Chris Ahern, Marketing Manager - DotProduct Boston

Last week on the showroom floor at Siemens PLM Connection 2017 in Indianapolis, I found myself exploring some of the best workflows for import of DotProduct data into Siemens PLM applications, such as NX 11. These traditionally solid-based applications are widely used for product lifecycle management and design engineering, but haven't traditionally paired as well with laser scan point cloud data. While I found some simple ascii point cloud import functionality available in NX, it is very limited in terms of the number of points and is not designed for use with high density color scan data. This is also the case for many other solid-based mechanical design applications. This led me to InfiPoints DP and Bentley Pointools.

InfiPoints DP offers the most rapid and direct workflow into NX for DotProduct scan data. Operating on Android with Phi.3D and Dot3D, InfiPoints DP rapidly reads DP scan data and exports IGES or DWG solids in a matter of minutes. The application recognizes all surfaces and cylinders in the DP data and converts them into solid features during this process. All these solids can then be exported into a single IGES file, which imports directly into NX. The best part? By avoiding the point cloud data, these solid features are very lightweight and fast to work with in NX, and no additional conversion is necessary on the PC. Please see below for some images of DP data in Dot3D on Android and IGES data in Siemens NX on Windows 10, converted automatically on Android using InfiPoints DP.

While InfiPoints DP is a great workflow for many applications, it can sometimes still be beneficial to utilize the full color point cloud data as a reference, especially in more complex environments. It is for this reason that Siemens has partnered directly with Bentley Pointools. In Pointools or the free Pointools PODcreator, users can import DotProduct data in PTX, PTS, or XYZ format, and export POD point cloud files. POD data will now import directly into Siemens NX 11 as reference point cloud data. Please click here for more on what is new in NX 11 and see below for a brief video on the workflow.

With a growing list of workflows and partners, we aim to make working with DotProduct data rapid and easy in a wide variety of 3D environments. Programs like InfiPoints DP and Bentley Pointools are also helping to bridge some of the gaps. For more information on InfiPoints DP and to download a free 30-day trial, please click here. for more information on Bentley Pointools and to download the free Pointools PODcreator, please click here. 

Chris Ahern
Marketing Manager
​DotProduct Boston

Chris Ahern, Marketing Manager - DotProduct Boston

How can I merge my DPI-8X data with my tripod scan data? This is one of the most common questions from DPI-8X customers, and can be accomplished in a variety of ways. 

In today's video blog, I'm excited to highlight the workflow to register DPI-8X data with tripod scan data wirelessly in the field. With the DPI-8 or DPI-8X handheld scanner, Z+F 5010X or 5016 Imager, and Z+F LaserControl Scout scanning software, users are now able to add handheld data directly into their tripod data set in the field at the time of capture. LaserControl Scout is Z+F's solution to in-field registration and remote scanner control. Operating on a Surface Pro on site, this allows DotProduct and Z+F customers to align and register handheld and tripod data, all on a touchscreen tablet in the field with no need for wired transfer or moving data on USB drives.

As shown in the video below, the DPI-8X is great for capturing hard-to-reach or occluded areas, while the 5010X is one of the best scanners on the market for accurate capture of larger areas. This video tutorial walks through the full process of leveraging both technologies in the field with LaserControl Scout. The process begins with launching the tripod scan from the tablet, continues to capturing an occluded area with the DPI-8X, and concludes with the wireless data transfer and on-tablet registration procedure. The full video is available below or here.

Of course there are other ways to register DotProduct data with tripod-captured data. Within Phi.3D, setting a coordinate system or implementing survey control points allows you to georeference the data right on the tablet. Outside of Phi.3D, options range from using software such as Trimble Realworks or Leica Cyclone, Gexcel 3D Reconstructor, Autodesk ReCap or Bloom CE, or open-source programs such as CloudCompare. However, all of these options require post-processing of the data on a computer.

Step 1: Large area laser scan with the Z+F 5010X (00:37)
Step 2: Scan occluded area with the DotProduct DPI-8X (01:51)
Step 3: Register the two scans together with Z+F LaserControl Scout on the tablet (04:02)

Tom Greaves, Chief Marketing Officer - DotProduct Boston

​How seductive?  The clean lines, crisp angles and photorealistic textures of a well executed Revit model catch your eye and make you wish the real world was half as pretty. However, beware the treachery that sometimes lurks within. 

A couple of weeks ago we scanned a training room at Modena’s facility in Cape Town, South Africa with a new DPI-8X handheld.  Just to check, we brought the scan data into Revit to compare the as-built with the Revit model of the building.  The scanning part took about 15 minutes, which included putting up and measuring a few targets with a Leica S910 Disto – more about that later. Then we pulled up the Revit model and extracted the northing, easting and elevation of one of the windows.  We used this to set the coordinate system on the point cloud.  All of this took another 5 minutes. Then we took the point cloud into Autodesk ReCap and from there exported it to the Revit model for comparison and editing.

What we found:

• The length of the training room was off by 700mm (28 inches).  We verified the point cloud using the Leica disto.
• The window we used to register the point cloud to the revit model was off about 300 mm (12 inches) from the correct location. 

 
Mitch Parsonage who delivers Revit training courses for Modena updated the Revit model on the spot. See the video – this part was very fast.  From a cold start, we had an updated Revit model in less than 30 minutes and this included some on-the-job training.
 
What did we learn?

• Trust but verify.  If your Revit model looks good, you ought to check it anyway.  This example is not isolated and there are often very good reasons for the as-built to be different than the design model.
• Checking and updating a Revit model is fast and cost effective and can be done by non-specialists.  It used to be that you would schedule a laser scanning crew, get them to come to your site, have them scan your project and then have them send you the model 2 days later (or 2 weeks).  Today we can execute this for small projects in minutes.  The DPI-8X scanner costs about the same as mobilizing a laser scanning crew for one small project.
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It’s all about the workflow.  Scanning, registration, bringing the data into Revit and then fixing it can be done quickly once you’ve had a little training and some practice.