Re: Perceptive Pixel or.. indeed take a butchers at: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/index.html :O)

Re: Perceptive Pixel ....in need of the latest hi-tech coffee table... see http://video.popularmechanics.com/services/link/bcpid932579976/bclid932553050/bctid933742930 Image1.gif

Re: Scissor Lifts Hi,Truth be told I can't actually remember too much about these projects in terms of figures of accuracy, but I do know that when all the data was registered they were within tolorence specified by the client.It's a little hazy but 17mm for the scarborough springs to mind, and this was over 800m of sea defence!Percy

Re: Amberg Is there enyone actualy using the Amberg scanner?Would be nice to hear from you...Daniel

Re: Load points in Cyclone And if you require more points in a specified area only, not in the whole scan (your .imp file is going to be massive) you can use a virtual scanner , select the area you are interested in with a fence and import all the collected points within that fence.Hope this helps,Daniel

Re: Load points in Cyclone Hi there,Unless you have pulled/imported the data from the *.zfs file into the *.imp you will not be able to view this 'additional' data...If you want to view 1/9 you will need to pull this into Cyclone... you're best bet would be to right click on the entire database (the blue cylinder) and click re-import scans, you can state that you want all scans within the databse at the sample rate you require, click 'apply to all' and allow this to run overnight... this way you don't even have to worry about wasting time... Tada.To stop getting the error message you need to ensure you keep the raw *.zfs files in the temp folder located at:My Documents/Cyclone/HDS 6000/Database NameI hope this helps, and that I have understood you're problem.Regards,Paul

Re: Scissor Lifts This looks very impresive! How much noise did you got from the scanner movements??

Load points in Cyclone Another question For the this job, i did around 70 HDS 6000 scanworld, on 3 levels (underground, first floor, second floor). I've connected all the SW together with a 1/16 resolution. I extract with a fence the different parts of the point cloud (PC) and i create a modelspace and remove the link with the orginal PC. Now i'd like to work in AutoCad with 1/9 of the points of this extracted PC. How to do this? I can't load 1/9 in the general SW, it would take hours. I get this when I try to import "HDS 6000 Scans" : "Cyclone did not find incomplete HDS4500/HDS6000 scans under the selection" Is there an easy issue to this? Thanks in advance Matthieu

Re: Scissor Lifts Phil,For your viewing pleasure......

Re: Cyclone and Photographies Bonjour, Thanks for your answers, I appreciate it! And thanks to Phil Thrower, who sent me a pdf tuotrial about applying pictures on a point cloud. It might be the same that Paul mentionned. If not, I'd like to get it also, all methods are welcomed! Daniel, thanks for the link, it does really complete my knowledges!

Re: Cyclone and Photographies Feel free to Email/message me and I will forward the external camera workflow pdf.Regards,Paul

Re: Scissor Lifts Percy,Please post these pics for us to see your handy work..

Re: Cyclone and Photographies The only problem with applying the camera picture onto the point cloud is that the nodal point of the camera lens is mostly in a different position from the scanner's origin point. Therefore some of the picture might be applied to wrong points due to paralax, diffenent origin point and so on. There is a nice wayy around it. You will find all the info under: http://software.lgshds.com/public/camera/ This pdf explains aplying a full panoramic picture onto the point cloud, but you can make normal picture with the same method and aply a single photo to point cloud without distortions and paralax. Hope this helps Daniel

Re: Cyclone and Photographies Hi there! Point 1 can be achieved and the tools are buried within the Cyclone Scan Module (NOT scan control), if you open a modelspace with ONLY a SCAN license running on any given machine you will be able to apply colour photos to your cloud. Firstly import the image you wih to use into the associated images folder in Cyclone Navigator. Then open the Modelspace and use Edit Object > Appearance > Texture Browser Import the image... it opens in a window with a smaller window attached - the constraints window. Add minimum 7 contraints picking points in the data and the image accordingly and press the calculate option... this will provide you with a pixel error... the lower the better (in general). Continue adding & altering contraints until you get the results you want! Point 2 cannot be achieved in Cyclone. But I'm sure someone will have an AMAZING solution I'm not aware of... Best Regards, Paul

Re: Scissor Lifts Hi,We did a job once using an 'underslinger', which is a mobile platform that goes under a bridge for inspections/maintainence. It's similar to a scissor lift I suppose, and for this we had to build a special adjustable adapter to hold the scanner on it's side in order for us to scan directly above us.We've also had the scanner on the end of a boom to scan sea defences.Both exercises went fine and produced point cloud data well within the clients tolerance.I have images of these if you need to see them?RegardsPhil

Cyclone and Photographies Hi everybody, Here are my questions : _ I'd like to colour the points of my cloud with pics taken by a high resolution camera. I'm sure i can do it with cyclone, with homologous points... But I can't find a way to do this. _ After, I'd like to go further : I want to set a picture on a cloud point of a facade of a building. But I want that new points be created by the fact fact we add the photography. This last should be "wrap" the points and create new by interpolation.... Anyone could help me please??

Re: Leica ScanStation2 Hello Ermark.Best thing to do is just call to nearest Leica representative and ask. But what I've seen on one of official Leica's SS2 presentation - they used Honda EU10i as power source for this scanner, so there should be no problem in obtaining such permision.

Re: Scissor Lifts Hi Jason, We did a job using a scissor lift (similar to the one in the left of your photo), to scan a section of storm damaged wavewall on a breakwater here. We needed the extra height to be able to see over the remaining 6m high wavewall to the energy dissipating akmons beyond. The hydro engineers did a wave action analysis on the structure. Using our HDS3000 it soon became obvious that the only way to get the required stabilty to scan was to rest the platform edge on the top of the wavewall (platform skidded out), limit scan times to < 1 hour and no personel on platform during scanning. The chance of sudden movement due to people or wind is obvious but also be aware of hydraulic leakage causing 'creep' over time. Even with the above measures in place larger than usual (1-2cm) errors cropped up, though they did not pose any real problem due to the end use of the scan data. Cheers,

Re: Turn polyline into cylinder Even I didn't know that... That's an excellent and potentially very useful tool...

Re: Turn polyline into cylinder Glad to have helped.

Re: CloudWorx for Microstation Check your personal messages

CloudWorx for Microstation Hi Guys,Does any one have some training materials on CloudWorx for Microstation?? Though there are limited commands in this software but I didnt get any conclusive training material from Leica as well. Similar things for Cyclone as well, there is no training material or training video available to us as a customer for Cyclone I remember the last training material (tutorial) I got it from Ron Arts, it was for Cyclone 5.3, things have changed drastically in Cyclone but there are no training material or syllabus available till date, we had to develop our own. If any one having such material kindly share, it will be of great help.Regards,Gourango

Re: Turn polyline into cylinder Thanks for the quick reply that solved our issue.

Re: Turn polyline into cylinder No, but if you explode it in to sections and insert a cylinder while a line is selected it wil be inserted along the center line.

Turn polyline into cylinder Is it possible to turn a polyline into a cylinder in Cyclone?

Looking for a job! I'm from Estonia and i'm looking for opportunity to work as modeling operator. I have one year experience for modeling and outside scanning and 3 year experience as land-survey. I have experience working in Cyclone, autocad and microstation! sander.suharov@gmail.com

Re: UpSide Down Scanners Hi AllYes it uses a small hand drill to raise and lower the scanner on the cables before clapping off the rod.As for the price I do not have any information as Leica in the UK are not stoking this item.You can either contact the manufactor directly (details in thread above) or contact you local Leica Representative to see if the can source or supply.personally I would contact the manufacture.

Re: UpSide Down Scanners Steve,do they use a hand drill to move the scanner up and down?? This looks a little bit strange...Thanks for all the info!

Re: Leica ScanStation2 Hi all,The question concerning SS2. As I understood some use generator like Honda EU10i for Leica scanners. I think it's very convenient. But there is the opinion that generators affect bad on laser.And you should obtain written permission from Leica to use alternative power supplies...Two battery sets for scanner and additional battaries for PC - I don't like this! Can we use generator without risk of Leica's warranty loss?

Re: UpSide Down Scanners very interesting Steve,do you have any idea on costs?cheers

Re: Laser Scanning is Art!! Just download all the code, the processing program and follow the instructions. You can tweak the code to your own liking and read up on the functions to change OpenGL graphics and the way the program reads the files in... effectively it is just reading in 1000's of CSV files one after another... very clever indeed... I particularly like the fact that open GL had trouble displaying points rather then lines (albeit very small lines) so that is how is works so quickly!If anyone has a go with 6000 or SS2 data let me know... asap.Cheers,P

Re: Laser Scanning is Art!! stevenramsey wrote:The interactive 3D video is so cool. http://code.google.com/creative/radiohead/viewer.html Wow! It is really cool! Does somebody know how such 3d video was created?

Re: Model Library Model librarys are a great idea, if you are working on house or building design, where you may find the same object used more than once, such as a door or window, roof truss or lintel etc. But even then they need to be managed as items change.I work mainly with 3D refinery models.The librarys that ship with Cyclone are good for steel sizes and flange sizes, but they do not cover everything, it would be impossible. For instance... you may find on a refinery, a combination of norwegian, british, chinese, and american steel sizes over the whole plant. The refinery could maybe be built and altered over a 50 or 60 year period, and whatever was available at the time was used.You also find on refinerys that stock items are altered to fit sometimes, and what happens on site is not always reflected on drawings.The plan is definative, reality is not...Matt

Re: Laser Scanning & photogrammetry Dear Noor, I have been using another photogrammetry system made by Topcon. There are two versions called PI-3000 and Imagemaster Pro and you can read about it at http://www.terrageomatics.com we run an annual users group meeting in the UK and I have had many reports indicating that this software is much easier to use compared to other packages of a similar nature. I have made a brief video about Imagemaster pro doing close range photogrammetry on a waffle below. Please drop me a line via the website above if you have any further questions. Regards Nick

Re: Model Library The only library I keep is for items like lights, pumps and some exchangers. As for arch stuff, I haven't seen anybody keeping "stock".

Re: Model Library Anybody?

Re: Laser Scanning & photogrammetry Hi Noor, I have used photogrammetry while working for Offset Services Ltd in many drip pan areas on production platforms for BSP Shell, around 1 - 1.5 m in depth. (see here). Isuppose the benefit of photogrammetry here is that the camera is very small and portable. Line of sight in these areas is very limited so to laser scan these areas I would had to have all floor plates lifted in coordination with the scanning. Dave

Re: Help for RealityLinx Cool.

Re: Cyclone As Stuart says, the pipe modeller in 5.8 seems to be the best way of modelling pipes. And for retrofit projects, the flanges are the most important part. The rest of the cloud data will usually be used for clash checking a new design agaimst the as-built dataset.It is always good practice to survey key components such as flanges by using more traditional survey methods as a double check. The condition or color of flanges on petrochemical sites, often means that they do not scan so well, so a tape check for flange width is always advisable. The libraries in Cyclone are also very good for working out the true size of components like stock flanges or steel sizes.Matt

Re: Help for RealityLinx Yes it did

Re: PDMS Thanks a lot ScanMan !

Re: Cyclone I use the piping modeling package in 5.8 and like it alot. I do use a unified cloud and limit boxes to speed up the modeling. If I have a complex pipe sequence, I copy the cloud into another modelspace, unify again, model the pipe run (minus the elbows and flanges). Once I'm happy with it, then model all elbows as spec'd (1.5 d bends). Now, not all of the the elbows will be a perfect fit, but most of the engineers or drafters don't really care. Flanges is the really the only componet they really get bothered with due to the significate nature of tie-in points. These need to occupy the pointcloud spot on. Stuart

Re: Laser Scanning & photogrammetry Noor, I've used Photomodeler 6 with industrial coded targets and subpixel marking for good results. Seek out Matt at photomodeler or matt@eossystems.com. Just get a good hi res camera and ringflash with lots of power. Stuart

Re: Help for RealityLinx Did this issue get resolved for you or still out?

Re: Topcon Imaging Station video TimBeach wrote: The sample data set we saw of a castle gatehouse looked reasonably dense based on 2 setups, but how long it took to capture im not sure, although i dont know how easy to use the Topcon viewer is as even the rep seemed to struggle to do anything within it! I suggest you have a look at http://www.3dmaster.org, in the downloads section you will find the Viewer software and a sample dataset to have a look at. In my opinion the viewer is a doddle to use, but I would say that!! Honestly, though, download the software and have a look at the dataset. Regarding data capture; it's not just about points with the IS. The power is in combining Images and Points to save you time in the field. Get in touch if you want to know more. I'd particularly like to hear why you felt let down by the Total Station features of the instrument. Regards Andy

Re: PDMS Yes, LMI must be installed for Cloudworx to work. This is the same for any point cloud plug in for PDMS.

Re: PDMS But if you have cloudWorx for PDMS, do u need LMI ?

Any suggestions about...? Hi there, hope this is the right category inside the forum. I'm looking for some help on how to do some jobs. The company where i work do scan on industrial plant and, not often, on buildings. For the industrial plant we generaly do scan on piping plant and the contractors ask us for piping layout, and sometimes for a 3D view of the site (i.e. for lifting plans). At the moment we use Cyclone to handle the cloud (registration, cleaning, modelling the piping and so on), PDS for the piping model and finally acad for the 2D draw of the layout. From the cyclone model we extract the centerlines that we use in PDS to draw the piping. In acad then we realize the final draw. We don't model directly in pds/acad through cloudworx because the pointcloud is hardly handled. For the buildings the contractors ask normally for 2D views (plants, elevations and sections) of the site. In this case we use normally acad with clowdworx. In this case clowdworx is a better solution because the pointcloud doesn't need to being rotated to be understood (i mean to look at a piping cloud is harded than a cloud of a building with 4 wall ). We make sime slices at the elevation we need and the we draw with autocad to trace the walls and so on to obtain the plant. For the elevation we do the same. If the contractor ask us for a 3D then we obtain the plant/views/sections from the 3D. In both cases we first set a ucs with a correct UP direction and X-Y axes that would be satisfactory for the plant/building orientation. At the moment these are the mainly types of jobs we do. Since we (me and my colleagues) haven't much experience i'm asking you for any suggestion from your experience on how to manage a job to have a GOOD job. Best regards Pierpaolo

Re: PDMS Hi, LMI (Laser Model Interface) only acts as the interface between PDMS and any cloudworx like application. The LMI part is an Aveva product and is generic for all point cloud plug ins for PDMS regardless of software vendor. Cloudworx for PDMS works in a similar way to Cloudworx for AutoCAD or Microstation in that it "plugs" the cyclone point cloud engine into PDMS and therefore you are able to view points as you would in any other cloudworx application. There is actually no import of data, cloudworx reads the IMP file directly and provides the data in the PDMS environment. For this reason if you can see the point cloud in Cyclone then you will have no problems viewing it in PDMS as well. Let me know if you require any further information. Luke

Model Library We are starting to see an increase in modeling projects, and were wondering if anyone has started to compile there own model library or possibly a shared library. It would be nice to build a library of doors, windows and other objects that do not always vary from project to project. Has anyone done or seen anything similar.Thanks

Re: Topcon Imaging Station video We have had a demo of it.The 'scanning' element to it was reasonably good, quite quick, and easy to use, just draw a box around the area you want to capture, and away it goes. It appeared much better than the Trimble equivalent that i saw demo'd previously. We felt it was let down in its total station features, and as we were only looking for a new robotic total station at the time, we didnt scritinise the scanning mode too closely, just viewed what it could do.The sample data set we saw of a castle gatehouse looked reasonably dense based on 2 setups, but how long it took to capture im not sure, although i dont know how easy to use the Topcon viewer is as even the rep seemed to struggle to do anything within it!I can see it being of benefit to those who perhaps do quarry or other earthworks surveys, whereby such a tight scan is not required, or for those who may only occasionally want to record scan data in a limited capactity.

Re: How Do we Know Our Scanner Need Calibration Hi Gourango,But if you are doing a plant project especially in offshore its a mandatory requirement to have your scanner calibrated before you go for the project. We generally do a check at the site before commencing our work.can you let me know what kind of checks you undertake? cheers,

Re: Topcon Imaging Station video indeed, looks impressive stuff... anyone had a demo of this unit? or using one?cheers

Re: Member Get Member Program Hi there, Just to refresh this program.Cheers.....everyone Thanks & Best Regards, Noor Wira Masri Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Re: 100 members for 2008? well....what can we say.....thanks everyone for your contribution here and its looks like we could have 300 hundred members very soon :O)again....a big thankyou to you allcheers

Re: Exporting to AutoCAD from Rhino Hi Phil,any updates on this? cheers,

Re: Photon80 data images Hi David,Thank you for your post and any chance of some more examples?Best regards,

Re: Colour Point Clouds excellent... please post an example..many thanks,

Re: New member introduction welcome aboard :O)best regards

Re: Photon80 data images Any chance you could post a screenshot at full res? The 1/4 res looks nice, however.

Re: Photon80 data images HiI have seen various Scan data before but this looks really impressive, at first i thought it was a photograph. Can you tell me how long it took to scan this?ThanksScan_man

Re: Working Hard...or Hardly Working eh Bob? Big 3D scanner's watching you

Re: New member introduction Hi Jason,Its good to see a detailed desription of what you do. It is very interesting.We tend to do quite a bit of clash testing, and it is nice to see some people out there pushing the boundaries of what is possible.Its very exciting, the way that the industry is developing at the moment.Keep up the good work.Matt

Re: 3D solid model Royal Palace Madrid (C-XVIII) Really impressive...

Working Hard...or Hardly Working eh Bob? Nothing like being caught working hard during a long days scanning in the sun!

Re: Any Photon owner out there? Please find a links to Dave's Photon80 data below: http://www.laserscanning.org.uk/data/wall.ptx or http://www.laserscanning.org.uk/data/wall.zip

Re: Photomodeler Scanner Does anyone have any real-world experience with this setup? Our firm has now setup a synchronous stereo camera system and we're looking at purchasing two more cameras and running some tests with this method of generating the dense surface data. The option to capture full-color and not have to worry about surface preparation specifically appeals to us as we sometimes find ourselves in situations where lasers don't like the subject surface and we're not able to 'prepare' the surfaces using any contact-based methods such as chalk, water-soluble paint, etc.I thought maybe someone would be willing to share their expefrience with this and how it compares to laser-based distance/geometry acquisiton.Thanks in advance.

Re: 3D solid model Royal Palace Madrid (C-XVIII) Freakin' awesome work. This is an excellent example of the power of scanning!

New member introduction Hello all, This forum is a great idea. I visited not long after it was just getting started, when there weren't many participants, and only recently visited again. It is fantastic to see so many active participants in our industry with so many great pieces of advice and interesting questions. My name is Jason Matsumoto and I have been working with terrestrial laser scanners since 2001. I used to work with an early scanner manufacturer on phase-based hardware and software. I then spent a couple of years working with an international engineering firm providing scanning service to offshore and onshore installations around the world. In this capacity I rarely went 'into the field', but certainly gained a broad range of practical experience with many vendors' hardware and software. I also spent 6 months developing and documenting the 'laser scanning workflow/standards' for one of the world's largest offshore oil/gas producers. Another one my my duties was to develop 3D data management software and I learned a great deal from this exercise, also. I feel I am very lucky to have been exposed to so many facets of our growing industry at a deep level. Earlier this year, myself and two colleagues from the industry formed two small firms to take what we've learned and apply it across a variety of discipines and work processes. One of our firms provides third-party consulting for general 3D services, with an emphasis on 2D and 3D imaging using a variety of technologies. Our other firm is busy developing vendor-neutral, high-powered review, visualization and management software for our industry. Recently, we began testing something we've codenamed "DENALI". Denali is a Microstation plug-in that allows the user to select one or more CAD elements from within Microstation's viewspace and then rapidly clash it against point clouds of any size. In our first test, we successfully generated a clash set between 500 million HDS 6000 points (20 GB PTS) and 26,000 Microstation CAD elements. Our software team consists of former NASA programmers who know the 3D world inside and out and our lead guy was working on point cloud software in 1999. Our goal is to apply what we've learned across these disciplines overt the years and build the indsutry's first vendor-neutral and fully integrated 'virtualization platform'. We're working with several oil/gas service providers currently and are looking to find some more partners in the AEC space as our virtualization technology provides for major BIM advantages. I joined this board to offer help and advice when and where I can and also to learn from others what they're up to and where the industry is heading. I see there are a lot of commonalities between all of us in the challenges we face and the perceived litmitations of today and tomorrow's tools. I look forward to expanding my own knowledge about these technologies and also to helping out where needed. Thanks and happy scanning to all! -Jason

Re: New acquisitions and hidden costs Hey Steve, Over the years, I have probably stumbled across most of the major vendors' hardware in some form or another. As for calibration, as far as I know, all the vendors require you to have them calibrate the kit to maintain your warranty (at least as late as Fall 2007). As a former scanner hardware builder/developer, I can understand the reasons for this (precision optics, proprietary software routines, the possibility of having to open the scanner, etc.). While the $7K does seem a bit steep, I would wager it isn't a lot cheaper from Leica, Z & F or anyone else. I also don't think you'd find someone else (3rd party) who, even if they could do it, would do it for much less. Personally, I wouldn't trust the very expensive hardware to anyone but the vendor until this entire technology matures a bit more. I look at it like the advent of digital cameras - in the early days they cost an arm and a leg and no one offered 3rd-party repair or warranty services. Even if they did, most photogs wouldn't trust their obscenely expensive cameras to anyone but the guys who made it AND would honor the warranty (or NOT honor it, as the case may have been). After the technology began to mature in the late 90's, plenty of 3rd-party providers sprang up. I'd have Trimble do the calibration for now. Just my two cents.... -Jason

Re: Colour Point Clouds There's a lot of work being done in this area right now and I would expect the availability of tools to improve considerably over the next year.We've tried, it seems, every method with every piece of software and hardware out there. What I would say is this;1) The spheron and other spherical cameras DO, in fact, produce the best results in the hand of a non-photo-techie. If you don't have someone handy who knows the world of the lens inside and out (nodal point, parallax, etc), it's tough to get good results using anything else. However, even when using the Spheron, technique is critical (gotta find that nodal point and make sure it stays put!). 2) The spheron, besides capturing the spherical image more or less 'automatically', also generates 26 stops of exposure in the resulting HDR image. There's simply no reasonable way to come close to displaying this on any of today's standard printers, monitors, etc. There are one or two companies producing the earliest HDR displays, but they cost as much as the camera (I think there is a reasonably okay early model out for around $50K). However, as a photo geek myself, I think it is really cool to have this much 'latitude' to play with when tone mapping the HDR. To me, this is the chief advantage to the Spheron.3) We capture 10 stops of EV using a standard dSLR. Essentially, we have found the exact height of most mainstream scanners, when mounted on the tripod. We have a special adapter that allows us to take the scanner off the tripod and then mount the panoramic tripod head, with camera attached, in such a way that the light entry point (commonly referred to as the 'nodal point') is at the exact same position as the laser's returned-light entry point. We then snap a 5-exposure HDR from each panoramic position (each exposure is -/+ 2 stops from the next one, giving us a full 10-stop range) as we rotate the head. After we're done, we pack up the tripod and move to next location. This workflow can actually be extended to a two-man crew if you use optical plumbs with your tripod and mark the exact spot the laser was and make sure not to adjust the respective tripod heights between scanner and camera. We've found that with a really good crew, you can in fact capture the laser data and have the camera crew follow behind capturing the color (making for a much faster and more efficient field work process).Back in the office, we batch process one 5-exposure bracket into a 32-bit HDR and then find the tone mapping settings we like for the scene. Once we dial that in, we throw all 75 exposures (15 panoramic positions X 5 exposures per position) into a batch and we get 15 HDR images. We use special software to stitch these together. If the proper technique was used, this all happens within 30 minutes per scene, node, or scan, and the result is a flawless spherical HDR image (360° X 270° and if the photographer is REALLY good, he/she might grab that other 90° below the scanner). This result has awesome uses outside of laser scanning (we do a lot of VR tour work with these images as the results are often more visually rich than than TruView point clouds, etc). One you have this spherical image with a pixel-to-pixel relationship with the scan data, you now have the option to map using a variety of tools and workflows. Thus far, we use Cyclone's cube mapping, but we are working on our own stuff to make this much faster and more intutive and to NOT BE VENDOR-SPECIFIC! We think this can be done far easier, cheaper and with better results than most of what we are seeing today.As I mentioned in another forum post, I am new to these boards, but I am happy to share a small sample PTS or PTX with this technique applied, and/or send screenshots of HDS 6000 data with full-mapped color.

Re: Z+F Imager point cloud plus Spheron colour information Hello all, First off, the tone mapping of the Spheron imagery above is very nice and realistic (as opposed to some of the stuff I have seen!). Is the tone-mapping functionality built into the Z & F software, as well as the actual texture map alignment tools? We have developed a workflow allowing one to map color onto either Z & F 5006 or HDS 6000 data, using a standard SLR camera. The spheron costs an arm and a leg, as we all know, and it is not only possible, but actually relatively easy to generate a full 360 X 270 of high dynamic range color texture to map to the scanner points WITHOUT this expensive and specialized kit. Right now, we are mapping tone-mapped HDR imagery directly onto HDR 6000 data and our full camera rig costs less than $2K. Currently, we're doing the actual mapping using Cyclone's cube map functionality, but we're sorta slowly working on our own software that would allow the user to 'project' the scan and the color photography using the same 2D projection method (Mercator, equirectangular, polar, etc) and then visually/mathematically aligning the color onto the projected and flattened point cloud. After alignment is successful, the software 'wraps' the 2D projection back into the 3D scan data with the color attached. We've mostly been playing with this so far, but if there was a real need from other industry practitioners, perhaps we could accelerate this development project. We'd be happy to provide free copies of the software to anyone who was willing to help participate in specifying precisely how it would work. If nothing else, perhaps it would be a low-cost alternative to the current crop of somewhat tedious and expensive software methods in use today. Thoughts? P.S. I am happy to provide a small, full color PTS or PTX, or screenshots of this data. It does add another dimension of richness to the laser scan data. Let me know...

Re: Any Photon owner out there? I will send a PTX over Showing a small area from the Photon 80. As many of you will be aware it is difficult to compare data from scanners as there are variables such as Resolution, distance and weather conditions. I would suggest that potential customers get demos of the equipment and try to scan the same feature at roughly the same distance. This will allow them to really see the difference. Demos of the photon can be arranged via this link: http://www.faro.com/Photon/uk/Demo.aspx I have also put some pictures on the images section of the site. Regards Dave

Re: Cyclone.. Gee it would be good if... I think Im correct in saying this, but I have been known to be wrong. If you have license for 5.5 then you could load 5.8.1 and continue to use the same license... Worth checking with Leica first.I think that it is quite logical to have a new properties dialogue for each modelspace. That way you can decide how you want things to be, before merging them back to the origional. Its like having multiple Autocads running at the same time. Maybe there could be room for global properties, but im not sure that would work...

Re: Cyclone.. Gee it would be good if... ... if it was for free...

Re: Cyclone.. Gee it would be good if... Hi, well i know/forgot that the windows can be docked but since i work with two monitor i find that not the right solution, but i can always try to find a good docking position, thanks for the reminder About the font size i've tryed that but it doesn't change the annotation size. they always start at size 20. and for last, yes, i use the 5.5 version, havent checked the later Pierpaolo

Re: Any Photon owner out there? Email me the data and I will upload it. What format can we display it on the net or shall we have members download it and utilise their software? email@laserscanning.org.uk

Re: Cyclone.. Gee it would be good if... Pierpaolo,Did you know that all of the dialogue windows can be docked. You still need to invoke the command for a window in a new modelspace, but with it docked it will come back in the same place each time.The Font type and size can be changed in the edit preferences dialogue window.You may want to check that you have the latest build version of Cyclone, as the bug you mention has been fixed... I think.Hope this helps you.Matt

Re: CYCLONE : UCS between scanworld Yes, i think you are right, the fact is that i have noticed that the registered SW wasn't good enought just after the union, so i've started to work on the separate scanworld. But since i need to work on the entire scanned site and i've used the cenerline of the modeled cylinder as a reference i was trying to insert it in the 'entire' model just not to loos the reference. At this point the solution you gave is the best one person can do to not to loos the work done.Thanks againPierpaolo

Re: Point cloud averaging script? Other problem...For each average 3d point calculated the software will read all the 3d points cloud data base, even if they are out the tolerance you gave.This is take a long time even more if you have overlap scanners.We already have a software similar but for only for cross sections and take some time to create them.When we have a large database file, we use Leica cyclone to create the cross sections with only the 3d points and next we export this cross sections to other data base file to reduce the file size.Regards,Delio pontes

Re: CYCLONE : UCS between scanworld OK, but normaly you are not modeling in your original Scanworlds. And if you do so, you have to create the registration at the end. But this is not the way the Cyclone-developers meant to work. And I think it's also not logical. Of course it would be nice if the UCS would change in the original scans after you made a registration. It should give you the possibility to choose. Maybe a new feature for the future, but I'm not sure a lot of users will use this. Bert

Re: CYCLONE : UCS between scanworld Hi, i'he understood and that is what i was trying at first. But anyway that always need to create (at least) another scanworld, while i'm trying to use the same registered scanworld i had. (by the way i haven't modeled anything in the registered SW, so i've just deleted the modelspace that there was and unfreezed it ) I cant't understand why it not possible to watch at the other parent ucs in the registered SW!! it's odd... Pierpaolo

Re: Any Photon owner out there? Hi Phil, I tried to upload some data but it said that the board limit was exceeded....Any Ideas.Dave

Re: Cyclone.. Gee it would be good if... Hi there,i would like to:1) - don't have to resize/replace the properties/limitbox/annotation/object property windows every time i open a new modelspace AND sopuld be a good idea (since every program out there has) thet those wndows should not be reopened for every modelspace but just stay there showing the properties for the actual modelspace (like in acad for istance)2)- some kind of standard property for the annotation (i actually use an height of 15 while cyclone always give me 20!!)3) correcting the annoying bug that occur when i put an elliptical cap at the end of a cylinder and when i've to resize it suddenly the lenght of the pipe grow both sides!!! (at a very fast rate!!)Pierpaolo

Re: CYCLONE : UCS between scanworld Hi,First, you can't unfreeze a registration if there's a Modelspace. (it's there if you already modelled or modified something in the total SW)If I understand your problem: you registered all 5 scanworlds, worked in it, but because the total is not good, you modelled in the original SW5? Am I right?Here's a way to get the objects from the original SW into the registration. Don't know if this is the correct way, but it works.- Open the original SW5, select objects and pick Edit/Copy. Close SW5.- Open Control Space from original SW5 and Past objects here. Close Control Space.- Create new registration with the 5 SW and register the same way as you did before. Same Home Scanworld as your first registration.- The objects you copied in the Control Space wil be in the definitif SW and can be copied to your first registration, because they are now in the same coordinatesystem. They are in the Control Space from your registration.If anyone else knows a better way or if this is wrong, please let me know.Regards, Bert

Re: CYCLONE : UCS between scanworld What do you mean? the 5 scans ARE the parent of the registered scanworld. Only the 1st scanworld is actually insertable inside the registered (because it's own the home ucs), for the others i haven't any kind of reference to use for pasting them inside the registered. At the moment i've re-registered the scanworld using the 5th ucs as the home ucs ad have pasted the cylinder inside the 'so new' scanworld (since now both the ucs are the same), but i can't imagine how to 'import' another ucs (from a parent scan) inside the registered scanworld.... Pierpaolo

Re: CYCLONE : UCS between scanworld Why don't you import the five scans into the same ScanWorld ?

CYCLONE : UCS between scanworld Hi everyone, i'm new in the forum and havent found any question like mine, so here it's: - I've a Database with 5 scanworld - i've registered all the SW in one registration (using the 1st scanworld ucs as the home ucs) - I've modeled a cylinder in the 5th scanworld (that's because the registration isn't good near the part i needed to model - but i think you don't have to bother about it ) - NOW i want to insert the cylinder inside the REGISTERED scanworld but i can't get any good idea how to do it May you give me any help? I was thinking about unfreezing the registered scanworld, put the 5th scanworld ucs as the home and then register it again, but i fear that this may cause some 'problem' in the scanworld (if it's not like i think let me know ) Thanks Pierpaolo

Photon80 data images2 One scan at 1/4 res, under 7 minutes

More Photon 80 1 scan at 1/4 res, under 7 mins. The building is 25M away from the scanner in the top corner.

Photon80 data images screen shots from a recent application, these are 1/4 res scans, it takes under 7 minutes per scan and around 4 minutes for the pictures. (screen shots from pointools)

PDMS How many points can you import into PDMS with LMI ?Is it usefull to use Cloudworx for that ?Cheers

Re: Point cloud averaging script? Hi Mark,That is a good idea but dificult to work 100%.My company thought to developed a software like you wrote.For now we don´t have the software but I have some ideas how would work.The software must order ascending all the 3d points, x,y,z and you must give a global tolerance for the 3 items. so the software will only average the 3d points inside that tolerance. finaly it will create another data file and save only this average 3d points. ( and reduce significant the data file size)But I think we would have problems with circular and spherical surfaces.If someone have more ideas will be apreciated!Regards,Delio Pontes

Re: Point cloud averaging script? Mark, Just to be clear, you are suggesting taking two or more scans, from the exact same position and with all other settings being the same, and then "overlaying them' and averaging the difference between the corresponding points? -Jason

New Member Faro UK Hi all, My name is David Southam I am the Faro Laser scanner account manager for the UK. If anyone would like to contact me my details are: david.southam@faroeurope.com Mob:07901933721.

Re: UpSide Down Scanners Thanks to all for their replies.Will keep the upside down tripod suggested by Steve in mind. Any idea on the price? Ball park, not a quote. Looks like we are going to be able to do the work in a shutdown when the hopper will have scaffolding in it.CheersPhill

Re: NextEngine Hello, I work with Vistria3D and we do own the NextEngine scanner and have quite a bit of experience using it in a variety of applications - from reverse engineering critical assembly line components to generating full-color 3D models for use in online rich media applications. The scanner is outstanding in most ways. The accuracy is quite good, the color mapping is a useful and well-developed feature, and the small size and fantastic price also help. However, whereas other users mentioned the relatively easy-to-use software, I would actually voice a small complaint about it. Well, several: If you want to work with REALLY large datasets, their stuff doesn't work so well. I recently took 40 "fine" scans of one very large and detailed object and attempted to align them in their ScanStudio software. You can't, as practical matter do this, or much of anything else, if you have more than 20 or so "fine" scans in your project. This is unfortunate as the data has proven to be more than good enough to successfully align using other specialized software, enabling you to produce very nice, color models of quite large objects that are simply impossible to obtain with the included software. However, if you have access to other scan data processing tools, you can work with many more millions of points. To get the point clouds out and into other tools, including color, we had to build our own small application, but we have now loaded as many as 100 "fine" scans successfully, and aligned them, using other software. One other complaint about their software is that it is probably TOO easy to use in some cases. There are at least a few more scanner functions I would like access to, including more control over the whole process when and where I need it. I'd be happy to elaborate, if you needed me to. All in all, though? For $2,500, it simply cannot be beat. I'd wager it's at least 3 X times the value of the next nearest competitors (the Minolta and Roland kit).

Re: NextEngine Check out a company in Houston called Vistria 3D. They do a lot of scanning with the NextEngine system and are also a distributor. http://www.vistria3d.com

Re: Acad 2004 to Acad 2009 And one for ACAD 2008 too

Re: Acad 2004 to Acad 2009 I have not used it much myself, but the modelling crew say it is much better. At last Autodesk have provided something new for the money, instead of building on top of the old version.2009 can also be set up to look just like 2004... well almost like it anyway...There is a slight learning curve I think, but the workflow seems to be better than before. Each command is improved and there are less clicks to do small operations such as slice and extrude.The way that Cloudworx runs in 2009 is superb, there is no need to regenerate the cloud data each time you change view. This may be due to the fact that we are using it with 64x windows and 64x Cyclone. I have been using Cloudworx for five or six years now and have never seen it run so well.There is still the small issue of Leica support for acad 2009, and I understand that it may be supported by later versions of Cyclone. The workaround for getting 2009 to work with Cloudworx is to install 2004 on the same PC, it has something to do with the way that acad finds the menu files etc.Anyone that can write a bit of code for 2009 menu files and post it on here would be usefull.

Re: How Laser Scanning Works

How Laser Scanning Works

Re: RealityLinx : problem to import points Ah....you need the .ptc files created in Plantlinx 2.9. This is created when you import .ptx or .zfc directly into Plantlinx. Plantlinx then creates a .ptc (with the same scan name). Path RealityLinx to the proper folder to read.Have you contacted Inovx directly?

UpSide Down Scanners Following on from the posts http://www.laserscanning.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=462 I thought I would start a new thread with the information people have been asking for. The equipment needed to send a scanner (HDS6000 or 5006) down a hole is listed below and can be purchased directly from the makers. This system replaces the tribrach with a purpose built adaptor so please note Do Not Use With A Tribrach The dolly in itself looks like a useful addition to the tool box. Heavy duty aluminium tripod with elevating rope device, including 1pc. basic tube (85cm) and 4pcs prolongation tubes (85cm) and safety top cap. The tripod has together with the scanner a reach of ~ 3,20m underground. In this configuration a scanner base plate for the HDS6000 (which has to be exchanged with the standard base plate) and a support system for overhead application is included. The whole system folds together to ~120cm length Art.-no.: 400138/400152 Tripod dolly triangle shaped, foldable made of stainless steel. Art.-no.: 400134 Screwdrill with 2pcs. rechargeable batteries (for electrical up and down transportation of the scanner) with connecting nut for the am. tripod and hand crank for hand operation. Art.-no.: 400160 Gottlieb Nestle GmbH Vermessungsgeräte Postfach 1180 72276 Dornstetten Tel.: 07443 / 9637-0 Fax: 07443 / 9637-50 E-mail: bernd.nestle@g-nestle.de Internet: http://www.g-nestle.de L1010205.JPG image2.png image1.png L1010206.JPG

Re: Malaysia Business Information Imagine all the nasi lemak and ayam goreng you could eat....

Re: Import .pts/.ptx to Pointools The datasheet says it is possible to import 100 millions of points (http://www.pointools.com/pdf/ptview_1_6 ... asheet.pdf) In a leica pts format, it makes about 2.5 Go

Re: Malaysia Business Information Delightful...

Re: what is your best hardware config I dont think that we set it up that way. There are two program files folders, one for 32x and one for 64x. Windows can run a 32 bit app and a 64 bit app at the same time I think.

Topcon Imaging Station video Looks cool:

Re: Laser scanning on the move

Malaysia Business Information Hi Members, This is some information about Malaysia Business....It good for those who want to doing business in SEA....and make Malaysia becoming your business centre, by the way Malaysia is a good place to stay not too expensive daylife style.... PEMUDAH is a public-private sector initiative which aims to simplify business operations in Malaysia by improving government services http://www.pemudah.gov.my/ have a nice day everyone...Cheers... Noor Wira Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

2008 Leica Geosystems Worldwide HDS & Airborne Sensor User Leica Geosystems HDS Users Registration is now officially open for the "2008 Leica Geosystems Worldwide HDS and Airborne Sensor User Conference", Oct. 26-30 in San Ramon, CA (San Francisco Bay Area), which is just just 14 weeks away. A 2008 Registration form and Preliminary Agenda are attached (see also http://www.leica-geosystems.com/hds), which includes the final program from the 2007 Conference for reference). The host hotel for the conference, the Marriott San Ramon, is also open for reservations. About the 2008 Conference The 2008 HDS User Conference will feature more than 30 top-quality presentations, primarily by other users, but also by a few, key Leica HDS staff regarding product and business updates. Emphasis in HDS user presentations is on "what & how" these progressive users are doing with their Leica HDS tools, including the latest tools. The conference also fosters very active networking and a "Leica HDS Experts Booth" will be available for one-on-one interaction. Feedback from attendees of prior conferences has been outstanding. The conference has developed a very strong and rapidly growing following among HDS users, who have repeatedly told us and others that the business benefits gained far exceed the invested time and cost. by Geoff Jacobs. For 2008 the annual Airborne Sensors User Conference will be joining the HDS conference at the San Ramon Marriott. The two conferences will run in parallel, with a couple of plenary presentations planned for all attendees. Registrants are free to attend any presentation. More than 400 attendees from more than 20 countries are expected for this year's conference. Plan Contest Leica are actively asking registrars to send in, before the conference, paper plots from HDS projects for a "Plan Contest". There will be three categories: (1) civil/survey, (2) plant, and (3) architecture. They plan to display these during the conference as examples of deliverables that others are doing. Seeking HDS Conference Speakers While a good number of interesting speakers & informative topics from some of our most progressive users have already been arranged, many speaking opportunities are still available. Registration fees for speakers are waived. The key for selection as a speaker is for the HDS content to be of genuine benefit and value to attendees, with an emphasis on educating fellow attendees about "how" in addition to "what". Speaking at the HDS User Conference is considered a prestigious opportunity, providing exceptional exposure for the speaker/organization within the HDS community and to attending press/media. As such, in the past, there have been more candidate speakers than available speaking slots. We expect this again for 2008. The ability to be selective about presentation topics that are most beneficial to attendees is one of the reasons for the high quality reputation that the conference has earned. If you are interested in possibly speaking, please contact Mr Geoff Jacobs directly on tel +1 925-790-2317; or via email at geoffrey.jacobs@lgshds.com. Early Sign-ups and Reservations The number of early inquiries about registration for the conferences has been very high, so it's clear that "word has gotten out" about the very high quality and value of the conference. In the past, the San Ramon Marriott hotel rooms and the hands-on workshops have all filled up. It is recommended to make reservations for these sooner rather than later. Key Contacts HDS Conference coordinator: Angelique Ortega (+1 925-790-2318; HDSconference@lgshds.com) Airborne Sensor Conference coordinator: Helen Rencher (+1 303-799-9453 x1900; Helen.rencher@leicaus.com) HDS Plan Contest coordinator: Mike Harvey (+1 615-585-0689; mike.harvey@leicaus.com) Golf tourney (Sat., Oct. 25th) coordinator: Joel Hurt (+1 925-790-2371; joel.hurt@lgshds.com) Preliminary Agenda 2008 WW HDS UserConference_14July08.pdf WW HDS User Conf Reg Form_14July08.pdf

Re: Hanging the scanner upside down We ware thinking about the upside down use of the scanner on the shaft survey project, but it got postponed so we did not follow that idea, but as far as i know the scanner (6000, Z&F, Amberg) is fully able to work upside down. The only problem is the mounting. There ware once special tripods for mining theodolites that ware hanging from the tripod (used to observe points in shafts) but i do not know where could you get them from.

Re: CloudWorx : cant see icons Hello, Don't know if this is the same for AutoCad2008, but with AutoCad2006 you have to load the menu's and icons if they are not available after installation. Type [i]menuload[/i] in the command line and browse to the location were the [i]Cloudworx CUI-file[/i] is stored. (on my pc:C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2006\Support) Then choose Load and Close. But don't blame me if this is different in your release .... I'm not an AutoCad-expert Bert

Re: Error message I am afraid it doesnt work because I tried it woth notepad++ and it didnt wotk. The best is to launch the Quick basic programm that phillip Nixon wrote. see the topic "Cyclone : big point cloud" Cheers. Pmadec

Re: Error message Download a trial copy of UltraEdit from http://www.ultraedit.com/downloads/ultraedit_download.html and use the search/replace tool. replace.jpg Cheers,

Re: Hanging the scanner upside down so if you use a suitable mounting device its ok to use a Leica HDS6000 scanner upside down? is this the same for the Imager 5006 and Amberg scanners too?Cheers

CloudWorx : cant see icons Hi,Do someone know how to activate CloudWorx icons with AutoCAD 2008 ?I can only access to CloudWorx by tipping the name of the functions in the dialog menu of AutoCAD.

Re: Scanning Techniques For Scanstation sounds like a plan Phil :O) ... count me in.

Re: Hanging the scanner upside down Here are some ideas that we had when we designed the bracket. SUPPORT.JPG SCANNER ATTACHED.JPG

Re: Scanning Techniques For Scanstation I think we may organise a one day training event if we get enough people interested through this forum and set a agenda on what needs to be covered by the users.

Re: Hanging the scanner upside down Phill,Take plenty of images and upload them to the forum when you undertake this task, it will be good to see.

Re: Scanning Techniques For Scanstation I have heard that the Leica Courses are excellent, and I have never been fortunate enough to go to one.There is no subsitute for learning by one's mistakes.

GML LidarK Open Source Library Hello everyone! We develop the GML LidarK library - open-source library which allows to perform different operations on multidimensional point data such as 3D LIDAR scans. Currently it allows building a spatial index - the base functionality of any algorithms. See more information here: http://research.graphicon.ru/3d-point-d ... brary.html What we are very interested in - is the feedback. Is the library in any way useful? What is good, what is bad, what should be improved? So we would be grateful for any feedback.

Re: Hanging the scanner upside down Hi Phil,You will not be able to turn a Tribrach upside down because they are not designed to work that way.We had to put a 4500 Scanner updside down to scan the inside of a sulphur pit. It was fairly simple with the 4500, because of the large disc at the base. We used a fabricated steel bracket with a round plate attached to it, and then just used G-Clamps to hold the scanner in place. The G-Clamps needed to be clear of the scanner itself to enable the scanner to turn. I think it will be a little harder with the 6000, but good luck.Matt

Re: Hanging the scanner upside down Hi Phil,Can you explain us why you need to put the scanner upside down????Regards,Delio Pontes

Re: Hanging the scanner upside down Steve,Would it be possible to get that info as well? I would appreciate it. Thanks

Re: Hanging the scanner upside down PhilCheck your emailThere is a solution to this and will post up images and contact details to where to buy it.DO NOT HANG UPSIDE DOWN ON TRIBRACH.

Hanging the scanner upside down This is going to sound insane, but we have a job were it would be handy to hang the scanner (hds6000) upside down. Has anyone done this or know the strengths of the tribrachs? I'm guessing the possbile points of failure would be the three teeth and the 5/8 thread areas. It would be a pity to lose it into a coal hopper, I've become a bit attached to my 6000.CheersPhill

Re: Scanning Techniques For Scanstation I found the class to be okay. They focused on modeling a lot, when in reality, for surveyors--it would have been nice figuring out how to get deliverables out of the scan efficiently. I recently did a large topo survey of roads and buildings and found getting simple things such as curb lines hard to do. Especially with virtual surveyor--where your accuracy is as only as good as your click and ability to zoom right in on the curb. Our managers want points that can be imported into CAD..not poly's. I second the motion on a more advanced class, but after mentioning that to the powers that be at Leica at the beginner class--I'll I got was a sales pitch on hiring one of the people from them to come to your work for thousands upon thousands. Not a very good answer for a piece of equipment that sets a lot of companies back a few bucks and all the managers want is efficiency. Why can't they offer a class 3 times a year or something? I bet they'd get a lot of takers.

Re: 3D solid model Royal Palace Madrid (C-XVIII) Roberto this is great work, very impressive.If your interested in trying Pointools 4 Rhino for this kind of work please let me know - I can arrange a trial version for you. I know Patrimonio Nacional already have a View Pro license but I don't think you've seen pt 4 rhino?

Re: What Type of Graphics Card do you use? looks like NVIDIA is leading the way....definetly good value/performance.

Re: what is your best hardware config Hi Matt,Did you setup your workstation for dual boot: 32bit XP and 64bit XP?Cheers,

Re: Optech Releases the New Mobile Mapper Hi Faraz,How are things developing with the 'planar shader'?Cheers,

Re: Scanning Techniques For Scanstation Hi Matt, Many of us have completed the Leica 4 day HDS & Cyclone training course at Milton Keynes and received a training manual/certificate etc But what would be really nice would be to receive via email, pdf updates, so that we can print out and add to our Leica HDS Training 'Bibles'. Technology is constantly moving and it would be great to get 'drip fed' technical data that keeps us informed on current procedures/methods etc...maybe quarterely workshops or HDS newsletters for all accredited HDS users? Perhaps HDS users could actually contribute to it too? I must say that the Leica training course was excellent and I would recommend to anyone. We had great practical and technical sessions, the trainers really knew their stuff and all the course material was superb....and I do mean superb, both digital and hardcopy. The only niggle I would have and its a very minor one would be that the HDS manual, which features many diagrams and screenshots etc is not printed in colour...but otherwise excellent. It would be great if they could offer other day courses designed for people who have done the 'foundation' course and want to specialise on say: Architecture or Heritage or Engineering scanning etc....or indeed refresher courses for people who started with the HDS 2500/3000 and want to have up-to-date training on the ScanStation II and HDS6000, perhaps inconjunction with the latest Cyclone/Cloudworx version too :O)

Point Cloud DeNoiser (3D) Software Before 3_Before.jpg After 3_After.jpg Point Cloud DeNoiser™ (PCDN) Software revolutionizes the process of editing massive point cloud files generated by all types of scanning systems. It automates removal of outlier coordinates very quickly, preserving the integrity of the data, and reducing valuable engineering time. DeNoiser is the most effective noise reduction product on the market for high density scanning technologies. The amount of time spent cleaning up scan data to eliminate excessive or minute noise in scan files can be more than half of the time spent on the entire data processing project. DeNoiser automates the entire clean-up process for 3D scan data. It greatly reduces the need to spray surface treatments, powders, paints, or finishes on parts with shiny surfaces because it effortlessly eliminates the noisy data after the scanning process. Messy part preparation can be a thing of the past using this powerful tool. Many more applications for scanning parts are thus viable because there is no part contamination: for example medical, electronics components / circuit boards, clean room parts, machined metal surfaces, polished parts and many high finish, reflective materials that previously could not be scanned without surface sprays. DeNoiser’s new filtering technology cuts down on the deformation caused by sprays. Some extremely reflective finishes such as chrome, polished surfaces, and transparent or translucent materials may still need a light treatment. Noise removal is crucial for industries that use scanning technologies for their reverse engineering, quality inspection, and object recognition applications such as automotive, aerospace, electronics, telecommunications, medical device, consumer appliance, and tooling manufacturing. DeNoiser automatically removes both long-range noise, i.e., outliers, and short-range noise. The software identifies and deletes discrete and clustered outliers without moving any of the input data points. DeNoiser’s algorithm also excels at removing structured point data usually associated with reflections. see: http://www.laserdesign.com/point-cloud-denoiser.htm

Re: Z+F Imager point cloud plus Spheron colour information Excellent....would really like to see more examples of this....Can I see this system process at Z+F UK?

Re: Reverse Engineering a city bus Hi,Looks like your geared up for everything... Would like to know what software you use for the registration of pointclouds when using the Faro LS.Cheers,

Re: Cheapest DIY scanner and theres more :O).....excellent work hal... see: http://www.david-laserscanner.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3344#3344 im2.jpg PC Hardware: DELL Precision M90 (Intel core Duo T7200, 2 Gb Ram, nVidia Quadro 3500FX). CAM: TheImagingSource FireWire MonoChrome CCD camera (1024x768 at 30 fps). LASER: Green and Focusable Picotronic LC532-5-3-F(16x65) laser, 5mW.

Re: Cheapest DIY scanner DAVID just gets better.... im1.jpg see : http://www.david-laserscanner.com/wiki/user_page/magweb/examples & http://www.david-laserscanner.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3344#3344

Maptek I-Site Studio 3.1 Scan Processing to the Next Level Maptek_I-Site_Studio3.gif see http://www.amerisurv.com/content/view/5187/2/ Written by Maptek Wednesday, 09 July 2008 Maptek has released the latest advance in the mining industry’s powerful scan processing software, I-Site Studio 3.1™. ‘We’ve listened to what I-Site Studio users have been asking for, and have spent many months adding fantastic enhancements that’ll deliver even more meaningful results from scan data’, said I-Site Product Marketing Manager, Raj Elakkara. ‘If I had to pick my top 3 new features, I'd have to go with ‘creating animations from a series of key frames’, ‘applying photographic imagery to modelled surfaces’, and the flexible file formats we now support. These enhancements will certainly make a surveyor’s job easier,’ he added. I-Site is a favourite among laser processing scan products and is used by mines around the world for face mapping, pit survey and stockpile measurement. Studio’s powerful tools are combined with an intuitive user interface that relies on drag and drop functionality. Simple menu options makes it easy to use, whether you’re building models, performing data analysis, or creating movies. New options that users can perform with ‘one click’ include tying multiple window views together, removing stray spikes caused by dust, vegetation or other structures in 2D surfaces, and breaking apart contours into individual lines. Studio also now automatically detects a USB storage device and prompts the option to import scan files from it. Other ‘Top 10’ enhancements see 2D text remaining visible under any visualisation mode, and faster compaction and greater stability of DataEngines. I-Site Studio 3.1 software is also now compatible with Optech file formats, allowing their system users to realise the benefits of the most effective solution for point cloud data processing,” added Raj. Additional import/export upgrades include the ability to customise ASCII file formats, group text formats into scans, points and survey points categories and customise imported ASCII file formats by specifying parameters used in each column. This allows 3D point data from different sources to be imported without reformatting the data file initially. All settings can be saved for later use. ‘Maptek adds value to operations by our commitment to ongoing product development, which is driven by practical field experience all the way along the line. This expertise is then shared with customers through our training and support services, which are without peer in the industry,’ Raj concluded. About Maptek Maptek is the leading global provider of innovative software, hardware and services for the mining industry, with 12 offices around the world that employ more than 250 people. With over 25 years of commitment to research and development in the mining industry, Maptek today offers an extensive range of products that are backed by unparalleled customer service and support. At Maptek, it isn't enough to think big. Imagination is practised within boundaries of ethics, compliance and integrity. Our mission and values are to help people and businesses throughout the world realise their full potential. And Maptek's high standards have drawn a unique workforce of people dedicated to building a better company - and a better world - each and every day.

Geomagic Makes Euro 2008 Players Larger Than Life in Zurich Image1.jpg see http://www.3d-culture.de/ RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Jul 16, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- For fans throughout Europe, the image of star soccer players is larger than life. With the help of Geomagic digital reconstruction software, Adidas transformed image into reality. Visitors to Zurich's central rail station during the final stages of the Euro 2008 soccer championship last month were greeted by 56-foot-tall models of 11 players from nine national teams that wear Adidas gear. From physical to digital Geomagic business partner, 3D Culture ( http://www.3D-Culture.de) of Oestrich-Winkel, Germany, scanned the head and face of each player with a KonicaMinolta 3D scanner. The resulting "point clouds" - comprising millions of discrete points representing the 3D coordinates of each player's head - were imported into Geomagic software. Within Geomagic, the point clouds were processed to remove any artifacts generated during scanning, then automatically converted to polygons (triangles). The polygon models of the players' heads were then edited to remove anomalies and to extend, trim and clean-up areas as necessary. The players' bodies were created in the same way, although only one body was scanned to produce generic models from the neck down. The polygon models were then converted by Geomagic software into high-quality surface models, which were used to drive a numerical control (NC) milling machine. The heads and body parts were machined from a hard foam. After machining, the individual heads and the generic body parts were painted and transported to Zurich for installation. Keeping it real Given the public's knowledge of the players, realistic reproduction of the heads and faces was critical, according to Peter Brunsbach, managing director of 3D Culture. "Although the bodies of the 11 final models were all the same, it was important that the individual players represented by those models could be recognized by the public," says Brunsbach. "We had to scan each player's head, including his face, in order to gather enough 3D coordinate data from which to generate the accurate digital surface models for the machining process. Geomagic was the obvious software tool for this task." Players represented by the models were Michael Ballack and Phillip Lahm of Germany, Karim Benzema and Patrick Vieira of France, Angelos Charisteas of Greece, Andreas Ivanschitz of Austria, Robin van Persie of The Netherlands, David Villa of Spain, Tranquillo Barnetta of Switzerland, Petr Cech of the Czech Republic and Christian Chivu of Romania. About Geomagic Geomagic provides automated geometric modeling and inspection software for more than 7,000 professionals in industries such as automotive, aerospace, medical devices and consumer products. The company's products and services are used to enable mass customization with the same efficiency and cost as mass production, improve dental care with individually designed devices, speed time to market for consumer products, automate inspection for better quality in dramatically less time, increase safety for NASA shuttle missions, and optimize design for everything from racing cars to blimps. Geomagic has headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C., subsidiaries in Europe and Asia, and distributors worldwide. Pictures available upon request. SOURCE: Geomagic

Re: Directory List of Laser Scanning Companies Hi Phil,Perhaps we could have a image gallery of business cards? that way no one would get spammed?

Re: CloudCUBE for AutoCAD Hi,Is anyone else using CloudCUBE for AutoCAD who can share their experiences here?Hope to hear from you..Cheers,

Re: Acad 2004 to Acad 2009 Excellent....but whats your thoughts on 2009? It seems to be 50/50 with our CAD guys :O)Cheers,

Re: Blender Excellent work guys...and many thanks for your contribution to the forum :O)Would like to see some more 'Blender' projects on the forum and will try to add some myself when time permits.Thanks again...

Re: SAMSUNG Q1 ULTRA Hi, Indeed you wouldnt use the Q1 for working with a Leica ScanStation II, but you may for a HDS6000 :0) We had a demo unit for a week, plus points: 1. Battery life was around 3 hours. 2. The clarity of the screen was excellent. 3. The touchscreen was superb. 4. Both Bluetooth and WLAN worked faultlessly. 5. Plenty of storage. 6. Good price point. 7. Light weight. 8. Available with XP or Vista. Negative points: 1. Plastic retractable stand. 2. Keyboard buttons too small 3. Poor IP rating I understand the unit is selling extremely well with some utility companies when used with a Mobilis case see http://www.mobiliscase.com/products/protectis/optimum/optimum_tabletpc_slim_uk.htm Mobilis offer a unique guarantee too... Preventis Guarantee: 12 month hardware guarantee. If you break your tablet PC in a Mobilis® shell, we pay! (see general conditions and exceptions of the guarantee). I think that it wont be long before there is a rugged version....but we will have to wait and see..

Re: Laser Scanning is Art!! here is a link to the making of the video... Watch the making-of video to learn about how the video was made and the various technologies that were used to capture and render 3D data. cheers...:O)

Re: Laser Scanning is Art!! The interactive 3D video is so cool. http://code.google.com/creative/radiohead/viewer.html

Re: Cyclone : pipe run Hi,top tip Bert... :O)

Re: Cyclone : pipe run Hello,Did you check that all the layers are on? If the current layer is not visible, you will see the pipe during the 'pipe run', but if you click 'OK' the pipe will not be displayed.Press 'Shift + S' and check in the tab 'Layers'.Maybe this helps.Regards, Bert

Re: Cyclone : pipe run Pipe Run tends to have about a 1/10 chance of modelling the pipe correctly. Personally, I would not use it. Region growing the straight sections of pipe and then fitting elbows is much better.To get the elbow's bend ratio, region grow it - then check the properties of the grown elbow. Then undo the grown elbow and fit an elbow with the recorded ratio.Hope this helpsMatt

Poll about registration softwares poll about registration softwares

Cyclone : pipe run Hi,I have a little problem when I use the pipe run tool in Cyclone.The point is that after recognizing the pipe, when I press ok in the dialog box, the pipe doesnt appears...I have checked that all objects were visible, so the problem can not be solved by this way.Also, all other modelized objects are visible after their creation.

Re: Laser Scanning is Art!! I did a Topo Survey of Johny Greenwoods garden a couple of years ago... I wonder if that converstation we had about laser scanning went anywhere?....Looks really cool!

Laser Scanning is Art!! Hi there all, If you thought laser scanning was purely a measurement tool and nothing else, then check out the link below which is the new video from Radiohead. It uses a variety of laser scanning technologies and 3D cameras to create the video. It proves that Laser Scanning can also be an art form!! Although I wasn't too impressed with the low resolution of some of the pointclouds....... http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/radioheads-house-of-cards-video-gets-3d-interactive-and-ext/ Enjoy.

Re: Any Photon owner out there? I would also like to see some data from the Photon80 maybe some one from Faro could upload a snippet to this forum for us all to see and compare! FARO_Photon_en.pdf LS_infographic_en.pdf

Re: SAMSUNG Q1 ULTRA I agree. Also Looks are not everything with a laptop/PDA, If it does not hold out in the field it is wasted money. Leica were kind enough to lend me an 'ITRONIX XR1' laptop a while ago. In my opinion the ScanStation 2 is the best scanner on the market. Why not use the best laptop with it. http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/14/itronix-unveils-lightweight-rugged-xr-1-laptop/

Re: Z+F Imager point cloud plus Spheron colour information Hi everyone. I'm new on this forum but I have a question/problem. I nead to color a scan from Imager 5006. I done a scan with camera on scanner so I have a whole project with pictures but I nead color it not in Z+F software. I' m