A PDF Presentation
May 07, 2009
From the Web to computer-aided design technology, there are a lot of marketing tools that residential firms can turn to when looking to create a dynamic presentation to help sell a house. One builder—with the help of a service provider—found a way to use a common file format to create a virtual tour of its models.
Camberley Homes, www.camberleyhomes.com, Bethesda, Md., a division of Winchester Homes, uses PDF (portable document format) files to create a virtual tour of its home models with the features of each layout in 3D (three dimensional).
“With 3D PDF models at their fingertips, our staff can take buyers on a virtual tour of a home we might previously have built as a model,” says Rick Mountjoy, community operations manager, Winchester Homes. “Where we might have previously constructed several model homes, it is now much more cost effective to build one and then show the other layouts as 3D PDF files inside the sales office.”
Camberley Homes had a little bit of help turning the common PDF file into a virtual tour.
CG Visions, www.cgvisions.com, Lafayette, Ind., works with the Adobe, www.adobe.com, San Jose, Calif., PDF (portable document format) files, helping builders convert CAD designs into 3D PDF files.
“Builders can come up short when trying to convey complex design information to homebuyers,” says Cory Shively, partner, CG Visions. “By converting 3D CAD models to Adobe PDF, homebuilders bring to life design concepts that people typically have a hard time grasping.”
The PDF has become a successful tool in this industry, particularly in the area of collaboration. Some believe this can be attributed to the fact it is a commonly-used format, and most people are familiar with using it.
Camberley has other plans to create and present virtual tours through more interactive, Web-based sessions with customers who are unable to come into the sales office. When looking to create presentations and model home tours, residential construction firms can use technology to improve marketing efforts, while saving time and money.