Another World First
Innovation
from AppliCad
In the next version of our roofing software (V5.6) you’re going to be able to trace the roof from satellite and aerial image services such as Google Earth™ (there may be other services providing similar images that you can use). Using these images and the brand new Google Earth Street View™ functionality to get the roof pitch, you can generate an estimate without having to go onsite...cool huh?
Imagine the service improvements you can offer your customers and the travel time and gas savings. This is not a replacement for the site visit, but at the estimate stage, before you have a client's commitment, you can do a very precise estimate for any re-roofing task very quickly and easily.
Example –here’s our house:
1. Access Google Earth™ and type in the location of the job (about 30 seconds)
2. Switch to Google Street View™ and use the Google™ tools to cut image to the Windows Clipboard (20 more seconds). You may also ask your customer to run outside and snap the elevation with their mobile phone and email it to you.
3. Open up AppliCad software (Sorcerer, Wizard or Magician) and when prompted for the roof pitch, select the option to measure roof pitch and paste the image from the clip board. Measure the pitch from critical corners and select OK (and another 30 seconds).
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4. The pitch is calculated and inserted in the Roof Defaults dialog box (in degrees or slope) (20 seconds).
5. Once the outline is done and the pitch entered, the roof is complete, except perhaps for the addition of roof features such as dormers and dutch gables etc. Just a few minutes and you're done. Are you convinced yet?
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6. The roof quantities are displayed, the roof is dimensioned and the model
is ready for you to add the material; the material list and roof quotation
are then generated.
That's it. No road rage, no wasted time, huge savings on fuel, no wear and tear on your vehicle - it just gets better and better.
With the emergence of global imaging technology the roof estimation business is about to change significantly, and rapidly. In months and years to come most re-roof estimates will be done from your desk. With the pending release of AppliCad v5.6 it may be sooner than you think. The process is particularly suited to residential re-roofing but will find application in most areas of roofing - commerical or residential, flat or pitched. This will never replace the site visit - but save that for when it's worth doing and you're going to be paid.
Please note that your use of Google™ and similar imaging services is obviously subject to their licence agreements and AppliCad does not make any representation as to their accuracy or reliability. It is our view that these are merely tools that we, as roofers, can use selectively and to our customer's advantage. The majority of Australian towns and cities have been captured by Google Street View. It is possible that your neck of the woods has not been captured yet.
The Google Earth Terms and Conditions suggest that you may have to purchase a licence of Google Earth Pro which permits commercial use of the imagery - go to http://www.sketchup.com/earth-store/google-earth-license-newpro.ep.
V5.6 Automatic Update
All AppliCad customers with current Investment Protection (IP) contracts will have the new release shipped to you in due course, usually within 2 weeks of the official release date. If you are not sure about the status of your IP, please contact your local AppliCad office and check or email the Customer Service team at service@applicad.com.au.