Bluewren Photos Suite

Originally created in 2008 to capture site conditions for later reference in the design of signage at sites difficult to access around Canberra and not available on Google StreetView, the original concept has been developed into a package of photo recording, viewing and editing tools that is now known as the Bluewren Photos Suite.

The Suite has been in a state of constant evolution and improvement since inception and has been designed and developed with ongoing feedback from “on the ground” users. We are now satisfied it is suitably intuitive and robust enough, with ample features to meet the needs of most users, without being overly complex.

…it sure beats having masses of photos in directories created by different users downloaded (or not) from a range of devices or in SMSs that are impossible to find when needed….

Captured images are accessible and can be downloaded at any time through the Photo Viewer and at the completion of a project or if requested all of the photo records can be provided either as a PDF report or in electronic format (jpegs with database tables). When the photo records are supplied as jpegs, a special off-line viewer is also included along with the database files that contain the classification information. The portable off-line viewer with similar view and search functionality to the on-line Photo Viewer allows for enduring reference and ease of identification of relevant photos without the need for a subscription or if ongoing external data security may be an issue.

An advantage of using the Suite is that photo records can be captured by as many users as authorised and aggregated in to a contiguous pool of photo records known as a Photo map.  The combined photo records are then available for reference and filtering / search immediately, and into the future using a tailored classification system. 

The Suite continues to evolve and has been utilised on many projects since its inception, these include infrastructure construction surveillance on roads, subdivisions. wetlands, services installations and hard and soft landscaping, also for photo recording to assist in the design of signage installations, feasibility studies and existing condition surveys to provide an enduring reference of the dilapidation of existing assets.

The many benefits available from using the Suite are real and include:

For Clients

• Photo recording and information logging by in-house and/or third party users for immediate viewing and future reference in an aggregated pool or Photo map
• A single repository for photo records that may be captured by and accessible to the whole team 
• Appreciation remotely of existing site conditions
• Surveillance of a work site by others in near real time with images that are easily found if needed in future
• Readily available store of images for reporting and promotion
• Understanding of complex situations from targeted photos
• Construction or insurance claim assessments and review

For Contractors

• Appreciation of site conditions and works in progress at any given time through the project
• Record of plant and personnel on site
• Photos with appropriate comments to support “Requests for Information”, variations and progress claims

For Consultants

• Establish position relative to planned infrastructure on greenfields sites
• Remote sharing of photo information for collaborative design
• Photos can be taken by the whole team and stored in the one place under a unified classification system for reference through the design process
• Comparison of asset condition for dilapidation surveys or handover of assets and defect repair monitoring and close out without the need for full group inspections
• Enduring record of site conditions to a user defined classification system for future image identification and ongoing  reference