RENDR is a powerful tool for quickly capturing spaces and generating floor plans. While designed for accuracy and ease of use, you might occasionally encounter issues or have questions about precision.
Understanding Expected RENDR Accuracy
It's important to understand the expected level of accuracy from RENDR scans:
For single-room scans, you can generally expect accuracy to the nearest inch.
For larger, multi-room scans, some variance is normal. You may notice a few inches of variance in some areas, typically 2-3 inches or 1-3 inches.
Overall, scans typically provide measurements within 1-2% of actual dimensions.
RENDR's accuracy is sufficient for getting to the budget conversation sooner and streamlining the sales and initial design process.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Here are some common issues users might encounter and how to address them:
Issue: Crooked Walls, Large Discrepancies, or Inconsistent Results
Potential Cause: These issues are often the result of user error. Common mistakes include:
Excessive up-and-down motion ("painting" the room with your phone) after the initial calibration. The light lines indicate when you are capturing, and unnecessary up-and-down movement can introduce irregularities.
Working in too dim of a space. Lighting is key for better scan results.
Doubling back unnecessarily through areas you've already scanned.
For large spaces, starting the scan in a corner instead of the middle can sometimes lead to crooked walls because the phone tries to understand its position relative to the starting point.
Suggested Answers/Solutions:
Review the "Scanning Overview" or best practices guides provided by RENDR.
Ensure good lighting in the space you are scanning.
After calibration, move your phone smoothly from left to right. Avoid "painting" by moving the phone up and down.
Walk continuously through the space without stopping between rooms; avoid backtracking through already scanned areas.
For large spaces (comfortably up to ~2500 sq ft), always start somewhere in the middle of the floor plan and work outwards.
If issues persist despite following best practices, there might be specific environmental factors or AI challenges the scan encountered.
Issue: Measurements Seem Inaccurate or Off by More Than a Few Inches
Potential Cause: While RENDR is highly accurate for mobile LiDAR, the expected variance in larger multi-room scans is a few inches (1-3 or 2-3). AI reconciliation of wall thicknesses and differences seen can lead to slight variances in larger scans. Variances significantly greater than this could be due to the user errors mentioned above (lighting, technique, starting position) or potentially large obstructions affecting the scan.
Suggested Answers/Solutions:
First, re-check your scanning technique based on the tips above.
Remember that a few inches of variance in large scans is normal.
Clear large obstructions like furniture or appliances if possible before scanning, as they may affect accuracy.
Critical dimensions like doorways, windows, and cabinet runs should still be verified on-site. RENDR provides a great starting point, saving time on initial field measuring until the job is moving forward.
You can take quick critical measurements during your site visit and note them. Exporting the scan to a PDF and using markup tools (especially on an iPad) is recommended for adding these notes, dimensions, door swings, bulkheads, or other details not automatically captured.
A second site visit may still be necessary to verify critical dimensions before final design or ordering, but the initial scan significantly reduces the time needed for that visit.
For projects requiring very high precision (e.g., millwork needing quarter-inch accuracy), exporting the scan as a single room CAD file is recommended. This preserves the exact measurements captured by RENDR for maximum precision.
If you believe a scan has significant inaccuracies beyond the expected variance that aren't explained by technique or environment, contact customer success to have the scan reviewed.
Issue: Missing Details (e.g., Light Switches, Some Bulkheads, Door Swings) or Fixtures (Toilets, Sinks, Appliances) Aren't Captured Correctly
Potential Cause: RENDR focuses on capturing the core layout and dimensions of a space. It does not include fine details like light switches. Detection of features like soffits and bulkheads can vary depending on the space and construction. Doorways are typically shown as openings, and door swings are not automatically captured due to potential inconsistency based on door types. While RENDR uses AI to recognize and place objects like fixtures, the performance can vary, and occasionally, objects might be missed or incorrectly placed. Scanning framed walls without drywall can also lead to inconsistencies.
Suggested Answers/Solutions:
Understand that RENDR provides a strong starting point but doesn't capture every minor detail.
Take photos of the space during your site visit. It is suggested to skip the prompt to upload photos immediately after saving the scan and add them later from your device's library, allowing you to upload multiple photos at once. These photos sync automatically with JobTread.
Use the PDF export and markup tool to sketch or note the location of details like bulkheads, return vents, and door swings that may not appear on the scan. If a bulkhead is present, quick measurements with a laser might be needed to confirm its projection or height if not clearly captured.
For some fixtures recognized by AI, they appear as blocks or outlines. You may need to manually place and adjust the location of these elements within your design software.
If you notice missing or incorrect fixture placement (like a sink being missed), you can share the scan with customer success for review, as this is uncommon.
By understanding RENDR's capabilities, following best practices, and knowing how to supplement the scan data with necessary manual checks and notes, you can effectively use RENDR to significantly streamline your project workflow.