How do you document your construction projects now? Do you take weekly progress photographs or videos? It is a difficult task to convey what is going on a site in many instances through a photo. Where do you store these media files on your server? How can you share these photo files with other companies? What if you could document your projects through online virtual tour that can be accessed at anytime?
Today there are over 30 different tools available to general contractors to make a three dimensional scan. I am excited about the Matterport 3D Showcase solution to help companies their improve reference photography; generate a quote faster; and enhance business development for their company. The Matterport 3D solution is like Google Street View on steroids!
Using the Matterport platform: camera, app, cloud processing, cloud hosting and content distribution network – a professional photographer can easily, quickly and affordably create and share a walk-around view of the interior of an existing space. You can begin the 360-degree walk-around by ‘flying-in’ from either clickable floor plan or ‘doll-house’ views. Within 24 hours, the photographer sends you embed code for your website; shareable links; still images from within the 3D virtual tour (add to your BIM model); and an object file (.obj) for your BIM modeler.
For renovation and quoting, do you tie-up a senior design member of your team spending a day measuring and taking pictures and then a day reconstructing the space in CAD software, even before designing and calculating materials? Now imagine scheduling a photo shoot today and receiving the Objective File (.obj) – tomorrow. Your architect – using their CAD software – can then immediately begin the proposed design as well as measure the space.
For reference photography, a photographer can create virtual tours at the pre-drywall stage. Take a virtual tour at your convenience to help create punch lists or give out-of-town clients a virtual tour of work in progress (saving your client time and money on travel).
For business development, imagine potential clients checking out the Matterport 3D Showcases on your website to virtually ‘Walk-Around’ in-progress and finished projects. (Bonus: give your clients the 3D Showcases to help them rent, lease or sell their projects faster.)
To get started there are two options.
Option 1: Considering buying the Matterport Pro 3D Camera with related gear and accessories then set up a Cloud Hosting Service Plan. You may need to take a few classes to learn how to use all the gear.
Option 2: Locate a Matterport pro photographer. In Atlanta, for example, J.M. Wilkerson Construction engaged We Get Around to create Matterport 3D Showcase Walk-Arounds for its projects such as The Leonard. We Get Around has a Network of Matterport Pro photographers that covers hundreds of cities worldwide at $0.25 sf.
We Get Around, Founder, CEO and Chief Photographer Dan Smigrod will be one of the emerging construction tech innovators speaking at the AGC Georgia Construction Technology Forum Thursday, 29 January 2014 at Atlanta Tech Village. For registration and live-stream info visit, the AGC Georgia website.
A few examples of Dan’s Matterport 3D Showcase Walk-Around’s can be viewed at the following links:
Atlanta Tech Village Community Center
The Leonard Project forJ.M. Wilkerson Construction (1st floor/west)
The Construction App Guru 