Mobile devices have changed our lives forever. Initially considered as luxury items or status symbols, they have become working tools. Precisely for that reason, many corporations in every industry are adding numerous apps adapted to the needs of different professions.

In fact, we have followed this trend with our app for interior designers and architects: I&D (Inspire and Design). The app is available for iOS and Android and it offers the opportunity to be part of a community where said professionals have, literally in the palm of their hands, the possibility to access and exchange information related to the industry, discounts, contests, and get in touch with the most important brands of appliances in the world.

Even though I&D is unique, there are other types of apps that help architects move forward with their projects directly at their mobiles. Here are 5 of them:

A classic for your mobile. AutoCAD 360 (iOS/Android) is the tool all architects and interior designers everywhere rely on, so having it in your pocket is a blessing. This mobile version allows opening and visualizing DWG files from your e-mail or cloud-based external storage (Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive); create new drawings on the go, the ability to modify, mark, and precisely measure areas, among other features. Additionally, the app offers advanced drawing and editing tools, multi-touch zoom and panning to easily navigate through big drawings, the possibility for users to work offline, and synchronize changes once they are online. Thus, users have the office of the architect in the palm of their hands.

Don’t let inspiration slip away. Morpholio Trace (iOS) is like a “muse” network. Have you come up with a genius idea, so you need to draw it on paper and the only thing you have handy is a Tablet or your mobile? Well, this app can turn ideas into drawings immediately. This drawing tool allows users to discover virtual perspective patterns in any location, so complex sketches are easier to do. This app is ideal for architects, designers, photographers, artists, or image professionals.

As if by magic. MagicPlan (iOS/Android) combines the benefits of having a camera in the device with augmented reality to create floor plans. Its operation is highly intuitive, users simply must point at a specific area with their mobile and the app does the rest. Oncehttp://MagicPlan the required expertise using the app is achieved, the only thing left to do is save the sketches or drawings in PDF, JPG or DXF and send them to the office. But the magical powers of this app don’t end there. Magicplan also allows floor plan creation and helps estimate materials and costs (even order those from the supplier).

The power of interaction. A subsidiary of Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Formit (iOS/Android) is an app that allows the user to create and modify BIM models from a Smartphone or Tablet. You will be able to create a 3D conceptual sketch in a simple way from any of those devices, and then send it to your office in .rvt format. FormIt is a key tool to develop creative processes anywhere, anytime.

The gift of universality in an app. As you know BIM is the latest tool in architecture, and that’s precisely the reason why Graphisoft BIMx (iOS/Android) provides these professionals with the possibility to use it from their mobiles. The main feature of this tool is the possibility to close the gap between the design studio and the construction site, through the display of construction projects in 2D and 3D. Additionally, the app offers an extremely simple environment and an outstanding performance, even for 3D complex or extensive projects and documentation in 2D. On top of that, the app allows the user to easily share projects on social media. Other features include a smart meter, synchronized updates, and the possibility to be at the construction site and at the office at the same time.