HOVER has been nice since it gets roof slopes, overhangs, ect. I just use those measurements in combination with my interior measurements to draw as-builts. It'd be super cool to have CANVAS deliver me a 3D model of the as-built with just 30-90 minutes of walking around with a tablet.

 

 

Getting ready to send in some rooms on an as-built now that they've revised their pricing structure. From what I understand, it will be a flat 15 cents per square foot, rather than $39/scan + $5 per for stitching together. Will be 2 floors with connecting stairs. Should be interesting to see how well it fits. I took some overall manual dimensions to help Canvas dial it in. I was there about 1.5 hours between scanning rooms and doing some "backup" measurements just to be safe. We'll see...

[BenFromCanvas]

On 3/16/2021 at 7:01 PM, nVisionTEKBIM said:

I'm very interested in this! I switched to using HOVER to get most of my exterior measurements, which really saves me time, but so far there's been no high-tech affordable method for getting the interior done without manually measuring. I would be super interested in trying CANVAS if it could also do exteriors. HOVER has been nice since it gets roof slopes, overhangs, ect. I just use those measurements in combination with my interior measurements to draw as-builts. It'd be super cool to have CANVAS deliver me a 3D model of the as-built with just 30-90 minutes of walking around with a tablet.

 

 

I'm glad you're interested! Send me a PM on the board or send me an email at ben@canvas.io and I can share a code with you for a free scan. I do want to let you know that it'll likely take way less than 90 minutes, unless you're scanning an enormous home.

 

While Canvas isn't designed to scan exteriors, we do have customers who do it. The caveat is that the range of the LiDAR sensor is about 15 feet, so you'll encounter challenges scanning anything above the first story of a building. Here's more information from our FAQ about using Canvas outdoors. 

[BenFromCanvas]

On 3/16/2021 at 10:37 PM, TennVol said:

Getting ready to send in some rooms on an as-built now that they've revised their pricing structure. From what I understand, it will be a flat 15 cents per square foot, rather than $39/scan + $5 per for stitching together. Will be 2 floors with connecting stairs. Should be interesting to see how well it fits. I took some overall manual dimensions to help Canvas dial it in. I was there about 1.5 hours between scanning rooms and doing some "backup" measurements just to be safe. We'll see...

 

Congrats on your first scan. And thanks for bringing up our revised pricing structure. Most of our customers are used to thinking in square feet, so if you know you're going to be scanning a 2,000 square feet house, it's easy to calculate the cost of your Scan To CAD order (2,000 x $0.15 = $300).

 

Please share your experience with the community. And don't hesitate to reach out if I can be of help in any way!

[BenFromCanvas]

I wanted to share a case study we just completed with Thornton Weiler, an architect in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thornton uses Canvas's Scan To CAD service to create Chief Architect as-builts. He credits Canvas with driving a 25% increase in revenue, increasing his schematic design profit by $1,500 - $2,000 per project, and saving about 14 hours in labor per project. 

Please reach out to me at ben@canvas.io if you're interested in trying it out for yourself. I'm happy to share a code for up to $30 off your first Scan To CAD order, which will cover 200 square feet.

 

 

Canvas - Thornton Weiler Case Study.pdf

[MikeD56]

Where are you on the Android version?

[BenFromCanvas]

21 hours ago, MikeD56 said:

Where are you on the Android version?

Hi Mike,

We are still working on it and don't have an updated ETA. It is important to note that currently there are only a few Android devices that have a depth sensor (known as a Time of Flight sensor in the Android world) - the Galaxy S20+ and S20 Ultra. Canvas's 98-99% accuracy depends on using a depth sensor, such as Apple's LiDAR sensors on the iPad Pro and iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max. To properly set your expectations, unless you own an Android device with a ToF sensor, accuracy will be closer to 95%. 

If you are interested in using Canvas in your professional workflow, we strongly recommend investing in a LiDAR-equipped Apple device. 

 

Best,

Ben

[Renerabbitt]

19 minutes ago, BenFromCanvas said:

Time of Flight sensor in the Android world) - the Galaxy S20+ and S20 Ultra.

Just an FYI, a few of us like to import Huawei devices. The p40 pro has a TOF sensor as well...in case that helps your development 

[Kbird1]

15 minutes ago, Renerabbitt said:

Just an FYI, a few of us like to import Huawei devices. The p40 pro has a TOF sensor as well...in case that helps your development 

 

Huawei devices are still available in CANADA too 

 

thanks for the Tip Renee , it something I expected the Pixels to have actually

[SHCanada2]

I'd be interested in this if it was cost effective. Currently I use a bosch laser measurer with their free software. It takes me about an hour to do one level. If I could roam around instead of beep around (and have to draw the walls), it seems like it would be worthwhile. Some measurements are critical for code though. I need to know the furnace door is 34", not 33.45678" same with hallways, posts. a 5' bathtub does not fit into 57"

 

with the bosch I have to take some auxillary measurements for posts, clearance of furnace, etc. I would assume I would need to do the same thing with this software?

 

 

[BenFromCanvas]

9 hours ago, jasonn1234 said:

I'd be interested in this if it was cost effective. Currently I use a bosch laser measurer with their free software. It takes me about an hour to do one level. If I could roam around instead of beep around (and have to draw the walls), it seems like it would be worthwhile. Some measurements are critical for code though. I need to know the furnace door is 34", not 33.45678" same with hallways, posts. a 5' bathtub does not fit into 57"

 

with the bosch I have to take some auxillary measurements for posts, clearance of furnace, etc. I would assume I would need to do the same thing with this software?

 

 

 

Thanks for your questions. In terms of cost effectiveness, we charge $0.15/square foot for Chief Architect files. So, a 2,000 square foot home would cost $300.

 

Accuracy is about 99% - you can read about that here. However, you do have the ability to supplement the scan with laser measure readings for critical measurements by emailing our support team after submitting your scan to Scan To CAD - you can read more about that process here.

 

Please let me know if you have any additional questions.