PLNAR Is an ARKit Measurement Tool That Almost Gets It Right
We've been in a state of awe over the power ARKit gives your iPhones. That power has to be well-harnessed and properly utilized, though. There have been some obvious uses for the technology, like taking measurements and generating schematics. PLNAR is an app that does a fairly good job of that, but isn't quite perfect yet.
Like similar apps, the point of PLNAR is to allow you to create the schematic for your home or room. It uses ARKit to measure from point to point, allowing you to generate multiple line segments to capture all the nooks and crannies in your space.
To get started, give the app access to your iPhone's camera. Once that's done, you can scan your floor, moving your iPhone gently until a target icon appears. Once that icon shows up, it's time to start marking your space.
I typically start in a corner, and work my way around the room. PLNAR allows you to set as many corners as you need, so those nooks and crannies are no problem for the app.
When you're done, you may find the app has lost its tracking a bit. My first corner moved slightly, and I'm told that's because the app tries to accommodate for changing angles by adjusting the floor dimensions. That's something the developers will need to fix.
PLNAR is a good, but not quite perfect, area measurement tool
PLNAR could definitely benefit from a more comprehensive tutorial. I wasn't able to figure out how to mark openings or doors very easily, something that could be resolved by a better help system.
Once you've marked your walls, openings, and doors, you can generate a two-dimensional map, or schematic, of your room. Give it a name, and then export the map to email for printing.
A very useful feature, which should make PLNAR beneficial to many around the world, is that you can easily change which measurement units it uses. You can change from inches to feet, meters, centimeters, or millimeters.
PLNAR is an excellent example of the power of ARKit, and now the developers need to refine how they use that power. I have no doubt that within a couple of updates, this will be one of the best apps for generating blueprints and schematics for those renovation or home redecorating projects.
