TOPIC: The request that won't go away.

Have been using HIP mobile (solely) full time for one month, using a Note 3.

To make the template more efficient on a Android Tablet I have made a numerous changes to my template (see www.homeinspectorpro.com/index.php?optio...79.msg57640#msg57640 )

However, picture slotting using HIP mobile is extremely slow when compared to the HIP desktop version (even when taking into account all the new upgrades to HIP mobile).  It's roughly taking me c,25-35% longer to finish a report using HIP mobile, than what it would take using HIP Desktop with a point and shoot camera and a windows laptop. I expect that I can find greater efficiency with tweaking my HIP mobile template, but not to any major extent.

What would close the gap is the ability to take pictures and slot them directly from the camera mode directly into their relevant section / sub-section as is the case with HIP desktop. Maybe this feature would require a major reconfiguration of the software programming and is not an the agenda for the short to medium term.

Are you slotting pictures as you take them? You should be in the section when taking the pic so it automatically gets slotted. There IS a little more lag because it's a slower OS when taking a picture but there's nothing that HIP Mobile can do with that part. There's no way it should take you 25-35% longer with HIP mobile when it's taking everyone else 25-35% LESS time.

The beauty of HIP desktop that is allows you to design your template with a large degree of flexibility and import and slot pictures while in one section of the report.

This huge time saver that is available in HIP desktop in not currently available in HIP mobile which is why reports are taking me c,25-35% longer to complete.

For example when using HIP mobile at the front of a property there would be numerous photos that I could take,

• Picture of front of house will go into "Legal Section" where I can add Caption on any overall changes to the structure appearance
• Then I will take a picture of a leaking gutter and damaged downpipe that will go into "Roof Section" and add a Caption if necessary

• Then I will take a picture of the cracked driveway and cracked boundary wall that will "Grounds Section" with appropriate Caption

• Picture of crack in front wall that would go into "Structural Section"
• Picture of damaged electrical socket that would go into "Electrical Section"

• Picture of gas boiler vent which is incorrectly located will go into the "Heating Section"
• Picture of damaged exterior insulation panel which will go into the "Insulation" section

, etc.

Now you can imaging all the clicking in out out of Sections / Subsections of HIP mobile just to slot all these pictures when directly compared to the simplicity of Batch importing pictures in HIP desktop.

Now replicate the above example when I am at the back of the property, in bedrooms, kitchens, attic space, etc, as I organise my template system by system and not room by room.

Now that most of the pictures are taken with appropriate Captions I have to go back into all these sections again to enter my comments on each section / subsection as my comments can only be finalised when I have a good overview of the condition of each section / subsection.

What I said in my first post was

What would close the gap is the ability to take pictures and slot them directly from the camera mode directly into their relevant section / sub-section as is the case with HIP desktop. Maybe this feature would require a major reconfiguration of the software programming and is not an the agenda for the short to medium term.

would make a huge difference in saving time.

Ah, there lies the biggest problem. You have everything setup system by system but inspect room by room. This will always greatly increase inspection and reporting time o site.

Why are you not commenting at the same time you're taking the picture. You're stating that you have to go back again to add your comments? This should be done at the same time, cutting your clicks in half.

Ah, there lies the biggest problem. You have everything setup system by system but inspect room by room. This will always greatly increase inspection and reporting time o site.

This would not be a problem if the software would allow the pictures to be taken room by room and allow those pictures to allocated in the report section by section as per the Batch import feature in HIP Desktop.

Why are you not commenting at the same time you're taking the picture. You're stating that you have to go back again to add your comments? This should be done at the same time, cutting your clicks in half.

The above quote shows a disconnect between software programming and the reality of recording information on site and producing a good report. For example taking pictures of defects as you survey a property will allow you to present an overview of the property with pictures and specific Captions on pictures. However it is to early to be commenting on any system/s as a detailed understanding of the overall condition of any system/s would only be determined well into a property inspection and making comments early on is away too premature. Making overall comments on any system should be left to the end of an inspection, while making specific comments can be make on the fly with the understanding that these comments may need to be edited at the end of the inspection.

In summary, I have being surveying for well over twenty years and each surveyor will have their own way of collecting information and producing reports. Without doubt HIP Desktop is the best inspection software that I have used. If the Android operating system would allow HIP Mobile to have a similar feature as to allocate pictures to different Sections from the Camera mode it would make a huge difference to the ease of use and speed in using HIP mobile.

Peter you are preaching to the choir here.
I just commented on another thread that to help speed up the camera process i have added a section called location.
The location section is room by room.

My little work around involves loading to desktop and then reslotting.

Yes it shortcuts the idea of slotting on site but at least groups them and you could if you wish generate a PDF to split screen and comments in before photo editing.

Explanation :

Right now in order to write text comments in material and damage panels you need to slot photos first or they will not appear in a generate report PDF.
By at least slotting them they will show ....make sense ?

Issue :

Dos not really save that much time because you need to re slot and also because you could do the same thing by opening a regular picture folder.

What would be cool :

If all pictures went straight to misc and we could add a hash tag caption which slotted them automatically

Example :

snap a pic .....add caption with something like #Bathrooms which could be shortcut to #B and the pic would auto slot.

# Heating......magic it goes to heating. ....#H = heating and that would be really fast...:

Have not discussed this with Dom but hope he sees the value though maybe he can not do it.