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Encircle Floor Plan - FAQ

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What is Encircle Floor Plan?

Encircle Floor Plan provides restoration and property insurance professionals with fast and accurate 2D floor plans, captured right from any smartphone. Properties are with a simple 5-10 minute video scan, and a professional floor plan complete with room dimensions and labels is quickly returned to the Encircle claim file. With Encircle’s Xactimate Integration, a floor plan can be imported for an instant Xactimate sketch file, allowing restorers to start their estimates on day 1.

 

What user permissions do I need to use Floor Plan?

Users will need Self Assign permissions or higher to be able to create floor plans. Users with limited permissions will not be able to create floor plans. Click here to learn more about user permissions in Encircle. Note that Organization Administrators can also restrict access to the floor plan feature by individual user. 

 

How does the capture work?

Within your claim in the Encircle mobile app, orient your phone into landscape mode and start your scan. Walk the property continuously with the phone lens pointed on a downward angle toward the seams of the property (where the floor meets the wall). No need to stop and start separate scans for each room, or even for each floor. As you scan, built-in user guidance will provide feedback to ensure your scan is successful (ex: “You are too close to the wall”, “You are moving too quickly”), ensuring that your capture is done right every time.

We recommend that you pick a logical path through the property for your scan, ideally avoiding revisiting the same areas. Should you need to walk in the same area of the property more than once to capture the entire property scan (a hallway, for example), this will not be an issue. Our technology knows your location relative to the rest of the property, and capturing the same location more than once will not interfere with the floor plan processing or creation.

For more detailed info, check our help articles on adding a floor plan and scanning best practices, or take our free EncircleU training.

 

Do I need to do anything to prepare the property before scanning?

Before you begin your scan to capture your floor plan, it is best practice to ensure that all doors are open into the areas that you would like to capture, that all lights are turned on, and that all blinds or window coverings are open, to let in as much light as possible. We recommend you do this as you are walking through the property completing your initial inspection/scope video.

Should you forget to open doors before your scan, just be sure to point your camera lens away from doors as you open them, to avoid capturing the opening (or closing) of a door in your scan video.

Check out our tutorial video on best practices or our EncircleU training course for more info.

 

How do I capture a property with multiple levels/floors?

To capture a property that has multiple floors, you can simply continue your scan as you walk up or down stairs between levels. Our technology will detect that you are on a different level, and the 2D floor plan will be returned with separate image files for each floor, with the stair locations represented as well.

We recommend starting on the lowest level of a property and working your way up. Do not move back and forth between levels during a scan.

Check out our tutorial video on best practices or our EncircleU training course for more info.

 

How do I capture small spaces (closets, showers, attics, crawl spaces)?

To capture small spaces during a scan, ensure that you point your camera lens into those tighter areas to capture the seams of where the floor meets the wall, in all parts of the space. Be sure to point your device into the tight space for a minimum of 10-15 seconds for an accurate capture. If the space is large enough to walk in, you can walk in and then back out along the same path to avoid getting an error message that you are turning too quickly, within that tight space.

Check out our tutorial video on best practices or our EncircleU training course for more info.

 

What if there are a lot of objects, furniture, or clutter in the areas I want to capture?

To capture a property with Encircle Floor Plan, you do not have to remove contents, clutter or furniture. Our technology can “see through the clutter” and fill in missing information if there are areas of the room being blocked by furniture, appliances, or general clutter. However, you need to be able to walk far enough into a space to capture where the floor meets each wall. So, for hoarder environments where you cannot get far enough into a room, the room will need to be cleared out to a certain extent in order to capture an accurate scan.

Check out our tutorial video on best practices or our EncircleU training course for more info.

 

What happens if there are people in the video?

It is best to avoid having people and/or pets captured in your scan video whenever possible. But if it does happen, it shouldn't impact your scan, especially if they are stationary.

 

How do the rooms get labeled on the floor plan?

While scanning, Encircle Floor Plan uses AI predictive technology to intuitively label the room names automatically. If you would like to apply custom room labels, you can use the speech detection feature (green microphone button on the scanning screen) to dictate the room label you would like, “theater room, home office, etc.” You will also be able to edit the room labels on the returned floor plan from within the Encircle web app.

 

How long does it take to receive my floor plan back?

Encircle Floor Plans are returned directly into your Encircle claim file within 6 hours. Our average delivery time is around 90 minutes for most standard floor plans, while large or complex properties can take slightly longer to process.

*Note that the 6 hour delivery applies once your scan video has successfully been submitted (has synced) to Encircle’s servers. If you captured your scan video in offline mode, you will need to re-establish your internet connection for your scan to begin processing.

 

If I scan a smaller area, will my floor plan be returned faster?

Yes. While we can only guarantee floor plans will be delivered in less than 6 hours, it is easier and faster for our solution to return smaller areas. Our testing indicates that smaller scanned areas are  typically returned in a shorter time period.

 

Does my time zone matter to receive my floor plan back within 6 hours?

Nope! No matter what time zone you are in, Encircle Floor Plans will be returned to you within 6 hours of your scan being submitted through the Encircle app.

 

How accurate is Encircle Floor Plan?

Encircle Floor Plan is 95% accurate — this is on par with competitive solutions like DocuSketch, and well within the tolerances of insurance carriers for mitigation estimates. Our accuracy increases to 97% if using an iPhone or iPad with LiDAR (iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro, iPad Pro).

 

How much does Encircle Floor Plan cost?

Encircle Floor Plans are priced at $29 USD per floor plan (charged by individual scan video submitted). When you purchase floor plans as part of a monthly subscription, the pricing is as low as $20 per floor plan.

Encircle customers also have the option to integrate their Encircle and Xactimate systems, to import floor plans for an instant Xactimate Sketch for an additional $10 USD per floor plan. Click here for more Encircle pricing information.

 

What file formats are available for Encircle Floor Plan?

Encircle Floor Plan files are delivered directly into your Encircle claim file as JPEG image(s). An image file will be returned for each level captured. The floor plan image(s) are automatically included in Encircle reports, and can be downloaded for sharing through other means. Additionally, with Encircle’s Xactimate integration, you can import your floor plan for an instant Xactimate sketch file.

 

What if I need to make an edit to my floor plan?

Should you need to update room labels, add additional text, or add additional measurement lines, you can use the Quick Editor through the Encircle web app.

In the unlikely case that you need to correct a room dimension/measurement on your floor plan, you can submit a fix request through the Encircle mobile app. A corrected floor plan will be reprocessed and returned to you quickly.

 

What dimensions are included with Encircle Floor Plan?

Your Encircle Floor Plan will be returned with wall and room dimensions labeled directly on the floor plan file. Click here to see an example.

Note that exterior walls smaller than 3 feet (91 cm), interior walls, and fixed features (like cabinets, stairs, windows, doors, showers/tubs) will not have dimensions displayed on them directly for readability reasons. Within Encircle’s quick editor, you can draw measurement lines on the elements that you wish, as the graphics displayed on the floor plan are intended to be dimensionally accurate.

If you import your floor plan into Xactimate for an instant Xactimate Sketch file, small exterior wall and all interior wall measurements will be available.

 

Does Encircle Floor Plan capture ceiling height?

Encircle Floor Plan currently defaults ceiling height to 8 feet, and is changeable through the quick editor or in your Xactimate sketch. We understand the importance of capturing ceiling height for accurate estimating and equipment calculations, and are working to add ceiling height detection into our solution.

 

Can I create individual room sketches from a floor plan?

Yes, you can use the Encircle Floor Plan tool to create individual room sketches. Users will also be able to leverage these room sketches to create moisture maps for water jobs in Encircle Hydro.

 

Can I mark up/annotate my floor plan?

Yes! Once you use your floor plan to create individual room sketches or moisture maps, you can use our sketch tools to mark certain areas, enter moisture points, or place equipment.

 

I'm already getting 3D dollhouses made up. Why do I need this?

3D models are a nice-to-have for marketing, not a must-have for creating accurate estimates that will pass carrier scrutiny. Encircle Floor Plan can be used on every job and gives you the accurate measurements that will get your estimates started and get you paid faster. No need to check a criteria list to see if a property warrants Matterporting or DocuSketching. Plus, save time and money not having to purchase or train your team on using that fancy gear.

Combining Encircle Floor Plan with 4 overview photos per room provides a wonderful overview of the property without any extra effort. Plus, take advantage of video in Encircle to help tell the story of the loss, provide additional context that can't be captured in photos alone, and build a solid estimate. Learn more about leveraging video in your scopes here.

 

Will I be able to use Encircle Floor Plan in offline mode (if I don't have service or internet connection)? 

Yes! Encircle Floor Plan will allow you to complete a scan/capture of a property, even while in Offline Mode. You will not be able to submit your scan to be processed into a floor plan until after you have regained connection. Note that since the scan video may be a large file, depending on the length of the scan, it may take longer to sync to our server compared to photos or other data you captured while offline. Your floor plan will be delivered back to you within 6 hours of you submitting your scan for processing.

 

While in offline mode, how much storage will the scan take up on my phone, before it syncs?

The size of the scan video file will vary depending on job and the type of device you are using to capture. Here is the average size of the scan, based on device type, as a reference:

  • iOS (non-LiDAR): 23MB/min
  • iOS (LiDAR): 37MB/min
  • Android: 14MB/min

 

Will I be able to get an accurate floor plan if I'm in a low light environment?

Similar to existing 360 and 3D scanning solutions out there, decent lighting is important to capture an accurate scan of a property. If you are using an iPhone that has LiDAR, lighting will be less of an issue for your scans.

If you are concerned about lighting for the property you want to scan, we recommend opening all blinds in the scanning area to let in as much natural light as possible. For spaces with no windows, or if you are working in the dark, we recommend using an auxiliary light, like a Lume Cube.

 

Can I use Encircle Floor Plan on any size job?

Encircle Floor Plan can absolutely be used for any job you may encounter. We designed this product and our pricing model so that it could be used as part of a restorer's day 1 routine on site.

Please note that for properties larger than 10,000 sq ft, we recommend that you perform multiple scans to keep each individual capture below 10,000 sq ft. This will ensure that your scans will be processed properly, and that you will receive them back within the 6 hour time window.

 

Will my floor plan be automatically pulled into my Encircle reports?

Yes, the Encircle Floor Plan will be displayed in Encircle PDF reports. If you use part of the floor plan for room sketches or if you use it as a moisture map within Hydro, those will also be captured within your report, the same way sketches and moisture maps are displayed today.

 

What device/operating system do I need to use Encircle Floor Plan?

Encircle Floor Plan can be used on ANY iOS or Android device that meets the minimum Operating System (OS) requirements, including tablets!

The minimum OS requirements are: iOS 17 and Android 10. Most, if not all, Android and iOS devices from the past 3 years will be able to meet this minimum OS requirement. However, the accuracy of your scan increases to 97% if you are using an iPhone with LiDAR (whereas 95% is our typical scan accuracy).

Go here to see a list of supported devices.

 

Can I use my floor plan in Xactimate?

You sure can! Encircle’s Xactimate Integration allows you to import your floor plan for an instant Xactimate sketch, without any tracing. That means you can go from capture in the field to Xactimate sketch in under 6 hours!

Alternatively, you can also use the underlay feature in Xactimate to trace over your floor plan image (no integration required).

 

Can I use the video from my floor plan for photos, contents, or my video scope?

Once you submit your scan video for processing, this video is no longer accessible in your Encircle file. This video focuses on where the floor meets the wall within properties, has a low frame rate, and does not have audio, making it less than ideal to use as part of your overall claim documentation.

Our recommendation is to record a video scope using the video feature within Encircle, where you can narrate your initial assessment and indicate the anticipated scope. This will be a much more useful form of video documentation, with higher resolution and expert commentary.

 

Can I use Encircle Floor Plan to capture property exteriors?

Encircle Floor Plan is intended for interior floor plans.

 

Can I get floor plans with metric or imperial measurements?

You bet! Measurements are available in metric (meters and centimeters) or imperial (feet and inches). The floor plan will be returned with metric or imperial measurements based on your app’s user preferences at the time the property was scanned.

 

Will the scan capture framing or walls that are damaged / have exposed studs?

Yes. In our testing we have been able to produce floor plans after demo, with damaged walls and exposed studs. While it can work with any phone, we recommend using an iPhone Pro device with LiDAR to help to ensure we can process scans with damaged or exposed studs.

 

Can my Encircle Floor Plan be imported into Symbility?

Yes! Similar to Xactimate's underlay feature, Symbility allows you to import your Encircle Floor Plan file to use as a base of your sketch.

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