Building Surveys using Disto

[Anonymous]

We do a fair amount of retrofitting existing office and industrial buildings using a Disto. Up to now, we've been using pen & paper to document measurements. We have tried building a Archicad file as we survey using a stand-up, roll around cart & Powerbook with mediocre success. Anybody want to share their method of survey? Is Cigraph HouseMap being used? (I don't find it on the Cigraph site any more.) Any testomonials using the new Disto+ with Bluetooth data transfer?

[Djordje]

Patrick wrote:
We do a fair amount of retrofitting existing office and industrial buildings using a Disto. Up to now, we've been using pen & paper to document measurements. We have tried building a Archicad file as we survey using a stand-up, roll around cart & Powerbook with mediocre success. Anybody want to share their method of survey? Is Cigraph HouseMap being used? (I don't find it on the Cigraph site any more.) Any testomonials using the new Disto+ with Bluetooth data transfer?

AFAIR the Housemap used connection with exceedingly good and proportionally expensive Leica equipment; there also was a Newton version. I remember that we tried to implement the process in Dubai Municipality Historical Buildings section in 1999/2000, but the cost was too much ...

Fabrizio could probably shed more light on this?

[Gorazd]

We are too very interested to hear from anybody that uses any sort of laser distance meter (preferably Leica Disto). Since House Map is not available any more, and Disto software outputs only raster (BMP) picture that in my opinion is nonsense, I would like to know, how do you do the measure old buildings and transfere data into ArchiCAD? Using old fashioned tape meters?

[RandyC]

A used total station with data collector would propbably cost around 2K
there are a lot of them around . then import as dxf.

Randy

[Anonymous]

Gorazd wrote:
We are too very interested to hear from anybody that uses any sort of laser distance meter (preferably Leica Disto). Since House Map is not available any more, and Disto software outputs only raster (BMP) picture that in my opinion is nonsense, I would like to know, how do you do the measure old buildings and transfere data into ArchiCAD? Using old fashioned tape meters?

We use the Leica Disto, but have not used it to it's full potential (stored data and down load to another software such as HouseMap). We cart it around (literally a wheeled cart with a stand up working surface) with a laptop and notepad. We have found the notepad indispensible in sketching the room or building and adding notes/dimensions in a different color. This serves as a record, while the AC (undimensioned and without notations), builds the model. VERY LABOR INTENSIVE but nice to have when it comes to ordering systems furniture or verification. I am always looking for a better way!

[Richard Morrison]

Here's a very low-tech product I've used for many years. It makes drawing existing floor plans MUCH easier. http://www.accu-line.com/ I use the 11x17 version. (I use this in conjunction with my Disto.) No affiliation other than being a custormer.

[Anonymous]

I am surveying historic buildings using a Leica TCR407 reflectorless total station. I am importing the points with their coordinates in archicad and I see them in 3d space. When I am doing section I can see the points with their number on the right place in space and I can draw the lines between the points. While I am on the site I am writing down the point numbers on specially selected photographs of the building in conjunction with schetches of the plans.
There are the following advantages of the method:
1) One only person is enough for surveying a whole building.
2) The are are no faults in introducing the data in the drawings.
3) The are is less time of wondering yourself.... "where have I been wrong??" when distances do not match.
There is a complicated way with which data is introduced as objects in archicad and I am working on simplifying it at the moment.

I hope to have been helpful.
Manolis

[Anonymous]

manolis wrote:
I am surveying historic buildings using a Leica TCR407 reflectorless total station. I am importing the points with their coordinates in archicad and I see them in 3d space. When I am doing section I can see the points with their number on the right place in space and I can draw the lines between the points. While I am on the site I am writing down the point numbers on specially selected photographs of the building in conjunction with schetches of the plans.
There are the following advantages of the method:
1) One only person is enough for surveying a whole building.
2) The are are no faults in introducing the data in the drawings.
3) The are is less time of wondering yourself.... "where have I been wrong??" when distances do not match.
There is a complicated way with which data is introduced as objects in archicad and I am working on simplifying it at the moment.

I hope to have been helpful.
Manolis

Can you post a example?

[Anonymous]

Here is an example
Manolis

[Anonymous]

manolis wrote:
Here is an example
Manolis

?????!!!!!