User manual
iPhone version 5.29. The Android app and the desktop app share the same project format. Menu names may vary slightly by language.
1. What Project Cam is
Project Cam is a job-site camera: every photo and video is stamped with the chainage, UTM coordinates, the nearest structure or element, the date and a verification code. It is for site engineers, inspectors, technical assistants and environmental specialists who need organised photo evidence.
It works offline. Photos are stored on the phone, organised by project and by day, and sent to the PC over Wi-Fi or to other phones through iCloud. Plans are listed under Pricing and purchased in Settings › Plans.
2. Getting started
- Install the app and open it. A welcome guide appears the first time; you can see it again in Settings › Advanced.
- Allow the permissions: camera, microphone (videos and voice notes), location "While using the app" with precise location, and photos (to save to the camera roll and import).
- Create a project: Projects button (left column of the camera) › "+". Choose the type; it defines the fields and tools.
- Set the UTM zone and hemisphere. UTM WGS 84 works worldwide (zones 1 to 60, North or South). The app suggests it from GPS.
- Take a test photo and check the stamp in the Gallery.
If someone sent you a .projectcam template (WhatsApp, email or Files), open it with Project Cam: the project arrives configured with alignment, structures, zones and logos.
Managing projects: swipe a project to archive it or move it to the trash (deleted after 7 days). The list can be grouped by country, region, province, district or area of influence.
3. Project setup
Everything is set in Settings, in five tabs:
| Tab | What you set |
|---|---|
| Project | Project data (name, client, contractor, inspection, section), location, alignment and structures, zones, cost items |
| Stamp | Template, fields, logos, stamp language, colours and size |
| Camera | Hide icons (4, 6, 10 s or never), real preview, volume-button shutter, large controls, high contrast, battery saver |
| BIM | IFC model, georeferencing, ISO 19650 naming (Pro BIM) |
| Advanced | Extra features, iCloud sync, backups, welcome guide |
Alignment and structures
The alignment gives the chainage on the stamp. Import it from CSV or Excel with columns chainage, easting, northing; structures with name, type, chainage, easting, northing. It can also be loaded from an IFC 4.3 model. The stamp shows the side (left or right) and the offset from the alignment.
Zones
Zones group photos by work front: Biological, Hydrology, Access, Geochemistry or others. A photo belongs to a zone if it is taken inside an area or within X m of a line or point (10 m by default). A photo can be in several zones and the stamp shows them all. Zones are usually prepared in the desktop app (DXF, KML or CSV).
Stamp and templates
Choose which lines go on the stamp and in which order, and save them as templates. The stamp and report language is independent of the phone language. With Auto-legible stamp the text is reinforced on bright backgrounds.
4. Taking photos and videos
The camera shows the stamp live. Wait until GPS accuracy is below 10 m before shooting.
| Screen area | Buttons and function |
|---|---|
| Top | Ad strip (Free plan; hidden while recording), flash and arrow to show or hide icons |
| Left column | Projects, Settings, Map/Measure, Field tools, Fields, Camera only and BIM. It hides automatically; tap the screen to show it |
| Inside the frame | Format label and stamp preview |
| Lens row | Zoom 0.5× to 5×, AF, 4:3 / 16:9 / 1:1 format, voice note and "+ structure" |
| Bottom | Shutter, photo/video switch and last photo |
- Volume buttons as shutter (iOS 17.2 or later).
- Camera-only mode (⌖): just the shutter and stamp, for gloves or bright sun.
- "Site photo" shortcut for Siri and the Action button.
- Remote target photo (🎯): the stamp adds the subject's coordinates and chainage (5–200 m).
- Battery saver: the camera pauses after 3 min idle. Tap the screen to resume.
5. Gallery, reports and import
Photos are grouped into albums by day. In each photo's detail you can zoom, switch between stamped and original, edit the note, see the location in Apple Maps or Google Maps, compare before and after, move it to another project and see the linked BIM element.
| Report | Content |
|---|---|
| Excel | Date, chainage, coordinates, zones, structure, note and code of each photo |
| PDF / photo report | Photos with their data for the monthly report, with the responsible engineer's signature |
| CSV | Data for other software (GIS, Excel) |
Import photos: Gallery › import. Project Cam reads GPS, date and heading from the metadata, computes chainage, structure and zones, and stamps them marked as "Imported".
6. Field tools
Map and measuring: position, alignment with stations, structures, zones, orthophotos and photos. The "You are at" box shows chainage, side and zones. Measure gives distances, paths and areas. Download the offline map before going to site.
Repeat shot: the app guides you to the position and heading of a previous photo to capture progress from the same point.
Quality checklists: create the checklist, mark each point as Compliant, Non-compliant or N/A with its photo, and close it. It cannot be closed if a photo or evaluation is missing.
QR tags: Field tools › Field evidence › Print QR tags (12 per A4 sheet). On site, scan the tag and the next photo is linked to that element.
LiDAR 3D scan: on iPhone 12 Pro or later, walk slowly around the element; an OBJ mesh and a stamped photo are saved.
7. BIM features
Project Cam reads IFC models (IFC2x3, IFC4 and IFC 4.3) on the phone, offline. The viewer is available from Pro; the rest requires Pro BIM.
- Load the model: Settings › BIM › Import IFC.
- Georeference: if the IFC includes IfcMapConversion it is used automatically; otherwise enter the UTM origin and rotation.
- View the model: BIM button › 3D viewer. Tap an element to see properties and quantities.
| Feature | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Photo linked to element | Automatic to the nearest element (up to 15 m), with "Link next photo" or with a QR tag |
| BCF issues | Create the issue and export it as .bcfzip |
| 4D progress | Status per element; closed checklists update it |
| 5D valuation | CSV with IFC quantity × % progress per cost item |
| Augmented reality | See the model on the ground (GPS accuracy ±3–5 m; not for setting out) |
| ISO 19650 | Names Project-Originator-Volume-Level-Type-Role-Number |
| Alignment from IFC 4.3 | BIM › Model alignments › "Use as project alignment" |
8. Share and sync
| Method | What happens | Requires |
|---|---|---|
.projectcam template | Project configuration, no photos | WhatsApp, email or Files |
| PC over Wi-Fi | Photos and changes between phone and desktop app | Same Wi-Fi network; no internet |
| iCloud Drive (Pro) | Photos and configuration between several iPhones remotely | Internet and a shared folder |
| ZIP backup | Full copy of the project | Nothing |
Sync with the PC
- Open Project Cam Desktop; it shows a QR code.
- On the phone, open the project's send-to-PC option and scan the QR.
- Tap Sync: it first receives the PC's changes and then sends only the new photos.
Several phones can send to the same project; the PC merges photos without duplicates and records who took each one.
Sync with iCloud (Pro)
- In the Files app, create an iCloud Drive folder and share it with your team.
- On each iPhone: Settings › Advanced › iCloud › choose the folder.
- It syncs when the camera opens and every 3 minutes, or with "Sync now".
9. Evidence and verification
| Protection | What it does |
|---|---|
| Verification code | Unique code printed on the stamp |
| SHA-256 fingerprint | Digital fingerprint of the image; any edit changes it. Verify |
| Verified time | Compares the clock with internet time and shows the offset |
| Fake GPS | The stamp shows "⚠ SIMULATED LOCATION" and, if enabled, blocks the photo |
| Imported | Imported photos are marked |
| Integrity certificate (Pro BIM) | PDF with photo, data, fingerprint, time and GPS status |
10. FAQ
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| The stamp shows no chainage | Load the project alignment and check the UTM zone |
| GPS accuracy worse than 10 m | Go to open sky and turn on precise location in iPhone Settings › Privacy › Location Services |
| Coordinates don't match the drawings | Check zone and hemisphere. Drawings in older datums (e.g. PSAD56) must be converted to WGS 84 |
| The stamp is hard to read | Turn on Auto-legible stamp, increase the size or use high contrast |
| I can't see the icons | They hide automatically; tap the screen |
| The camera is paused | That's the battery saver; tap the screen |
| BIM options don't appear | They require Pro BIM and a loaded IFC model |
| The PC can't find the phone | Use the same Wi-Fi network; guest networks often block device-to-device connections |
| I changed phones | Make a ZIP backup or send the project to the PC and import it on the new phone |
Does it work offline? Yes, except verified time, weather, iCloud and maps not downloaded.
Are photos uploaded to a server? No. They stay on your phone and only leave when you send or share them.