1.1. Critical Shooting Requirements

**Please note that not adhering to these requirements will result in a decrease in measurement accuracy or an inability to create a sketch**

Pre-Shooting Requirements:

Before shooting, make sure of the following:

• Your camera and equipment are Docusketch recommended. 
• Review your equipment set up. 
• Make sure all electronic devices (camera, phone, power bank, etc.) are charged.
• Ensure your SD card has ample free memory.
• Make sure you have the DocuSketch app on your phone.
• Login to your DocuSketch app.

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The camera should be as close to level as possible.
The pitch/roll of the camera can affect measurements in a significant way.  Although there is a correction that can be done for lower degrees of pitch/roll, those are more difficult at larger numbers. 

The height from the floor to the middle of the lens should be as close to 5ft as possible.
This is the optimal height for measurements and for the overall look of the tour to not be too high nor too low.  A height of 5.1ft or 4.9ft is perfectly fine, please make sure it is accurate when input into the app during the shooting process.

Each camera shot should be no closer than 3 feet to a wall, but no further than 7 feet from a wall.
These distances are what make the accuracy threshold possible.  For example, in a 10x10ft room, you would only need one shot from the middle of the room since you wouldn't be more than 5ft from any wall.  Alternatively, in a 20x10ft room, you would need at least 2 shots to make sure it is captured accurately.  More images are better for everyone involved!

Distance between shots should not exceed 7-10 feet and doors throughout the property should be open.
DocuSketch isn't magic, although it may feel like that at times!  What can't be seen can't be sketched, just as if someone was sketching on paper.  For navigation to be accurate, doors must also be open.

Corners of the room either at the floor or ceiling should be visible through a combination of images.
Corners are pivotal to our system.  In a room with a lot of contents, several shots may be necessary not based on the size of the room but instead based on being able to see all corners of a room.

Please consider the following:

• If a room is not shot sufficiently according to the requirements above, it cannot be drawn
• If a room or rooms are added after the sketch is delivered, an additional sketch credit will be deducted to add those to the original sketch.  
• To hide shots taken for sketch purposes that should not be displayed to another viewer, please use custom links.  This allows you to take sufficient images for documentation and sketch purposes without impacting the experience of others you share the tour with.

Room names and assignments of those rooms to a floor need to be accurate.
How the images of rooms are named when the sketch is ordered is how they will be named when the sketch is delivered.  For multiple images of the same room, please use a numbering system after the room name.  For example, Kitchen > Kitchen 2 > Kitchen 3.  Similarly, rooms need to be assigned to the appropriate floors at the time the sketch is ordered.  Failure to do this will result in the sketch order being delayed until this is corrected by the user.  Please consider these examples as well:

• Any balconies or patios you wish to be included on the sketch need to be assigned to their respective floors and not to "Outside" or "Exterior".  For example, Patio would most likely be on the Ground/1st Floor while a balcony off the second-story master bedroom would be named "Master Balcony" and assigned to "2nd Floor".
• If there are two buildings on the tour (ex: detached garage), they should be assigned to different floors.  Floor names can be customized in the app or on the desktop to reflect this.  
  
  
  

Keep the camera steady between each lens shot

Keeping the camera steady between each lens shot keeps the shot consistent between lenses. When the camera is moved prior to shooting the other half of the panoramic image, problem occur with the image's stitching.

See sample:




Notice how the image between both doors appears folded or incomplete looking like a cut out of two halves? This affects the measurements being made for the sketches.

To avoid this, keep the camera steady, unmoved and stationary when taking shots between the camera's two lenses.

Avoid holding the camera by hand and keep the camera mounted on the tripod if possible.

Make sure there is proper lighting in the room or area

Remember, what can't be seen can't be sketched.





To avoid this, remember to always switch on the lights.

If switching on lights is not an option, remember to bring hand help lamps bright enough to illuminate the room.



Remember to shoot entryway, hallway and landing shots

These areas and rooms help add direction for your audience. That being said, it also helps people understand which room connects to which by passing through the hallway entryways and the likes.

This helps in accurately creating the sketches.





Keep areas or rooms uncluttered as possible


Remember, what can't be seen can't be sketched and the same goes for overly cluttered rooms, spaces or areas.


See example:




In cases however where this isn't possible, the best thing to do is to ensure that the ceiling height is accurate and that all four corners of the ceiling can be seen in the overall image.



Elevate the camera from the tripod head


The camera being too close to the tripod head usually causes the tripod to cover almost majority of the panoramic image.


See:




Notice how the tripod obscures the view when looking at the floor?

This is because majority of the measurements being done for the sketch is done by measuring the base of the wall towards the base of the tripod.

As a solution, a mountable selfie stick can be acquired and used to elevate the camera from the head of the tripod.

See: Mountable Selfie Stick

1.2. Best Practices

The DocuSketch system is best used upon initial arrival at a job, most likely during a mitigation time frame.  Speed and ability to virtually estimate are critical in this scenario which is where DocuSketch can deliver value.  Please keep the following in mind:

• A sketch file ordered by 6pm local time on a business day will be delivered by 12pm noon local time the following business day.  For example:
  • A sketch ordered at 5pm Monday will be delivered by noon Tuesday. 
  • A sketch ordered at 9pm Monday will have guaranteed delivery by noon Wednesday, although best efforts will be made to deliver it sooner. 
  • A sketch ordered at 5pm Saturday will have guaranteed delivery by noon Tuesday, although best efforts will be made to deliver it sooner.
• Provided the shooting requirements previously outlined are followed, accuracy of measurements will be within 5% on average.
• The sketch will be delivered in .esx as well as .jpg and .png
  • The sketch can therefore be modified at a later date when a higher level of accuracy is required or additional items need to be added.

1.3. Step by Step Checklist in Creating a Tour

Basic procedures for Creating a Tour.

1. Set up Camera on Tripod

2. Open app and sync camera to iPad/ phone

3. Verify height

4. Enter date & location

5. Use HDR mode to brighten images (recommended).
   
   Refer to the Tips below as you proceed to the next steps.
   

6. Begin with exterior photo of the front of the home (BE sure the entire home is in the photo as this will be the introductory shot).
   

7. Turn on all lights, keep windows closed & doors in home open.
   

8. Proceed to interior working your way from room to room. If all corners of a room cannot be seen, additional photos are required to capture all angles.  It is recommended to start with entryway and work your way counterclockwise through the home.  Do not forget the Garage & any larger closets you can walk into.

9. When taking the photos, pay attention to the next location you want to shoot. For the best flow in a tour, you can see from one hotspot to the next.

10. Remember to take photos around objects that blocks the view. Examples of these would be walls, beds, kitchen islands/peninsulas and couches. Most bedrooms and kitchens should have 2 shots minimum but a recommended 3 shots.
11. Keep the camera 4 feet away from walls as much as possible.
    

12. Photos in hallways & stair landing are also required. With the interiors of the rooms visible to the camera.  Multiple hallway pictures may be needed. Be certain doors are open. 

13. Porches, decks, etc. should be placed in interior floors so they are part of the interior flow and so they are included in the sketches.

14. Review that all rooms have been imaged.

15. Upload Tour.

Tips:

— Make sure the front of the camera is facing the best subject of the room/area. The front of the camera is where the camera brand logo is located. For example, when shooting the front of the house, you would want your viewers seeing the house first instead of the streets, this is why facing the camera the right way helps.

— Single Shot mode is best used for interior shots while Quick Capture is best used for exteriors. This mainly because they get more areas to hide when taking interior shots as opposed to exteriors.

— Wait for the camera to finish beeping and the photo to register on the app. Moving the camera while it is bleeping and taking the photo will cause unwanted stitching or fade issues on the panorama. This applies when using HDR.

— Make sure all four corners of a room are visible (if possible) in the pano.

— Place the camera at the center of the room or as close to the center of the room if possible. 

1.4. Step by Step Checklist in Creating a Tour (Virtual Open House)

 Basic procedures for Creating a Tour.

1. Set up Camera on Tripod

2. Open app and sync camera to iPad/ phone

3. Verify height

4. Enter date & location

5. Use HDR mode to brighten images (recommended).
   
   Refer to the Tips below as you proceed to the next steps.
   

6. Begin with exterior photo of the front of the home (BE sure the entire home is in the photo as this will be the introductory shot).
   

7. Work your way around the exterior of the home taking photos on each side (be sure the front of the camera faces the direction you want the photo first to be seen).

8. Additional shots of the exterior may be needed. If there is a cabana, pool house, gazebo, etc. those should also get separate shots for full view. 

9. Turn on all lights, keep windows closed & doors in home open.
   

10. Proceed to interior working your way from room to room. If all corners of a room cannot be seen, additional photos are required to capture all angles.  It is recommended to start with entryway and work your way counterclockwise through the home.  Do not forget the Garage & any larger closets you can walk into.

11. When taking the photos, pay attention to the next location you want to shoot. For the best flow in a tour, you can see from one hotspot to the next.

12. Photos in hallways & stair landing are also required. With the interiors of the rooms visible to the camera.  Multiple hallway pictures may be needed. Be certain doors are open 

13. Porches, decks, etc. should be placed in interior floors so they are part of the interior flow and so they are included in the sketches.

14. Review that all rooms have been imaged

15. Upload Tour

16. Send the tour link.

17. Follow up with the client for receipt and to answer any questions.

Tips:

— Make sure the front of the camera is facing the best subject of the room/area. The front of the camera is where the camera brand logo is located. For example, when shooting the front of the house, you would want your viewers seeing the house first instead of the streets, this is why facing the camera the right way helps.

— Single Shot mode is best used for interior shots while Quick Capture is best used for exteriors. This mainly because they get more areas to hide when taking interior shots as opposed to exteriors.

— Wait for the camera to finish beeping and the photo to register on the app. Moving the camera while it is bleeping and taking the photo will cause unwanted stitching or fade issues on the panorama. This applies when using HDR.

— Make sure all four corners of a room are visible (if possible) in the pano.

— Place the camera at the center of the room or as close to the center of the room if possible.

2.1. DocuSketch Tool Kit

In this lesson, we will touch on the different items included in the DocuSketch hardware kit.

1. The Camera — We currently have the option to use either the Madventure and Ricoh Theta which we use to capture 360 images of the room or area you are shooting.
   
                       
   
   
   
2. SD Card — This serves as the memory of the camera. It is a chip inserted into the camera where all the raw images are stored.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Camera Cables – This is used to charge and connect the camera to a USB socket.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Tripod — It's a three-legged stand for support on which the camera sits on when the whole kit is deployed.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Hardware Case — Also known as a equipment chassis, this is where the hardware kit is kept for ease of transportation.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. LED Lights — This is best used to help brighten the room for dim and dark areas while capturing an image with the camera.
   
   
   
   
   

2.2. Hardware and System Requirements

The following hardware items are required for use with all aspects of the DocuSketch platform:

• Madventure 360 Camera and Ricoh SC2B Camera Kit – The only cameras compatible with the Docusketch mobile app, allowing sketches to be drawn from the images.

              

• Micro SD Card – The storage device needed by the camera to take photos, a U3 class of card in order to have a fast enough write speed for the camera.

• Selfie Stick – This is used to create a distance between the tripod head and the camera to reduce the tripod’s appearance in the images.

• Tripod – The device used to mount the camera on. Although several tripods will ultimately work, you will need on with a ball head (no adjustment arms), bubble levels and that can extend to at least 5 feet tall.

The following helpful hardware items are optional but many of our customers use and recommend them:

• Rechargeable Work Light – Used to illuminate and brighten room lighting when shooting in low light conditions.

• Portable Charger – Used to charge the camera on the go or during continuous day long shooting. This battery pack tested out to supply a stronger charge than the rest so the camera battery does not drain as fast.  This allows for long shoots or several shoots in quick succession to be accomplished.

• MegaMast 27.5′ Camera Stand – A 27.5-foot camera stand used for shooting  higher, elevated shots. The results are comparable to shots taken by a drone without the liability, expense, weather limitations and licensing required by drones and their pilots. Excellent for roofs, neighborhoods and chimneys. Please note that exterior measurements are not supported on the DocuSketch platform so exterior shots with the MegaMast are strictly for documentation purposes.  

Click here to review and buy all of the recommended Docusketch equipment.

3.1. Setting and Connecting to the Camera (MadVenture)

3.2. Setting and Connecting to the Camera (Ricoh)

In this lesson, we will walk you through using the Ricoh Theta Camera.

First, let us familiarize ourselves with the camera.

Front of the Camera:

This is the side of the camera you want facing or pointed towards the best subject of the area you are shooting. An example of this is the front side of the property.

Back of the Camera:

This side of the camera is where you see all the light indicators. From battery to WiFi signal, this side of the camera helps users gauge the status of the camera's connectivity and power.

Side of the Camera

This side of the camera is where you see most of the buttons that enables you to operate and power on the camera.

The top button is mainly the power button. This switches the camera on or off.

The middle button is the WiFi button. This switches the camera's WiFi on or off.

The bottom button is the mode selection button. This switches the camera's mode to either video or photo mode.

Bottom of the Camera





It is on this side where you can find the following:

— USB Charger Socket: Allows users to charge the camera or connect the camera to your computer.

— WiFi Hotspot Password: The code below the USB Charge Socket is where the camera's WiFi Hotspot password is located. The password is normally all 8 digits of the code. For example, the camera on the image above has the password: 00229495.

— Tripod Mount Socket: This is where the camera can be screwed onto any tripod.

— A Microphone Jack: Mainly used for video recording purposes.



Great, now that you are familiar with all sides of the camera, let us proceed with learning how to connect to it.


Switch on the camera by clicking on the Power/Mode button.

   

Ensure that the Camera's Wi-Fi is switched on.

• The Wi-Fi on the camera can be switched on by clicking on the "Wi-Fi" button. See Above.
• A Wi-Fi indicator will start flashing or blinking to indicate that it is switched on.
• Note that the Wi-Fi indicator blinks only when the camera is not connected to any device. It switches to a solid light when paired with a device.

On your mobile device, go to your Wi-Fi settings and connect to the camera.

• Locate and connect to the Theta Wi-Fi hotspot.
• Click on the network and key in the password. The password is either the one on the bottom of the camera or the 8 digit number on the network name.

Mount the camera on the tripod.

3.3. Camera and Tripod Set-Up

• As an exception to the typical set-up, some users may want to use a Powerbank. Here are some tips:

  • Plug the Powerbank to the camera.

  • Coil the wire around the tripod neck and leave the Powerbank hanging below the Tripod.

  • You may use Twisty Wires to hold the Powerbanks' wires in place.

4.1. Accessing the Mobile App

Like all other apps, the DocuSketch App does have minimum requirements your device must have in order to function smoothly.

The DocusSketch App runs on IOS and Android devices and does have minimum requirements. 

• The latest version of the DocuSketch mobile application should be installed on your tablet or mobile device. .
• At least 4GB of memory space is free for use.

Download and install the Docusketch app on your mobile device.

Here are instructions on how to install the app on both iOS and Android Devices:

1. Go to the App Store if you are using an iOS device or Play Store if you are using an android device.
2. Search for DocuSketch.
3. Download and install the DocuSketch app.
4. Open the app when done.

4.2. Accessing the Web Portal

• Open a Web Browser. 

• Access the Docusketch Portal by typing the following on the browser’s address bar:
  app.docusketch.com

Note: You may also visit www.docusketch.com and login through the website.

• Login with username and password.

        

• The Homescreen

4.3. Changing Login Information

Users have two required login credentials to access either the app or the portal.

They are the Username and the User Password.

Updating the Username

• To update the Username, contact help@docusketch.com with your current username and your new username.
• Note that Usernames should be actively working emails.

Updating Password

• Click on the Forgot Password option.

• Place in the Username email.

• A password reset email will be sent to the inputted email.
• Click on the Link on the email. This will open a new tab to key in the new password.
• Key in New Password. Repeat New Password to verify.

• Click on Reset Password.

• You may now Login with your Username and New Password.

Note: Upon updating the Username and Password, you would have to relog in on all devices before shooting a tour.

5.1. User Option Panel

The User Option Panel includes the following:

• My Tours
• Create Tour
• Visitors
• Contact Information
• 3D Tour
• Admin
• Notifications
• Portal Options

My Tours

This option panel displays all the tours on your account. This allows you to manage and modify the tours according to how you see fit.

The My Tours option is split in two parts which we will be discussing in detail below.

• Active Tours
• Archive Tours

I. Active Tours 

Displays all active tours with tour management features.

A. Search Bar

• Allows users to search for tours from the list using keywords or the ID number.

B. 3D Virtual Tour Panel

• Displays created tours with options and features for editing and marketing.

C. Load More Button

• Displays additional tours on your tour list.

D. Toggle Tour List View

• Toggles the way the list of tours are displayed.
• The Tour list can be displayed in list format or in grid format

II. Archive Tours 

Displays all archived tours with tour management features.

A. Move to Active

• Brings the archived tour back to active status. Active tours would show up under the Active Tours list.

B. Delete

• Deletes the archived tour entirely.
• Note that deleted tours can no longer be retrieved.

Create Tour

This option enables users to create a tour through the Docusketch Portal.

This option is best used if you are using a different camera and if you have the panoramic images saved on your computer drive.

Visitors

This option displays a list of users and their information who have viewed your tours. This is where viewer data is stored once viewers key in their information when viewing a Docusketch tour.


Contact Information

This option allows users to add Contact Information that displays on the tours. This is used if you want to display someone’s contact profile on the tours for viewers to see.

Clicking on this option displays two additional sub-options:

• Contact Options – Displays the list of Contact Profiles created. Here you may see their basic information such as email, first name, last name, phone number, number of tours assigned and date the account was created.

• Add Contact Option – Enables users to add additional Contact Options

Adding Contact Options – Users may add additional contact information by filling out the corresponding text fields. They may also add a profile photo to accompany the profile by uploading a photo on the Upload Image field.

3D Tour

Clicking on this option navigates the user back to the default Portal Homepage. Another alternative to this is by clicking the Docusketch Logo or by clicking on My Tours.

Admin


This option is visible only for users with Parent Admin Accounts.

Clicking your “Admin” button navigates you to the Admin Homepage where you will be able to manage additional User Accounts under your organizational hierarchy.  

Notifications

     

The notification button displays the number of updates the Docusketch system has released.

Clicking on a notification navigates the user to a new webpage article regarding the recent update about the system or the company.



Portal Options

This option enables you to update your profile information as well as logout of the DocuSketch platform.

1. Profile

Clicking on the Profile option loads a profile screen that allows users to update their DocuSketch portal information. Account Name, Username, Password and other account settings can be updated here.

2. Logout

Clicking on the Logout option logs the user out of the DocuSketch Portal. Logging out of the Portal will navigate the user back to the login screen.



6.1. Tour Option Panel

This panel consists of all the options and features needed to play, share, edit and market the tour.

• Tour Thumbnail
• Gear Button
• Download
• Start Live
• Share
• Edit
• Archive
• Order Sketch

Tour Thumbnail


Clicking on the Tour Thumbnail opens the tour on a new tab on your browser.

This allows you to view the tour and experience it for yourself! 

Gear Button


Clicking on the Gear Button gives you one option:

• Edit Basic Info

Edit Basic Info allows you to rename the tour or assign a new profile to the tour.


Download

The Download option allows users to download useful items related to the tour.  To Download, click on the Download option on the Tour’s option panel as shown below:

A drop-down list would appear with a list of downloadable items. 

• Images – Downloads all panoramic images from the tour. 
• Cubic Images – Downloads square cut-out screenshots for each room or area in the tour.
• POI Images – Downloads all images from infopoints.
• Floor Plans – Downloads floor plans in jpeg and png formats. Note that this version has no measurements.
• Floor Plans with Measurements – Downloads floor plans with measurements.
• Xactimate ® Floor Plans – Downloads Xactimate ® floor plans. This is a “.ESX” file.
• All Sketches in One Archive – Downloads all Floorplan file types in one zip file. 
• POI CSV Export – Downloads Points of Interest CSV file from the tour.

Start Live

This option enables users to showcase tours in a real-time virtual environment. It is here where the user and the viewer may interact and communicate while walking through the tour together.

The user can invite visitors to this real-time environment to show and discuss the property online by copying and sending their viewers the link and a session code or by clicking on the invite button.

Share

This function is a way to invite users to the system and viewers to see the tours. 

There are 3 types of sharing: private invite, publish to public, or custom links.

With Private Invite, you can make an invitation using a link with encoded token or email and password. For both options, an email will be sent to the invitee.

You will be able to track the invited users on this modal as well and revoke access rights by clicking the “Revoke” button.

For Publish to Public, just toggle Yes to access the activated tour link as well as the embed codes for both pop-up window or embedded site.

For Custom Link, you can create a new link and customize what the invitee will be able to see.

You can pick which rooms they can access and which they will see first.

You can also pick the option of showing the dollhouse, floorplan, and infopoints or not.

You can copy, edit, or delete the created links.

Edit

This option enables users to edit and modify their tours. We will talk more about the functions inside edit in the next lesson.

Users with Viewer access only do not have access to this feature.

Archive

This option allows users to archive a tour.  Once the tour is archived, you will have the option to either make the tour active again or delete it under Archived Tours.

Once the tour is deleted, the tour becomes unrecoverable. When deleting a tour on the Docusketch Portal, the tour is also deleted on the Mobile App and is no longer accessible

Order Sketch

This option enables users to order 2D sketches. It’s easy to identify whether or not a sketch has been ordered since the button changes from “Order sketch” to “Sketch in progress” and the button is grayed out.

When sketches are delivered, they will arrive via email as well as on the dashboard. ESX files, as well as a jpg preview, will be available as attachments to make accessing when on the road easier as well as forwarding them to other team members easier.

6.2. Download Feature (In-depth)

The Download option allows users to download useful items related to the tour.  To Download, click on the Download option on the Tour’s option panel as shown below:

A drop-down list would appear with a list of downloadable items. 

• Images
• Cubic Images
• Comment Images
• Sketches
• Sketches with Measurements
• Xactimate ® Sketches
• All Sketches in One Archive
• POI CSV Export

Let us discuss each option in detail below:

Images


This option downloads all panoramic images from the tour. 

All you have to do now is to unzip the zip file and all panoramic images should then appear on your drive.

Downloading these images is useful if you wish to edit the images on a photo editing software, for marketing or for back-up purposes and many more suited to your needs.

Cubic Images


This option downloads square cut-out screenshots for each room or area in the tour.

Clicking on this option downloads a zip file called cubic_images.zip.

Upon unzipping the zip file, you will notice different folders corresponding to their respective floors.

Downloading cubic images is useful for documentation, marketing and communication purposes. Of course its use isn’t just limited to that.

You may use these images according to how you see fit!

Comment Images


Comment images are images taken to give emphasis, documentation or details on a specific portion of the area or room on a tour.

Usually used for documentation and information purposes.

These can be added in two ways, through the mobile app as discussed in Course 2 Lesson 5 or through the Desktop Portal as discussed in this Course under editing a tour.

However, let’s assume you now have images placed in comments, let’s then discuss on how to download them.

Clicking on the Comment images option to download downloads a zip file titled poi_images.zip into your drive.

Unzip the file and several folders relative to the number of floors with Comment images on your tours will appear as shown below:

And just like Cubic Images, clicking on the floors would display another list of folders that represents each room/image on that floor or area.

Here, ladies and gentlemen is an example of the Comment image located in that room.

Sketches


This option downloads Sketches in jpeg and png formats. Note that this download version has no measurements on the sketches.

Clicking on this option downloads a zip file with that looks like this.

All you have to do here is unzip the file.

Sketches with Measurements


This next option downloads the Sketches with measurements on them.

Clicking on the option downloads a zip file that should look like this:

And just like the previous topic, extracting the images from the zip file would display both jpeg and png sketch images for each floor.

Xactimate ® Sketches


This option downloads Xactimate ® Sketches. This is an “.ESX” file you can use in Xactimate.

Clicking on this option downloads a zip file looking like this:

You get an Xactimate file in .ESX format which you may use on their platform.

All Sketches in One Archive


7.1. Main Dashboard Overview

The mobile app’s main dashboard is divided into 3 main parts:

• User Options Panel
• New Project
• Tour Option Panel
• Search
  

1. User Options Panel

This button opens a side window with app-specific options users can choose from. Each option is explained below:

        

• About – About This App information is displayed here with descriptions and links to the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Licenses.
• Update — Updates the app as well as your tour list.
  
• Camera Tutorial – Walks you through a brief tutorial on how to use and set-up the camera.
• Logout – This option logs you out of the DocuSketch App and navigates you back to the Login Screen.

2. New

This button navigates you to a new screen where you can start Create a project.

More on creating a new project would be discussed in lessons ahead.

3. Tour Options Panel

This section gives you information about the tour and has a tour management button (…) that allows you to manage and modify the tour on your mobile device.

Clicking on the tour management button (…) as seen below displays a list of options you can choose from to manage and modify the tour.

4. Search

This feature enables the user to search for tours that match the keywords keyed in the search bar.

        

7.2. Adding Timeline

The Timeline option allows you to create a timeline tour from the original tour. The Timeline feature is a feature that keeps track of progressive changes made to the property.

This is illustrated in before-and-after shots of the original images to indicate the changes made.

How to add a timeline to a tour:

Click on the Tour Options Button (…) on the dashboard.

7.3. Viewing the Tour

In this module, we will be explaining how to view the tours on the mobile app.

To view a tour, tap on the tour options button.

Note:

• To pan the image, simply press and hold on an area and drag your finger over to which direction you would like to pan to.
• To zoom in, press and hold two fingers on any area and drag both fingers apart to zoom in or closer to zoom out.

8.1. Creating Tours on the Mobile App (Android)

 This module will teach you all the steps you need to know in creating a DocuSketch Tour.

Assuming you have already created, completed and synced an inspection from the OnePoint app, here are the steps on how to complete a DocuSketch 360 Tour:

Step 1: After successfully logging in to the app, tap on "New" to create a new tour.

Step 2: Add all the necessary fields for your new tour. Do note that you may also add a still photo as the banner image of the tour.

 

Note that the property address is optional and can be skipped. However, the camera height is very important as it is the basis for the sketch measurements. It is important to keep the camera height consistent throughout the shoot and highly accurate.

Step 3: Tap on "Done".

You have successfully created a new tour. Now it's time to add some rooms.

Step 4: Tap on "Add room".

Step 5: Ensure that these fields are properly set.



Label the room or area name and categorize it relative to the floor or area they belong to.

Exterior shots can be placed on the "Outside" under the Floor selection.

Again, the camera height is most important as our system uses the Camera Height as basis for the measurements.

Most will also have a ceiling height field which is optional and mainly needed if you are shooting an overly cluttered room.


Step 6: Click on New Shot.




A pop-up screen should appear at the bottom of the screen.

You can opt for either the Quick Shot (where you take one photo on each side of the camera separately) above or the Single Shot (where you take one photo from both sides of the camera in one tap) below:

You can also opt to turn on HDR to take your photo/s in high definition. Note that this will take approximately 3 seconds longer per side.

Step 7: Take a photo of the room using your 360 camera. You can reshoot if you want by clicking on "Reshoot" or add another photo by clicking on "Yet another shot".

Important reminder: Keep the camera height the same at all times. Also, it's important that you don't get in the camera's way when shooting.

Step 8: Once you're done with all the changes to your room, click on the back button. Repeat Steps 2-5 until you finish all the rooms you wish to edit.

Step 9: Click on the back button to when done with all the edits to the rooms of your tour.

Step 10: Once you see the "Upload needed" indicator, that means you still need o upload all your changes. To do so, click on the three dots beside the tour name.

Step 11: Click on Upload. The "Upload needed" indicator will automatically be removed once the upload is successful.

  




See Tour Creation Video Guide

8.2. Creating Tours on Mobile App (iOS)

This module will teach you all the steps you need to know in creating a DocuSketch Tour.

Step 1: After successfully logging in to the app, tap on "New" to create a new tour.

Step 2: Add all the necessary fields for your new tour. Do note that you may also add a still photo as the banner image of the tour.

 

Note that the property address is optional and can be skipped. However, the camera height is very important as it is the basis for the sketch measurements. It is important to keep the camera height consistent throughout the shoot and highly accurate.

Step 3: Tap on "Done".

You have successfully created a new tour. Now it's time to add some rooms.

Step 4: Tap on "Add room".

Step 5: Ensure that these fields are properly set.

Label the room or area name and categorize it relative to the floor or area they belong to.

Exterior shots can be placed on the "Outside" under the Floor selection.

Again, the camera height is most important as our system uses the Camera Height as basis for the measurements.

Most will also have a ceiling height field which is optional and mainly needed if you are shooting an overly cluttered room.


Step 6: Click on Add Shot.




A pop-up screen should appear at the bottom of the screen.

You can opt for either the Quick Shot (where you take one photo on each side of the camera separately) above or the Single Shot (where you take one photo from both sides of the camera in one tap) below:

You can also opt to turn on HDR to take your photo/s in high definition. Note that this will take approximately 3 seconds longer per side.

Step 7: Take a photo of the room using your 360 camera. You can reshoot if you want by clicking on "Reshoot" or add another photo by clicking on "Add shot".

Important reminder: Keep the camera height the same at all times. Also, it's important that you don't get in the camera's way when shooting.

Step 8: Once you're done with all the changes to your room, click on the back button. Repeat Steps 2-5 until you finish all the rooms you wish to edit.

Step 9: Click on the back button to when done with all the edits to the rooms of your tour.

Step 10: Once you see the "Upload needed" indicator, that means you still need o upload all your changes. To do so, click on the three dots beside the tour name.

Step 11: Click on Upload. The "Upload needed" indicator will automatically be removed once the upload is successful. Note to keep the app open while upload is ongoing so the processing will not be disrupted.

  




See Tour Creation Video Guide

8.3. Uploading Tours on the Mobile App (Android)

Now there are two reasons why or when a tour becomes uploadable.

1. If the tour is just newly created.
2. If the tour has some recent edits or changes.

You will know which tours to upload based on the tour status below the tour name as shown below.

• Now that we’ve determined that this tour needs to be uploaded, we can upload the tour by pressing the tour’s option menu. This is represented by (…).

• Select Upload Tour to upload.

Notes:

• Never logout of the account you created the tour on. You may lose the tour if you do.
• Make sure you are connected to a good internet connection when uploading tours. Any interruption on the uploading process may damage the tour.
• The uploaded tours are viewable on the DocuSketch portal however, give it about 10-15 minutes to process. The system will have to stitch the images and render them to create the proper 360 panoramic images essential for the tour.
• Do not leave the app when uploading. Wait for the upload to be finished. The app has to remain in the foreground of the device and the device should not go to sleep.  Background uploading is not currently supported. 
• You would know when a tour is successfully uploaded online when you see the tour status reflect as available online.

8.4. Uploading Tours on the Mobile App (iOS)

Now there are two reasons why or when a tour becomes uploadable.

1. If the tour is just newly created.
2. If the tour has some recent edits or changes.

You will know which tours to upload based on the tour status above the tour name as shown below. (Basically on the upper left side of the thumbnail.)

• Now that we’ve determined that this tour needs to be uploaded, we can upload the tour by pressing the tour’s option menu. This is represented by (…).

• Select Upload Tour to upload.

Notes:

• Never logout of the account you created the tour on. You may lose the tour if you do.
• Make sure you are connected to a good internet connection when uploading tours. Any interruption on the uploading process may damage the tour.
• Kindly give the newly uploaded tours at least 5-10 minutes to settle on the servers before accessing the tours on the web portal.
• Do not leave the app when uploading. Wait for the upload to be finished. The app has to remain in the foreground of the device and the device should not go to sleep.  Background uploading is not currently supported.

8.5. Creating a Timeline Tour on the Mobile App

This topic covers how to create timeline tours out of the original tour.

Timeline tours are tours created under the original tour to depict a before and after effect showing the progress of any work done on the property. A timeline shot does not have to be taken for all rooms.  There is no extra charge for timeline tours. Timeline shots will not affect a completed sketch.  

Do not worry though, creating a timeline tour is just like creating a new tour.

Here are the steps to create Timeline Tour:

• Click on the Tour Option Panel (…)
• Click on Add Timeline



• Name the Timeline Tour and add the camera height.



• Select the room or image you wish to shoot a timeline image for.
• Position the camera to be as close to the original shot as possible.
• Take the shot. Remember, you may use any shooting mode you see fit to use.

Note: Comparing timeline shots to original shots will be available on the desktop, although the timeline tour also exists as an independent tour that can be shared or viewed alone.

When shooting a timeline tour, you don’t have to shoot all rooms over again. Only those rooms with changes, updates and improvements will suffice.

8.6. Creating Tours Using the DocuSketch Portal

Although it is highly recommended to use the DocuSketch app when creating tours, there are instances when you may need to use the Desktop Portal to create tours.

Instances where you need to back up your tours or if you used a different camera, or recreate the entire tour again, this is when creating tours on the portal comes in handy.

The main difference however, with creating a tour here compared to creating a tour with the app is that you would need to already have the panoramic images ready on your desktop drive.

This means that you may use a different camera, capture the images as usual, then upload them onto your computer or if you have downloaded all panoramic images from a previous tour and wish to recreate it all over again.

Now assuming you already have the images on your computer, what next?

Here’s how you can then use those to create a tour through the portal…

First, click on Create Tour on the User Options Panel. Remember, the User Options Panel is located on the left hand side of the dashboard.

Name the tour on this screen then click on Continue when done.

On this screen, you may drag and drop the images from your drive to upload them onto the new tour or you may simply click on the upload boxes to locate the files to upload from your drive.

Notice how a loading bar appears on the images.

Once an image is uploaded, you may label them accordingly.

Now click on next when everything is done.

Upon clicking on next, you will be navigated into the tour Editor.

8.7. Taking Pictures with the MegaMast

Setting Up The MegaMast

• You will want to use the same Selfie Stick Setup on the MegaMast as we have suggested for normal tripod use. This separates the camera from the large MegaMast tripod head for best visibility.
  
  

• Be sure the camera is firmly attached to the selfie stick and the selfie stick is locked into the MegaMast tripod head. You really don't want your camera falling from a height of over 30 feet.
• Connect to the camera's WifI prior to raising the tripod to its highest level to make sure you have a stable connection.
  
  
  

Taking Photos

1. 1. While the MegaMast is very sturdy, there will be some sway in the mast of the tripod, even with a camera as light as the MadVenture 360. 
      
      
      
      
   2. Wait a few seconds for the mast of the tripod to stop swaying before capturing the images. 
   3. At full height, if you stand right next to the tripod, directly under the camera, you will be mostly hidden in the image. 
      
      

Moving the MegaMast

1. 1. While you will be tempted to leave the mast extended to move the tripod, it goes up and down easily and you will be best served to take it down to move it to the new location.
      
   2. Be aware, the mast can drop quickly if you release the tension quickly. Watch your fingers. 

NOTE: PLEASE BE EXTRA CAREFUL AND LOOK OUT FOR OVERHEAD WIRES OR ANY DANGEROUS OR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN THE WAY. 

9.1. Searching through the Main Dashboard

Searching for tours is another tour management function the DocuSketch Portal has to help you manage your tours.

This feature allows you to type the tour name on the tour search bar to find a specific tour you wish to manage.

For example, if we search for a tour based on its tour name as shown below:

Here is the result:

There are also additional search options that allows you to effectively search for tours.

Under the Search Bar, there is an Additional Search Criteria option that allows you to specify what tour are you specifically looking for.

In this option, you may now search for tours based out of the address, tour creator and date the tour was created.

Once you have the fields filled up, make sure to click on the Search button to initiate the search.

Another great way to use the search option is to combine different search criteria together to result to a more specified search. Remember, the more specific the search criteria is the more specific the tour search.

See below as we combined the tour title with the tour creator on the search criteria:

Great! Now you know how to use the web application search functions!

10.1. Editing Tours Overview

Now that you know how to create a tour, let us discuss how to edit them.

To start, you will need to tap the tour image itself. It works whether the tour has a thumbnail image or not.

As a refresher, refer to the image below:

Once you tap this, tour information should display on your screen.




— Tap on the tour thumbnail to edit the tour banner, tour name and basic tour information.
— Tap on Rooms to display all rooms or area panoramic images in the tour for editing or reshooting.
— Tap on Share Access to share the tour.

10.2. Renaming Tours (Android)

• Tap Done to apply the changes.

10.3. Renaming Tours (iOS)

• Tap Done to apply the changes.

10.4. Renaming Images (Android)

In this topic, we will be touching on how to edit or rename room/image names.

Here are the steps how:

• Tap on Rooms.
  
  

• Select and tap on the Image to Modify
  

• Tap on the Room Name to modify the Room or Area Name.
  
  

• Tap on the Arrow Back button when done.
  

Once done, remember to go back to your DocuSketch home screen and upload the tour again.

See: Uploading Tours on the Mobile App (Android)



10.5. Renaming Images (iOS)

In this topic, we will be touching on how to edit or rename room/image names.

Here are the steps how:

• Tap on the arrow.
  
  

• Select and tap on the room to rename 
  

• Tap on the Room Name to modify the Room or Area Name.
  
  

• Tap on the Arrow Back button when done.
  

Once done, remember to go back to your DocuSketch home screen and upload the tour again.

See: Uploading Tours on the Mobile App (iOS)

10.6. Recapturing Images (Android)

Replacing images or better known as “Reshooting Images” is part of the features you can do when editing a tour.

Here are the steps on how to do it:

• Click on the tour with the room you want to recapture images of.

• Select the room you want to recapture images of.

• Select Reshoot. This will navigate you to the Quick Capture screen.

Note: Make sure to be connected to the camera before Reshooting the image.

10.7. Recapturing Images (iOS)

Replacing images or better known as “Reshooting Images” is part of the features you can do when editing a tour.

Here are the steps on how to do it:

• Click on the tour.

• Click on the arrow to open the list of rooms.

• Select the room you want to recapture images of.

• Select Reshoot. This will navigate you to the Quick Capture screen.
• 

Note: Make sure to be connected to the camera before Reshooting the image.

10.8. Adding Rooms (Android)

Adding images is another edit feature that allows you to add additional photos and images to your tours in case you missed some images in your initial shoot.

Here is how to add images onto an existing tour:



Step 1: Click on the tour you want to add images to.

Step 2: Click on Add room.

Step 3: Add in room details.

Step 4: Take a camera shot of the room. Select the appropriate camera setting you wish to use.

Note: Make sure you are connected to your camera before you click on this button.

Step 5: Add a comment as needed.

Step 6: If you need to add more than one room, click on Next Room  and repeat steps 3-5. Once done, click on the back button.

10.9. Adding Rooms (iOS)

Adding images is another edit feature that allows you to add additional rooms to your tours.

Here is how to add images onto an existing tour:

Step 1: Click on the tour you want to add images to. Then click on the arrow.

Step 2: Click on Add room.

Step 3: Add in room details.

Step 4: Take a camera shot of the room. Select the appropriate camera setting you wish to use.

Note: Make sure you are connected to your camera before you click on this button.

Step 5: Add a comment as needed.

Step 6: If you need to add more than one room, click on Next Room and repeat steps 3-5. Once done, click on the back button.

10.10. Adding Images to Rooms (iOS)

Adding images is another edit feature that allows you to add additional photos and images to your rooms in case you missed some images in your initial shoot.

Here is how to add images onto an existing room:

Step 1: Click on the tour. Then click on the arrow.

Step 2: Click on the room you want to add images to.

Step 3: Click on Add Shot

Step 4: Take a camera shot of the room. Select the appropriate camera setting you wish to use.

Note: Make sure you are connected to your camera before you click on this button.

Step 5: Once done, click on the back button.

11.1. Introduction to the Editor

Tours are mainly edited on the desktop. 

On the DocuSketch dashboard, click on the Edit button on the tour's option panel to make changes to the tour.

The Editor:


Note: Only the tour name and assigned contact information would have to be edited outside the editor. See: Editing Basic Info from Related Pages

Click on EXIT on the top right to exit the editor.

11.2. Editing Basic Info

Changing the tour name and assigned contact information is edited outside the editor. To do this, follow the steps below:

• Click on the Gear Icon beside the Tour Name.

• Click on Edit Basic Info. 

• Change tour name and contact information details (Responsible Agent) as needed.

• Click Save to update

11.3. Editing Floors

In this module, we will be touching on how to edit floor names and rearrange the order of floors in the editor.

A. Editing Floor Names

First is to select the photo picker as indicated below.




This should display all photos available on the floor area you are on.

Next is to click on the "Chalk" icon beside the floor name.



Note that you may select any floor you wish to rename by clicking on the arrow up button beside the floor name.


A pop up window should appear on your screen which should allow you to edit the floorname.





Click update when done.




B. Rearrange Floor Order


Here we are going to teach you how to rearrange the order of the floors in your tours. This helps present a more organized list of floors to your audiences.


First is to tap on the double arrow button as shown below:







A pop up window should appear on your screen with a drop down list of where would you want to position the floor.


Note that you may arrange the floors first then rename them after.

It is also important to note that a floor must have at least one photo in it in order for it to appear in the floor list.

11.4. Add Position

• On the DocuSketch dashboard, click on the Edit button on the tour’s option panel to make changes to the tour. 

• Click on the Add Position option.

• Click on Upload Image and locate the image on your desktop. 

• Name the position or image.  

• Assign the position to its respective floor location.   

• An optional step: Put a check on Set Beginning of the Tour to set image as the thumbnail and starting image of the tour.   

• Click on Send when done. 

And that’s how you add additional photos to an existing tour! 

11.5. Modify Position

• On the DocuSketch dashboard, click on the Edit button on the tour’s option panel.

• To replace image, click on Replace Image and locate the image on your desktop. 

• Rename the position if needed.   

• Reassign the floor position if needed. 

• An optional step: Put a check on Set Beginning of the Tour to set image as the thumbnail and starting image of the tour.

• Click on Update when done. 

And that’s how you edit and/or rearrange photos on an existing tour!

11.6. Delete Position

Do the following steps:

• On the DocuSketch dashboard, click on the Edit button on the tour’s option panel.

• Click on the Photos button. This should be the second button on the lower left of the editor interface.    

• Find the image to delete then click on the Red Delete button located on the lower left portion of the image thumbnail.

You may locate images assigned on a different floor by clicking on the Floor Up option just above the images.

11.7. Blur Area

Blurring areas are great for removing unnecessary objects like photographs or picture frames, reflections on mirrors, and people on images. On this lesson, you will learn how to blur areas on the photo. Do the following:

• On the DocuSketch dashboard, click on the Edit button on the tour’s option panel.

• Click on the Blur Area option.   

• Apply or reposition the Blur Area Box on the desired area.

• Hold click on the resize button and drag to adjust the Blur Area Box size

• Click on the Save button

Keep in mind that applying the Blur Area may take up to 10 minutes to process on the raw image file.

Editing Blur Areas

You can edit an existing blur area by doing the following:

• Locate Blur Area Box in image.    

• Click on the Edit button.

• Reposition the Blur Area Box on a desired area.

• Hold click on the resize button and drag to adjust the Blur Area Box size

• Click on the Save button. 

Deleting Blur Areas

You can delete an existing blur area by doing the following:

• Locate Blur Area Box in image.  

• Click on the Edit button. 

• Click on the Delete button.

11.8. Limit View

The Limit View function allows users to crop a portion of the image to limit the viewing perspective of viewers for any reason at all. On this lesson, you will learn how easy it is to limit views. Do the following:

• On the DocuSketch dashboard, click on the Edit button on the tour’s option panel.

• Click on the Limit View function.

• Crop the image by dragging the crop box.

• Click on Update to save.

Resetting views

To reset views, just click on the Reset button from the Limit View functionality.

11.9. Viewing Angle

The Viewing Angle function is mainly used to set the viewing perspective focus on an image when the image is uniquely accessed. Images are uniquely accessed through the following: 

• Photo Picker

• Floorplan Hotspots

On this lesson, you will learn how to set/change the viewing angles of a room. To do this, simple follow these steps:

• On the DocuSketch dashboard, click on the Edit button on the tour’s option panel.

• Click on Viewing Angle. A tool tip guide would pop-up upon clicking the Viewing Angle function. You may read through it by clicking Next or click on Exit to resume.

• Click on the Pencil Button beside the white line. 

• Rotate or Position the white line by re-positioning your viewing perspective. Zoom in or zoom out of the image if desired

• Click on the Save Button when done.

Resetting the viewing angle

You can reset the viewing angle by doing the following steps:

• Click on the Pencil Button beside the white line.

• Click on the Delete Button when done. This should reset the previously set viewing angle to its default view.

Viewing Angles only function when the images are accessed uniquely. Accessing rooms via hotspots would overwrite the Viewing Angle settings with the system’s Dynamic Viewing feature. The Dynamic Viewing feature sets the view to start from the direction you came from. This means that when you enter a house, the first thing you see is the interior. Likewise, when you exit the house, the first thing you see is the exterior.

11.10. Comments

Comments are information tags users can set on any given image to add emphasis or details on a portion of the room or image. Some of the reasons why comments are added to tours are: showcasing additional promotional videos, adding still photographs/detailed images, PDF documents, or text details and information.

Adding Comments

To add comments, do the following:

• On the DocuSketch dashboard, click on the Edit button on the tour’s option panel.

• Select an image to apply the comment on      

• Click on the Add Comment option

• Place the Comment on a desired location

• Add a Comment Title

• Add a Text Description. This is only Optional if adding a Media Content.

Uploading PDF Documents, Still Photos or Videos to Comment

• Click on  Video / Image  

• Locate Media File on Desktop and click Open

• You will now be able to see your file added. The accepted image files are JPG & PNG. The accepted video files are AVI, MP4, WMV. PDF files are also accepted.

Attaching YouTube or Vimeo Videos to Comments

• Click on  YouTube- / Vimeo -Link 

• Copy Video URL and paste video link on the textbox.

• Click Add when done.

Editing Comments

• Locate the image that contains the Comment to Edit

• Click on the Comment

• Edit Title and Text Content as needed

• Click on the Trash icon beside the media file name to delete content media. Add Media Content if applicable

• Click on Update when done

Deleting Comments

• Locate the image that contains the Comment to Delete

• Click on the Comment

• Click on the Remove

Changing Room of Comment

Comment can also be transferred from one room to another. Here are the steps on how to do so:

• Open the comment you want to transfer and click on “Change room of Comment”

• Choose a new room where you wish to transfer the current comment.

• The player will then open the selected room. The comment tab on the comment selection panel will then show a green mark beside it. It means, that this comment is linked to the current room it was originally placed in, but doesn’t have a certain position (no coordinates) or is currently unassigned to any room.

• Find a good position to place the comment and then drag and drop the green marker from the comment selection panel to the preferred position. You should see a success message once completed.

A Comment can only have one Media Content. The Comment Graphic portrays the type of content it contains:

11.11. Hotspots

Hotspots are navigational pointers or bubbles that allows viewers to traverse from one image to another. It is ideal that they are appropriately placed based on the location of where each room or area is located on the current image.

Adding Hotspots

To add a hotspot, do the following:

• On the DocuSketch dashboard, click on the Edit button on the tour’s option panel.

• Click on Add Hotspot

• Place the Hotspot where the next room/image is located

• Select the appropriate image that corresponds to the Hotspot location

Hotspots can be repositioned by simply dragging them to a desired location.

Deleting Hotspots

To delete hotspots, do the following:

• Click on desired Hotspot to Delete

• Click on Remove Hotspot 

Navigation with Hotspots

On the Editor, you may navigate to a room using Hotspots by clicking on a Hotspot then clicking on Enter Room.

11.12. Sketch

The Sketch feature in the editor allows users to add floorplans they already have.

Use Case:

• Used ONLY when adding floorplan images you already have.
  

Adding Floorplans:

• Click on the Sketch Button on the lower left
  
  

• Drag and drop the Sketch JPG or PNG image onto the drop box panel

• Press anywhere on the Sketch image to add a Hotspot.
  

Note: Make sure to add the Hotspot to its corresponding location.

• Once added select the Hotspot's corresponding room to set the Hotspot in place.
  
  
  

• Toggle between floors by clicking on the Floor Tabs.
  

• Click on the Top Right Arrow to exit.
  

Deleting Sketches:

• Click on the Sketch Button on the lower left
  

• Click on the Delete Button to delete the Sketch.
  

• Toggle between floors by clicking on the Floor Tabs if applicable and repeat step 2.
  

• Click on the Top Right Arrow to exit.
  

Note: This feature is an alternative option from requesting sketch through the DocuSketch Portal and only works if you have a copy of the Sketch on your desktop.

Only JPG or PNG images are accepted.

11.13. Screenshots

The Screenshot option is for taking still images from the tour.  To take screenshots, do the following:

• On the DocuSketch dashboard, click on the Edit button on the tour’s option panel.

• Click on the Wrench Icon on the lower right.

• Select the Camera Icon

• Reposition or Resize the Screenshot Area. You may also select a predefined size. Panning view would reposition the Screenshot Area. Click on the arrow-pointed items to change size.

• Click Take Screenshot

• The screenshot is now saved on your computer drive. 

12.1. Share

Share — Share is one way to share the tours for viewing and editing.





A pop up window should appear on the screen when clicked.

There will be 3 tabs on the pop-up window.

1. Custom Link allows users to create a preset version of the kind of link they would like to share. They can restrict the features and images audiences can see in a tour and save a preset of the link.
   
2. Publish to Public allows the user to share the tour publicly through a link. This works on social media, forums, chat, text and so on.
3. Private Invite is a private invitation to an audience via email. 
   

12.2. Custom Link

Custom Link — Custom Links grants the user freedom to customize the access level and features audiences can see from the links shared to them.

Creating a New Custom Link

1. Click on the Create New Link button.

2. Name the Custom Link Preset.

A.




B.





3. Choose the images desired to be visible.

Note that the second check box allows you to choose which image is the first landing image viewers get into when accessing the link.




4. Choose which features should be available in the custom link.

1. 3D Navigation — A miniature 3D layout of the property. See Dollhouse.
   
2. Floorplans — A top down perspective layout of the property. See Sketch.
3. Infopoints — Information bubbles that adds detailed information or media components into the tour. See Infopoints.
   
   
   

5. Click on Save when done.


6. Created Custom Links should appear on the list when saved.

A. Editing a Custom Link

— Click on the edit button and make the desired adjustments to the preset.




B. Sharing a Custom Link

— Click on the copy-to-clipboard button to copy the link then share it on the desired platform.

C. Deleting a Custom Link
— Click on the Red Delete Button on the far right of the Custom Link Title. This would automatically update the list of Custom Links on the pop-up window.

— The list would then update with one custom link less.

12.3. Publish to Public

Publish to Public — Allows users to share the tours for public consumption. This could be in the form of social media, company or personal websites, chat, text and the likes.

Note that in order to set the tour to public, the user would have to set the Activate Tour Link option to a Yes.

Sharing Tours Publicly

Users can share a tour anywhere they please by simply copying the public tour link then pasting it on the platform they wish to share it in. This works for all except for adding the tours on a website.




Embedding Tours on Website


Users would have to use the embed codes generated by the system to embed the tours on their website. Once the code is copied, users can then paste the codes on their website's backend webpage editors.

There are two ways to embed the tours on their website.

1. Variant 1: Pop-Up Window Format — Embeds the tour as a clickable thumbnail that pops the tour on a new tab when clicked. This is lebelled as Open in Pop-Up Window.
   
   
   
2. Variant 2: Interactive Embed Format — Embeds the tour as an interactive 3D tour component on the website. This is labelled as In Embedded Site.
   

Examples:

12.4. Private Invite

Private Invite — Allows users to invite audiences as Viewers or Editors. Viewers will only have viewing permission while Editors would have limited permission to edit the tour.

1. Editor — Editors are audiences with username and password access to the docusketch system. Their accounts are usually created manually be the user through the Admin Functions or when a viewer with system access, has been given rights to edit by the user (Again through the Admin Functions). An editor can only be invited once their email username appears on the drop down list.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Viewer — Viewers are your regular audience the user simply just wants to invite to see the tour. The invitation always comes in an email. They can be invited with a simple link to the tour or with username and email access to the docusketch system.
   
   Note that any email can be sent a viewer's invitation by simply adding the email on the email field.
   
   
   

• Inviting by Link with Encoded Token
  
  — Invites audiences via email with an encoded link to access the tour.
  
  

          See:

• Inviting by Email and Password
  
  — Invites audiences with username and password access to the docusketch portal. An email invitation is sent to the audience. Audiences can not only view the tour but also login to the docusketch portal on the desktop or the mobile app and view the tour there anytime.
  
  
  

13.1. Archive

Archive — Removes the tour from the main tour list and stores it in the Archived Tour List. 


This allows the user to reactivate the tour should they decide to reuse the tour again.

A. Archiving a Tour

1. Click on the Archive Button.

2. A prompt should appear on the screen to confirm whether the user is certain to move the tour to the Archives.





B. Archived Tours — This is where all archived tours are stored. Users can navigate to this section by clicking on the My Tours option on the left Menu Panel.









Note that all Archived tours cannot be viewed. The user can only choose to Delete or move the tour back to Active.

C. Reactivating an Archived Tour — When on the Archived Tours List, click on the Move to Active Button  .

D. Deleting a Tour —  When on the Archived Tours List, click on the Delete Button .

Note that Deleting a tour makes the tour unrecoverable.

14.1. Sketches

Sketches — Sketches, sometimes referred to as "Property Layout Drafts", are drafted layouts that provides audiences a top down perspective view of the property.




These sketches can be ordered through the Docusketch system however, a 360 tour of the property must be created first. See Creating a 360 Virtual Tour Using Mobile App & Creating a 360 Virtual Tour on Desktop.

14.2. Ordering Sketches

Users have several options on how they could order a sketch.

The could do so either by switching the sketch ordering to automatic, ordering the sketches manually on the app or even ordering the sketches through the DocuSketch webportal.

1. Auto Sketch Generation— This can be set by going to settings them toggling the Auto Sketch Generation option on on the Docusketch Mobile App’s main menu screen.

2. Manual Ordering (App)— Users may manually order a Sketch for a tour they created on the Docusketch Mobile App by clicking on the options button then clicking on the Generate Sketch option. 

A Sketch Ordered status should appear below the tour name once a sketch is ordered.

Completed Sketches


Once a sketch is completed, this button displays on your web portal.

1. Notification Email — Users will receive a notification email when a sketch request is completed. — The completed sketches will be attached on the notification email. — The attachements would be a JPEG Preview of the sketch would also be on the notification email so users can check the sketches on the go and the ESX files to the sketches as well. — Users can respond to the notification email for any feedback on changes they would like done.
2. Downloadable Sketches on the Desktop — Sketches can be downloaded through the download button.
   
   
   

15.1. Admin Functions Overview

Overview of the Admin Dashboard

A. Admin Option Panel

The Admin Option Panel is a list of options you can choose to perform macro-scale administrative actions.

The list contains the following:

List User Accounts

List User Accounts displays the list of all user accounts under the organization. This is the default option and your default view when accessing the Admin Dashboard. This option allows you to perform several specific actions to manage the accounts and the tours under them. More on these management actions in the next lesson 

Create New Office

The Create New Office option allows you to create New Office Accounts under the organization.

Office Accounts has almost the same Admin rights as the Super Admin account where they can create additional user accounts and modify their settings and permissions.

Create New User

The Create New User option allows you to create New User Accounts under the organization.

How to create a new user account is detailed in lessons ahead.

A detailed discussion on how to create a new user account will be discussed in the next lessons ahead.

Statistics Data

The Statistics Data generates statistical reports regarding account-specific or tour specific data based on your preferred filter settings.

Make sure to select the proper filters for the system to display the contents you wish to display.

Language: The language chosen for the accounts. Accounts with the set language displays on the list if the corresponding language filter is selected.

Filter by Date of Activation: Allows you to filter the date by activation and allows you to display the list of accounts that were created before or after your date set.

Download Data allows you to download the data in either Excel (CSV) or JSON format.

Numeric List Display: Allows you to select the number of user accounts displaying in the list by adjusting the number on display.

B. Search and Filter Options

C. Account Management Board

15.2. Creating Accounts

Creating Accounts

A. Creating Office Accounts

B. Creating User Accounts

15.3. Managing User Accounts

Managing Accounts

After account creation, we now show you how to manage them. Each management function available to use will be discussed in detail.

To begin, make sure you have the List User Accounts option selected on the Admin Options Panel. 

Now focus your attention to the action panel on one of the accounts under your organization.

The action buttons are divided into topics explaining how they work.

Deactivate

Deactivate – The account is deactivated, making it unusable. The account is not deleted, instead, it is tinted with a bright pink red to indicate it is deactivated.  

Note: Accounts are never deleted. If you wish to have an account completely deleted and removed or reactivated, contact our support helpdesk at help@docusketch.com.

Edit

  Edit – This option allows you to edit important account information like username and password.

Settings

  Settings – This tab allows you to customize the branding for the account. Options are detailed below



Permissions

  Permissions – This option allows you to customize the permissions for each account. Note: Deactivating certain permissions for an account can render that account user unable to use certain functions in their account.

Let’s discuss each option in detail.

• Edit – Putting a check in this box disables the user’s ability to edit tours on their account. Editing a tour consists of clicking on the edit button on the tour options panel allowing you to modify the tour. Here you can rename, add and delete images, including hotspots, and other tour modifications.

The account user would no longer be able to edit the tours on their account.

• Delete – This option disables the user’s ability to delete a tour. A tour is only deleted permanently when the tour is archived and is under the archived tours page.

This is an example of an Archived tour. Pay attention to the Delete button here.



Once you disable the Delete option for this account, notice how there no longer is a Delete button on this archived tour.

• Share Access – Putting a check mark on this option disables the user’s ability to share tours.

• Connection – This option has a check mark in the box by default. This function is rarely used.

• Downloads – Putting a check on the permission settings disables the download functionality of the account. This means that the user can no longer download floorplans, exactimate files, etc because the download button is removed.

• Links – Disabling the links option removes the user’s ability to access the tour links. As a review, the links option produces a sharable link for the tours.

• Embed Code – This option has a check mark in the box by default. This function generates the tour embed codes you can use to embed a tour on your website. The codes are already generated in the share function.

• Statistics – This option is also disabled by default. This function grants statistical data for viewers viewing the tour. This option is rarely used.

• Live Session – Putting a check mark in this box disables the users’ ability to do live sessions on the account. The Show Live button on the tour option panel will disappear when this permission is disabled.

• Edit Title – Disabling this permission for the user renders them unable to change the name of the tour.

• Copy Tour – Disabling this permission for the user renders them unable to make copies of a tour under their account. This option is always disabled by default.

• Settings – This option disables the user’s ability to modify their tour player settings. The tour player settings tab is where you can modify the features included in the tour player.

• Sketch Order Settings – This option disables the user’s ability to change the Sketch Order settings from their account.

• User Settings – Putting a check in this box disables the user’s ability to access settings in their account. The settings option panel is where users may modify and customize their account branding.

• Floorplan Order – Disabling this option removes the user’s ability to order floorplans for themselves and the tours under their accounts.

• Archive – Disabling this option removes the user’s ability to Archive a tour.

Click on Submit when done.

Note: Each permission can be enabled or disabled for individual accounts. This allows you to preset the type of account you want a person to have.

Statistics

  Statistics – This option allows you to generate a statistical report of views and clicks of tours from this account.

A pop-up window should appear on your screen upon clicking the statistics button.

Here, you may set the Statistic Dates From and To and the email address of the account owner. Remember to press request when done.



Go To Customer

  Go To Customer – This option allows you to view the tours under this account. This covers both active and archived tours.

Two options will drop down when you click on this button.

Here you can view both the Active Tour List on the account and the Archived Tour List.

• Active Tour List – Displays all the active tours under this account.

Here, you can access the account as if you were the account owner yourself to manage, share access and edit tours as well as download files.

• Archived Tour List – Displays all the archived tours under the account.

You can access all the tours archived under the account. You have the option to either set the tour to active or permanently delete the tour.



15.4. Copying Tours

In this module we will be teaching you how to copy tours from an account with administrative access to a sub user account.

Please note that this can only be done on the desktop web portal.

1. Find the tour you wish to copy and click on the Cog Wheel button beside the tour name.



2. Click on Copy Tour






3. A pop up window should appear on your screen. Select the account you wish to copy the tour over. Feel free to rename the tour as well to indicate that it is a different copy.




4. Click on copy when done.





Note: After a tour is copied, you will find the newly copied tour on your dashboard.




Make sure you use the new tour's share options if you wish to share the tour under the sub accounts settings and branding.




Share the tour using the public link.



You may share the public link to your clients.

15.5. Invoices

1. The Tour Player

2. Using the Timeline Function

3. Setting The First Room of the Tour

In this lesson, we will teach you how to set the first room or image of a tour.

The term "Setting the first room image of a tour" is often perceived as two things:

1. Setting a Banner Image for the tour.
2. Using a panoramic image as the first area/room image of the tour
   

A. Setting a Banner Image for the Tour

Setting a banner image for the tour sets a still photo as the thumbnail of the tour compared to the usual panoramic image.




This screen displays whenever you create a new tour on the mobile app.

Tapping on the camera icon accesses your device' camera so you may take a snap shot of the front view photo.







Should you wish to add or change the banner image of an existing tour however, all you need to do is to edit the tour on the mobile app.




Tap on the Tour Photo here:





All you need to do here is to tap on the camera icon (provided no photo is added) to add a new banner image or, tap on the existing photo (if a photo exits), to change the banner image.






B. Using a Panoramic Image as the First Area/Room Image of the Tour


Setting the first room of the tour sets an image as the first place your audiences hop into as soon as they view your tour.

Setting this up should be relatively easy and is best done on the Desktop Portal.


Step 1: Click on the Edit button to edit the tour.




Step 2: Select the image you wish to set as the very first room of your tour.




Step 3: Select the Modify Position option on the top left of your screen.



A pop-up window should appear on the center of your screen.

Step 4: Place a check on the "Set Beginning of the Tour" option to set the room/area image as the first image of the tour.



Click on update when done.



There are also a few things to take note of when shooting the front images of the property.
Make sure the front of the camera is pointed towards the best subject of the area. For example, when shooting the front of the house, you want the front side of the camera facing towards the house.

Front side of the camera.


This way, the first thing your viewers see when they enter the tour is the front of the house.

See:

Please do note that this not only applies to the front of the property but in all rooms or areas as well.

4. Viewing Tours on Mobile

To view a tour, click on the tour thumbnail of the tour you wish to view on the mobile app.

Note:

• To pan the image, simply press and hold on an area and drag your finger over to which direction you would like to pan to.
• To zoom in, press and hold two fingers on any area and drag both fingers apart to zoom in or closer to zoom out.

5. Download for Offline Use on Mobile App

This topic teaches you how to make your 360 tours available for offline viewing. This is mainly useful if you wish to review or showcase the 360 tours without internet access.

To make a 360 tour available offline:

• Click on the Tour Option Panel (…)
• Click on Download Offline

This should download the tour into your mobile device making it available for offline viewing.

Note that the tour’s status will also chang to Accessible Without Internet.