Developed as a prototype by the appraisers in the a la mode labs, DaVinci is an all-in-one field data gathering and sketching application for use on Tablet PC and Ultra Mobile PC devices. In the prototype form, it's available free for use both on your desktop as a sketcher, and on your mobile device for field data gathering and pen-based sketching.

It's built for appraisers — engineers and analysts, not form fillers and typists. And it's not just an extension of your form filling software. Your field workflow is entirely different from your office workflow — and field work is the most important work you do. DaVinci reflects your "outside in" field workflow so instead of just going through the form as you would on a desktop, DaVinci's workflow gives you customizable fields and checklists, starting at the curb and working your way through the property.

Powerful. Our 22 years in business, combined with feedback from thousands of appraisers and the industry's only dedicated research and development lab, have helped us produce an incredibly powerful data gathering and sketching tool, all in one. It will make your time in the field more efficient and productive than ever before.

DaVinci helps you record data, notes, observations, floor plans — things that help you form a professional, reliable opinion of value. Sure, it helps you fill out a form. But it does much more. The inspection and comps data you gather is kept in your Digital Workfile, always accessible and useful, even if it never makes it into your final report.
Because DaVinci is pen based, it supports ink input and handwriting recognition. For the first time, you can gather data, make field notes, sketches and more, all in one program that saves in the WinTOTAL file format. Use it like a pen and paper.

Flexible. In the field, DaVinci works the way you do. And since no two appraisers work the same way, it's incredibly flexible. Screens are organized by inspection area, and you can easily customize them on the fly to your liking.

Add as many comps as you want in the field, and import photos as you take them. DaVinci prompts for items like conditions observed from the street, landscaping, visible defects and other important things to note, and these all flow seamlessly into your Digital Workfile and WinTOTAL reports.

With everything saved in WinTOTAL .ZAP format, you save time both in the field and at the office.

Enter it the way you see it
DaVinci lets you rearrange data screen layouts, add data items you want to gather, customize Quicklists, or add room types and room features. And more.
Click DaVinci's Form PowerView button and you'll see all the data you've gathered exactly as it will appear in the form back in the office. If you want, you can edit it from there. When it's time to complete your form, DaVinci saves you from repetitive note-taking (on paper) in the field and note typing (in WinTOTAL) at your desk.

Revolutionary. A revolution is underway in the way computing applications are performed away from your desk. And you — and we — are part of it.
a la mode labs has been working on ways to match software solutions to emerging mobile hardware technology in the form of Tablet PCs and
Ultra Mobile PCs.

The hardware is here
Tablet PCs are fully-functional laptop computers, but add the ability to "write" naturally on the screen surface with a special input "pen. " On your desktop or laptop PC, you use a mouse and keyboard to input data. On a tablet PC, the ability to "write" on the surface makes the computer convenient and more portable without sacrificing power.

If you were an early adopter of a PDA or Palm device, you may have been frustrated by those devices' ability to recognize handwriting. Today's tablet PCs have made huge advances in handwriting recognition. By analyzing keystrokes in context with Windows' grammar and spell checkers, you'll be amazed at how intuitive tablets are — and how sloppy you can write and still be efficient in the field.

Speaking of PDAs and Palm devices, Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs) have been designed to be as portable, but more powerful. Rather than the smaller, less robust operating system you find on your PDA, UMPCs use a full Windows XP or Vista OS and are truly "portable computers. "

DaVinci is the software
The emergence of quality, powerful, mainstream portable computers like tablets and UMPCs represents a great opportunity for people who do their most important work away from their desk, like you. DaVinci has been built for the way you work:

• Data collection is in a "room by room" sequence, different from the way you fill out a form
• Data is saved in a standardized format so it plugs into your report with no retying
• Pre-load neighborhood, subject and other information from WinTOTAL before you get in the car
• Fully customizable, with imported and new Quicklists, customizable data screens, and user-defined workflow

No need to boot up and type to record notes; no need to re-type handwritten notes back in the office. Make a note in the field, once, and it either plugs right into your report back at the office or is stored in your Digital Workfile. And you'll never sketch the same way again.

A built in, robust sketching program
DaVinci's sketching component, powered by RapidSketch, is the world's first mobile sketching program that you use like a pen and paper, and which effortlessly synchs up with WinTOTAL back at the office. All data, including sketches, is saved in a WinTOTAL compatible file format from the outset.

DaVinci doesn't stop working when you leave the subject. Use its simple interface for collecting data on comps, and as many comps as you need or want, to analyze and choose comps in the field instead of back at the office. DaVinci includes support for photo attachment — right there in the field, as you take the picture. And GPS and geocoding support means the subject and comps are in the right place on your map the first time.


Software prototypes
Not only is DaVinci a revolution in field data gathering and sketching, it's a new way to develop and deliver software. At a la mode labs, we've developed DaVinci as a prototype and made it free for download and use. Prototypes mean you don't get tech support and you shouldn't use the program for paying assignments just yet. We're asking you to try it out and let us know how to improve it. You're part of the development process, and your feedback will help us make DaVinci a reliable, marketable, supportable product.

Most software is still developed "behind closed doors," and released once it's finished. At a la mode labs, we're doing things differently.