iPad/tablet apps
iPad/tablet apps
(OP)
My company is considering purchasing iPads or other tablets for calculations. I have used the Nebo app that comes on the iPad and it seems reasonable. I don't care for the handwriting recognition conversion. I'd love an app that would resemble my old calc pads - one where I could input the job name/number/designer/date and have a screened grid background. And then better handwriting to text conversion where it would do the math instead of me punching it into my calculator. Another bonus would be "calling" frequently used equations and inputting values to have it spit out an answer.
So my question is - does anyone use apps that accomplish any of this? Are there other good apps that you use on a tablet?
Thanks!
So my question is - does anyone use apps that accomplish any of this? Are there other good apps that you use on a tablet?
Thanks!






RE: iPad/tablet apps
RE: iPad/tablet apps
But if they must do that I'd suggest they get ones that run Windows, then you can use Excel and whatever other design software you need.
Android tablets (and I presume iPads) will run MS Office, but don't have VBA, so that makes them virtually useless as far as I'm concerned.
Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services
http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/
RE: iPad/tablet apps
TTFN (ta ta for now)
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RE: iPad/tablet apps
What types of calculations would you be doing?
RE: iPad/tablet apps
With the new writing tools (e.g. Apple Pencil, larger dimension iPad) that are available, I would ultimately like to move all of my pencil/paper handwritten calcs to iPad/PDF handwritten calcs.
To expand on that, I would love a mathcad-esque app where I could handwrite the following lines and have "Moment" auto-calculate. Then later, I would like to be able to erase "12 ft" and change it to "15 ft" and have the "Moment" recalculate.
Beam length = L = 12 ft
Midspan point load = P = 1 k
Moment = P*L/4 = _______ k-ft
*edit: fixed the moment equation; the powerful new tools can only be as smart as the end-user.
*edit #2: I know that this is essentially what a spreadsheet is for, but there are some one-off hand calculations that are not easily manipulated into a spreadsheet. Then weeks later, you need to make a minor change, and you have to follow that correction all of the way through the entire calculation package.
RE: iPad/tablet apps
RE: iPad/tablet apps
If you're doing repetitive work, we've had luck with creating custom forms (like for observation or inspection reports) that are very easy to fill out. Would imagine the industry is probably not that far away from being able to dictate responses or even entire notes to Siri/Cortana/Google Now/Alexa/whatever.
RE: iPad/tablet apps
https://developer.myscript.com/
RE: iPad/tablet apps
RE: iPad/tablet apps
Dik
RE: iPad/tablet apps
Dik
RE: iPad/tablet apps
But I am an Apple Fan-boy
RE: iPad/tablet apps
Link
RE: iPad/tablet apps
Comments below about facilities available on ipad and MacBook are based on a 10 minute web search. Please correct any mistakes.
It seems that if you must have Apple, and must have a touch screen which you can sketch and do handwriting on, then an ipad is your only option, and maths/engineering software is very limited, to say the least.
It looks like a MacBook will run most maths/engineering software in native mode, but will run Windows anyway, so from that point of view is just as good as a Windows laptop, but they don't have touch screens.
A Surface-Pro seems to offer the best of both worlds, other than not being an Apple.
Personally I don't see the attraction of entering text and numbers in hand-writing and converting it, but I do agree that sketching in the mainstream Office programs is ridiculously clumsy (in fact I can't see there has been any improvement in that department for over 20 years), so there is an opportunity there for somebody.
As things stand, it seems to me that if you need to run maths/engineering software (which includes Excel), then Windows or Apple lap-tops are equally good, but if handwriting/sketching input is important to you then a Surface Pro is the only sensible option.
Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services
http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/
RE: iPad/tablet apps
Except for OneNote that is (thanks Agent 666). I haven't used it either, but looking at what they say it does, it does look like connecting a pad with OneNote (or equivalent) to a lap-top (either Apple or Windows) would do everything anybody is looking for.
Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services
http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/
RE: iPad/tablet apps
Dik
RE: iPad/tablet apps
I expect they are, it's not supposed to be Mathcad, but you can link to OneNote from Excel via VBA:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh377183(...
so you can make the math capabilities as powerful as you want (with a bit of work).
I should add that I haven't actually done that, so I have no idea how well or badly it works.
Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services
http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/
RE: iPad/tablet apps
Dik
RE: iPad/tablet apps
https://www.xceed-eng.com/top-5-apps-engineers/
which is worth a look.
Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services
http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/
RE: iPad/tablet apps
https://skyciv.com/
RE: iPad/tablet apps
Do you know where they are based?
Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services
http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/
RE: iPad/tablet apps
Doug: Either (or both) of these locations?
RE: iPad/tablet apps
I met the founder of SkyCiv at the Australasian Structural Engineering Conference last year. Seems like he's built a solid company and is going from strength to strength.