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How To Render A Point Cloud PDF

This tutorial provides step-by-step instructions for rendering a point cloud into a 3D model using Blender. It includes downloading and installing a point cloud plugin for Blender, importing coordinate point data from a text file, applying the point cloud skinning tool to generate a mesh, and exporting the final model as an STL file.

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backyardcnc
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207 views13 pages

How To Render A Point Cloud PDF

This tutorial provides step-by-step instructions for rendering a point cloud into a 3D model using Blender. It includes downloading and installing a point cloud plugin for Blender, importing coordinate point data from a text file, applying the point cloud skinning tool to generate a mesh, and exporting the final model as an STL file.

Uploaded by

backyardcnc
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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How to render a point cloud

This tutorial is a culmination of info that I found on the internet


Some steps were missing so I created a step by step tutorial to help make folks life easier

After the probing is done a co-ordinate point data file is created you will need to render all the data into a stl file.
Watch this awesome video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RZUN23VsZQ#t=147
Blender is a free and easy program to use.
http://www.blender.org/download/
You need a point cloud skinner add on
http://sourceforge.net/projects/pointcloudskin/files/latest/download?source=files
this is the original thread
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showt...

1. Installing Plugin --o


o
o

1. Download a file "t26_PointCloudSkinner1_Umbrella.zip" from "Download:" link above.


2. Close Blender if it's running.
3. Put the file "t26_PointCloudSkinner1_Umbrella.zip" to "%BlenderInstalledAddress%\Blender\%Version%\scrip
ts\addons\". (%BlenderInstalledAddress% means the address in which Blender is installed. %Version% means
Blender's version number like 2.66.)
As you can see above cut and paste the zip file in the addons file
When you fist open up blender it will look like this
1) Read the The Gooseberry project opening screen.
I donated money to the project for providing a great program

To get rid of this screen place your cursor outside of the box and click

To get rid of the cube in the middle of the screen by selecting an area of the cube with your cursor then type x on your keyboard and a menu will appear
Then select delete from the small popup menu

To get rid the rest of the objects I put my cursor on them right click then hit the x key this will prompt you to delete the object

Check if the skinner is installed correctly by going to the file/user preferences tab and open up the user preferences screen
Select the addons tab the select the mesh tab

You need to check the box next to Mesh: Point Cloud Skinner as seen below

You need a script to convert coordinate points from Mach 3 to vertices in blender: http://groklab.org/tormach/2012/04/04/importing-points-to-blender/
this was written by Brian Johns
Go to the box that says default on the top of the screen.
Use the arrow button on the left side of the word default this will bring up a popup window select scripting

Change new to importpoints.py

Copy and paste the whole script below to the gray box on the left (use right click to copy and paste)

import bpy #import the blender module


############ PLEASE SPECIFY YOUR PATH AND FILE FOR DIGITIZING DATA ###################
#path='Insert Path here' eg 'C:\Users\Me\Documents\DigitizingData\Mydata.txt'
path='C:\\text.txt'
######################################################################################
#Open the file
try:
f=open(path, 'r')
except:
print ("Path is not Valid")
#Create an array of vertices
ve=[]
for line in f: #Go through file line by line
try:
read=f.readline().split(',') #Read a line, split it on the comma
ve.extend( [float(read[0]), float(read[1]), float(read[2])] ) #Extend the array
except:
print ("Could not use the line reading: %s"%read)
# Create a new mesh, it is now empty
mesh = bpy.data.meshes.new("Cube")
# Create empty vertices field in the mesh
mesh.vertices.add(len(ve)/3)
# Add vertices
mesh.vertices.foreach_set("co", ve)

#Add a new empty object named "My Digitized Data"


obj = bpy.data.objects.new("My Digitized Data", mesh)
# Link object to current scene
bpy.context.scene.objects.link(obj)

Next you need to change the path were the file is located

When you see this on the top of the 'C:\\text.txt' script change
It too where your file is located For example

'C:\Mach3\point cloud\speed.txt'

When you save the file to a folder you must put .txt at the end of the file

Look at the top of the script

When the script is finished hit the run script button and the point cloud will appear on the stage

I expanded the screen by clicking on the borders and moving the unneeded screens out of the way
To zoom in on the object you can hit the control +

To select all the points right click and then you can edit what points you want to edit by
going to the bottom of the screen and switching from object mode to edit mode

Then you can edit the points you want to use by deselecting the points by hitting a then type b to create a bounding box

Go to sceen tab again and go all the way to the bottom to the point cloud skinner box and change Target object to My Digitized Data
Also change Dist for skin to a smaller number like .3

The object I probed was interupted several times my curious children touching the key board

This is what it looks like when skinned

If the distance for skin is set to high there will be dots in addition to the skin
You can save this for you cad software
By exporting it as an stl file

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