Timeline 360
The documented course of your building – as a navigable timeline of walkable states.
Construction projects change continuously – and that very course is often lost. Timeline 360 is our construction documentation in 3D: we capture the building at every relevant moment with the Matterport Pro3 as a fully walkable twin and line those states up into a navigable timeline. What makes it distinctive: every single standpoint in the building carries its own history. You position yourself virtually anywhere and switch from there through all construction stages – from the open shell through the installed building services to the finished wall. Instead of searching folders holding thousands of site photos, you simply go to the location and back in time.
Gap-free
Every captured state remains walkable – before walls are closed up.
Verifiable
What was built in can be reviewed afterwards – without opening the construction.
Dimensionally accurate
Captured with the Matterport Pro3: distances can be measured directly in the model.
Point-precise
Every standpoint carries its own construction stages – one location, every point in time.
See it live: an interactive 3D reference
Why the course matters
The most expensive moment in construction is the one where a piece of information is missing that was once visible: pipes behind the wall, insulation under the screed, the condition before a measure. Timeline 360 captures exactly these moments while they are accessible and keeps them permanently walkable. Instead of opening a wall later, repeating a survey or reconstructing from contradictory photos, you navigate back to the relevant state and look. The cost of a single retrospective opening of a building element usually exceeds the cost of several captures by a wide margin – quite apart from the time lost in a running project.
Capture with the Matterport Pro3
We work with the Matterport Pro3, a LiDAR-based scanner that records geometry and image information simultaneously. Each standpoint produces a 360-degree panorama underpinned by precise depth data. From this a dimensionally accurate model is assembled in which you can not only look but measure: wall thicknesses, clear heights, opening dimensions and axis spacings can be taken directly in the browser. The scanner also works reliably in the poor lighting conditions of a shell construction, because the geometry comes from time-of-flight measurement rather than image comparison. A typical floor is captured in one to two hours without interrupting site operations.
Every point carries its own construction stages
This is the core of the concept. The individual captures do not sit side by side as separate tours but are spatially linked to one another. Because we return to the same standpoints at every appointment, a stack of time states builds up at each position in the building. You stand virtually in a particular room, at a particular wall – and page through the construction phases from there: shell, electrical and plumbing installation, insulation, closed wall, finished fit-out. The perspective stays identical, so changes are immediately apparent instead of having to be pieced together from different viewpoints. The model thus answers the question at which conventional photo documentation regularly fails: not "what did the site look like in May" but "what exactly is behind this point here".
What lies behind the wall stays visible
The practically most important use case is documentation before closing up. As soon as electrical, plumbing and heating installations are in place and before drywall, screed or plaster conceal them, we capture the state completely. From that moment the routing of services remains permanently traceable. Anyone later drilling a core, adding a socket or planning a wall opening checks the model beforehand to see what is at that location. Because the captures are dimensionally accurate, the position of a pipe relative to floor, ceiling and door reveal can be determined concretely and transferred to the real wall. For facility management and maintenance this stays relevant across the entire service life – the twin considerably outlasts the construction project.
Evidence for handover, warranty and disputes
Construction defects often become visible only months later, when the cause is long concealed. It then becomes one account against another, and establishing proof turns into the actual dispute. Gap-free 3D documentation moves this discussion onto a factual footing: the condition at a given date is objectively recorded, including workmanship, materials and the sequence of trades. Whether a service was rendered as contracted, whether preliminary work was defective, or when damage must have occurred can be shown on the model rather than asserted. The documented course also helps substantiate the actual construction status on a cut-off date when additional claims arise. Experts and lawyers work noticeably faster when they can inspect the condition themselves instead of reviewing bundles of photographs.
Monitor progress without travelling
For clients, project managers and investors, regular capture replaces a large share of on-site appointments. Instead of relying on status reports and isolated phone photos, everyone involved walks through the current state and forms their own judgement. This is especially valuable when decision-makers are not based near the site or are overseeing several projects in parallel. Coordination between planners, contractors and site management also becomes more concrete: a link to the relevant spot in the model settles a query faster than a description in an email thread. Because every state is dated, actual progress can additionally be held against the schedule so that delays are recognised early.
Renovation and existing stock: the condition before the work
Timeline 360 is not limited to new builds. In renovation, conversion and demolition in particular, capturing the initial condition is decisive. Before work begins, the scan documents the existing fabric completely – including pre-existing damage that would otherwise later be attributed to the contractor. With listed building fabric, the capture preserves details that can be irretrievably lost in the course of the works. For planning, the dimensionally accurate model also provides a reliable survey basis where record drawings are missing or – more commonly – no longer match reality. For rented property, the same capture serves as a handover protocol in three-dimensional form.
Complementary capture from the air
What the scanner achieves indoors we complement outdoors with drone footage. On request, every documentation appointment produces aerial images from recurring positions and altitudes so that external progress stays comparable too: excavation, base slab, storeys, roof structure, facade, external works. This is particularly relevant for roof surfaces, parapets and areas not visible from ground level. In combination, the result is documentation that depicts the building inside and out across the entire course – and that can be reused for later marketing at no additional effort.
Handover, access and retention
You receive the timeline as an ordered, always-available collection – reachable via a link, without software installation, on desktop, tablet and smartphone. Access can be controlled in a differentiated way: client and project management see all states, individual trades only their area, external parties receive time-limited links. Time, area and construction phase are stored with every capture so a recording remains unambiguously identifiable even years later. On request we additionally hand over the data as an archive package for your own retention – sensible in view of warranty periods that outlast the usual project timeframe. The models can also be embedded into existing systems, for example a project portal or CAFM software.
The stages we capture
- 1Before work starts
Initial condition
Site, existing building or shell area before the first intervention. Secures pre-existing damage and the condition of adjacent structures – the basis for any later attribution of responsibility.
- 2Shell
Structure and geometry
Walls, ceilings and openings are in place and fully accessible. Ideal for surveying: clear dimensions, axis spacings and openings can be taken from the model at any time later.
- 3Before closing up
Building services visible
The most important appointment. Electrical, plumbing and heating lines are installed but not yet concealed. From here on it stays permanently traceable what runs inside which wall.
- 4Fit-out
Screed, drywall, plaster
The construction closes up. Comparison with the previous state shows which line disappeared at which point – from exactly the same perspective.
- 5Completion
Handover condition
The finished fit-out as a documented state for handover. Serves at once as a reference for the warranty period and as the starting point of the operational phase.
- 6Operation
Use and maintenance
Optional follow-up captures for conversions, tenant changes or repairs. The timeline keeps growing and stays usable for facility management.
Frequently asked questions
Does capture disrupt site operations?
No. The scanner works from fixed standpoints and we move through the building as on a walkthrough. A floor is typically captured in one to two hours. Work does not have to stop for it – only the room currently being captured should be clear for a few minutes.
At what intervals should documentation take place?
That follows the construction sequence, not the calendar. What matters are the moments when something becomes permanently concealed – above all before walls are closed and before the screed. For a typical residential project four to six appointments make sense. With complex building services or commercial construction it can be considerably more.
How accurate are measurements in the model?
In typical interior conditions the Matterport Pro3 achieves centimetre-range accuracy. That is sufficient for planning, monitoring and locating services. For millimetre tolerances – with prefabricated elements, for instance – a tachymetric survey remains the right choice, and we say so openly.
Does this work in an unlit shell?
Yes. The geometry is derived from LiDAR time-of-flight measurement and is therefore independent of ambient light. Some light benefits the image quality of the panoramas; for very dark areas we bring site lighting.
Who can access the documentation?
You decide. A tiered model is common: client and project management see the entire timeline, individual trades only their area, external parties receive time-limited links. Access runs through the browser, no installation required.
How long does the data stay available?
For as long as you need it. Since warranty periods outlast the project timeframe, we recommend a term aligned with them. On request we additionally hand over the data as an archive package so you can access it independently of our platform.
Does this replace conventional photo documentation?
In most cases yes, with the decisive advantage of completeness: a scan captures the space without gaps, whereas with individual photos it is precisely the spot that later matters which is missing. Supplementary detail photos of individual components remain useful where very fine detail is critical.
Can the documentation be reused for marketing?
Yes. The state after completion is a fully fledged 3D tour and can be used immediately for letting or sale. The states created during construction remain separate from it and are not publicly visible.
The services behind this concept
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Send us your pictures or floor plans. We will advise you free of charge on which visualizations will bring the highest return on investment for your property.