computer science

PlanGrid

PlanGrid is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand PlanGrid rather than just read about it. In short: PlanGrid is a construction productivity software designed for onsite construction workers. PlanGrid digitises blueprints.

Key takeaways

PlanGrid belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PlanGrid to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PlanGrid from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PlanGrid is a construction productivity software designed for onsite construction workers. PlanGrid digitises blueprints. It features version control and collaboration tools such as field markups, progress photos and issues tracking.

History PlanGrid is headquartered in San Francisco, California and was founded in 2011. It is available on mobile and windows devices. The software can store, view, and communicate construction blueprints. The company's board of directors included former Salesforce COO George Hu, Sequoia Capital Partner Doug Leone, and former Autodesk CEO Carol Bartz. Autodesk announced plans in November 2018 to acquire PlanGrid for US$875 million. The acquisition was completed on December 20, 2018. PlanGrid's CEO, Tracy Young, was named to Fast Company's "Most Creative People in Business" in 2015.

Fundraising history The company's seed-stage investors include Y-Combinator, Sam Altman, Paul Buchheit and 500 Startups. In May 2015, PlanGrid raised a $18 million Series A from Sequoia Capital. In November 2015, PlanGrid raised a $40 million Series B led by Tenaya Capital.

References

External links Official website

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PlanGrid

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PlanGrid claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PlanGrid before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PlanGrid ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PlanGrid

In research: PlanGrid appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses PlanGrid in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: PlanGrid is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2012 establishments in California, 2018 mergers and acquisitions, American companies established in 2012, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PlanGrid outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study PlanGrid in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PlanGrid means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain PlanGrid out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PlanGrid in simple terms?

PlanGrid is a construction productivity software designed for onsite construction workers. PlanGrid digitises blueprints.

Why does PlanGrid matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PlanGrid?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PlanGrid.