8 iPad or iPhone Apps Architects Can’t Live Without

With the advent of smartphones and tablets, a lot of work has moved online. You now have the freedom to work remotely, from anywhere in the world. In such an economy, you can also draw your architectural plans without actually being at your desk or being near any stationery and paper. The following are some of the best architecture apps available on the iPhone and iPad.

MagicPlan

With this app, your architectural plans can truly become magical. If you enter a room and inspiration strikes you suddenly, but you realize you have forgotten your measuring tape to take down the dimensions and details of the room — MagicPlan comes to the rescue at precisely that moment. With this free app, you simply have to use your camera to measure rooms, create floor plans, create 3D models with one click, estimate costs, and material, etc., all on site!

MagicPlan is the only tool you require when you go out to survey a site. You can make floor plans on your phone and also send them with your partners or colleagues while on the go. MagicPlan also has provisions to allow several people to coordinate on one project in the app. It truly is a magical app for architects.

Paper

Any good architect is constantly buzzing with ideas and when the right idea strikes, you want to develop it on a sketching pad or paper immediately. But say you are in the middle of traffic or are at a boring family dinner or are simply away from your work tools — what do you do? You are not going to let that seed of an idea to just vanish, do you?

With Paper, a free app for iOS, you can sketch your ideas wherever and whenever. Simply whip your iPhone or iPad out and sketch with confidence. You can also collate all your ideas in different files and see them all at once to get a good perspective. You can also sync and backup your sketches so you never lose them!

Sketchbook

Sketchbook is similar to Paper. In the app, you can choose from different pencils, inks, markers, and over 190 customizable brushes. These are all tools you will be using in real life too and now they are available in the virtual world as well. Once you feel satisfied with your design, you can export it in any file (JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF or PSD).

With a single subscription, you can use the app on all your devices. You can also capture all the real-life sources of inspiration and create a virtual mood board by scanning objects, styles, designs through the app. Your designs can go from a physical paper to a digital file in just a second! With Sketchbook, it feels like drawing on real paper!

Morpholio Trace

This app has been created especially for architects. Trace works exactly like any other tracing paper, except you can use it on your iPhone or iPad. You can work on different layers, just as you would with a physical tracing paper. You can sketch, make changes and write comments on top of images.

The app is perfect for collaborative efforts. Multiple people can work on different layers and incorporate all the aspects and elements of each individual layer (or tracing paper) into the final design.

Concept Idea Calculator

If you have an idea or a design in mind and are looking for the expertise of a structural engineer, this Concept Idea Calculator is the next best thing! The app will help you calculate the required depths, density, and quantity of various structural components of your design.

You can also peruse the material gallery for samples to determine how those materials will look on your design, exposed. With this app, architects can explore the aesthetics of various materials like wood, concrete, steel, etc. and how feasible the material will be for your design. The app is the perfect combination of creativity and practicality.

Autodesk FormIt

This app allows you to sketch in 3D, anywhere you like. Wherever inspiration strikes, you can whip out your phone or tablet and start committing your ideas to a virtual sketch pad. While you are at it, you can also design with intelligence and make energy evaluations as you go along making your model.

The app is free for iOS and a great tool for any architect to have in their kitty!

Graphisoft BIMx

This is the perfect app to help you make a smooth transition from the design studio to the construction site. BIMx employs a unique technology for a 2D and 3D building project navigation.

This app allows you to placate your clients by showing them the exact model of the building they desire, virtually. You can also give contractors detailed briefs of what you require by sharing 3D designs and 2D documents with them. The app is the confidence boost you require before going in to construct the building you have designed.

iRhino 3D

irhino 3d ipad iphone

The iRhino 3D app allows you to download all your designs and models on your phone and access them in 3D wherever and whenever you want! You can zoom into, rotate and pan very large models quickly and without any trouble. You can download the designs from any web server, Dropbox, etc. You can also download 3DM files attached to an email. With this app, you can share and email 3DM designs from your iPhone or iPad directly.

This is a great tool to have when you are stuck in a long commute and would like to work on your designs. The app provides retina display support, background color settings, layer display on/off control, etc. You can also skip to saved views that were created within the app, among other things.

Final Thoughts

These apps may actually end up eliminating a lot of laborious steps from your work. No longer do you have to lug a measuring tape around or always be near your work station to sketch a design. You can work from, quite literally, anywhere. So download these amazing apps and make your work even more fun, exciting and innovative.

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