How to use Height & distance

Get started

1. 1

   Choose a height or distance method

   Choose a method. Phone height works on level ground, Known distance when you know how far away you are, Two sightings when the base is hidden, and Known height finds the distance to an object of known size.

Measure

2. 2

   Save or repeat a measurement

   Save measurement opens a record with the method, lengths, angles and result. Repeat measures the same target again; Save photo keeps an annotated picture.

3. 3

   Measure from a still photo

   Choose a method other than Two sightings, check its lengths and select PHOTO. Fit both base and top in view; Take photo waits for a still phone. Drag Base and Top onto the object. Use the loupe and arrow buttons to adjust the marks. Check both marks before using the measurement.

4. 4

   Compare with a measured reference

   Check accuracy: Measure a fixed target with a tape or another trusted reference. Enter its height, or its distance for Known height. Repeat the same setup to see the difference and how much readings vary. Repeatability does not prove accuracy. This check does not change calibration or correct measurements.

5. 5

   Enter lengths and mark the sights

   Enter the real lengths. Phone height is ground to camera lens. Distance and the walk are horizontal, not along a slope. Keep the lens at one height. Follow the sightings shown on screen and mark each one. Steady aim waits for the phone to settle.

6. 6

   Check the edge before marking

   Turn on Snap to edges in the menu. Aim near a visible edge at the base or top; the highlighted edge shows what Mark will use. Check that it is the intended edge, not a branch, shadow or background. Turn Snap off if it picks the wrong edge, then aim manually.

Calibrate

7. 7

   Calibrate the camera lens when needed

   A phone that reports its own camera calibration uses it, and the menu has no Lens calibration. On other phones, open ⋮ › Lens calibration to calibrate the camera indoors. Print the checkerboard on flat backing or show the whole board on another flat screen. Move it across the picture, vary its apparent size and tilt both ways, holding still at each pose. No measured distance or square size is needed. Keep the same camera, zoom and focus, then verify the result against a known measurement. One pixel shows sensitivity, not total error.

Guided tour

Try these steps in the app. All tour instructions stay readable here.

1. 1

   Know how high you hold the phone? Get the height.

   Stand back until you can see the base and the top. Mark the base, then tilt up and mark the top. The height reads live as you tilt.

2. 2

   Know how far it is? Measure it from there.

   Pace or tape the distance to its base. Mark the base, then the top. How high you hold the phone doesn’t matter.

3. 3

   Base hidden? Sight the top twice.

   Mark the top from where you stand. Walk a known distance straight toward it. Mark the top again, and the tool does the rest.

4. 4

   Know how tall it is? Get how far away it is.

   Type how tall it is: a friend, a door, a car. Mark its base, then its top. Read the distance.

5. 5

   Keep your hands on the aim.

   Say “mark”, “undo” or “photo” with voice commands on. Wait for a steady aim marks only once the phone holds still. Save photo keeps the crosshair and the numbers on the picture.