5 Great iPad Apps All Architects Should Have (Tue Tip; guest post)

Today’s Tip is a guest post from Vanessa Lang.  Vanessa is an author who writes guest posts on the topics of business, marketing, credit cards, and personal finance. Additionally, she works for a website that focuses on educating readers about online payday loans.

holding an ipad

As an architect (or engineer), it is very important to stay organized and well informed. What better way to do that then with your iPad? The following are just a few of the best iPad apps I’ve found to help an architect stay sane while on the job.

DaVinci

This app will let you draw accurate floor plans with the touch of a finger. You can draw walls, place labels and symbols, and define specific areas as long as you can use the iPad. DaVinci also lets you add photos so you can remember ideas and anything else you need to document when you get the iPad camera connection kit. There is also a voice feature that will allow you to record your own notes to the iPad for future reference.

AutoCAD WS

With AutoCAD WS, you can view, edit, and share DWGTM files with anyone who needs to see them. You can also work on your AutoCAD drawings from your iPad. This convenient app will allow you to revise drawings while you are on the go or on location. This really is a great app for architects that are constantly out of the office and need to work from other locations.

Architect Magazine

One of the best ways for architects to keep up with what is going on in the industry is to read AIA’s Architect magazine. This app will show you the pages of the actual print magazine without having to waste the paper used to print it. You can look through the pages of each magazine while you are connected to the internet or you have the option of downloading an issue to look through it later.

Not only can you read the magazine whenever it is convenient for you, but you can also access other pages through hyperlinks on each magazine page. This makes it much easier for you to access new information about architecture, and go beyond what you can get from the print version.

Expensify

This application is free from the iTunes store and can be a great tool for architectural business owners. With this accounting application, you will be able to import purchase transactions and track your receipts for credit card purchases. Even if you use cash, you will be able to scan your receipt to import and keep track of the information for your taxes. Expensify is really great because it allows you to keep your business and personal expenses separate.

Fruit Ninja

After working so hard all day, it is important that we all take some time to relax and have fun. This game will do just that. The concept of the game is so simple, but that does not make it any less interesting. There are three different ways to play the game, but the objective is always the same: slice as much fruit as possible without hitting the bombs. That’s it! I’ve spent hours playing this game trying to unlock the different backgrounds and blades you can get. Even if you just need a little break during a long day, it really is a great way to let out your frustrations and simply have a little fun.

Thanks Vanessa!  Full disclosure from the editor here: I myself do not have an ipad, so while these apps look inviting, I cannot speak to them personally.  Even though I am a bit of a Luddite, these ones look promising.  Well, except for the Fruit Ninja, but we all have to have fun sometime, right?

Do you use any of these apps?  Have others that you’d recommend?  Share in the comments section below.

Photo: (c) John Karakatsanis via Creative Commons license. 

13 thoughts on “5 Great iPad Apps All Architects Should Have (Tue Tip; guest post)

  1. mark hayes says:

    Many of these apps have great intentions but are difficult and cumbersome to use in real life. Please don’t review ipad apps unless you have to actually use them on a daily basis. Only then will your recommendations have credibility.

    • Melissa Dewey Brumback says:

      Mark: Thanks for your comments. I myself did not write this post, but I hope that my guest author did review the apps before writing the piece. It sounds like you have a lot of experience with different architectural apps. What do you recommend?

  2. Elisa says:

    Hi all, very nice overview!
    I would like to suggest our application for architectural site reports: http://archisnapper.com/. It’s been available for some months now in Belgium and very popular, so we’re reaching out to the English speaking world as well now 😉
    It comes with a 30 days free trial. Hope you like it! Suggestions for improvement are much appreciated!

  3. Nutes says:

    Hello all,

    Please checkout our innovative site management app SiteWorks, available on the appStore.
    It’s universal, works on iPad, iPhone, iPod touch.

    You can try it for free with the lite version.

    Regards

    Nutes Team

  4. Meslie says:

    Thanks for these applications. Great post!

    In business/productivity app, I’d like to recommend a great one which integrated an interesting concept; saving time from your notes. This app, Beesy, generates automatically ToDo lists from a smart note taking. Also, the advantage is you can easily generate professional minutes from your notes and send them by email. Besides, you can browse your ToDo by actions,projects or people. You save a lot of time at meetings.
    I strongly recommend Beesy for people which often have meetings and want to appreciate them again 😉
    http://www.beesapps.com/beesy-ipad-to-do/
    meslie

  5. Shreddi says:

    Sorry forgot to subscribe to this in case thiere are any other suggestions. Looking for amature planning architecture app.
    Thanks much.

  6. Shreddi says:

    Thank you very much, trying to find DaVinci now and it’s crazy. Should probably name products closer to their purpose. Im looking to sketch floorplans and looking for something can do while on move. Thanks again. Appreciate it.

  7. John Nicholas says:

    As a Home Energy Rater, I have found Da Vinci (now known as Total) is wonderful for existing homes. Expensify type apps are great! If you have an iPad 2 the camera is there and you do not have to hook up your phone. One of the free Scan Apps is a good one to include. If you are doing field work, and check off lists, or other data collection activity, iAnnotate is a great way to eliminate paper. Noise Sniffer will measure sound levels, great for background noise (traffic) or bathroom ventilation fans. Sketch is a free form drawing tool, for elevations, or vaulted ceilings. If you are into Energy Efficiency and calculating numbers to meet ASHRAE 62-2-2010 ResVent 62.2 is invaluable. Finally a QR code reader app and Drop Box are my final 2.

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