Gregory,
I posted this before, but hopefully this may still be of use to you. An iPad2 is a major time-saver for anyone in the field or just out of the office. It's no CAD station and certainly not a Laptop, but it does an incredible job of running all sorts of other information in the background freeing you up to do your work - but only as long as you use "cloud" services that is.
There are seven quintessential web "cloud" services that make the iPad2 worth it's expense for an architectural practice, without them you just have a really big iPod Touch. As to how we employ it in the field...well, read on.
Regardless if you use the 3G or WiFi model (I preferred the WiFi model for specific reasons), if you are not using (1) Apple's Mail from iCloud.com or an Exchange Server, (2) Evernote from Evernote.com, (3) Dropbox from Dropbox.com, (4) LogMeIn from LogMeIn.com, (5) PDF Expert from Reedle.com, (6) Toodledo from Toodledo.com and (7) Quickoffice Pro from Quickoffice.com you have not been using your iPad2 as effectively as you could. Here is how I use these quintessential apps in my practice everyday.
(1) We use an Exchange Server to connect the iPad2 to all of our Calendars, Contacts, Email, and Notes which are subsequently used by all other apps on the iPad2 for communication to the rest of the world. If you don't have a Microsoft Exchange Server, you can use Gmail from Google.com or Apple Mail from iCloud.com (both are free).
(2) We use Evernote for a secure online database for anything that can be scanned, printed, posted or zapped into a computer - including full size working drawings, CAD files, PDF files, snaps shots, renderings, specifications, mood boards, etc.! If you can produce it, it can be put into Evernote and be toted anywhere your iPad2, laptop, smartphone or web connection goes.
(3) In my opinion, Dropbox is the mother of all instant online storage. Just about every app on the iPad2 can write directly to Dropbox.com and every Mac/PC sync's automatically, seemlessly and transparently with Dropbox. I have entire project files in Dropbox - CAD files, SketchUp files, BIM projects, Construction Administration logs, etc.- in my Dropbox and they are simultaneously synced across all of my computers (Mac, PC, iPad2 and even my PalmPre Smart Phone!) So if I am in the field, a remote office or at home, my "office" is immediately available via Dropbox on my iPad2.
(4) LogMeIn Free is absolutely necessary for access to those files that should never leave a specific PC in my office. It's secure connection is military grade and any lag time is hardly noticible from even a hotspot connection. The interface is almost like you are right in front of your machine. I have worked endless hours from remote machines though LogMeIn, including my iPad2 to update a CAD file and plot the PDF to DropBox!
(5) I use PDF Expert like I use Adobe Acrobat. It is very reliable, it's mark up tools are vast and intuitive, and its Cloud connectivity is fantastic. I have received and marked up full size shop drawings in real time at the job site trailer and transmitted same to all parties at the end of that day on my train ride home!
(6) I use Toodledo to keep track of EVERYTHING! Even though Evernote is everywhere and acts like my second brain, I have found Toodledo to be my second set of arms, especially when doing project coordination. Being far more than a ToDo list, its portability to Mac, PC, Web, iOS, and webOS make assigning and tracking of key project components and deadlines a less daunting task. It's seamless integration is everywhere you need it to be. This is especially handy during the punch list and project close out.
(7) Quickoffice Pro is both a staple and an absolute necessity for basic iPad2 functionality. Don't get me wrong, I use Pages, Numbers and Keynote as well (and they are really nice to work with), but the rest of the architecture world works from Microsoft Office applications and QuickOffice Pro is the mobile iOS equivalent of Microsoft Office. It will not only read and write native to MS Office documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, it will produce them as well with no data loss or translation required and of course it Cloud connectivity is what make it indespensible!
The best part of these seven apps and services, is that five of the seven are absolutely free. PDF Expert and QuickOffice Pro come with a price tag, but they are definitely worth the price.
As mentioned before, most of our field documentation resides in our Dropbox and is accessed with the apps mentioned. All construction adminstration logs are done in MS Excel, field reports in MS Word, and construction documents as PDF's in the DropBox. We have tried using AutoCAD WS, but found it to be very limiting for drawing mark up, so we rely heavily on PDF Expert instead.
My other essential apps (but very close to the quintessential apps) are as follows:
1. Print n Share - it is the equivalent of having Adobe Acrobat on your iPad2 and it is the only proven solution for guaranteed printing from your iPad2 to ANY printer.
2. PDF Expert - it is everything you need to deal with PDF's. From mark ups, signatures, stamps, etc. This app can mark up full E size drawings with ease and deliver them back via DropBox, iDisk or Email. (I can't say enough about this app)
3. Penultimate - with a stylus, this is the closest you'll ever get to an architectural sketch book.
4. UPAD - like Penultimate, but with highlighting markers and text features. Excellent when moving sketches into greater detail, but not quite out of concepts yet.
5. iDraw - the ONLY VECTOR BASED DRAWING TOOL available that actually performs well for drawings. Great for generating details in the field and sending them to the contractor or back to office (via Dropbox) in real time.
6. ShowAnytime - turns your iPad2 into a Powerpoint /PDF Projector presentation tool. Very cool and useful for client presentations.
7. CM Pro Calc - the benchmark of construction calculators, enough said
8. Measures - the visual way to respond to unforeseen site condition RFI's. The measuring and annotation tools are major time savers, especially when you can send the annotated pictures in real time to the contractor while you are still on site.
9. AutoCAD WS - this is an ok service, the tools to mark up CAD files are good, but the upload and downloading process is cumbersome and the tool set is limited. You cannot generate CAD drawings from this app, you can only mark up CAD files that have already been uploaded to the service.
10. Recorder - because we can't all remember what was said at that meeting or job walk. The iPad2's built-in cameras are fantastic for documenting as-built conditions, but when it come to scribbling down stuff at a meeting or mult-tasking with the iPad2 - the camera stops, but Recorder just keeps doing it stuff in the background allowing you to move freely about your apps and screens. Its recordings also save directly to Dropbox.
There are a dozen or so other tools that get serious architectural practice mileage out of my iPad2, but they are dependent on computing platform and on a desktop application counterpart. I mentioned the iWorks apps, which work great if you have a Mac, but lose formatting when export to MS Office. All of the apps I mentioned here are platform independent as both Mac & PC can open these standard file formats with their own native software.
But please understand, this is NOT a laptop or desktop replacement. Most of our time on laptops is consumed by Email, file updating, web surfing, project management and data gathering - all tasks that could be handled by lighter more efficient devices (Smart Phone is some cases). While on the other hand, most production machines focus on the heavy lifting required for running CAD, GIS, BIM and rendering programs and that need tremendous hardware resources which are not practical nor available to a tablet or smartphone.
I choose to make the iPad analogous to a motorcycle, whereas a laptop is a sedan, a desktop PC a truck and a server a freight train. Its ability to gather, present and deliver key information in real time from remote sites to the heavy production guns back in the office, the laptops on the move, or the server room over the web is where the iPad2 excels! There is NO "boot up" time or system loading required, and you don't have to leave it in "standby" mode for you to get back into what you were doing quickly. You simply whip it on, grab, snap, record, update, read, present or send what you need from your cloud services/apps and turn it off...just like that...and then just go about your business.
Just one final note, iOS will not work on any web based services built on Adobe Flash. If you are trying to use or access a flash dependent web site that requires flash player or other proprietary plugins that makes their databases work, the iPad will not able to open it. Many company's have employed flash based extranets for their employees to access items like email, company forms or databases. If this is your case, you should consider other options until HTML 5 supercedes Adobe Flash, which iOS and other mobile operating system are able to read and write to.
Enjoy and feel free to email if you have any questions.
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Ricardo Ramos Assoc. AIA, LEED® AP, CSI
Alpha Analysis, Inc.
Arcadia CA
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Ricardo Ramos LEED® AP, CSI
Alpha Analysis, Inc.
Arcadia CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-18-2012 07:50
From: Gregory White
Subject: iPad tools
I know that some posts in the past have dealt with apps available for iPad, however, at the time I did not have use of one, so I did not pay as close attention to them at the time. What are some of the apps that those of you who have had iPads for awhile are currently using for field documentation, meeting minutes, access to server files, etc.?
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Gregory White AIA LEED AP
Architect
University of Kentucky Medical Center
Lexington KY
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