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Questions:
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What is PLANSurveyorTM?
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Who is using PLANSurveyorTM?
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How does PLANSurveyorTM
handle my layering and block standards?
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I had my hard copy drawings converted
to CAD several years ago, can they be updated to reflect “as-is”
conditions?
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You mention auto-close as a key,
exclusive feature of the system. What does it really do for me?
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How does PLANSurveyorTM
create arced and angled walls?
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Can the Leica DISTOTM
Laser Distance Meter and Fujitsu Stylistic® Tablet PC have a
direct interface to eliminate manual input of the dimensional data?
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Concerning the topic of dimensions, what is the unit of
measurement used by PLANSurveyorTM, and
to what level of precision are the units recorded?
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Why can’t I use AutoCAD® on
a Tablet PC?
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I do building surveys only 20% of the
time, can a Tablet PC be used for other applications?
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Often our projects are remote from the
main office; how can the work be transmitted back to our headquarters?
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Can I operate PLANSurveyorTM on
my existing notebook computer?
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We prefer to work individually, is this
possible with your system?
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Can I do similar work with PocketCAD®
or another application on a Palm® or PocketPC®
(Windows Mobile®) device?
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If PLANSurveyorTM
software is so easy to use, why is a two day workshop recommended?
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The system sounds great, but do you
have quantitative data to support the increased productivity gains or
payback period?
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All right, I’m sold! I will send
you a purchase order as soon as I sell (or have) a project large enough
to offset the acquisition cost of the system; doesn’t that seem
feasible?
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Ok, I am convinced this system will increase production,
save time, and improve profitability. I am ready to make the
investment; do I need to call a laser distance meter and Tablet PC
manufacturer/reseller and IQT?
Answers:
What is
PLANSurveyorTM?
PLANSurveyorTM…..the ultimate building survey solution developed by IQT, is
designed to allow a surveyor to methodically and systematically
traverse rooms within a building, precisely capturing all unique
building elements in the process. This rigorous, self-checking
surveying methodology assists surveyors in producing graphical field
data that is accurate, consistent, and thorough. Also, because PLANSurveyorTM was developed by building surveyors for the sole purpose
of "as-is" in-field floor plan creation, it has the distinction of
being the most technologically advanced and feature rich program of its
kind.
For over twenty years, we have made it our mission to
engineer the survey process and methodology in an effort to maximize
efficiency, increase accuracy, and minimize costs. Using
state-of-the-art laser distance meters, Tablet PC's and PLANSurveyorTM, coupled with our time-tested methodologies, we have
increased the accuracy while reducing the survey time, in addition to
eliminating costly and disruptive return visits to the field.
This unique and innovative approach, consisting of hardware, software
and knowledge, is what we refer to as the "IQT Survey System"TM.
Because of PLANSurveyorTM ease of
use and intuitive user interface, this technology has been embraced and
employed by some of America's leading higher education institutions,
medical centers, pharmaceutical companies, municipalities and
architectural firms as their tool of choice for accurate "as-is"
architectural floor plan documentation.
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Who is using PLANSurveyorTM?
Our list of satisfied clients is comprised of a wide
array of industries and market segments. To date, we boast users
in the following arenas: healthcare, educational, municipal,
commercial, industrial, architectural, engineering, interior design,
facilities services, and building survey firms.
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How does PLANSurveyorTM handle my layering and block standards?
In order to use a specific layering scheme or custom
blocks, one would simply import a [DWG® or DXF®
file format] drawing containing these layers and blocks. PLANSurveyorTM will now make those symbols and objects (blocks)
available and will maintain all the custom layers.
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I had my hard copy drawings converted to
CAD several years ago, can they be updated to reflect “as-is”
conditions?
Yes, many of our
clients have used PLANSurveyorTM just for verifying and editing existing
CAD drawings. CAD drawings [residing in either DWG® or DXF® file formats] can be imported into
PLANSurveyorTM for editing purposes and exported back
into the CAD system of choice.
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You mention auto-close as a key,
exclusive feature of the system. What does it really do for me?
When the starting point and the endpoint of a room or
space are within established tolerances, PLANSurveyorTM will “Auto-Close” the room. It adjusts one or two
dimensions in order for the start point and end point to be the same
exact point. This eliminates the need to “fillet or trim” the
intersections in your CAD system.
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How does PLANSurveyorTM create arced and angled walls?
PLANSurveyorTM employs the geometric technique of triangulation, which
is commonly used in civil engineering and land surveying, to calculate
angles. PLANSurveyorTM prompts
the operator through the process graphically, so there is no need to be
a trigonometry expert.
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Can the Leica DISTOTM
Laser Distance Meter and Fujitsu Stylistic® Tablet PC have a
direct interface to eliminate manual input of the dimensional data?
Yes, Bluetooth® wireless data transmission
technology is available on specific Leica DISTOTM
Laser Distance Meters and Fujitsu Stylistic® Tablet PC
models. However, please note that experience shows that between
15% - 25% of all field captured dimensions are still obtained from the
steel tape measure. This includes all measurements less than 2”,
which is too close to be measured by the laser distance meter, as well
as some dimensions which are not conducive to easily being measured
with the laser distance meter (i.e.: wall thicknesses).
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Concerning the topic of dimensions,
what is the unit of measurement used by PLANSurveyorTM, and to what level of precision are the units recorded?
PLANSurveyorTM, since its inception, has always maintained dual
compatibility with both the U.S. Customary [Imperial] and SI [Metric]
system of measurements. When employing the U.S. Customary system
of measurement, it is only natural to input and display the
measurements in architectural format [foot – inch – fraction of an
inch]. Throughout its development, PLANSurveyorTM has always emulated the output displayed on the most
popular model of the Leica DISTOTM
Laser Distance Meter. The latest release of PLANSurveyorTM allows the user to input to a precision of 1/16th of an
inch, and allows for the input of fractional inch denominators [ /2,
/4, /8, /16], exactly as it is displayed on the latest line of Leica
DISTOTM Laser Distance Meters.
By recording each measurement in architectural format [foot – inch –
fraction of an inch] PLANSurveyorTM
maintains the dimensional integrity of each drawing. This
dimensional integrity may be architecturally compromised if the input
were to be recorded at another level of precision or units [i.e.:
decimal feet]. When your survey requires measurements which
employ the SI system of measurement, then the choice is simple as PLANSurveyorTM accepts input and records precision to the millimeter.
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Why can’t I use AutoCAD® on
a Tablet PC?
Using AutoCAD® on a Tablet PC is a distant
second choice for creating as-built floor plans. PLANSurveyorTM is the de-facto standard in software designed
specifically for creating “as-is” building documentation. Because
it focuses on creating and editing as-built drawings, it minimizes the
clicks/keystrokes required to accurately document any given
space. In addition, AutoCAD® was not designed as a
pen-enabled application (as evident through the extensive use of its
command line interface) so it does not optimize the use of the
hardware.
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I do building surveys only 20% of the
time, can a Tablet PC be used for other applications?
Yes, these Tablet PC’s are equipped with the Microsoft
Windows® Vista operating system and powerful Intel®
Core 2 Duo class processors with plenty of memory to run applications
such as Microsoft Office®, AutoCAD®, and CAFM
software packages.
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Often our projects are remote from
the main office; how can the work be transmitted back to our
headquarters?
Most Tablet PC’s are equipped with both internal modems
and LAN/WLAN connections. The files created by PLANSurveyorTM are extremely compact, minimizing transmission time of
the electronic files.
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Can I operate PLANSurveyorTM on my existing notebook computer?
Yes, PLANSurveyorTM can
operate on a desktop, notebook, or Tablet PC. Using PLANSurveyorTM on a notebook can be a good option, if you have:
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a
notebook computer already
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no
hardware budget
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empty
buildings to survey
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minimal
exterior survey work
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single
level buildings
However, the PLANSurveyorTM
software has been optimized specifically as a pen-enabled application,
therefore the most efficient operation is using it on a Tablet PC.
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We prefer to work individually, is
this possible with your system?
Yes, given the fact that the "IQT Survey System"TM is a
compact mobile solution easily operated by just one person, many of our
clients choose to work individually rather than in two person
teams. At IQT, we have found that two person teams produce at a rate
of 240% compared to that of an individual. Therefore, in most
cases a team of two is the most productive arrangement. However,
available human resources, travel time, and the overall size of a
project are the three factors that will ultimately determine if a one
or two person team is most efficient and feasible.
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Can I do similar work with PocketCAD®
or another application on a Palm® or PocketPC®
(Windows Mobile®) device?
Again, PLANSurveyorTM is
the de-facto standard in software designed specifically for creating
as-built floor plans. To use any other software for creating
as-built floor plans will be a compromise. Palm® and
PocketPC® computing devices do not have adequate screen
displays for working with drawings. We have tested smaller screen
displays, but we have found that floor plans displayed on a PDA sized
screen are not practical for working with building drawings.
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If PLANSurveyorTM software is so easy to use, why is a two day workshop
recommended?
Simply put, Knowledge Transfer!
We begin each training session with the statement that “PLANSurveyorTM is the easiest program a user will ever learn next to
Windows Solitaire®!” As a testament to that claim, we
are confident that every user trained to date would agree.
However, our workshops are not limited to software training
alone. You see, PLANSurveyorTM is
just one component (albeit the most important) of the "IQT Survey System"TM, a
system that consists of software, hardware, and methodology. It
is this methodology, which has evolved and has been developed for over
fifteen years in harmony with PLANSurveyorTM,
that is succinctly and summarily presented and our “Knowledge
Transferred.” So, whether you are a seasoned and experienced
surveyor (or Architect), or a novice ready to embark on a new vocation,
our two day workshop is all that you will need to maximize your return
on investment and be producing at peak productivity immediately and
confidently!
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The system sounds great, but do you
have quantitative data to support the increased productivity gains or
payback period?
View our "Why
So Fast?" document to compare different surveying methodologies and
approaches. You will then understand why the "IQT Survey System"TM is
so much faster than any other system.
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All right, I’m sold! I will
send you a purchase order as soon as I sell (or have) a project large
enough to offset the acquisition cost of the system; doesn’t that seem
feasible?
On the surface, yes; but consider the following.
The purchase price of the "IQT Survey System"TM has an average
simple payback of just over 100,000 g.s.f. of as-built floor plan
documentation. If you are serious about producing as-built floor
plan documentation, then the system may be bought and paid for with
smaller jobs long before you “land the big one.” Next, by
investing in the system now, you will be in an enviable position that
will allow you to produce a more favorable bid than your competition,
thereby being awarded more and larger projects as a result of ownership
of the most accurate and cost effective solution of its kind.
Further, due to hardware delivery lead times and scheduled training
availability, you may not be in a position to realize the system's
payback when that big project is awarded and needs to commence
immediately. Finally, as a licensed user of PLANSurveyorTM and the "IQT
Survey System"TM, you are in a unique position to tap into our growing
user base (or be engaged as a subcontractor) thereby allowing you to
consider projects larger than you ever imagined you could handle.
Unlike conventional approaches, on the onset you can be confident that
a fellow user will produce as-built floor plan documentation in an
accurate, timely, and standardized format [see PLANSurveyor'dTM], the hallmark of
PLANSurveyorTM and the "IQT
Survey System"TM.
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Ok, I am convinced this system will
increase production, save time, and improve profitability. I am
ready to make the investment; do I need to call a laser distance meter
and Tablet PC manufacturer/reseller and IQT?
No, one call to IQT is all you need to
make. We are value-added resellers of all the hardware. We
can provide you with the complete system, or any of the individual
components. After a brief discussion we will have the necessary
information to produce a custom proposal to meet your organization’s
needs.
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