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DotProduct Blog

how to build your own custom handheld 3d scanning kit

8/26/2020

6 Comments

 
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Customize the right 3D scanner for your needs! With the hardware and software options continuing to grow, it's time for a review of the step-by-step process to set up your ideal kit:

1. Choose your tablet / phone:
The first step is to select a tablet or phone for use with your 3D scanning hardware and software. If you already own a compatible device, you're one step ahead! Just please make sure that your device meets all the minimum specs required, including a USB 3.0+ port.
Surface Go 2
Microsoft Surface Go 2
Windows 10 OS
DPI-10/SR compatible
​≈ $500-$800 USD
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Android OS
DPI-10/SR compatible
​≈ $650-$800 USD
Android Phones
Android Phones
​
Android OS
Samsung, Google, Motorola, etc.
≈ $300-$1600 USD
Surface Pro
Microsoft Surface Pro
& other windows tablets

Windows 10 OS
≈ $800-$3000 USD
DT301X
Rugged Tablets
 Zebra, DT Research, MobileDemand, Panasonic, etc.
≈ $1000-5000
Other Devices
Other Compatible Devices
Meeting Minimum Requirements
Windows or Android OS
≈ $500-3000

2. Choose your 3D depth camera (or multiple!):
Each option offers unique benefits in terms of accuracy, price, range, daylight capability, size, compatibility, etc., so often times it may make sense to equip a kit with multiple cameras. Please click here for a more in-depth list of all the currently supported offerings.
DPI-10
DPI-10 Kit*
(2-12 ft range)
Most versatile option (indoors)
Surface Go / Tab S6 Required
​$2500 USD
DPI-10SR
DPI-10SR Kit*
(1-6 ft range)
Closest range option (indoors)
Surface Go / Tab S6 Required
​$2500 USD
L515
LiDAR Camera L515*
(Intel® RealSense™)
Longest range option (indoors)
Many supported tablets & phones

​≈ $349-$495 USD
D455
Depth Camera D455
(Intel® RealSense™)
​New & improved, daylight capable
Many supported tablets & phones
​≈ $239-$595 USD
D415
Depth Camera D415
(Intel® RealSense™)
Daylight capable, affordable
​Many supported tablets & phones

​≈ $149-$500 USD
D435
Depth Camera D435 / D435i
(Intel® RealSense™)
Supported, but not recommended over other options listed here
​≈ $180-$200 USD
*Requires Dot3D Pro license. Not compatible with Dot3D Scan.

3. Choose your 3D scanning app:
In our humble opinion, the most important part! Activate Dot3D Pro or Dot3D Scan on your tablet/phone to complete the package and enable instant 3D capture and editing capabilities. Please click here to download Dot3D, and here to subscribe to your preferred version.
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Dot3D™​ Pro
Full-function, professional app
$995 USD / year
$2495 USD perpetual
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Dot3D™​ Scan
Feature limited, scene size limited
​Entry-level app
$245 USD / year

4. Consider any applicable accessories and add-ons:
You may also want to consider some of the following optional accessories for scanning in the dark, extended reach, data processing, 3D meshing, scale bar targeting, rugged protection, etc.
Mounting Kit
RealSense™ Mounting Kit
Included with RealSense™ kits purchased from DotProduct
$30 USD
Light Kit
DPI Light Kit
Compatible with DPI-10/SR and cold shoe or 1/4-20 UNC mounts
$200 USD
Extension Kit
DPI Extension Kit
Extends sensor up to 15 ft
Compatible with DPI-10/SR

$300 USD
Dot3D Edit
Dot3D™​ Edit
Edit-only version of Dot3D intended for desktops/laptops
Windows or Android OS
$120/yr or $300 triennial
Pointfuse for DP
Pointfuse for DP
Windows app for converting DP scans to lightweight 3D meshes
Windows 10 OS
≈ $950 USD / yr
InfiPoints DP
InfiPoints DP
Android app for converting DP scans to surfaces / cylinders​
Android OS
≈ $999 USD / yr
AccuScale-DP
AccuScale-DP Scale Bar Kit
Calibrated targeting kit from Brunson Instrument Company
≈ $2850 USD
Surface Go Case
Rugged Tablet/Phone Cases
Protective cases and/or mounting cases for your tablet/phone
​≈ $30-$100 USD
Dot3D View
Dot3D™​ View
Free, view-only version of Dot3D
Windows or Android OS
FREE

In summary, you now have all the options at your disposal! Get up and running on a compatible device for as low as $400 with a D415 and Dot3D Scan, purchase a complete DPI-10 Kit with a perpetual license and tablet included for only $5795, or explore the many options in between to assemble the ideal kit for your projects. We expect to see continued evolution of these offerings and more, so please stay tuned for updates to this guide, as well as a new video series outlining the steps to assemble your kit on a variety of platforms.
6 Comments

Dot3D™ beta release for Intel® RealSense™ L515, DIY cut-and-fill, two new patents awarded - July 2020 News

8/14/2020

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DotProductNews - July 2020

Here's the latest from DotProduct. Read on to find out more about the release of Dot3D 3.3.3, our blog on the new fill volume calculation tool for a driveway excavation project, the release of Dot3D™ 4.0 Beta with support for the Intel® RealSense™ LiDAR Camera L515, the latest patents granted for DotProduct technology, the full recording of last month's webinar on DIY Cut and Fill with Dot3D™ Pro, and our growing list of supported depth cameras.

DotProduct provides real-time, handheld 3D capture solutions, for mobile professionals. Our newsletter aims to keep you up to date on how we're upending existing 3D technology markets and creating new opportunities for our customers.

-The DotProduct Team-

Dot3D 3.3.3 Now Available - Upgrade to the latest software now
The latest update to Dot3D is now available for all platforms. Please click here to upgrade now. Improvements include Spanish language support, high-res key frame export options, color leveling toggle, RealSense library updates, UI improvements, bug fixes, and more.
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Handheld 3D scanning for homeowner DIY cut and fill project
Our latest blog covers how DotProduct CMO Tom Greaves utilized the new fill volume calculation tool to determine the amount of gravel needed for a driveway excavation project. Please click here for the full article and see below for more on the project from last month's webinar.
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Dot3D 4.0 Beta now available with LiDAR Camera L515 support
This week marks the release of our first Dot3D 4.0 beta including support for the new Intel® RealSense™ LiDAR Camera L515. Beta access is by request only. Please click here submit a request now.
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DotProduct awarded two new patents
We're pleased to report DotProduct was issued US Patent 10,699,481 for Augmentation of Captured 3D Scenes with Contextual Information on June 30th, 2020. We were also awarded US Patent 10,674,135 for a system and method for real-time or near-real time processing and post-processing of RGB-D image data using a handheld portable device on June 2nd, 2020.

Both patents add to DotProduct's growing portfolio of intellectual property centered on the company's novel capabilities for obtaining accurate color 3D data from mobile devices and 3D depth cameras.
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Live Webinar Recording: DIY Cut and Fill with Dot3D™ Pro
Please click here for the full video recording of last month's workflow webinar covering Dot3D Pro's new volume calculation tools at use on a driveway construction project, including live demonstrations in Dot3D.
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List of Depth Cameras Supported by Dot3D Pro / Scan
As our list of 3D cameras supported by Dot3D continues to grow, we're finding it increasingly important to maintain a running list of all the options at your disposal. Please click here for a full list of depth cameras available for use with Dot3D on Windows or Android.
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Want to learn more? Need a demonstration? Sample data set?
Contact DotProduct Sales: +1 617-415-7221 | sales@dotproduct3d.com

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Handheld 3D Scanning for Homeowner DIY Cut and Fill Project

7/1/2020

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Tom Greaves, Chief Marketing Officer - DotProduct LLC
​
It is a long story but Covid-19 drove me to find a way to store my 15,000 pound displacement sailboat in my driveway this summer, at least until Maine, where I usually keep her reopens to “people from away”.  Big problem – I need my driveway for our vehicles, so the solution was to extend the driveway.  The paving contractors we called were all very nice and had great references, but this thrifty Yankee had sticker shock.  I estimated I could do the project myself for one third the cost, including materials. The cut part of the project was to remove the topsoil down to 9” depth over a 15’ x 25’ area.  The fill part of the project was to lay down 3/4” pack gravel in the volume previously occupied by the topsoil.

Dot3D Pro to the Rescue
My trusty DPI-8S running Dot3D Pro V3.3.1 helped me verify the fill quantities.  The problem with ordering too much gravel is that it is not so easy to get rid of any surplus.  My wife was not enthusiastic about starting a gravel pit in the back yard.  Order too little gravel? Then you’re faced with ordering more and the transportation cost adds up. 

Step One – the cut operation
This is a great country. I easily rented a Takeuchi TB230 Compact Excavator and my son Garrett and I got the excavation done in a couple of hours.  This included learning how to operate the equipment from a cold start.  The power of the opposable thumb on the bucket makes you feel superhuman.  I bow to the experts who operate this equipment and bigger every day, of course with much more efficiency.
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Figure 1 - Garrett Greaves excavating with the Takeuchi TB230 mini excavator
​Step Two – Volume Measurement
​I had staked out the area of interest using a tape measure and string and marked some stakes with the 9” desired depth to guide the excavation. Next, I scanned the pit with my DPI-8S – see Figure 2 and then I used the volume calculation tool to estimate the excavated quantity. The tool calculates the volume between the base of the excavated surface and a plane fit to the four corners of the top surface of the hole.  The plane elevation can be adjusted manually too.  See Figure 3.
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Figure 2 - Dot3D Pro Point Cloud of Excavation
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Figure 3 - Dot3D Measurement of Excavation Volume
 
​Surface Area (square feet)
Depth (inches)
​Volume (cubic feet)
Design Specifcation
15’ x 25’ = 375
​9”
281
Measured with Dot3D Pro
​367.87
 
274.8
Table 1 - Design versus Measured Volumes
It turns out you order gravel by weight, not volume.  The conversion used locally is 1.4 tons per cubic yard so I ended up ordering 15 tons which corresponds to a volume of 289 cubic feet.  I could not determine if the volume weight conversion applied to packed gravel or unpacked, however.

Step Three -  Fill Operation
I confess I felt a thumping in my chest when the gravel truck showed up. The operator was very skilled and helped as much as possible to distribute the load.  I covered the bottom surface with landscaping mat to prevent weed growth prior to laying down the gravel. 
The tried-and-true armstrong method was used spread the remaining gravel.  Many thanks to my son Garrett and daughter Emma for helping me with the shovel work. 
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Figure 4 - 15 tons of 3/4" pack gravel
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Figure 5 – Newly-filled driveway extension
Figure 5 shows the end result.  I compacted the gravel by driving over it with a two-ton SUV and the elevation matched better than I’d dare hope.
​ 
Conclusion
Handheld scanning provided a fast, accurate way to estimate hole volumes for small projects like this.
0 Comments

June Newsletter -  Intel® RealSense™ L515, D455, and More

6/30/2020

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DotProductNews - June 2020
Here's the latest from DotProduct. Read on to find out more about our upcoming support for the Intel® RealSense™ LiDAR Camera L515, the new Intel® RealSense™ Depth Camera D455 coming soon, our latest case study with the Oregon State Police, our next workflow webinar covering DIY Cut and Fill with Dot3D™ Pro, the recent Intel® RealSense™ blog on How-To: A Simple Way to 3D Scan an Environment, and the video preview of room scanning with Dot3D™ Pro and the Intel® RealSense™ LiDAR Camera L515.

DotProduct provides real-time, handheld 3D capture solutions, for mobile professionals. Our newsletter aims to keep you up to date on how we're upending existing 3D technology markets and creating new opportunities for our customers.

-The DotProduct Team-

Intel® RealSense™ LiDAR Camera L515 coming soon to Dot3D™ Pro
High-resolution LiDAR scanning is coming soon to phones and tablets with the release of Dot3D 4.0 (beta) and the Intel® RealSense™ LiDAR Camera L515. Dot3D Pro customers will gain support for the LiDAR Camera L515 with the release of Dot3D 4.0 beta the week of July 26, 2020. Please click here for more info and here to sign up for the latest L515 updates, sample data, and beta access.
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Intel® RealSense™ Depth Camera D455 now available for preorder
The Intel® RealSense™ D400 series is getting an upgrade with the all-new Depth Camera D455, now available for preorder. This new model will bring improvements in terms of maximum range, overall performance, and more. Please click here to preorder now.
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Handheld 3D scanning utilized by OSP to obtain homicide conviction
Our latest customer case study covers how the Oregon State Police utilized Dot3D Pro with Intel® RealSense™ depth cameras in their DT Research rugged tablets to obtain a conviction in a case of criminally negligent homicide. Please click here for the full article.
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Live Webinar on July 15: DIY Cut and Fill with Dot3D™ Pro
We invite you to join us for our next workflow webinar on July 15th. This interactive session will review how Dot3D Pro's new fill volume calculation tool was utilized to assist with a driveway construction project. Please click here for more info and to register now.
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RealSense™ How-To: A Simple Way to 3D Scan an Environment
Thank you to Intel® RealSense™ for highlighting Dot3D Pro in this recent blog post covering How-To: A Simple Way to 3D Scan an Environment. Topics covered include 3D scanning with Dot3D Pro, 3D meshing with MeshLab, converting in Blender, and uploading to Mozilla Hubs. Please click here for the full article from RealSense™.
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Video: 3D Scanning with Dot3D™ Pro and the LiDAR Camera L515

Please click here for a brief video preview of the new LiDAR Camera L515 in action for 3D capture with Dot3D Pro. This is an early preview. Full support is expected in beta by the end of July. Please click here to sign up for the latest L515 updates, sample data, and beta access.
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Dot3D™ 4.0 will add support for the Intel® RealSense™ LiDAR Camera L515

6/24/2020

5 Comments

 
L515 on DPI-10
RealSense L515
L515 on Surface Go
High-resolution 3D laser scanning is coming soon to phones and tablets with the release of Dot3D™ 4.0 (beta) and the Intel® RealSense™ LiDAR Camera L515. When paired with Dot3D™ Pro, this revolutionary solid-state LiDAR depth camera enables 3D capture of color point cloud data with unprecedented accuracy and detail. Today we are glad to announce that all active Dot3D™ Pro customers will gain support for the Intel® RealSense™ LiDAR Camera L515 with the release of Dot3D™ 4.0 beta the week of July 26, 2020.

​
Click here to sign up for the latest L515 updates, sample data, and beta access.
L515 LiDAR
All current Dot3D Pro subscribers will gain access to this functionality as soon as it is available. This includes active subscribers, perpetual license holders with active support and maintenance contracts, and all new Dot3D Pro customers between now and the release. Please be advised that Dot3D pricing is subject to change, so we recommend locking in L515 access now with the purchase or renewal of a Dot3D Pro subscription or perpetual license before July 26, 2020, including all new DPI-10 and DPI-10SR orders.
L515 Video
The L515 offers the longest range of any depth camera supported by DotProduct to date. It is expected to be fully compatible with all DPI-10 kits, as well as all other phone/tablet kits meeting the minimum specs. While we expect the L515 to be an excellent option for indoor scanning, please note that it will not work in direct sunlight (D415 recommended) or at very close ranges (DPI-10SR recommended). DPI-10/SR kits will continue to provide the most comprehensive offering for those looking for a complete kit for all environments, with full support for the L515, D415, D435, D435i, and D455 (coming soon).
RealSense L515
Please click here to order the L515 now from Intel® or its distributors. To guarantee scanning access at the best rates upon delivery, please also make sure you are set up with an active Dot3D Pro / DPI license beforehand.

Order Dot3D Pro
Order L515
Order DPI-10/SR

Have you already received your L515 camera? Please click here to submit a request for advance access to Dot3D 4.0 beta as soon as it is available.
5 Comments

Handheld 3D Scanning Data Supports Conviction in Criminally Negligent Homicide Case

6/15/2020

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Tom Greaves, Chief Marketing Officer - DotProduct LLC

On February 27, 2020, Shaypher Lee M. Hendricks was convicted of criminally negligent homicide, driving under the influence and reckless driving in connection with a single-vehicle crash on July 12
th, 2016, on Highway 18, near Milepost 3.5, north of Lincoln City, Oregon. Passenger Austin M. Mayhak (27) was found deceased in the front passenger seat of the 2016 GMC 2500 Savana cargo van. Highway 18 was closed for approximately 8 hours to clear the scene.
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Figure 1 -- Evidence Yard (Image courtesy Oregon State Police)​
​Billy Bush, a District Lead Reconstructionist for Oregon State Police’s Collision Reconstruction Unit testified at Hendricks’s trial following his investigation. The defense claimed he was the passenger in the vehicle, not the driver, and therefore was not responsible for the crash or the loss of Mayhak’s life. Three years after the incident, Bush, an ACTAR accredited Reconstructionist, reopened the investigation when the defense successfully moved to exclude the admission of expert testimony from a non-accredited CRU member who had led the investigation in 2016.
 
Following Bush’s investigation, the core of the prosecution’s case was showing the vehicle dynamics, occupant kinematics, and Principle Direction of Force excluded the possibility of the passenger surviving the crash. Consequently, the survivor was ultimately determined to be the driver.
 
Bush obtained a search warrant for the vehicle, which was kept as evidence and used a DT Research DT301X-TR tablet equipped with an Intel RealSense D415 sensor and Hemisphere GNNS sensor and running DotProduct’s Dot3D Pro software to produce a 3D point cloud of the wrecked vehicle. First, four AprilTags were positioned around the vehicle and their centers were surveyed with centimeter grade accuracy using the Hemisphere dual-frequency GNSS sensor onboard the tablet running Leica Evidence Recorder software. The AprilTag coordinates were then imported to DotProduct Dot3D Pro for post-processing of the point clouds collected with Dot3D Pro using the RealSense D415 sensor. According to Bush, it would have been impossible to use a tripod laser scanner effectively for the data collection because of the proximity of nearby vehicles and obstacles in the evidence yard. Storage space is at a premium and vehicles are stacked close together.
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Figure 2 -- Dot3D Point Cloud Data Captured with Intel RealSense D415 Camera (Courtesy Oregon State Police)​
​The crash reconstruction showed that the vehicle had hit a tree on the passenger side and that the tree had ripped off the passenger-side A-pillar and roof. It was also determined that the cargo partition behind the passenger had been displaced to the rear and the passenger had been caught in the path. At the trial, Bush used the Dot3D Pro software to show the jury the force lines and vehicle crush navigating in real-time to multiple points of view, including perspectives from the front of the vehicle looking back, the side of the vehicle looking in and the top of the vehicle looking down. Bush measured the deformation caused by a tree impacting the front of the vehicle matching this to the tree diameter and damage orientation. Using the point cloud data and after extensive cross-examination, Bush established for the jury that beyond a reasonable doubt, the passenger had perished in the crash.

Herein lies the power of point clouds for crash reconstruction. The reconstructionist can bring the vehicle to the jury and show it from any point of view. Often it is not practical to take the jury to the crash scene or the evidence yard and even more challenging to show jurors the evidence from the same point of view. Photographs and video presentations are necessarily limited to the point of view of the camera at the time the images are collected. Viewing the data from the top of the vehicle, for example, would not be possible with photographs unless the scene photographer had thought to photograph from that vantage point. The interpretation of point clouds can be restricted to real-world measurements, unlike animations. In this trial, while the judge excluded IIHS videos showing exemplar crashes, he admitted the Dot3D vehicle point cloud after defense objections were met with responses further establishing its scientific foundation.

Of course, the defense also has to have access to the data without the burden of having to purchase expensive proprietary software. Standard operating procedure for the Oregon State Police is to provide industry-standard outputs including PTS, LAS, LAZ and E57 files, all of which can be exported directly from Dot3D. OSP also provided the defense the DotProduct binary .dp file and link to the company’s free viewer. According to Bush, this standard operating procedure more than satisfies discovery requirements.

More Information
More information about the incident can be obtained for a modest fee from the Oregon State Police Central Records Section citing OSP Case# SPI6 224289.

ACSR 2018, Tacoma Washington – Birthplace of a New Scanner
At the 2018 Association for Crime Scene Reconstruction annual meeting in Tacoma, WA, I met up with Mario Gosalvez from DT Research and Stewart Snider from Kuker-Ranken, Inc., one of the conference exhibitors. There we began a conversation about the benefits of embedding the Intel RealSense D415 camera on a ruggedized tablet together with an RTK capable GNSS sensor. The idea was to create a solution to produce georeferenced point clouds in the field.
 
We subsequently learned that OSP Reconstructionist Billy Bush had been in discussions with DT Research reseller Kuker Ranken about his research using an externally mounted Intel RealSense D415 sensor on the tablet.  From these good ideas and a short eighteen months of development, the product was born and some of the first units went to the Oregon State Police. We note that this complementary combination of technology that helped lead to the conviction of Hendricks did not exist when Hendricks committed his crimes.
 
About Oregon State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (OSP-CRU) is charged with the investigation of  motor vehicle crashes/collisions and documentation of evidence at crime scenes for scene reconstruction. Investigations often involve fatal or serious injury motor vehicle collisions with a criminal element, or homicide investigations.
They have specially trained investigators located throughout the State of Oregon. Their staff currently includes 14 internationally accredited Collision Reconstructionists by the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR), and 32 Technical Collision Investigators. The program is directed by the Collision Reconstruction Program Manager and five District Lead Reconstructionists, all of whom are ACTAR accredited.
Their personnel receive ongoing specialized training in the field of Collision Reconstruction to establish technical excellence. The training includes heavy emphasis on evidence documentation, mathematics, and physics. They maintain training to keep pace with advancing technology (e.g. vehicle event data recorders), and continuously research the application of emerging technology. They are often called upon to provide expert testimony in the courtroom.
 
About DotProduct LLC
DotProduct LLC is a software company specializing in providing handheld 3D scanning solutions. Headquartered in Boston, the company has a development office in Wiesbaden, Germany. The company was founded in 2013 and released its first product in August 2013. DotProduct sells its products directly and through a worldwide network of resellers and has integrated its software solution with more than 30 third-party software developers including Leica Geosystems, Autodesk, Trimble, Bentley, and Robert McNeel & Associates.
 
About DT Research
DT Research, Inc., founded in 1995 in Silicon Valley, U.S.A., develops and manufactures information appliances, including rugged mobile computing devices and medical computing solutions for vertical markets. From the heart of Silicon Valley in the USA to its engineering centers in Asia, experienced DT Research teams leverage software/hardware integration expertise in implementing technological advances for compelling products.

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DotproductNews - May 2020

5/28/2020

0 Comments

 
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Dot3D 3.3.2, Tugboat Webinar Recording, Fill Volume Video, & More
Here's the latest from DotProduct. Read on to find out more about the release of Dot3D™ 3.3.2, the full recording from our webinar with Ship Architects, our newly reactivated Instagram page, the new fill volume calculation feature, import of HD photos from Dot3D into CloudCompare, Eugene Liscio's webinar on 3D Technologies for Blood Stain Pattern Analysis, and import of DotProduct data into Unreal Engine via the point cloud plugin.

DotProduct provides real-time, handheld 3D capture solutions, for mobile professionals. Our newsletter aims to keep you up to date on how we're upending existing 3D technology markets and creating new opportunities for our customers.
​
-The DotProduct Team-

Dot3D™ 3.3.2 Now Available: Update to the latest release today
Please click here to upgrade to Dot3D 3.3.2 now. This update adds Japanese & Italian language support, native OS file management, Intel® RealSense™ updates, fill volume calculation, custom surface area calculation, improved HD photo capture, bug fixes, and more. This update applies to all versions of Dot3D and is highly recommended for all users across all platforms.
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Webinar Recording: Handheld 3D Scanning for Tug Boat Modifications
Thank you to all who joined for last week's live webinar with Ship Architects covering their use of handheld 3D scanning for engine mount modifications on the Mount St. Elias tug boat. We are glad to share a full recording of the session. Please click here to view the recording.
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Follow us on Instagram! Find us at @dotproduct3d
We've recently reactivated our DotProduct Instagram account and invite you to follow us on the platform for all the latest action shots, data screenshots, video clips, and more. Please click here to follow now.
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New Feature Video: Fill Volume Calculation in Dot3D™ 3.3.2
Today's update to Dot3D brings with it exciting new measurement tools for depression volume and surface area calculation. This functionality was developed in collaboration with our friends at Repairworks to automatically calculate the cubic volume of holes or other irregularly shaped spaces. Please click here for a video tutorial on the new feature.
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CloudCompare v2.12 will add support for DotProduct HD Photos
Our latest DP import DLLs include support for HD photos captured during scanning, and we are glad to see this functionality implemented in the upcoming release of CloudCompare v2.12. Please click here for a video previewing the feature. Thank you to Daniel Girardeau-Montaut.
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3D Technologies For Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Webinar
Thank you to Eugene Liscio and ai2-3D Forensics for including us in their webinar earlier this week, covering 3D Technologies For Bloodstain Pattern Analysis. We understand there were nearly 1800 registrants for this event. Please click here for more information and here for the sample DotProduct scan data shown during the session. Please also stay tuned for more webinars/courses on this topic in the future.
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DotProduct scan data now imports into Unreal Engine with new plugin
We are glad to see improved support for point clouds in Unreal Engine with the release of their new point cloud plugin. LAS files exported directly from Dot3D will now import straight into Unreal via the plugin. Please click here for several screenshots of this workflow in action.
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Copyright © 2020 DotProduct LLC, All rights reserved.
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DotProductNews - April 2020

4/30/2020

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Here's the latest from DotProduct. Read on to find out more about next month's workflow webinar with Ship Architects, new sample scan data from the IAFSM 2020 Crash Scenario, the recording of last month's Master Class in Handheld 3D Scanning, the upcoming release of Dot3D™ 3.3.2, the recent article from Greg Lawes on Rapidly Responding to a New Reality with 3D capture solutions, our new reseller in Thailand JITJAI, and an article from Traditional Building Magazine covering The Reconstruction of the Longfellow Bridge.

DotProduct provides real-time, handheld 3D capture solutions, for mobile professionals. Our newsletter aims to keep you up to date on how we're upending existing 3D technology markets and creating new opportunities for our customers.


-The DotProduct Team-

May Webinar: Handheld 3D Scanning for Tug Boat Modifications
Join us on May 20th for an interactive webinar with Ship Architects covering the use of handheld 3D scanning for engine mount modifications on the Mt. St. Elias tug boat. This session will review 3D capture methodology, data transfer workflows, registration procedures, HD photo capabilities, and more. Please click here to register now.
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IAFSM Crash Scenario: Vehicle Scan Data and Images
This year's IAFSM Conference in Nashville provided us with an excellent opportunity to put our scanners to the test on several simulated vehicle crash scenarios. We deployed not only the daylight-capable DT301X (Intel® RealSense™ D415), but also the DPI-10 and DPI-10SR, given the overcast conditions that day. All three solutions performed exceptionally. Please click here for the resulting data and images.
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Webinar Recording: Master Class in Handheld 3D Scanning
Thank you to all who joined for last month's Master Class in Handheld 3D Scanning webinar. It was great to have such an engaged audience from start to finish. Please click here for a full recording of the session.
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Dot3D™ 3.3.2: Japanese, Italian, volume measurement, and more
Our next update to Dot3D™ will be available next month, adding Japanese & Italian language support, native OS file management, the latest RealSense™ updates, fill volume calculation, custom surface area calculation, improved HD photo capture, bug fixes, and more. Please stay tuned for the release to be available here in the coming weeks.
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Rapidly Responding to a New Reality with 3D Scanning Solutions
We'd like to thank Greg Lawes of point3D for highlighting the DPI-10 in his recent article A New Threat Necessitates A Fast Response. The need for rapidly obtainable and easily shareable 3D data continues to grow in today's world. Please click here for the full article.
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JITJAI joins DotProduct reseller network in Thailand
We are very glad to formally welcome JITJAI to the DotProduct reseller network for representation in Thailand. Please click here for the full list of authorized DotProduct resellers around the world.
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The Reconstruction of the Longfellow Bridge
It's great to see The Reconstruction of the Longfellow Bridge highlighted in a recent article from Traditional Building Magazine. We're proud to have supported Skanska USA and their partners in this project. Click here for the full case study on the use of DPI scanners for the project.
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Handheld 3D Scanning for Engine Mount Modifications to the Mount St. Elias Tugboat

3/30/2020

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Tom Greaves, CMO - DotProduct Boston

Summary:

Handheld 3D scanning was used to capture the as-built state of two engines to inform design modifications for the Mount St. Elias tug.  Key findings include:
  • Handheld scanning delivers rapid 3D data capture executed with low-cost hardware.
  • The small data size of color point clouds allows sharing of initial results from the field to the office for QA/QC before the documentation crew leaves the site.
  • Handheld 3D data can be successfully aligned in the field which disambiguates equipment orientation
  • Handheld 3D point clouds are readily integrated with design files from industry standard applications including ShipConstructor and Navisworks.
  • Georeferenced images captured while scanning supplement 3D scan data to provide high levels of detail

Project Details:
The Mount St. Elias is a 95’ (LOA) high tower barge tug servicing the east coast of the United States.  Operated by Kirby Offshore Marine, the vessel was built in 2009 and is powered by two Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines each driving four-bladed Kaplan style propellers.

Following a noise and vibration study conducted by Advanced Mechanical Enterprises, Inc. (AME) earlier this year, Ship Architects, Inc. (SA) , Mobile, Alabama was commissioned to design modifications to the steel girders on which the engines are mounted to allow installation of six isolation mounts for each of the engines.  DotProduct was engaged to provide as-built capture services using its handheld 3D scanning solutions to inform the design.

DotProduct’s chief marketing officer Tom Greaves and marketing manager, Chris Ahern boarded the Mt. St. Elias in New Haven, CT shortly after the vessel arrived in port.  Their objective was to complete the scanning of the engine girders before the vessel was scheduled to get underway.  Scanning operations took approximately 2 hours however some of this time was required to remove the diamond plate decking beside the engines, some of which had to be cut to allow removal.
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​Figure 1 - Boarding the Mount St. Elias in New Haven, CT
Data capture was performed using the DotProduct DPI-8S running Dot3D Pro 3.3.1. To illuminate shadowed areas, FoxFury lights were attached to the DPI scanner.  A Brunson AccuScale kit was also used to assure dimensional integrity.

The scans were crudely aligned to ship coordinates in the field using the top of the fuel tank for a Z-reference plane and the bulkheads used for fore-and-aft alignment of the scan data.  After the data was aligned, it was transmitted to SA via a mobile hotspot.  The small file sizes of the DotProduct data enabled rapid transmission right from the engine room to Dropbox for retrieval by SA’s director of engineering, Josh Trippi.  The point cloud shown in Figure 5 is a mere 68 MB. According to Trippi, one of the key values of using handheld scanning is that “you get to see the results before the survey crew leaves the vessel – important when access is difficult or constrained”.

The next day DotProduct exported the data files in Autodesk ReCap format and uploaded these files to Dropbox for use by SA.  DotProduct’s Dot3D software can export ReCap RCS files directly removing the need for post processing in ReCap.  SA imported the ReCap files to Navisworks and aligned them to the engine girder model.  Trippi reports that all that was required was to translate the point clouds fore and aft and athwartships which was straightforward.  DotProduct achieved similar results using the Design Compare function (DCD) in Dot3D Pro.

The starting point for the design was a set of 2D drawings which were used by SA to model the girders and frames in SSI ShipConstructor.  See Figure 3.  Note that the outboard frames (purple and green) are representative only.
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Figure 2 - Capture of the starboard engine, port side detail
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Figure 3 – ShipConstructor Model of Mount St. Elias Engine Room
Installation of the six new isolation mounts to be supplied by Christie and Grey requires modifications to the top plate of the steel girders.  See Figure 4.
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Figure 4 - Top Plate Modifications to Engine Girders
Figure 5 shows a point cloud of the port side of the starboard engine.  The purple camera icons indicate the camera positions and orientation for a sequence of high resolution 2D images captured with the color point cloud.  These high-resolution images can provide import detail where scan data may be sparse.  Having the images georeferenced to the point cloud automatically by the Dot3D software relieves the designer of the problem of figuring out which image belongs where.  The user can navigate to the 3D location of the image by selecting it and can also navigate to the corresponding 2D image by selecting the camera icon in the point cloud.  Traditional walkdown workflows require the data capturer to log the details of camera locations manually – Dot3D Pro automates this.
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Figure 5 - Point Cloud of port side of starboard engine
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Figure 6 - High resolution, 2D image showing detail of port side of starboard engine
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​Figure 7 - Fuel filter modification
Ship Architects also discovered interferences for the new isolation mounts in the scan data including the location of a fuel filtration system, cooling system piping and other piping elements.  See Figure 7 and Figure 8.  These interferences are readily visible in Navisworks which has the point cloud data attached in its proper location and orientation to the 3D ShipConstructor model.
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Figure 8 - Proposed piping modifications
Conclusion:
The congested geometry of tug engine rooms, the need for rapid data collection imposed by short in-port access times, vibration caused by operating engines and of course budget constraints all speak to the strength of handheld scanning workflows for these applications.  Alternative methods, for example manual measurements supplemented with photographs risk missing critical measurements and can be very time consuming.  Moreover, it is not practical to share the results from the field to the office until after the documentation crew has left the vessel and the vessel has left port.  Tripod -scanning workflows are also burdened with multiple set-ups, associated registration of point clouds, higher equipment cost and the challenges of working on a vibrating platform.

About Kirby Corporation
Kirby Corporation operates the nation’s largest domestic tank barge operator transporting bulk liquid products throughout the Mississippi River System on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, along all three U.S. coasts, and in Alaska and Hawaii.  Kirby transports petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products and agricultural chemicals by tank barge for a blue-chip list of customers. In the distribution and services segment, Kirby operates the largest marine diesel engine service and repair company in the country and also services engines in the industrial, power generation and land-based, or oilfield services, industries.  Kirby and its marine transportation and distribution and services segments have approximately 5,800 employees. Kirby’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange trading under the symbol “KEX”.

About DotProduct LLC
DotProduct LLC is a software company specializing in providing handheld 3D scanning solutions. Headquartered in Boston, the company has a development office in Wiesbaden, Germany. The company was founded in 2013 and released its first product in August 2013. DotProduct sells its products direct and through a worldwide network of resellers and has integrated its software solution with more than 30 third-party software developers including Leica Geosystems, Autodesk, Trimble, Bentley, and Robert McNeel & Associates.
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About Ship Architects, Inc.
Headquartered in Daphne, Alabama, Ship Architects is a naval architecture firm providing services for vessel design, vessel modifications, regulatory compliance, production and operations support, stability and estimating.  Founded in 1999. The company deploys modern design and analysis technologies including ShipConstructor, Navisworks, Rhinoceros, Orca3D, Maxsurf, Hydromax and Multiframe 4D.
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About SSI
SSI has for over 30 years made it easy to solve the shipbuilding industry’s unique challenges by empowering shipbuilders to focus on the business of shipbuilding. Headquartered out of Victoria, Canada with US operations based in Mobile, AL, SSI works with shipbuilders worldwide to solve their business challenges through solutions like ShipConstructor and EnterprisePlatform, giving them the power to concentrate on what they do best – shipbuilding.
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COVID-19 Updates & Tugboat Engine Room Case Study

3/30/2020

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DotProductNews - March 2020

We hope you and yours are safe in this challenging time. The safety of our employees and customers is paramount, and we are here to support you. Here’s an update about the impact of COVID-19 on our business, a new case study on how handheld 3D scanning was used on a tugboat engine room upgrade by Ship Architects for Kirby Offshore Marine, Italian language support in Dot3D, and more.

DotProduct provides real-time, handheld 3D capture solutions, for mobile professionals. Our newsletter aims to keep you up to date on how we're upending existing 3D technology markets and creating new opportunities for our customers.

DotProduct Operations Under COVID-19
We expect DotProduct operations to be fully sustained through this crisis. While we have moved most of our operations to our homes,we still have access to our physical inventory and shipping resources, and we are continuing to deliver. Sales and support resources remain fully available.While delays are possible, you can expect timely deliveries and prompt support from us.
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Free Trial Extensions: Continue testing Dot3D™ Pro from home
Many of you are facing a myriad of challenges to your usual business operations as a result of this outbreak. We are now offering free trial extensions to all interested parties. Intel® RealSense™ D415 depth camera kits will also continue to be available through us or from Intel directly. Please click here to obtain a free trial to Dot3D™ Pro. For those in need of trial extensions / reactivation, please contact us here.
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Free Webinar: Master Class in Handheld 3D Scanning
Learn from the best! Please join us on April 8th for a free webinar covering all the very latest functionality available to our customers in Dot3D Pro. This one-hour interactive course will review current best practices live in action, while also previewing some very exciting new features that are coming soon. Please click here to register now.
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This will be the first of several new workflow webinar offerings over the next couple months. Please stay tuned for invitations to several new webinars covering other new features, client case studies, and more.
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How can handheld 3D scanning help in these perilous COVID-19 times?
Despite the disruption of the virus, the need to maintain and repair critical infrastructure prevails. Much more is being asked of our public safety customers who are now exposed more than ever. Here’s how handheld 3D scanning work processes can help ease the burden and limit the exposure of those who’s work must continue:
  • Most handheld 3D scanning operations can be performed on site by one person.
  • Handheld scanning can often be executed more quickly than any other methods, which also minimizes worker exposure.
  • Handheld 3D scanning is non-contact, allowing measurements with limited or no surface contact and exposure.
  • DotProduct’s compressed data format allows the field conditions to be delivered over mobile networks, allowing supervisors to make informed decisions remotely. 
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Case Study: Handheld 3D Scanning for Engine Room Upgrades for Kirby Offshore Marine and Ship Architects
Here's a new case study, showing how our technology was used for an upgrade project on the Mount St. Elias tug boat executed by Ship Architects. Please click here for the full article. A shorter version can also be found in Marine Log.

Learn how:
  • The small data size of color point clouds allowed sharing of initial results from the field to the office for QA/QC before the documentation crew left the site.
  • Handheld-captured 3D point clouds were readily integrated with design files from ShipConstructor and Navisworks.
  • Geo-referenced images captured while scanning supplemented 3D scan data to provide high levels of detail.
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Italian language support expected in next Dot3D™ release
We will be supporting Italian in the next update to Dot3D™. This translation is currently being finalized and is expected in the next release. Thank you to our partner Silvio Foschi from iMoj for organizing this effort.
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