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Business Card App How-To

Impress your techno-geek friends with this luddite mobile app! In addition to the ruler, learn how to use the other 2 landscape design ‘apps’ below:

Note we are not responsible for any eye damage, late psychiatrist appointments, or crooked window installs.

Heights of tall objects (clinometer)

Say you have a tree you want to measure the height of:

  1. Cut a slit from the top-right to the cross-hair. Suspend a weighted piece of string from the cross-hair with one hand.
  2. Measure the horizontal distance between you and the object (~45 degrees is most accurate). This is your distance. For better accuracy, add an additional 2m to account for your height or walk 2 paces from your distance toward the object.
  3. While looking at the top of the object you wish to measure, hold the card so the top edge of the card is along your line of sight.
  4. Observe where the string intersects the ruler (pinch the string with 2 fingers) and note the corresponding ruler reading.
  5. Do the math: for example, standing 18m away (+2=20m horizontal distance as card is held 2m high) from a tree, inclined to the 3 ruler reading, the height of the tree = 20m * 3 / 4 = 15m.
  6. BONUS: compare your results by measuring the same object from a different distance.

Time (portable sundial)

On a sunny day:

    1. Cut a slit from the top-right to the cross-hair. Suspend a weighted piece of string from the cross-hair with one hand.
    2. Align the card with the sun so the horizontal edge of the card is parallel with the sun’s rays and therefore the shadow it casts is minimal (do not look at the sun).
    3. Observe where the string intersects the ruler (pinch the string with 2 fingers) and note the corresponding Incline reading.
    4. Calculate the height by matching your incline with your time & day of year with the appropriate sun charts. Remember to subtract 1 hour during daylight savings. Note to purists: solar noon is about 20minutes later at the Garden of Eating.
    5. BONUS: the chart also gives sunrise/sunset times when the light is too low to give an accurate reading.