5 Things Architects Should Know Before Their First Twindo Scan
If you’ve been wondering whether a phone-based scan can hold up in a real architecture workflow, you’re not alone. Most architects come to us with questions about Twindo Scan to CAD. 12,000+ pros use Twindo; here’s what they tell us once they try it for themselves.
1. Scanning is faster than you think, and that changes how you sell.
Most architects fold scanning into the time they’re already spending on site. “It takes about 10 minutes to scan a house,” says Gardner Lloyd of Charlottesville Remodeling Company, “and when you get back to the office you already have all the measurements.”
Scanning happens during the initial client site visit and the simplified Draft model is available while you’re still in the room. That means you have a visual to show your clients while you’re still on-site, which can be especially helpful when discussing projects.
2. Scanning accuracy holds up, and you can verify it yourself.
Architects who’ve been burned by inaccurate as-builts tend to approach Twindo carefully at first, cross-checking delivered dimensions against their own measurements. Most find they stop doing that not out of complacency, but out of confidence.
“The drawings are accurate, we’ve tested them against our own measurements,” says Ryan of Jeff Adams Design. The 1 to 2% tolerance Twindo operates within is enough for permit drawings, space planning, and most commercial renovation work.
For dimensions that need to be tighter, you can submit manual measurements with your order and those values will override the scan for those specific dimensions.
3. Complex spaces are manageable with the right expectations.
Across thousands of projects, Twindo has handled curved walls, historic properties, multi-level buildings, and spaces full of clutter. Detail-rich spaces perform well because more surfaces give the LiDAR technology more to work from.
That said, Twindo models what it can see. Obstructed surfaces, areas with limited scan coverage, and poorly lit spaces can result in gaps in your captured scans. The best results come from thorough coverage and following the scanning best practices.
4. Your as-built file will be ready to use, not ready to fix.
A common concern is that the delivered file will need significant cleanup before it’s usable in a real workflow. Twindo’s files are structured to work within your existing software environment. Elements are in the correct families, levels are set, and the model is organized the way you’d expect if you’d built it yourself. See these guides to use Twindo-generated as-builts with your custom templates.
“It’s a great tool to have a reliable source for drawings that come back quickly,” says Ryan Moss. The goal is to get you from existing conditions to design work with as little friction as possible.
5. Your clients will notice.
As Peter of Ranney Blair Weidmann puts it, “Utilizing cutting-edge tools like Twindo demonstrates our commitment to professionalism and the trust clients place in us.” Clients see it as evidence of a tech-forward operation, the kind of firm that invests in doing things right.
Clients watch the initial scanbuild on screen in front of them and it tends to generate a reaction. It’s a small moment that has a way of making the rest of the conversation easier and makes you look tech-savvy.
Ready to see it for yourself?
The first scan is the fastest way to answer most of the questions on this list. Download the Twindo app, walk a space you know well, and submit your first order. Get started here.