Augmented Reality (AR) permits the inclusion of virtual elements within a real-world environment, thereby creating a spectrum of possibility for designers & inventors, especially architects, engineers, interior & furniture designers. In the past these designers drew mockup sketches of their designs to scale using CAD (Computer Aided Design) drawing applications, but it was often difficult to translate their vision to clients, who held a limited imagination or grasp of the design.
Morpholio, a company building CAD applications aimed at these type of designers, has developed an application to effectively eliminate this pain point. AR SketchWalk, an augmented reality (AR) tool made for Apple mobile devices running iOS 12, allows designers to create immersive drawings — sketches you can walk into. Imagine an architect designing a home for a family, & needing to describe a sketch of the layout to a client, drawings, still pictures or even animations of the design might not resonate with the audience. However, consider the difference if the family could walk around in the design, get a feel for the space as if it were already a reality. This would really be a complete game changer & this is exactly what SketchWalk allows.
Tools built into Morphoilo’s CAD application such as their innovative grid measuring application, allow designers to accurately draw to scale over a viewport, which is cast over any environment, giving a perfectly scaled representation of the field. Elements, such as furniture or dividing walls, are then drawn into the environment, & SketchWalk then allows the designer, & clients, to go into the sketch physically, & see if the design suits them, in a manner, which until recently, was only a figment of science fiction imaginings. Pretty impressive by anyone’s standards.
The application is powered by Apple’s ARKit & shared sessions are enabled by using ARKit 2, the platform recognizes any iOS 12 device in it’s vicinity running Morpholio’s app & with a single tap, admits participants into the virtual world of the drawing. The applications powerful Pencil Tool, allows rulers, protractors & other to-scale measuring devices into the drawing, so that elements might be adjusted, lengthened or transformed into 3D in real-time, while exploring the design in person.
Morphoilo Trace is available for both iPhone & iPad, so the application can be used on the go or in the field, as it’s truly mobile. The New York, US-based company started by Toru Hasegawa, Mark Collins, Anna Kenoff & Jeffrey Kenoff, has been built for architects by architects, they’re fully aware of the requirements which would make their tool invaluable in their field & they’re determined to take their application from the sedentary into the realm of the future, using all the latest technological advancements at their disposal.
Image Credit: morpholio
