If you somehow missed the excitement around the launch of Plex-Earth 5 at last month's Autodesk University, and now keep hearing about version 5? Well this short blog post will help explain what all the buzz is about!
The first big change is not the nifty new logo – nice as it is and more about that in a next post – but that Plex-Earth is now a multiple-provider platform.
This isn't the first time we've explored the concept of offering different image providers, but it is the first time we've:
Developed direct business relationships with the world's top satellite and aerial imagery providers, passing on our bulk savings to you
Given you access to multiple such providers within a single and affordable subscription!
Built the software as a true future-proof platform, where new providers or sources and types of data can be plugged in – or out – to ensure we will always give you the best available data
Here's the big reason why...
You and your work are important.
As an engineer, architect or designer you're already operating at a high-level, with a lot of responsibility to create something that looks good, functions well, is totally safe, within the budget, within the regulations – and to get everything right with one shot, the first time.
That's asking a lot, in fact experience shows it's often asking too much!
Re-work, doing things again because the first time messed up, is a big part of the AEC industry, and the costs can be staggering, destroying profit margins, even destroying companies and careers.
Reputations can be forever ruined from a single mistake, and all the studies say the same thing; the highest and most destructive re-work costs are the result of design-errors.
Ouch!
A big part of such design errors come down to poor communication with the client, who later demands changes, because they say the brief, the regulations or both, were not followed.
This means it's critical that everyone understands everything from the very beginning.
Misunderstandings are where it all goes wrong, and the absolute BASIC thing you really need, is a proper look at and understanding of your project area!
It can be said then, that...
““Because looking at sharp, up-to-date photos is now part of your due diligence, you deserve better than Bing””
Our CEO Lambros Kaliakatsos came up with the above line during the Autodesk conference, and I believe he summed it up perfectly!
Bing Maps (and similarly Google Maps) offer familiar consumer-level imagery intended for such basics as finding a gourmet coffee shop, or the best route through today's traffic. The images are usually color-saturated and pleasing to look at, but cannot and should not replace professional-grade commercial imagery from companies such as Airbus, Maxar, Nearmap or Hexagon.
Professional imagery offers:
Sharper, higher-resolution images – rather important!
Much more frequent updates – can be super-important!
In many cases, the ability to re-wind and see things changing – and in some situations that can be simply priceless.
Of course Plex-Earth 5 still works with Google and Bing for crowd-pleasing images when they're most appropriate, but pro-grade imagery is where you get your real insights, understanding - and easily avoid career-killing errors!
So why are not all companies already using such services?
Of course the really big AEC companies have been using such services for years; what
Plex-Earth 5 brings to the industry is it gives you easy on-demand access, without requiring multiple, long-term and expensive contracts with each provider.
We also make it technically simple; you don't need to be a GIS expert and you certainly don't need to orthorectify the images yourself! You have enough responsibilities as it is, so this is a powerful tool to help you.
Plex-Earth aligns the photos for you, allowing for the world's curvature, stitching multiple images together when necessary. It just makes everything quick and simple, so you can do your best work and shine!
If you're already familiar with Plex-Earth 4, it's just as easy to use as ever, except now you can pick and choose between providers! Even Bing ;)
Plex-Earth 5 is a market-changing development that will give small to medium sized companies – which is most of us – access to the same eagle-eyed updated imagery as the biggest engineering companies out there.
We're literally providing you with the best imagery that is commercially available, at any price – and we're making it affordable!
Of course such a development takes time to catch on, and that's very much to your advantage!
Simply by reading this blog means you (and some thousands of others at Autodesk University!) can join the early-adopters of this new platform, benefiting from that imagery TODAY – and over 1,000 hours of real-user beta testing over the last few months.
It still feels like a dream coming true, but Plex-Earth 5 really is ready, and is already proving itself.
If you haven't yet then you absolutely should download your free trial below and I also recommend you check out the new FAQ page, based on that intense user-testing!
To your success,
Andreas Bavas
COO, Plexscape