ARki: Building + Room Planner

I would give it 5 stars if I could apply more than one material without breaking my model apart. It can select and set materials at the element level but but won’t save and let you add different materials to other elements on that layer. Basically a layer is an entire import even though it lets you select different parts ……it is sooo close, closest app I’ve tried so far.

Recently our Architectural Firm was asked to create an interactive presentation for an athletics master plan in effort to illustrate the design to donors and community members. Our firm and the client are always looking forward to new ideas in technology and this is when we found the Arki app and immediately felt we should pursue the Augmented Reality technology. Our plan was to overlay our Revit models onto a physical site model of the existing conditions. By leveraging the Arki app we could show the clients what the design entailed with an intuitive 3D model that could highlight key programming and phasing of the plan. We supplied iPads to the guests and they were immediately involved and asking questions that would not have been possible with traditional plans and drawings or illustrations. During the initial planning of the event we felt that we needed some additional guidance to navigate the mixed reality technology, due to our limited time frame and complexity of the 3D models. When we contacted Darf Design to discuss bespoke services and Sahar and her team were extremely helpful, They exceeded all expectations and delivered an amazing application tailored to our needs. It was obvious through our experience and previous research that Darf Design, and Arki App were superior in every aspect. Rarely do you get high quality, fast turnarounds, and exceptional service, however Sahar and her team delivered in all aspects.

I work in a high end residential architecture firm and I am very excited to see where this app goes. Not everyone can understand 2D drawings and 3D prints can take forever. I see this as a staple for early SD/DD client presentations. This app allows you to upload your 3D model directly. Other apps require you to submit your model to them and they charge a fee and need a week or so to “prepare the model.” I can make design changes, save as an .fbx and have my AR model ready to go in minutes. It may have a simple feel, but better to start small and grow more complicated as AR begins to take off in the coming years. Looking forward to the updates the team has in store...