New Feature under development – Table Definitions

One of the most unique and potentially useful features of GraphPad is the interaction between the drawing and tables.  When adding symbols or calculating areas and lengths, the data can automatically be added to a table which can then perform various calculations.  I’ve had a couple of tables in GraphPad for several years, however, ideally I would like end users to be able to create their own tables and calculations.  The video below shows the current state of table definition along with how I propose to allow users to create and modify tables in the future.  This work is still in development, and I welcome user feedback on this feature.

If interested, please send me you thoughts and suggestions through the contact for on my website:  www.graphPadPro.com

Features for larger organizations continued.

The following video demonstrates features that are being added to address the needs of larger organizations, that specifically need to be able to upload and download files as well as manage their own document types and libraries.    Companies can redirect GraphPad to save documents to their own servers by creating a setup for with their server id and end points and have different setups based upon their departmental needs or regional requirements.  For additional information on GraphPad, please refer to my website http://www.graphPadPro.com.

Addressing integration & security concerns for larger organizations

For larger organizations with tens, hundreds or even thousands of users, the ability to upload and process the drawings and data being captured as well as the ability to secure their proprietary information, like forms, price lists, calculations and symbol libraries, may be even more important than the drawing capability itself.  While the security features being added to GraphPad are by no means a definitive guide to how that should be done, this video shows how I’m attempting to address these issues.  For larger organizations, customers will almost certainly still need a bespoke application, however, the capabilities I’m adding should be sufficient for smaller organizations as well as enough to move GraphPad quickly into user trials, so users can provide their feed back early in the implementation process rather than only seeing the product when the project is almost complete.

Orkin Pest Control Example

One area that GraphPad is currently being used is for pest control.  Termite inspectors need to be able to map out crawlspaces to show where they’re placing traps as well as to document infestations.  This is extremely important for commercial pest control contracts since both documenting the infestations as well as where various traps have been set is a significant issue.  I was contact by Orkin back in 2014 and asked to put together a demo using one of their proposal forms along with their symbols library.  I’m currently attempting to market to that industry and so I re-imported that library I created this video.  As noted in the video, companies the size of Orkin are more likely to need a totally bespoke application which could be created based on GraphPad; however, small companies can have virtually all the same capabilities simply by having GraphPad configured with their forms and libraries.

Off-shore Oil piping use case.

One of the use cases I’m eager to explore is that of use on off-shore oil rigs.  There’s a lot of engineering that’s done on those and having the ability to create accurate drawings as well as capture measurements and pictures seems like something those engineers would need.  This was brought to my attention a few years ago when Kaefer approached me about using GraphPad.  At the time, GraphPad wasn’t able to do everything that they wanted, but in the years since I tried adding everything they requested.  The latest version, which is still being reviewed by Apple, will not only allow users to create their own symbols, but be able to upload and download drawings through their companies web services.  The video below demonstrates these features but there are many, many more.

Utter Gutter’s Estimation Form

In the previous video, I demonstrated how easy it is to create a form from a PDF file.  Realistically, forms should be adapted for use on the iPad, and in this video I show how I would create an actual form for a client, taking images from their existing PDF and making changes to make it easier to complete on the iPad.  Little changes, like converting check boxes to a list of values, setting the tab order as well as naming the fields so data can be automatically populated when loading an appointment make a significant difference in how usable the form is; and although users can do almost all of this themselves, for small organizations I would recommend arranging for me to do it.  I can then distribute their configuration through either an email attachment, or once Apple approves my latest version – be able to download it directly from my server.

Creating a form from a PDF file.

The following video shows how easy it is to create a simple form from a PDF file, which can then be used as the background for an estimate or inspection.

Integrating GraphPad

I’m currently working on allowing companies to integrate GraphPad with their backend systems, enabling the upload / download of documents as well as configuration files.  Companies will be able to create their own libraries of symbols and forms with multiple configurations that can be downloaded from their servers depending on the role a user performs.  These features are still under development and I welcome the input from companies that might be interested in these new capabilities.

The video below demonstrates the current state of development for these features.

GraphPad Downloads & Sales

I think users might find it interesting to know what it’s like to sell Apps through the App Store, and the sales of GraphPad are an excellent example of what that’s like.  GraphPad recently past the 500k down load milestone, however, sales peaked back in 2012.  The revenue that GraphPad currently generates is no longer significant, however, I continue to work on it and update it – although no where near as much as I used to.  Still, developing GraphPad has easily been the most interesting project I’ve ever done and will always be one of my proudest achievements.

The graphs below show the number of downloads as well as the sales revenue by week since its release in 2011 to today.

Downloads:

Sales:

Table Enhancements under development