As-Built Laser Measuring

[jtcapa1]

Like most people here, I've ditched the measuring tape for a Laser measuring device several years ago.  I even tried the bluetooth link to CA for a bit, but it was still too buggy for my limited skill set.  Now with the advent of advanced Laser Measuring devices that can generate point cloud data, I'm real curious if many, or anybody here has gone down this road and what their experience has been in the conversion process?

 

As I age, and during Covid, I'm less and less inclined to measure up my clients homes, so I'm always looking for a faster, and accurate solution that is still affordable.

The technology is improving pretty fast with companies like NavVis and, I don't want to get left behind.  So where are we at with Chief Architect and the point cloud conversions?

 

I suspect that most of the conversions will soon be automated with the advances in AI, which might also complete the design for us!

[RobUSMC]

I would like to know the same if anyone is using this

[Kbird1]

A number of my Clients use Canvas and their Lidar equipped iPads, and it can be a relatively good deal, though there are a couple of caveats , one being Canvas's "converter" still only uses X12 for Chief Plans, and they tend to use numerous Solids for objects, I am not sure if that is due to the nature of how Canvas works or if it is just the Chief User doing the Model's, lack of Chief training/Knowledge?

 

the Canvas Measurement Report (CMR) PDF is what I get clients to order usually for smaller jobs ( a bathroom for eg ) as it is quicker for me to Draw the 4 Walls and auto add a Roof and Foundation in a X15 template than it is to "fix" the Canvas Chief Plan in a lot of cases.

 

*I am not sure Canvas is  a "Cloud Point Data App or System" like some others on the Market like NavVis or Matterport though.

 

M.

[winterdd]

I'm old school, 100' tape measure and a sketch pad. I hire my son to hold the tape and we are done in an hour on 98% of homes. Now if the home is huge, I first ask if they have the plans to the home, 50% of the people do and I save them money that way. If they don't I hire my matterport guy. I tried lidar on the iphone 14 and always revert back to the good ole tape measure.

[SHCanada2]

1 hour ago, ChiefUserBigRob said:

I first ask if they have the plans to the home

if the home is built after 1985 here the homeowner can order the plans from the city for $60. I tell them that is best and cheapest way as my stuff is either basements or additions. additions require full elevations by the city here. its easier to recreate in CA than try and measure. If I need something, I will ask the homeowner to take pictures

 

 

[Renerabbitt]

Point cloud can be converted to a OBJ file and imported as a symbol to use as a reference. It works… but it is WAY slower to draw then just taking laptop to site with a helper.

it works great as a backup.

Canvas is garbage.. sorry Canvas rep that scrapes all architecture websites… it’s not your app… it’s the absolutely terrible Lidar sensor that’s in the idevices. They don’t even come close to 1/3 of the accuracy of a professional Lidar device like intel realsense. The point data looks like a very poor clay model made by a child. It’s a wonder we can ever get anything remotely accurate out of it even with supplemented photogrammetry.

accurate point cloud data in future should be able to get us walls…we shall see.