Hello, everyone.
It's Enta!
Today, I'm releasing a little app.
An app that analyzes the joints in stone masonry (stone walls) based on photos and instantly calculates the amount of Mouldam to be injected and the estimated construction cost.I made it!
I want to use the Moldam method to address hollowing in stone masonry.
But when people ask, “How much does it cost?” or “What’s the approximate price?”, there aren’t many people who can answer right away, are there?
Calculate the joint ratio, multiply it by the area, multiply that by the depth, and check for losses…
I went back to the office, started tapping away on my calculator, opened Excel…
Honestly, it's such a hassle! (lol)
That,You can get the job done on-site using just your smartphoneI decided to do it that way.
Today, I'll explain how to use it with photos.
What You Can Do with This App
There are simply four things you can do.
- From a photo of a stone wallDetermine the Joint Ratio (%)
- Moldam Ace / Moldam G Hyper'sAutomatically Calculate Injection Volume (L)
- Based on design labor rates by prefectureAutomatically Generate a Breakdown by Work Type (Preliminary Cost Estimate)
- Reports in PDF and Excel formatsOutput it on the spot
It runs in a browser, so no installation is required.
You can use a smartphone, tablet, or PC—any of them is fine.
To use the tool, simply follow the steps at the top of the screen: [1 Photo → 2 Crop → 3 Joint Detection → 4 Masonry Type → 5 Quantity Takeoff → 6 Output].
Let's go through them one by one.
STEP 1: Take (or import) a photo of the stone wall
If you tap the green box on the first screen, the camera will launch.
You can either take a photo right then and there or choose one you've already taken.
The photo isUp to 10 sheetsYou can import all of them at once.
For a large site, take a few photos from different angles to ensure that all the photosAverage Joint RatioIt does the calculations for you, so the accuracy improves.
There are only three tips for taking photos.
- On the stone wallFace-to-face (directly in front of)Take a picture
- Avoid Strong Shadows and Backlighting
- Take a photo so that the grout lines are clearly visible
When you're ready to start a new project or want to start over, click the "Start Over" button to reset.
STEP 2: Extract the range to be used for evaluation
Once you import a photo, you'll be taken to the cropping screen.
Here's what you need to do:Adjust so that only the stonework fits within the orange frameThat's all.
Drag to move, pinch (or use the mouse wheel on a PC) to zoom in and out, and if it's tilted, you can rotate it 90° and use the slider to fine-tune the angle.
If the sky, grass, or road were included here, it would throw off the joint ratio, so,Stone Masonry OnlyPlease do so.
This is important.
Once you've made your adjustments, click "✂ Cut within this range."
STEP 3: Trace the grout lines in red (This is the main part!)
On top of the cut-out photo,Run your finger along the gaps between the stones (grout lines) and paint them red.。
The line turns red in real time the moment you trace it, and the joint ratio (%) appears at the bottom of the screen.
It's actually pretty fun—it feels like a game (lol)
The key points areApply a thick layer。
Please trace along the line, making sure to go about 2 cm beyond the center of the joint on both sides.
- Adjust the pen width using the slider (1–40 px)
- If you go outside the lines, rub it out with an "eraser."
- Use "Undo" to undo the last stroke
- Use two fingers to zoom in and trace the fine details.
Once you're done coloring, try clicking "Show Only Red."
Since the photo is hidden and only the red areas are visible, you can spot any missed spots right away.
I think it would be best if you could paint it so that the stonework looks securely in place.
This is what it will look like.
By the way, there’s also an “Auto-Detect” button, but this feature will become available once enough of your manually entered data has been accumulated.
In other words,The more you use it, the smarter the app getsThat's the point.
STEP 4: Choose a Type of Stone Masonry
When you tap “Automatic Detection Based on Joint Path,” the app will estimate the laying pattern based on the shape of the joint you traced.
Rough-stacked, cloth-stacked, valley-stacked, random-stacked, tortoise-shell-stacked, cobblestone-stacked…
There's a row of cards with photos on them, so if the identification is incorrect, just tap to correct it.
I've included explanations of each stacking method, so it'll be a good learning experience for the younger staff, lol.
For now, it's done manually, but as the number of photos increases, we'll switch to AI-based classification.
STEP 5: The injection volume and estimate pop right up!
Now that you've gotten this far, there are only three things left to enter.
- Construction Area (m²)
- Injection Depth (m)…The average value calculated from measurements taken at several points across the entire stone wall
- Loss Rate (%)…The standard is 10%
The joint ratio is automatically calculated based on the average from the photos in STEP 3.
Here is the formula.
Injection Volume (L) = Application Area × Injection Depth × Joint Ratio × (1 + Loss Rate) × 1,000
For example, if the area is 100 m², the depth is 0.35 m, the joint ratio is 14.54%, and the loss is 10%, then…
Injection Volume: 5,597.9 L. It's just a moment.
Switch between Moldam Ace and Moldam G Hyper by tapping.
When you select a prefecture,Labor Unit Rates for Public Works Design Effective March Reiwa 8It will then switch to that prefecture's unit price.
And if you scroll down, you'll find everything from joint debris removal to surface brushing,Breakdown by Work Type...has been automatically generated.
Since it provides a total amount that includes material costs, labor costs, machinery expenses, overhead, and consumption tax, it can be used as-is as a rough estimate.
You can edit unit prices and labor rates to suit the specific job site.
Just one thing to keep in mind.
This is, after all,Estimated AmountPlease note that prices may be higher for sites with confined spaces or extremely small quantities. Since this is not a final estimate, please be sure to inspect the site and adjust the quote based on the actual site conditions.
Design consultants, in particular, should take note.
If you proceed without inspecting the site, the situation could become irreversible and cause inconvenience to the site.
On-site verification is absolutely essential.
STEP 6: Submit the report / Consult with Enta
Finally, just enter the project name and company name, then click “PDF Report” or “Excel Report.”
A report containing photos, evaluation results, and a breakdown will be downloaded.
You can use these as-is for explanatory materials for government agencies or proposals for clients. (Be sure to verify the site.)
When you’re thinking, “What’s this site really like? Just go check it out!”"Send to Enta" buttonPlease press .
Once the PDF has downloaded and the email window opens, please attach the PDF and send it to us, and we’ll be happy to assist you with on-site inspections and construction consultations.
Work that I used to take back to the office to complete can now be finished right on my smartphone at the job site.
If you come across a site where you're concerned about hollow spaces in the stonework, start by taking a photo and tracing the outline.
See you later.
