New Apps Bring Hand Drawn Designs to the iPad

New applications may demonstrate that the supposed "death of drawing" in the architectural design process at the hands of computers, as diagnosed by architect Michael Graves in a recent Times op-ed, may be premature.

As Valdez notes, "the Trace app from the Morpholio Project allows users to draw-with a stylus or a finger-over digitized manilla-yellow tracing paper and sketch graphic concepts directly onto an iPad screen. Designers can add new layers of Trace, creating a timeline for the design process and allowing for easy sharing between colleagues." 

The second app, UrbaSee, "turns mobile devices into viewing windows that reveals a digital 3-D scale model of a project when viewing the original plan through the screen, tethering the virtual image to the tabletop plan. By using georeferenced files and the device's GPS, UrbaSee can also display models on the intended construction location."