The results are in!
After publishing our 10 Best Apps For Architects, getting your comments, and then polling your votes on Facebook, we are finally ready to introduce our new (and improved) list: The 4 Apps every architect should download now! And we mean now. Trust us.
Find out the 4 contenders who stood out from the pack (and a full list of other awesome Apps) – after the break…
Coming in at the spot, iRhino 3D lets you view your 3D Models any way you want – with a tap or drag of the finger you can easily zoom in, pan out, and even rotate your models. Plus, you can load your Rhino models from web sites (Google Docs, DropBox, email attachments, etc.) and then save them later to markup or email. $3.99 - for ios only
#3 Sketchbook
Jumping up from the spot, Sketchbook Mobile, one of many of Autodesk’s Sketchbook offerings, lets you draw, paint, and sketch – and it works in layers so you can edit easily as you go. $1.99 for ios / $0.25 for Android
Created by the five architects behind the Morpholio project, this super cool App seeks to re-imagine the portfolio. As they put it, the App transforms “the users portfolio into a constantly versioning and customizable collection of images that is more reflective of the way we work today.” It also lets you collaborate with and critique the works of others, integrating you into an architectural community. Best of all, it’s FREE - for ios only
#1 AutoCad WS
Once again in the number one position, our Facebook Fans overwhelmingly voted for AutoCad WS as the App they favor most.
Why? Probably because AutoCad WS lets you annotate and revise drawings on the go – and lets you share them easily. Or maybe because the latest version features 3D viewing and GPS integration. But we’re also guessing it’s your favorite because of the price tag: AutoCad WS is 100% FREE - for ios / for Android
Other Reader-Recommended Apps Worth Checking out…
For Better Drawing/Rendering/Modeling
Autodesk 360 - “View and annotate drawings on the spot, reduce the need to carry around over-sized paper drawings.” FREE - for ios / for Android
GRAPHISOFT BIMx™, according to our review, “makes BIMx an interactive environment with game-like navigation.” And it’s available to anyone, even those without a BIMx license. FREE - for ios / for Android
Morpholio Trace, the latest App developed by The Morpholio Project, lets you draw on top of images (imported from your iPad camera or other sources) as if you were using tracing paper. FREE - for ios only
Paper A beautifully designed iPad App (well-loved by its Users – check out this awesome review on the Verge) that lets you draw as if on paper. FREE (then $1.99 for each successive tool) - for ios only
For Better Reading / Inspiration
Design Observer - The mobile App that lets you easily read content from the Design Observer. FREE - for ios only
Flipboard - This App syncs all your social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.) and news/entertainment providers (Google Reader/YouTube/Instagram) to create a Feed that’s tailor made to you. FREE - for ios / for Android
Good Reader “handles huge PDF and TXT files, manuals, large books, magazines, and renderings of 100 mb and more with great speed.” AND it lets you mark-up your PDFs with text, sticky notes, lines, freehand drawings, etc. $4.99 - for ios only
Houzz - a huge database of home design photos that you can save to a virtual idea book. FREE - for ios only
To Make Your Life a Little Easier…
InchCalc - A powerful calculating tool for measurements and conversions. $1.99 - for ios only
Magic Plan - Measures and draws floor plans from your pictures and lets you exports them in different formats. Check out the nifty video here. FREE - for ios only
My Measures and Dimensions – Like Magic Plan, My Measures allows you to add dimensions (as arrows, angles, text) on any photo and share them easily. $2.99 for ios / $4.25 for Android
Panorama 360 - Lets you stitch photos to make, as CNET put it, ”Instant, awesome panoramas.” $0.99 for ios / FREE for Android
Photosynth - Microsoft’s contribution to Panorama stitching, where “you can not only make a panorama from left to right, but also up and down, enabling you to capture a full “sphere.” FREE - for ios only
Pocket Light Meter - ”Measures reflected light, and allows reciprocity calculations.” FREE - for ios only
[STEEL] - “Decades’ worth of steel shapes data at your fingertips!” $4.99 for ios / $3.99 for Android
Sun Seeker - An app that lets you track the sun’s affect on your work, giving you a better “feel for the spatial variability of the solar angle throughout the year.” $8.99 for ios / $6.22 for Android
