Can anyone tell me anything about this duo from experience? Are there less expensive measure devices that will do the

same thing? Is it all about the bluetooth technology or is Xactimate the only software this works with. I know nothing about

how it works. Appreciate any input.

The Disto is awesome, but I really would not want to do the blue-tooth -> Xactimate thing.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but seems I read that when you use Sketch and do the Disto input with blue-tooth, that the rooms end up being separated from each other (visualize a puzzle where the pieces are not connected).

EDIT: The user's guide makes that comment, and says you can then drag the rooms together...  but see the updated info below (the comment on the user's guide is not the only way to do it).

I have never done the blue-tooth thing, and consider that feature to be "gee-whiz" technology that I do not need, and will not really speed up my job. Here's a link to a page on the Xactimate site where you can download a brochure for X-25 with a brief mention of the Disto for entering measurements. The laser does help me, no doubt, for interior measures (but I type in the measurements manually, on a keyboard)

I paid $500 for my Disto years ago, and it has paid for itself many times over. When the Stanly Fat Max lasers were discounted to $79 at Amazon I got one to compare (they have a license from Leica-Disto and if you read the back of it, it mentions Leica).

I compared them at the same loss location on a repeated basis, and the Fat Max = the Disto.  It is dead accurate for interiors (though it is a different class laser and not rated for 600 feet). The Fat Max does not transmit the measurements to your computer using Bluetooth (neither does my older Disto)

Jim Gary got his Fat Max lasers very cheap by shopping Ebay.  I would start with that one if you are tight on funds, but I really like the Disto because of it's back light (makes big difference in a hammered house without electricity) and that it "beeps" when you tell it to shoot the distance, gets the reading, etc.  My old (discontinued) Disto is much larger than the Fat Max (now Disto makes smaller ones) but it also has larger numbers on the display which is a plus for my 52 year old eyes.

John - is this something you have been planning - or something you have been doing? I am just curious how it may be working for you over a period of time. I also prefer to do my complete estimate on site (but set a laptop on a stand, and type in the measurements)

So you are able to sketch a complete home floor-plan with rooms connected?

I'm glad this topic came up, I see that Xm-8 has this on their site, says updated June 18, 2008:

Step 6 Once you have established a connection, you can enter in a measurement from the DISTO device. Anywhere that you have a feet/inch spinner, (width, length, ceiling height, etc.) you will be able to enter in a measurement. Note: You must be in 2nd mode when using the DISTO device with Sketch.

Step 7 For example, if you want to use DISTO to change the dimensions of a room, click on the Select icon , then click the wall you want to modify. The wall handle appears as a small square at the wall’s mid-point.

Step 8 Place the pointer over the wall handle. The pointer changes to the grab tool.

Step 9 With the grab tool, click and drag the wall toward or away from the room’s center.

Step 10 As you start to move the wall, Xactimate displays the new width or length of the room. Click on the dimension to bring up the feet/inch spinner.

Step 11 With the focus in this field, use the DISTO tool to make a measurement. Once you have the correct measurement on the screen of the DISTO device, press the Enter button.

Step 12 The dimensions from the DISTO screen will automatically replace the dimensions of the sketched room. For the measurement to take effect, remove the focus from the feet/inch spinner by clicking once on the workspace. The room’s dimension will change.
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This makes no mention of anything other than just doing a routine sketch, and the only change is how the measurement gets entered into your computer. Disto rather than type (or rather than dragging the wall and watch for the correct measurement)

You don't have to own Xm8 to read their help info on site, you can just register, then search the "previously answered" 24-7 help topics in the Xm8 E-service center.  It has photos for these steps, so it is easier to follow.
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I couldn't find anything currently on the Xm8 site about the rooms being separated, but it is mentioned in the X-25 users guide (and when I compare it to the info above, it seems like bad advice).  Doing it as described above seems like it would work better.

Here's what the user's guide says:

TO USE DISTO™ IN CONJUNCTION WITH XACTIMATE
1. From the Xactimate Control Center, click the System Settings (for all users) or User Preferences (for yourself only) tab. 
2. Click System under Sketch General in the navigation tree to the left of the window. The System page appears. 
3. Under Disto Laser Distance Meter, click to place a checkmark in the Enable Sketch/Disto Integration checkbox. 
4. Click the Projects tab, then open (or create) an estimate you want to use DISTO on. Click the Sketch tab. The Bluetooth® icon appears in the upper-right corner of the workspace. When this icon turns white, it means Xactimate has established a connection with DISTO. 
􀂄 Chapter 6 Xactimate v.25 How-Do-I? Help Topics 􀂄 Page 222 􀂄 Xactimate v.25 User’s Guide 
5. Click the Room drop-down button and choose Dimensions Rooms. The Room Dimensioning window appears. 
6. Select (or type) a name for the room, then click the Shape drop-down button to select the room shape. Xactimate modifies the Dimensions area to account for the shape of the room. 
7. Press Tab on your keyboard. Xactimate moves the highlight to the first Dimensions field; in most cases, this is Length. 
8. Use your DISTO measuring device to input the length of the room into this field, then press Tab on your keyboard. 
9. Use DISTO to measure the requested dimension, then continue pressing Tab and entering your dimensions until you have finished entering room dimensions. 
10. Click Insert Room. Xactimate adds the drawing of this room onto the Sketch workspace (you may not be able to see this sketch behind your Room Dimensioning window. 
11. Repeat steps 6–10 to add all the rooms you need for this estimate. Xactimate adds all the rooms on your Sketch workspace. The room walls will not be merged, as is standard with Sketch. 
12. After you have all your rooms entered, click Done. Your rooms will be laid out on the workspace in a grid pattern. From here, you can (if you choose) move them into position as they appear in the home, or simply work with them as they currently stand. 

John, I am really glad you posted this info. When I glanced through the user-guide a while back, It only described the Disto-bluetooth as creating separate rooms not connected.

That could work for simple floor plans, dragging the rooms back together. But for complex ones, with 45 degree angle halls, etc, there is just no way it would merge the room back together.

Anyone who has done the Xm8 tutorials knows that the secret to Sketch is to create the first room, then "drag" the 2nd room from one of the walls by clicking on it to select it, holding the Ctrl key, drag it to the desired length.

In practice, it's easiest to just "start" to drag it, then over-ride the feet-inches with the ones you want, and the room jumps to the correct length. Per your experience, the Disto WILL spit that measurement into the drawing at that point in time. And the updated 6-18-08 thing on their web site confirms it, and seems to describe what you are doing.

Nice. Does the software round your measurement to the nearest inch? My Disto spits out 1/16's of an inch, and I wondered how the software deals with that.

For those who don't use Xm8 and are falling asleep...

The user's guide for Xm8 25 has the graphic above, and these instructions:

1. Click the bottom (south) wall of Closet1. 
2. Press and hold the Control (Ctrl) key on your keyboard, then click and drag the south Closet1 wall until it is aligned with the south wall of Bedroom 1. 
If you forget to hold the Control key, this move will simply expand Closet1. If this happens, press Control Z (Undo) and try again.

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That is an example of "adding another room" by dragging it out from the wall of an existing room.  They are making a 2nd closet, that goes to another bedroom.  The user's guide works as a tutorial, and there is quite a bit of info in the "help" part of Xm8.

Xactimate is not easy (and I have been using it 16 years and still have that opinion).  But it is very powerful, once you are it's master, and not it's servant.  I got the X25 basic and intermediate training DVD's, they are also very helpful for those who want to master this beast.

Gentlemen,

This is an excellent example of what this site is all about.

Acquiring knowledge and sharing it without reservation.

If we all make each other better, the entire community grows.

Now, that being said, I'm gonna have to print and read this stuff several times for it to sink in. But, .........I'm still young and trainable