Product release: 3D Line and Area Tools for Roof Measurements on Oblique Imagery
If you’re a roofer, solar installer, or construction professional, the drill is familiar: prospecting and booking new jobs involves getting in a truck, driving out to site, setting up safety equipment, climbing on steep roofs, and manually taking measurements. You then compile it all in a quote for the customer, and sit back and wait while they consider offers from your competitors. The new 3D Line and 3D Area tools at a glance
The 3D Line and 3D Area tools provide a simple way to measure the slope of roofs, structures, and buildings from oblique imagery in the MapBrowser web app. These tools, in conjunction with the height and width tools also available in the Measurable Obliques package, will offer roofers, solar installers, and home builders a complete tool set to enable their remote roof and site inspection workflows. Custom-built for roofing, solar, and construction workflows
The 3D Area and 3D Line tools can go to work for you immediately to help you prospect at scale, conduct preliminary site assessments, add professional polish to your presentations and quotes, and close deals quickly on the phone.
Here are a few ways you can start leveraging this technology:
Prospect more efficiently to find opportunities at scale. With the ability to scan and measure an entire suburb’s worth of roofs in just a few hours, you can easily identify prospects for repair work, renovations, new installations, and more.
Respond to leads quickly and close more deals with virtual site visits. Estimate materials and labor costs and produce quick quotes by accurately assessing the site with aerial imagery and virtual roof measurements.
Reduce the cost per sale. When you don’t have to send staff to a site to conduct the first assessment, you save money on labor, petrol and vehicle insurance, andcosts associated with safety equipment and accident insurance.
Scale your revenue, not your back office. Do more business without hiring additional staff—the only assistant you need to hire is Nearmap.
Stand out from the pack with the latest, clearest bird’s eye view of the property. Illustrate what’s possible and create a lasting impression. Show the context for the proposed work with notes, drawings, and measurements that demonstrate the full scope of the project.
FAQ Which units of measurement are available?
In Australia, a roof angle is expressed in degrees; in the US, roof pitch is most commonly expressed as how many inches the slope rises for every 12 inches of horizontal run. Both units of measurements are available in the new 3D Line and Area tools.
Why are these tools only available in Obliques?
To find the pitch and area of a roof or structure, we need to understand where each measurement point exists in real world coordinates — that is, we need to translate 3D coordinates from a 2D image. Measuring in two oblique photos at different angles allows us to triangulate real world coordinates using the information from each photo, such as the camera position and location. It is then possible to mathematically calculate the pitch, area, and length.
Can I use the 3D Line tool to measure a hip roof?
The 3D Line tool relies on being able to place the line in the exact same position in the second photo — which means it’s hard to get right on a hip roof. We advise you to use the 3D Area tool when you wish to find the pitch of a hip roof.
Which version of MapBrowser do I need to access the tools?
Measurable Obliques, including the 3D Line and 3D Area tools, are available in the new MapBrowser.
How accurate are the tools?
Accuracy is determined by two factors: the resolution of our imagery, and the accuracy of the user when drawing. Nearmap Oblique imagery has a vertical accuracy of 15cm. When tested on locations with known measurements, the 3D Line and Area tools are accurate within 2-3%.
How can I make sure my measurement is as accurate as possible?
Zoom in when drawing to ensure you get a more accurate placement. You can start with any oblique image — if the default image doesn’t give you the best view of what you want to measure, simply select another photo from a different directional perspective.