Sketchup for iPad

[Lettusbee67]

Hi y'all,
I finally got an iPad, and I'm trying to figure out what it's good for, in terms of business use. I doubt sketch up would work on a tablet, but are there any drawing programs for this thing that are useful for quick designs with a client?
Especially something like tile designs.

Also, this thing is a pain in the keister to type on. Because the keyboard is so small, I have to type with th hunt and peck method.

[tjbnwi]

It is better to type in the landscape position. You can also split the keyboard.

I don't know of any really good drawing apps.

Tom

[MarkMc]

A couple of things to look at;

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet...&siteID=123112

http://www.123dapp.com/catch

[tjbnwi]

I have SketchBook Pro it's just ok.

Tom

[MarkMc]

That's true, but so is the iPad relative to a PC. Perspective. One has to adapt to using the thing and flowing/sharing/incorporating that into the rest of the scheme. It's a tool with limitations after all.

[Lettusbee67]

This whole apple thing is new to me. I don't understand the tablet trend either. This iPad was given to me, so it is not something I sought and researched before buying.

I just know a lot of people on here have posted how useful it is to their business, and I'm trying to find out how.

On one hand, it seems like an overpriced glorified toy for listening to music and buying video games.

On the other, if I can learn how to organize photos, It may be a great way to show clients a portfolio of my past work.

What I would like to see for this is the following:

A calendar and contact manager,
Jobsite time tracker, employee and sub time tracker (Daily reports app?)
Estimating spread sheets and proposal documents.

Is this too much to expect from a tablet?

And why the hell doesn't it cooperate with amazon and google? or play flash videos? effing stupid

[Ottoman]

I'm looking into the ipad as a tool for my business so I have looked into it a bit. I primarily am looking at it as a mobile way to run our new CRM software. Once I have set up I will be able to access and track everything my company does from drawings to estimates, conversations, orders blah blah blah. Basically it becomes the portal to my entire records and file drawers.

As far as drawings go, it seems pretty weak. There are app that will allow you to show a sketch-up drawing but no run it. It isn't capable of handling our more sophisticated CAD programs, but most laptops aren't either so that was no surprise. I am also hoping to be able to use Excel off of it. I do most of my estimating off of Excel and the opportunity to re-caputre time that would be lost when I'm mobile is very appealing. My understanding is the program works but the manner in which a user uses it is a little different. I expect a minor learning curve.

The other exciting thing I think is using it as a portfolio. It is quick to access and easy to modify.

[tjbnwi]

That's true, but so is the iPad relative to a PC. Perspective. One has to adapt to using the thing and flowing/sharing/incorporating that into the rest of the scheme. It's a tool with limitations after all.

This whole apple thing is new to me. I don't understand the tablet trend either. This iPad was given to me, so it is not something I sought and researched before buying.

I just know a lot of people on here have posted how useful it is to their business, and I'm trying to find out how.

On one hand, it seems like an overpriced glorified toy for listening to music and buying video games.

On the other, if I can learn how to organize photos, It may be a great way to show clients a portfolio of my past work.

What I would like to see for this is the following:

A calendar and contact manager,
Jobsite time tracker, employee and sub time tracker (Daily reports app?)
Estimating spread sheets and proposal documents.

Is this too much to expect from a tablet?

And why the hell doesn't it cooperate with amazon and google? or play flash videos? effing stupid

So, I won't point out when an app is just ok. I'll let him buy the app you recommended him to check out and not be happy with it. I'll do my best to avoid making this same mistake in the future. I can draw very well with the app, but it is just ok.

Picasa web albums for the photos, you should have Picasa on your other devices also.

I prefer to create a new album in the stock "Photo" app or iPhoto on my MBP, here is how to create an album in the "Photo" app;

Tap the Photo widget

Tap "Albums"

Tap "Edit" (upper right)

Tap "New Album" (appears upper left)

Name Album

Tap "Save"

Tap photos for new album

Tap "Done"

To rearrange photo order in an album

Tap the "Share" icon in the upper right (it is the box with the arrow in it)

Touch and hold on a photo, it will enlarge slightly, drag it to where you want it in the album

If you tap the photo it will "check" the photo[s] and turn on the buttons in the upper left.

Once done, if you have Picasa Web Albums, you can upload the albums from the iPad (you can also download an album, but you do that from your Picasa account);

Tap the "Web Albums" widget

Tap the "Home" upper left

Tap "Library"

Tap on the photos in "Photo Stream" or "Saved Photos" you wish to upload, or an entire album by tapping on the name then "Select All". If you tap on "Photo Stream" or "Saved Photos" then "Select All" all of the photos will be uploaded to Web Albums.

Flickr is another option for web albums, I use to use them. Forgot my password, they were no help in trying to resolve the issue. Look at PhotoBucket also.

Mine plays very well with Amazon and Google, what type of problems are you having?

Check the sticky in this forum for more app info.

Tom

[MarkMc]

So, I won't point out when an app is just ok. I'll let him buy the app you recommended him to check out and not be happy with it. I'll do my best to avoid making this same mistake in the future. I can draw very well with the app, but it is just ok.

A bit like saying a GranCabrio sport is just ok because it's tough to tie down a full sheet of ply on the luggage rack. Is the app limiting the device or l'inverso?

But you're right it is just ok, which at best describes most drawing uses for the ipad even if it too were fitted with a luggage rack and more hp.

[dgbldr]

On one hand, it seems like an overpriced glorified toy for listening to music and buying video games.

Correct. My kid has one, I don't.

On the other, if I can learn how to organize photos, It may be a great way to show clients a portfolio of my past work.

You can do that with ANY device that contains a screen :) But yes the iPad display is nice.

[philthegreek]

Hi y'all,
I finally got an iPad, and I'm trying to figure out what it's good for, in terms of business use. I doubt sketch up would work on a tablet, but are there any drawing programs for this thing that are useful for quick designs with a client?
Especially something like tile designs.

Also, this thing is a pain in the keister to type on. Because the keyboard is so small, I have to type with th hunt and peck method.

Lettusbee67,
Although it is not a PC per sé (yet) it is still a very useful device for your business, just like a smart phone.
BuildCalc works very nicely on it. The stair function is particularly good on the bigger screen.
You can link to files such as contracts and have clients sign them right there.
You can set up plan sets in the cloud and access them from the jobsite or when meeting with clients, make corrections or changes and immediately have them shared with pertinent people associated with the project.
You can set up you pictures in a portfolio the your prospective clients can thum through.
You can video conference with clients or suppliers or subs.

More business and productivity apps are being added every day. And this does not just pertain to Apple products ( although they started this fight ;-) ) any of the truly smart devices can do this now and they are great helps as far as muti-tasking and reduced lead times.

Remember to have fun with it too :-)

Phil

[dgbldr]

You can video conference with clients or suppliers or subs.

That's all I need right now. The client on video so he can see some laborer scratching himself in the background. That'll make the client pay more attention to what I'm saying :)

[tjbnwi]

One way an iPad (maybe any tablet, I only have an iPad so......) excels is as a photo viewer and presentation device. Easier to handle in a "group" that a laptop. If you are viewing a photo and flip the iPad for a client to view the photo, the iPad flips the photo to be viewed properly. Most know how to scroll through a swipe screen device.

As Phil said, with apps tablets are very powerful field tools.

BuildCalc should be your first purchased app. (Full disclosure, I am a beta test for Ben, but I bought the BuildCalc app long before becoming a tester)

Tom

[Alaskan Son]

Not exactly what you're looking for, but check this out...

http://roomplanner.chiefarchitect.com/

On a side note. I really have a hard time seeing the benefit of an I-pad over a good laptop. Cool factor...I-pad wins hands down...Functionality...not so much. Am I missing something?? It just seems like an I-pad is a little bit smaller, harder to type on, and probably easier to damage at a job-site.

[jstoddard]

FWIW - there is no "SketchUp for iPad", present or to my knowledge, planned - although it would not surprise me to see some iteration of SU that can run on a tablet in the future.

RE: Advantage of a tablet over a good laptop : This is a tough one.

A true Windows or Mac computer has more capability to run more software and store more data than any tablet based on the iOS or Android operating systems (but -to be fair - some 'tablets' run a full install of MS Windows - those are in the same category as "laptop" since they're functionally identical). OTOH, Some SmartPhones and some tablets have sensors that no computer has that can position them in space and time There's a whole class of "apps" that take advantage of those things that are absent from PCs/Macs.

Tablets are also very good devices for accessing multi-platform cloud-based services. For example - ToodleDo that Allan uses.... Trello... DropBox.... EverNote.... Those types of applications are functionally identical (more or less) regardless of how you access them - and they're designed to be accessed from a variety of platforms... tablet, smartphone, laptop, desktop, etc.

But generally speaking, I'd still think of a tablet as more of a companion to, not a replacement for - a traditional PC/Mac. The original analogy of a PC being a "content creation" tool whereas a Tablet is more of a "Content Consumption" tool still stands. Simple documents are easily created/edited on either platform, but if you really wanted to get down to number-crunching or desktop publishing - you need the extra horsepower of a PC/Mac.

I do think today it's possible to cobble enough web-based apps and tablet-only apps to run a small business if you're willing to accept the limitations. For example - as of today there is no real "CAD" replacement for a tablet. There's a handful of drawing apps but they're very anemic compared to SoftPlan or Envisioneer running on a real computer. It's possible though - and some of my younger clients (if they don't need CAD, etc.) are ditching their computers

Personally - I like a thin-light laptop running real Windows or Mac - but I've been preaching the 3 lb or lighter laptop for years as yyour main computing device. But if I were doing in-home sales, I'd definitely carry a tablet with me to show photos, get documents signed electronically, etc.

JLS