We eat our own dog food. See how a company-wide exercise proves the accuracy and ease of use of the new measurement tool in NavVis IndoorViewer 2.6.
Here at NavVis, we continually strive to build tools that are both accurate and easy to use. Everyone has a role to play in achieving these goals, whether they’re working in design and engineering, customer experience, or the sales team. This spirit of hands-on collaboration is one of our defining values as a company.
A case in point is the recent release of NavVis IndoorViewer 2.6 with the new measurement tool. Did you know that in the months prior to launch, employees came together to thoroughly test this important new feature? The data we gathered proves that this critical new feature is as intuitive as it is reliable.
Indeed, the early response from partners using the new feature has been very positive:
“We tested the new measurement tool in NavVis IndoorViewer 2.6 internally and received very good feedback from our team members," says Daniel Aaby Holt, Chartered Land Surveyor at LE34 in Denmark. "The usability is greatly improved by being able to accurately create and modify measurements in the realistic panorama view as well as the 2D floorplans.”
Read on for a summary of how we tested the new measurement tool, together with a selection of our findings. With this glimpse behind the curtain, partners and customers can be confident that our products and services deliver the precision required without sacrificing ease of use.
How we tested the new measurement tool
NavVis UX Designer Raphael Neblich was the point man on this exercise. First, he took physical measurements of multiple locations around the NavVis HQ in Munich using a distometer.
Next, he circulated an online survey to colleagues around the world with a specific instruction – take the same measurements in the NavVis HQ using an early build of NavVis IndoorViewer 2.6.
“We wanted to establish how precisely it was possible to measure heights, distances, and area with panorama mode in NavVis IndoorViewer using the new measurement tool,” explains Raphael.
“And of course, people based here in Munich were discouraged from physically running around the office with a tape measure!”
To accurately compare the results from all participants, four steps were followed:
- Respondents were given no prior training in the new functionality prior to the survey.
- They could use only the 3D panorama mode in a NavVis IndoorViewer 2.6 beta build.
- Measurements had to be traced along a red line, as indicated in the accompanying images.
- All results were recorded in centimeters.
Below are three key examples of the results from the survey, followed by a summary of the overall findings.
What’s the width of this window?
The correct answer is 104 cm. Answers from the survey have an average deviation of 1.07 cm, based on the following results:
| Deviation | Answers | Percentage | Cumulative percentage |
| 0 cm | 16 | 35% | 35% |
| 1 cm | 17 | 37% | 72% |
| 2 cm | 8 | 17% | 89% |
| >=3 cm | 5 | 11% | 100% |
What’s the area of this window?
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The correct answer is 393 cm2. Answers from the survey have an average deviation of 4.57 cm2, based on the following results:
| Deviation | Answers | Percentage | Cumulative percentage |
| <= 2 cm2 | 12 | 27% | 27% |
| <= 6 cm2 | 21 | 48% | 75% |
| <= 10 cm2 | 10 | 23% | 98% |
| > 12 cm2 | 1 | 2% | 100% |
What’s the inside height of this doorway?
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The correct answer is 206 cm. Answers from the survey have an average deviation of 0.93 cm, based on the following results:
| Deviation | Answers | Percentage | Cumulative percentage |
| 0 cm | 20 | 43% | 43% |
| 1 cm | 16 | 35% | 78% |
| 2 cm | 6 | 13% | 91% |
| >=3 cm | 4 | 9% | 100% |
Overall findings from the survey
There were 47 participants in the survey in total. Between them, they submitted 367 measured values (after discounting 12 outlier measurements and typos).
The average deviation between all measurements was 1.09 centimeters. “In terms of general findings,” says Raphael, “77% of the measurements taken were accurate to within 1 cm.”
| Deviation | Answers | Percentage | Cumulative percentage |
| 0 cm | 161 | 44% | 44% |
| 1 cm | 120 | 33% | 77% |
| 2 cm | 28 | 10% | 87% |
| >=3 cm | 48 | 13% | 100% |
Wrapping up
As you can see, across a broad range of use cases, an overwhelming majority of measurements taken were accurate to within 1 cm.
But most intriguingly, the data showed that users with different functions and backgrounds throughout the company could measure equally well using NavVis IndoorViewer, even though most respondents had no prior experience in engineering, surveying, or construction.
Participants included our spreadsheet gurus from the finance team and the creative wizards in marketing – most of them with very limited experience in traditional surveying methods.
Just imagine, would these results have been as broadly consistent if we’d given 47 people a tape measure and notepad and asked them to take the same measurements physically? Probably not!
Now that NavVis IndoorViewer 2.6 is out in the wild, we’d love to hear your comments and feedback on how this exciting new feature is working for you.
If you're not yet using NavVis IndoorViewer, register for a free trial and use your point cloud files to create your own fully immersive 3D building. Visit www.navvis.com/ivion.