FAQ

We’re a new company that provides an end-to-end solution for building 3D models of a building’s interior. We’ve invented a unique method to gather building and infrastructure data without having to access the building and then use a patented AI/ML process to turn the data into actionable intelligence at scale.  

Our approach is completely new and unique, because it:

• Is the first instantaneous solution to generate indoor mapping.
  
•  Scales from a single building to entire city blocks.
• Provides hyper-accurate indoor 3D mapping at a resolution of 1/4 to 1/8 of an inch.
  
• Enables seamless integration with traditional multi-block 3D maps in just minutes or entire urban areas in a few hours.
• Provides complete and up-to-date results — our patented retrieval approach includes renovations and expansions, as well as the original building design.
• Is CAD/GIS-ready, thus allowing nearly limitless manipulation of our models. 
  
• Supports high-fidelity damage effects and weaponeering, because properties are assigned to walls and structural elements .
  
• Extracts construction details, attributes, and infrastructure at a granular level of detail
• Performs instrumentation—as opposed to representation—of models based on actual building plans. This can be done in seconds to support training and mission planning and rehearsal.
  
• Provides texturing options ranging from a representative model to geospecific renderings.
• Generates common industry formats (e.g., Collada, CBD and 3D Tiles) that seamlessly integrate with existing toolsets.
  
• All output is geo-referenced.

No other process exists to convert static images to CAD/GIS-ready file, whether in architecture or any other industry.

First, we convert building permits and plans into CAD/GIS-ready 2D output.  We do this because most building plans are in a PDF or other file type that isn’t CAD/GIS-ready.  Then we feed these CAD/GIS-ready files into a 3D extruder. Traditional methods using existing technology requires hours of manual work to make this conversion. With IndoorGEO, the conversion is nearly instantaneous.  

Existing 3D extrusion technology (e.g., Autodesk Revit) only works with building plans in the CAD/GIS format.  While CAD/GIS have been around for many years, the vast majority of existing buildings and structures worldwide pre-date this technology.  Typically, the plans for these legacy buildings and structures are raster images, such as PDF files. 

We use construction documents—e.g., blueprints, building plans—from government permitting departments. We also access private industry archival records including architectural, construction, and development companies’ documents. 

Worldwide, governments typically require permitting for new construction, as well as renovations, remodeling, and building expansions.  Since it is a violation of law to circumvent these permitting requirements, we can use the totality of the records to create accurate, up-to-date models. 

Special Operations and emergency responders require details on interiors when planning, training for or executing an operation. Our capabilities can help special forces and emergency responders by: 

• Instrumenting indoor 3D models for training and mission planning and rehearsal.
• Extracting mission-relevant construction details and attributes, such as which way a door swings and the type of bolt on the door.
• Minimizing collateral damage and loss of life by assigning properties to walls and structural elements and incorporating high-fidelity damage effects (e.g., target mensuration, bomb blast modeling of target and surrounding buildings).
• Assessing damage effects related to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes and forest fires.

Our users can see construction details like structural elements, building materials, access points, stair-wells, elevator shafts, window locations and sizes, wall thickness and construction, door hinges and handles, lighting fixtures and switches, security and fire systems, electrical panels, Internet/ WiFi systems, and perimeter walls and fences. 

We are able to handle any standard industry format, which most often is a PDF format that is scanned from paper construction documents.  We also work with paper records, but these must be scanned prior to starting our process. If requested, we can manage large scanning projects at a low cost. 

Building geometry is created via IndoorGEO’s proprietary algorithms.  Our process accommodates any industry standard 3D format, including Collada and OGC standards-compliant forms, such as Cesium 3D Tiles and CBD.  We also can provide CAD/GIS-ready 2D or 3D drawings. The format for geometry is provided in a mesh file.

Yes! We can extract multiple floor plans from construction documents. We merge partial floor plans using our edge matching algorithms to synthesize complete building floor plans.  For multi-story buildings, floor plans at different elevations are correctly assembled to generate a complete model.

We describe our models as “hyper-accurate.” Because we derive our outputs from building plans that typically are accurate to 1/8 inch for commercial and 1/4 inch for residential, our models are precise and reliable. By using annotations—such as scale indicators and document measurements—that we extract from construction documents, we can scale our output to real world dimensions.

Using document metadata and GIS data sources, building plans are scaled to real world dimensions and oriented accurately.

IndoorGEO scales with the number of buildings, making IndoorGEO practical and affordable.  When compared to the cost of LiDAR mapping, they are exceedingly cost effective.

IndoorGEO’s unique approach emerged organically when IndoorGEO combined disparate professions in collaborative workspace.  At IndoorGEO, AI/ML engineers, simulation/gaming developers, and data scientists build on the innovative work of senior level experts with land development, architecture, civil engineering, GIS, and geography backgrounds. We also receive guidance from senior-level military, intelligence and GEOINT experts.