Whether you’re setting out decks on a 20-storey high rise, forming slabs for bespoke residential builds, or coordinating multiple contractors across a commercial site, you know how quickly layout challenges can snowball. String lines blow in the wind, survey marks fade or get bumped, and profiles are often positioned in places that make accurate work harder than it needs to be – all while the clock is ticking and the pressure to stay on program grows.
The biggest source of error is almost always offsets; every time you measure from one, you’re giving inaccuracy a chance to creep in. With Aptella’s digital layout solutions, that entire step disappears. You set out in position, in real time, and check every point as you go, bringing certainty back into the process.
Projects move fast, margins are tight, and mistakes cost far more than a quick fix. You need technology that can keep pace with the way modern sites operate, giving you accuracy without slowing you down. That’s exactly why builders across Australia and New Zealand choose Aptella. From solo operators looking for efficient one person workflows, to tier one contractors running quality assurance across multiple trades, the goal is the same: reduce rework, stay in control, protect your margins and deliver with confidence.
Aptella replaces outdated manual methods with robotic layout tools and digital workflows designed for speed, precision and consistency. One person can achieve millimetre-accurate results with full digital traceability that supports every decision long after the project is finished. You can work inside buildings, across open slabs or over 200 metre sites without resetting, waiting on survey support or relying on marks that don’t hold up.
From marking formwork to verifying contractor work to planning site logistics, Aptella gives you the capability to work faster, smarter and with complete accuracy.
Optical layout solutions achieve sub 3-millimetre accuracy for any hardscape that needs to be right first time: concrete works, critical levels and holding down bolts are just a few examples. When you move inside buildings or work in environments where GPS can’t reach, optical just keeps performing.
What once required two or three team members with a theodolite, dumpy level and stringlines, becomes a single operator robotic operation using digital data, and you’re working with full digital traceability.
No more relying on tape measurements and red-line markups years later if questions arise.
These systems allow for immediate precision that you can verify and document. Whether you’re a residential builder who needs to get foundations accurate without a multi person crew, or you’re running set out on a commercial site where tolerances matter, optical layout enables youto get it right, the first time. One operator, one setup, millimetre accuracy, and a digital record of every point laid out.
The Topcon LN-50 is your gateway to modern layout technology. It revolutionises entry-level layout by providing an affordable, easy-to use total station for contractors and builders transitioning to digital
workflows.
The worlds first 3D positioning system designed specifically for construction setout. The LN-160 builds on the foundation of the LN- 50, introducing greater versatility by offering a range of 130m, and the option of using Topcon Field Software.
The Topcon GT Series represents the pinnacle of
robotic total station technology, delivering unparalleled accuracy, speed, and reliability for the most demanding projects.
GPS layout works at 20 to 30 millimetre tolerances, ideal for early works, larger sites and in ground works where you need to cover distance. You only need to see the sky and no line of sight to base stations is required.
You can set up once at the start of the job, then move freely across your site, installing and recording in-ground services, marking out footings and bulk or detailed excavations, or laying out landscaping levels. All you need to do is jump out of your ute, turn your GPS on, and you’re working.
GPS excels when speed matters more than millimetre perfect accuracy. Detailed excavation, site planning, initial layouts, and any in ground service work all benefit from the flexibility to work across expansive sites without the setup limitations of optical systems.
Even better, the software is identical to what you’d use with optical layout, so you’re not relearning workflows. You can switch between GPS and optical based on the task, or run them in combination across the same project
The HiPer CR is an ultralightweight and compact solution that minimises pole weight, ensuring easy mobility and field usability.
The HiPer XR delivers precision and efficiency, tackling your challenges with RTK accuracy and Dynamic TILT Compensation technology for effortless measurements even in difficult conditions. Its anti-jamming capabilities ensure reliable performance, while the lightweight, rugged design withstands harsh environments.
Projected layout systems project plans at full scale onto floors and ceilings, eliminating string lines, tape measures and manual marking. Trades can install directly from the projection or trace the layout, avoiding time consuming dimensioning from gridlines. It’s a straightforward shift that removes some of the biggest causes of rework and coordination delays.
In congested ceiling spaces where electrical, HVAC and plumbing services compete for room, projection highlights clashes before anything is installed. The system works seamlessly in built environments, projecting design data onto any surface for real time visualisation without needing line of sight tools.
Fit out contractors, walls and ceilings, mechanical trades and service installers all gain from this approach, and increasingly these trades are choosing to purchase projected layout technology themselves rather than waiting for it to be specified.
For commercial and high-rise projects where multiple trades must coordinate tightly, projected layout prevents the onsite “we’ll sort it out later” compromises that lead to delays, extra cost and frustration.
The Mechasys XR Projector ensures consistent accuracy and enhances the efficiency of your layout operations with a highly productive visual workflow. Whether you’re working on floors or ceilings, its advanced positioning technology provides best-in-class visual projection, adaptable to any job site.
The HP SitePrint doesn’t just show you where to mark, it marks it for you. This system takes your digital plans and prints them directly onto construction surfaces: formwork decks, concrete slabs, floors ready for fit out.
Walls, partitions, service layouts, reflected ceiling plans you’ll plumb up later, all printed autonomously with precision. No string lines, no chalk lines, no measuring, no marking crew. The system does it all as it moves across the surface, and it even -provides automatic cut-fill data so you know if level adjustments are required.
If you’re a commercial builder or work on large industrial projects where you’re positioning racking or mechanical systems, internal linemarking or conveyors, automated systems deliver efficiency that manual methods simply can’t match. When speed and accuracy matter at scale, autonomous marking eliminates the bottleneck and creates seamless workflows.
For outdoor civil work, the Tiny Surveyor extends this automation. It’s a compact robotic marker that works with GNSS or total station positioning to automatically mark road lines, sports fields, building footprints, detailed excavations, or other linear layouts. Tiny Surveyor increases safety by keeping crews off the road, saves significant time compared with manual marking, and delivers consistent, accurate lines that crews can paint or build from immediately.
HP SitePrint is an autonomous, robotic solution that reads 2D plans and prints them directly onto the floor of a construction site. The device is capable of printing not only lines, but other elements such as points, arcs, and text too.
TinySurveyor Plotter is designed for roadworks on even surfaces such as new concrete layers in road construction. The compact design makes it easy to transport and deploy. The high-visibility safety beacon and ultrasound sensors allow the robot to operate safely in spaces with live traffic or other equipment.
Reality capture creates a permanent digital record of your project at any point in time. Think of it as documentation that’s evolved well beyond redline markups on paper plans.
Using SLAM scanning technology (scanners in motion, sometimes body worn), you can rapidly capture point cloud data and photogrammetry across your entire site without tripod setups, creating a colorised, three-dimensional model you can walk through digitally.
The applications are immediate and valuable: verify progress claims with millimetre accurate data instead of contractor word, identify and share defects with stakeholders before handover, document rectification work digitally, and create a complete digital twin of the as-built structure.
That digital twin becomes infrastructure data for the building’s lifetime. Electrical conduits behind walls, pipes in ceilings, services underground all captured before surfaces close them in.
When modifications or maintenance come up years later, you’ll know exactly where everything sits with millimetre precision.
Precision, accuracy, and reliability are central to what you do – they are the core principles of reality capture. And despite rapid changes, tighter budgets, and complex projects with stringent requirements, you’re still expected to do more – scan more, process more, model more, and offer more – with less.
NavVis MLX offers an unrivaled combination of agility, ergonomics, and outstanding data quality from a handheld device. It seamlessly integrates into AEC, surveying, and reality capture workflows both on-site and in-office.
Portalcam is the first handheld device that captures reality as interactive 3D environments using breakthrough 3D Gaussian Splatting technology.
The Lixel L2 Pro is a highly integrated, high-precision handheld 3D reconstruction device featuring an all-in-one design and simple one-touch operation developed by XGRIDS.
LixelKity K1 is a compact handheld scanning and modeling device newly introduced by XGRIDS. With a lightweight ＜1kg body, it integrates 48 MP ×2 panoramic vision modules and a 360° LiDAR, capable of real-time generation of centimeter-level colored 3D models.
Machine guidance uses the same high-accuracy positioning technology found in optical or GPS systems, but applies it in a different way. Rather than using a GPS rover to walk the site and mark out footing locations with paint, the positioning data is integrated directly onto the machine itself, whether it’s an excavator or compact track loader.
The operator sees the digital design in the cab and digs to the model without relying on ground markings. The bucket appears on the screen and moves through the design in real time, so you’re working to the plan while eliminating the need for a separate person to mark locations manually.
This works with both optical systems (for sub 3 millimetre accuracy on final trimming, gravel prep, building pads, driveways, hardstands) and GPS systems (for 20 to 30 millimetre work like detailed excavations and in ground services). For projects where site complexity and earthworks volume matter most, this investment just makes sense.
For residential builders working with tighter budgets this technology means you can remain accurate, productive and time efficient on every project.
Ditch setout in the ground. Don’t stress over lost marks or working from offsets. See and dig to design, directly from the comfort of your cab.
Prep for footpaths, garden beds, and retaining walls with precision.
External works teams benefit from MC-Mobile when grading driveways, preparing garden beds, or setting out retaining walls and drainage systems.
When your work impacts surrounding structures or you’ve got obligations to the public, monitoring provides continuous oversight without constant surveyor callouts. Wireless IoT sensors monitor sound, vibration, and movement 24/7.
Mount them on retaining walls, adjacent buildings, or any structure you need to keep an eye on while you’re excavating or building nearby. Set your thresholds, and the system only alerts you when intervention is actually needed, replacing the old model of getting a surveyor out daily or weekly to physically check measurements.
For builders with public safety responsibilities or projects adjacent to sensitive structures, this delivers compliance documentation and peace of mind without disrupting your workflow.
You’re monitoring continuously, responding only to real issues, and maintaining digital records that prove you stayed within tolerance. No more paying for routine checks that confirm everything’s fine. You only act when the data says you need to.
Condition Monitoring equipment for all sites and applications, including mining, rail, infrastructure or building.
Reliable and robust products that directly reflect the specific demands of civil engineering, rail and mining environments and empower those responsible for infrastructure construction and maintenance to proceed with confidence.
Before you break ground, you need to know what’s below. Subsurface detection technology locates underground utilities, services, and structures before excavation begins – preventing the costly hits on electrical, water, gas, or comms that derail projects and create safety incidents.
Whether you’re digging footings, trenching for services, or excavating for basements, understanding what’s underground before the bucket goes in protects your schedule, your budget, and your crew.
This technology matters for any builder working in built-up areas or on sites with existing infrastructure. Locate, map, and verify underground services before you commit to excavation, and eliminate the risk of striking unknowns. It’s straightforward risk management that pays for itself the first time it prevents a service strike
The DXL4 Cable Avoidance Tools from C.Scope represent a significant advance in cable detecting performance.
Two versions of the DXL4 are available; the DXL4-D which has full data logging capability, and the DXL4-DBG which has full data logging capability, Bluetooth™ connectivity and GPS.
The MXL4 Precision Locator represents a significant advance in cable detecting and tracing capabilities.
Two versions of the MXL4 are available; the MXL4-D which has full data logging capability, and the MXL4-DBG which has full data logging capability, Bluetooth™ connectivity and GPS.
Optical layout solutions achieve sub 3-millimetre accuracy for any hardscape that needs to be right first time: concrete works, critical levels and holding down bolts are just a few examples. When you move inside buildings or work in environments where GPS can’t reach, optical just keeps performing.
What once required two or three team members with a theodolite, dumpy level and stringlines, becomes a single operator robotic operation using digital data, and you’re working with full digital traceability.
No more relying on tape measurements and red-line markups years later if questions arise.
These systems allow for immediate precision that you can verify and document. Whether you’re a residential builder who needs to get foundations accurate without a multi person crew, or you’re running set out on a commercial site where tolerances matter, optical layout enables youto get it right, the first time. One operator, one setup, millimetre accuracy, and a digital record of every point laid out.
The Topcon LN-50 is your gateway to modern layout technology. It revolutionises entry-level layout by providing an affordable, easy-to use total station for contractors and builders transitioning to digital
workflows.
The worlds first 3D positioning system designed specifically for construction setout. The LN-160 builds on the foundation of the LN- 50, introducing greater versatility by offering a range of 130m, and the option of using Topcon Field Software.
The Topcon GT Series represents the pinnacle of
robotic total station technology, delivering unparalleled accuracy, speed, and reliability for the most demanding projects.
GPS layout works at 20 to 30 millimetre tolerances, ideal for early works, larger sites and in ground works where you need to cover distance. You only need to see the sky and no line of sight to base stations is required.
You can set up once at the start of the job, then move freely across your site, installing and recording in-ground services, marking out footings and bulk or detailed excavations, or laying out landscaping levels. All you need to do is jump out of your ute, turn your GPS on, and you’re working.
GPS excels when speed matters more than millimetre perfect accuracy. Detailed excavation, site planning, initial layouts, and any in ground service work all benefit from the flexibility to work across expansive sites without the setup limitations of optical systems.
Even better, the software is identical to what you’d use with optical layout, so you’re not relearning workflows. You can switch between GPS and optical based on the task, or run them in combination across the same project
The HiPer CR is an ultralightweight and compact solution that minimises pole weight, ensuring easy mobility and field usability.
The HiPer XR delivers precision and efficiency, tackling your challenges with RTK accuracy and Dynamic TILT Compensation technology for effortless measurements even in difficult conditions. Its anti-jamming capabilities ensure reliable performance, while the lightweight, rugged design withstands harsh environments.
Projected layout systems project plans at full scale onto floors and ceilings, eliminating string lines, tape measures and manual marking. Trades can install directly from the projection or trace the layout, avoiding time consuming dimensioning from gridlines. It’s a straightforward shift that removes some of the biggest causes of rework and coordination delays.
In congested ceiling spaces where electrical, HVAC and plumbing services compete for room, projection highlights clashes before anything is installed. The system works seamlessly in built environments, projecting design data onto any surface for real time visualisation without needing line of sight tools.
Fit out contractors, walls and ceilings, mechanical trades and service installers all gain from this approach, and increasingly these trades are choosing to purchase projected layout technology themselves rather than waiting for it to be specified.
For commercial and high-rise projects where multiple trades must coordinate tightly, projected layout prevents the onsite “we’ll sort it out later” compromises that lead to delays, extra cost and frustration.
The Mechasys XR Projector ensures consistent accuracy and enhances the efficiency of your layout operations with a highly productive visual workflow. Whether you’re working on floors or ceilings, its advanced positioning technology provides best-in-class visual projection, adaptable to any job site.
The HP SitePrint doesn’t just show you where to mark, it marks it for you. This system takes your digital plans and prints them directly onto construction surfaces: formwork decks, concrete slabs, floors ready for fit out.
Walls, partitions, service layouts, reflected ceiling plans you’ll plumb up later, all printed autonomously with precision. No string lines, no chalk lines, no measuring, no marking crew. The system does it all as it moves across the surface, and it even -provides automatic cut-fill data so you know if level adjustments are required.
If you’re a commercial builder or work on large industrial projects where you’re positioning racking or mechanical systems, internal linemarking or conveyors, automated systems deliver efficiency that manual methods simply can’t match. When speed and accuracy matter at scale, autonomous marking eliminates the bottleneck and creates seamless workflows.
For outdoor civil work, the Tiny Surveyor extends this automation. It’s a compact robotic marker that works with GNSS or total station positioning to automatically mark road lines, sports fields, building footprints, detailed excavations, or other linear layouts. Tiny Surveyor increases safety by keeping crews off the road, saves significant time compared with manual marking, and delivers consistent, accurate lines that crews can paint or build from immediately.
HP SitePrint is an autonomous, robotic solution that reads 2D plans and prints them directly onto the floor of a construction site. The device is capable of printing not only lines, but other elements such as points, arcs, and text too.
TinySurveyor Plotter is designed for roadworks on even surfaces such as new concrete layers in road construction. The compact design makes it easy to transport and deploy. The high-visibility safety beacon and ultrasound sensors allow the robot to operate safely in spaces with live traffic or other equipment.
Reality capture creates a permanent digital record of your project at any point in time. Think of it as documentation that’s evolved well beyond redline markups on paper plans.
Using SLAM scanning technology (scanners in motion, sometimes body worn), you can rapidly capture point cloud data and photogrammetry across your entire site without tripod setups, creating a colorised, three-dimensional model you can walk through digitally.
The applications are immediate and valuable: verify progress claims with millimetre accurate data instead of contractor word, identify and share defects with stakeholders before handover, document rectification work digitally, and create a complete digital twin of the as-built structure.
That digital twin becomes infrastructure data for the building’s lifetime. Electrical conduits behind walls, pipes in ceilings, services underground all captured before surfaces close them in.
When modifications or maintenance come up years later, you’ll know exactly where everything sits with millimetre precision.
Precision, accuracy, and reliability are central to what you do – they are the core principles of reality capture. And despite rapid changes, tighter budgets, and complex projects with stringent requirements, you’re still expected to do more – scan more, process more, model more, and offer more – with less.
NavVis MLX offers an unrivaled combination of agility, ergonomics, and outstanding data quality from a handheld device. It seamlessly integrates into AEC, surveying, and reality capture workflows both on-site and in-office.
Portalcam is the first handheld device that captures reality as interactive 3D environments using breakthrough 3D Gaussian Splatting technology.
The Lixel L2 Pro is a highly integrated, high-precision handheld 3D reconstruction device featuring an all-in-one design and simple one-touch operation developed by XGRIDS.
LixelKity K1 is a compact handheld scanning and modeling device newly introduced by XGRIDS. With a lightweight ＜1kg body, it integrates 48 MP ×2 panoramic vision modules and a 360° LiDAR, capable of real-time generation of centimeter-level colored 3D models.
Machine guidance uses the same high-accuracy positioning technology found in optical or GPS systems, but applies it in a different way. Rather than using a GPS rover to walk the site and mark out footing locations with paint, the positioning data is integrated directly onto the machine itself, whether it’s an excavator or compact track loader.
The operator sees the digital design in the cab and digs to the model without relying on ground markings. The bucket appears on the screen and moves through the design in real time, so you’re working to the plan while eliminating the need for a separate person to mark locations manually.
This works with both optical systems (for sub 3 millimetre accuracy on final trimming, gravel prep, building pads, driveways, hardstands) and GPS systems (for 20 to 30 millimetre work like detailed excavations and in ground services). For projects where site complexity and earthworks volume matter most, this investment just makes sense.
For residential builders working with tighter budgets this technology means you can remain accurate, productive and time efficient on every project.
Ditch setout in the ground. Don’t stress over lost marks or working from offsets. See and dig to design, directly from the comfort of your cab.
Prep for footpaths, garden beds, and retaining walls with precision.
External works teams benefit from MC-Mobile when grading driveways, preparing garden beds, or setting out retaining walls and drainage systems.
When your work impacts surrounding structures or you’ve got obligations to the public, monitoring provides continuous oversight without constant surveyor callouts. Wireless IoT sensors monitor sound, vibration, and movement 24/7.
Mount them on retaining walls, adjacent buildings, or any structure you need to keep an eye on while you’re excavating or building nearby. Set your thresholds, and the system only alerts you when intervention is actually needed, replacing the old model of getting a surveyor out daily or weekly to physically check measurements.
For builders with public safety responsibilities or projects adjacent to sensitive structures, this delivers compliance documentation and peace of mind without disrupting your workflow.
You’re monitoring continuously, responding only to real issues, and maintaining digital records that prove you stayed within tolerance. No more paying for routine checks that confirm everything’s fine. You only act when the data says you need to.
Condition Monitoring equipment for all sites and applications, including mining, rail, infrastructure or building.
Reliable and robust products that directly reflect the specific demands of civil engineering, rail and mining environments and empower those responsible for infrastructure construction and maintenance to proceed with confidence.
Before you break ground, you need to know what’s below. Subsurface detection technology locates underground utilities, services, and structures before excavation begins – preventing the costly hits on electrical, water, gas, or comms that derail projects and create safety incidents.
Whether you’re digging footings, trenching for services, or excavating for basements, understanding what’s underground before the bucket goes in protects your schedule, your budget, and your crew.
This technology matters for any builder working in built-up areas or on sites with existing infrastructure. Locate, map, and verify underground services before you commit to excavation, and eliminate the risk of striking unknowns. It’s straightforward risk management that pays for itself the first time it prevents a service strike
The DXL4 Cable Avoidance Tools from C.Scope represent a significant advance in cable detecting performance.
Two versions of the DXL4 are available; the DXL4-D which has full data logging capability, and the DXL4-DBG which has full data logging capability, Bluetooth™ connectivity and GPS.
The MXL4 Precision Locator represents a significant advance in cable detecting and tracing capabilities.
Two versions of the MXL4 are available; the MXL4-D which has full data logging capability, and the MXL4-DBG which has full data logging capability, Bluetooth™ connectivity and GPS.
Aptella has tailored the Tokara service to deliver benefits for a wide range of stakeholders
involved in a civil construction project, including:
