Digital timber measurement by Forstify: capture section volume in minutes with your camera

Digital timber measurement by Forstify: capture section volume in minutes with your camera

Section volume measurement in forestry

There are several measurement methods for determining the solid cubic metres of round timber, such as single-log measurement, the sampling method or the stacked-volume method. One of the most important and most frequently applied methods in practice is section volume measurement. This method is laid down in the framework agreement for raw-timber trading (RvR) and is used above all for industrial or energy wood. To record section volume, you normally need tools such as colour sprays, tape measures and measuring rods, as well as several people. The piled timber is measured manually by hand in order to then divide it into the corresponding sections. The solid cubic metres are then calculated using a defined formula.

With digital timber measurement by Forstify, however, all these laborious steps are mapped fully digitally through innovative technology, and the result is calculated automatically.

Digital timber measurement by Forstify

With modern smartphones and our app, thanks to augmented reality technology, section volume can be captured in real time without using any tools. Using it within the app is a simple sequence of 5 steps:

!Digital timber measurement by Forstify

• Move your smartphone to scan the surroundings until yellow dots appear.

• Mark the lower edge of the log pile at any intervals you like.

• Confirm the last point with the green check mark.

• The pile area is now highlighted visually. Adjust the heights by dragging; the solid cubic metres are automatically recalculated in the process.

• Complete the measurement and add notes, photos and the location.

Tutorial on AR timber measurement

Advantages of digital timber measurement by Forstify

Using digital timber measurement for section volume offers numerous advantages:

• Easy to use: Digital timber measurement by Forstify only requires moving the smartphone to take measurements live on site in the field.

• No reference measurement needed: Thanks to Forstify's timber-measurement technology, dimensions can be captured and saved directly via the camera, accurate to the centimetre.

• Time and energy savings: Especially with large quantities of timber, digital measurement saves plenty of time and energy compared with manual measurement.

• Organised wood lists: The measurements can be added directly to a digital Forstify wood list as a new log pile, which provides an easy overview of the data.

• Share data easily with others: Grant access to the wood list to your business partners quite simply via link, and save yourself the retyping or the complicated conversion between file formats.

Offline capability – digital timber measurement right in the forest

With the new update, Forstify also offers the option to create measurements completely offline. The digital timber measurement mentioned above works without an internet connection too. This ensures that no data is lost and that you can work offline in the forest at any time. As soon as you are back online, you can add the previously created measurements to existing wood lists and log piles.

How do I create a measurement?

In the “Wood lists” area, you'll find the new “Measurements” area in our app. You can add new measurements via the + button. These measurements work like data entry within wood lists, and you can capture either individual logs or entire timber volumes. Once you are back online, you can add these measurements to existing wood lists.

Measurements can be created at any time and assigned to Forstify wood lists afterwards. This simplifies the organisation of your timber data and collaboration within your organisation.

The measurement tool is like a digital notebook that you carry everywhere and can use at any time.

Outlook: section volume is only the beginning

With Forstify technology, numerous further measurement methods recognised as standard worldwide can be realised in the future. We work continuously on improvements and are open to wishes, ideas and feedback from our users.

Forstify digitalises timber measurement through the use of augmented reality and real-time measurements that can be used with any modern smartphone and tablet. The feature can be tested free of charge by all users for a limited period. Afterwards, you can unlock digital timber measurement by Forstify via the Forstify plan that suits your needs.

Easy handling, precise results and flexibility make Forstify an indispensable tool for timber measurement. With this, Forstify has taken the first step into the future of digital timber measurement. Work continues on improvements and further measurement methods.

If you don't want to miss these updates, you can now download the free Forstify app for iOS or Android and discover digital timber measurement for yourself.