FAQ’s for 3D Virtual Interactive Tours – Matterport Las Vegas 360 Real Estate Photos

Below are common questions asked about the work I do with Matterport Virtual tours in Las Vega, 360 Real Estate Photos, 3D Virtual Interactive Tours, 360 Google Street View tours in Las Vegas . Please review the FAQ’s to better understand how I operate to maximize your real estate marketing investment.

Have a question about Matterport Maneuverability?

Visit my Navigation Page For Tips and Tricks About Maneuverability

How is a 360 Virtual Tour different from a Traditional Virtual Tour?

A traditional virtual tour offered through the local association of Realtors® isn’t really virtual or 3-Dimensional (3D). It’s merely a gallery of stationary 2D photos made to look panoramic zooming into, across or out of the photo. This style of Virtual Tours were common in the 2003-2006 boom when panoramic photos became popular. The art came from stitching together multiple images that could allow the viewer to slowly pan across a single large image to view an entire room. Although techniques vary, most virtual tours don’t allow the viewer to freely move around within the space they are examining.

At most, traditional real estate virtual tours offer about a dozen individual locations to view a home or office using a slide show of images from the photo gallery. Many agents will use cellphones or a point and shoot camera to catch these images. Professional photographers tend to use DSLR cameras to capture multiple photos, stitch them together to form a 360 panorama which is then viewed from a player embedded onto a website. I used this technique for many Google Street View Photo Shoots.

Virtual Tours Las Vegas offers 360 virtual tours, allowing the viewer to explore the space in up to 200 locations that are seamlessly stitched together as photo spheres. I use a high-tech Matterport 360 camera which has multiple lenses and sensors to not only capture photos, but also to create a floor plan of the property. That floor plan is then rendered into a dynamic 3D model for Virtual Reality and a 3D “Dollhouse” type view.

Our 3D Virtual Tour models typically have a 24-48 hour turnaround time. Once the 3D models are available, they can be explored online or even with a virtual reality headset such as an Oculus Rift! Plus, our 3D models also show a “Floor Plan View” as well as a “Dollhouse View” to allow the viewer to conceptualize the entire space or view each level of the building in “Floor Plan View” or “Dollhouse View”.

I  offer a 3D tour of the interior space only – sunlight reacts badly with the infrared on the camera scanners.  However,I can provide you with High Dynamic Range (HDR) images of the exterior (interior as well) or come back to shoot during twilight hours for an additional fee.

Common Virtual Tour Questions:

How long does it take to scan a typical space?

It typically takes 30-40 minutes for every 1,000 square feet. Each individual scan takes about 1 minute and some homes can use up to 200 scans.

What do I need to do before the appointment?

You do not need to provide anything physical for me to make the virtual tour. Everything is created digitally.

BUT, please have the space in a condition suitable for scanning before our scheduled appointment. I would prefer to not spend time during the appointment turning on lights and scurrying people or pets from one room to another. I do not clean house or rearrange furniture.  In order to get the most out of your tour, I highly recommend cleaning and staging like you would prior to showing your pickiest home buyer. You  and I are creating a 24/7 Open House. Prep the house to show as you would for a live Open House.  Homes not in show-able condition, or those I cannot access interior, will be subject to a $35 trip charge and a rescheduling for another date.

Please provide instructions in the appointment scheduling form on how to access the property along with gate or lockbox codes, or occupant contact information. Click this link to view our list of suggestions in getting your space ready for the shoot.

What if the weather is bad on the day of my appointment?      

My 3D camera uses High-Dynamic-Range Imaging (HDR) allowing the camera to adjust to changes in light so both light and dark areas can be captured at the same time. This means that a space is good for scanning even on cloudy days. As long as there is interior lighting, the finished project will look as good as a model created on a sunny day.  Please note, however, that I do guarantee outdoor scans

What do I need to do during the appointment?

You are not required to be on site while I scan the property. The scanning process can be time consuming with a typical scan taking between 1-3 hours to complete. I would very much appreciate if all pets and humans are removed from the property during scanning.

Which Browsers are compatible with the 3D Virtual Tour?

The 3D Virtual Tour uses WebGL, the modern standard for 3D content viewed on the web. On desktop computers, WebGL is supported by the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. On mobile devices, WebGL is supported by Safari for iOS 8 and Chrome for Android. Firefox works as well. Loading times typically take longer on mobile devices. If you cannot view the Virtual Tour, please update your browser or try a different platform.  Touchscreen navigating is the easiest way to view a 3D dollhouse tour.  While you can always use a mouse on laptops and desktop computers, the navigation arrows may help your viewing experience as well.

Floor Plan Questions:

What’s the difference between a Schematic Floor Plan and a Blueprint?

The short answer is that schematic floor plans are more like maps that are not necessarily drawn to scale. Blueprints on the other hand are fully-scaled drawings of the actual building layout using surveying tools and techniques.

The longer answer:
A schematic floor plan is created using existing construction and like map shows the flow of a building (or home). Floor plans offer a big picture view of rooms, doorways, hallways, windows, etc. and may contain interior measurements of various areas. Detailed Floor Plans will include the position of fixtures such as counters, sinks, toilets, tubs and more while Basic floor plans stick to the walls, doorway and window placement. However, a schematic floor plan should not be something relied upon to be used by a construction company for design-build applications.

A blueprint, however, contains cross-sections of the building including footing, framing, roofing, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, elevation drawings and much more. These extra details differentiate the blueprint from a schematic floor plan because they provide a construction company (and/or design-builder) with information unique to the lot, location and materials as well as the specifics of the building project.

Aren’t schematic floor plans just what architects use to show clients before creating a more formal blueprint?

In some cases, yes. However, the schematic floor plans provided by Virtual Tours Las Vegas are limited specifically to existing construction, not to new or add-on construction planning. Floor plans are intended to provide an overhead view of the layout of a building, space, or home.

How can I use a floor plan for an As-Built Survey or Remodel of my property? Matterpack?

When it comes to a remodel, I suggest we create a Matterport virtual tour of your existing property. The Matterport virtual tour can generate a product called Matterpack BIM modeling. Get digital twin cloud data that integrates with software like SketchUp, Revit, AutoCad and other BIM Software.

Billing & Delivery Questions:

How long is my 3D Virtual Tour hosted online?

Hosting our 3D Virtual Tours require an enormous amount of data which is stored in a cloud server hosted by Matterport. The first 6 months of hosting for your virtual tour is included in your original scan/tour pricing and is only $10/month per model annually (billed in 6 month increments) after that. You are free to cancel at anytime.  Please note that 1 model = up to 99 scans.  Larger houses may require 2 models at from 100 – 200 scans.

What is your turn around time?

Still Photography: 24-48 Hours .  I electronically deliver MLS formatted photos via the cloud. The program allows oyu to download an entire folder or in pieces. Sign up for the 10gig of free Cloud Storage is not required. 

3D Virtual Tours: 24-48 Hours.  I email you the links to the Showcase Webpage as soon as the Virtual Tour is post-processed. I can also send you an iFrame code allowing you to embed the Virtual Tour directly into your website. When ordering Still Photos or Advance Packages, Tour links can be included via Dropbox or Google Drive.

Floor Plans (black and white, traditional floor plan rendering): 48 hours.  I will email you a pdf versions of your floor plans.Please indicate if additional space such as garage will be included with floor plan order.

Zillow Walk Through Videos: 12-24 hours. Tours must be filmed using the Zillow App and uploaded to listing agent through Zillow.com. Agent must have updated contact information on their Zillow profile in order to receive Zillow Walk Through Video Upload Confirmation email. Agent will then be able to preview Zillow Walk Through Video and allow video for publication on listing. 

What is your cancelation policy?

Should you need to cancel, you must contact me at least 24 hours before the scheduled appointment time in order to avoid a $35 trip charge.  (This trip charge is also charged for properties not ready for a touring/scanning upon arrival.)

FAQ's Question

7 + 13 =