Using a Leica Absolute Scanner

in PolyWorks
 IMAlign™
 PolyWorks|Inspector™

Complement to the IMAlign

and PolyWorks|Inspector
Reference Guides
© 2016–2020 InnovMetric Software Inc. All rights reserved. PolyWorks® is a registered
trademark of InnovMetric Software Inc. InnovMetric, PolyWorks|Inspector,
PolyWorks|Modeler, PolyWorks|Talisman, PolyWorks|Reviewer, IMAlign, IMMerge,
PolyWorks|DataLoop, PolyWorks|PMI+Loop, PolyWorks|AR, PolyWorks|ReportLoop, "The
Universal 3D Metrology Software Platform", "The Smart 3D Metrology Digital Ecosystem",
and "Interconnecting Hardware, Software and People" are trademarks of InnovMetric
Software Inc.

SmartGD&T is a trademark of Multi Metrics Inc. NX is a trademark or registered trademark of

Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States
and in other countries. Teamcenter is a trademark or registered trademark of Siemens
Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in
other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

This manual, as well as the software described in it, is furnished under license and may be
used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license. The content of this
document is furnished for informational use only, and is subject to change without notice.
InnovMetric Software Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies
that may appear in this document.

Except as permitted by such license, reproduction in whole or in part in any way without
written permission from InnovMetric Software is strictly prohibited.

Using a Leica Absolute Scanner in PolyWorks

2020/03/17
PolyWorks® Metrology Suite 2020
Contents

4 Introduction

5 1. Requirements
5 1.1 Hardware and software components

6 2. Line Scanning
6 2.1 Choosing the device plug-in
6 2.2 Setting device-specific options
6 2.2.1 Scan dialog box
7 2.2.2 Line Scan Options dialog box
8 2.3 Scanning in PolyWorks
9 2.4 Disconnecting from the device

Using a Leica Absolute Scanner in PolyWorks 2020 3

Introduction

The PolyWorks® Metrology Suite is a complete reverse-engineering and inspection

solution for high-density point clouds. It offers a wide choice of plug-ins that allow the
capture of 3D coordinate points through line scanning devices.

This document explains how to configure the Leica Absolute Scanner in order to use it
with the PolyWorks Metrology Suite, and describes device-specific parameters. For any
questions or issues related to the device or its setup, contact a Leica representative.

Related documentation

Each PolyWorks Metrology Suite module has its own complete reference guide in the
PDF format. It can be accessed by pressing the ? symbol in the title bar of any open
module dialog box, or by looking under a module’s Help menu. The following
documents are closely related to the current one:

Reference
Description
guide

PolyWorks
Contains a complete description of the Workspace Manager and
Reference
explains how to customize the user interface.
Guide

Explains the different functionalities in the IMAlign module of the

PolyWorks Metrology Suite. More specifically, it contains a chapter on
IMAlign how to use the line scanning plug-in in IMAlign (see the “Plug-ins for
Reference Scanning Objects” chapter). The content of this chapter is generic.
Guide
For information on line scanning with the device described in this
document, see the Line Scanning chapter in the present document.

Explains the different functionalities in the PolyWorks|Inspector

module of the PolyWorks Metrology Suite. More specifically, it
PolyWorks| contains a chapter on how to use the line scanning plug-in in
Inspector PolyWorks|Inspector (see the “Plug-ins for Scanning Objects”
Reference chapter). The content of the chapter is generic.
Guide
For information on line scanning with the device currently used, see
the Line Scanning chapter in the present document.

Using a Leica Absolute Scanner in PolyWorks 2020 4

1. Requirements
This chapter provides requirements and warnings when scanning with a Leica Absolute
Scanner in the PolyWorks Metrology Suite.

1.1 Hardware and software components

Before scanning, the following requirements must be met:

 The PolyWorks Metrology Suite 2020 with the latest intermediate release must be
installed to ensure having the most up-to-date plug-ins (available from the Technical
Support Zone of InnovMetric’s website).

For a Leica Absolute Scanner, the LeicaAbsoluteScanner.dll file is installed in the

Plugins subfolder of the PolyWorks Metrology Suite installation folder.

 Leica Absolute Scanner must be selected on the Plug-ins page of the Workspace
Manager Options dialog box. This dialog box is displayed the first time that the
PolyWorks Metrology Suite is opened. It is also available at any time by clicking the
Workspace Manager Options button in the Workspace Manager, shown to the
right.

For information about the different options available in the previously mentioned
dialog box, see the “Setting PolyWorks options” section of the PolyWorks Reference
Guide.

 RDS v4.1.0 or later is required. This version is available at the following location:

ftp://ftp.innovmetric.com/pub/drivers/Hexagon/

 RDS Service must be running on the workstation.

 Software and hardware components for the scanner must be installed. For more
information, see the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Using a Leica Absolute Scanner in PolyWorks 2020 5

2. Line Scanning
This chapter describes the Leica Absolute Scanner plug-in parameters that are device
specific. The generic options are described in the “Plug-ins for Scanning Objects”
chapter of the PolyWorks|Inspector Reference Guide, or the same chapter of the
IMAlign Reference Guide.

2.1 Choosing the device plug-in

Scanning in the PolyWorks|Inspector or IMAlign module is supported through plug-ins.
To start the plug-in in either module, choose Absolute Scanner on the Tools > Plug-ins >
Leica submenu or choose Leica Absolute Scanner on the menu offered by the Scan split
button, shown to the right, located on the Devices toolbar in PolyWorks|Inspector or
the Processes toolbar in IMAlign, and then click the button icon.

Note that when connecting to the Leica Absolute Scanner, all the other probing and
scanning sessions using the RDS software should not be in progress in any of the
modules. Otherwise, the current session will be automatically ended to let the plug-in
connect to the device.

2.2 Setting device-specific options

This section describes the device-specific options offered by the PolyWorks plug-in that
is available in the IMAlign and PolyWorks|Inspector modules.

2.2.1 Scan dialog box

When the line scanning plug-in is opened, the Scan dialog box is displayed in the
Dialog Zone pane. This dialog box is shown in Figure 2.1. It contains the parameters
used most often. The other parameters, that are usually specified once, are offered in
the Line Scan Options dialog box that is presented in Section 2.2.2 Line Scan Options
dialog box.

The Scan dialog box contains the RDS software section, which provides access to the
RDS Control Panel configuration dialog box used to configure the Leica Absolute
Scanner.

For complete information on this dialog box, see the RDS documentation.

Using a Leica Absolute Scanner in PolyWorks 2020 6

Line Scanning Setting device-specific options

Figure 2.1 The Scan dialog box for the Leica Absolute Scanner plug-in in (a) IMAlign and
(b) PolyWorks|Inspector. The device-specific options are shown in the RDS software
section.

(a) (b)

2.2.2 Line Scan Options dialog box

The Options button displays the Line Scan Options dialog box that offers options for
the line scanning plug-in. It is shown for the plug-in in PolyWorks|Inspector in Figure
2.2. This dialog box is unavailable during a scan session.

The Utilities section of the General page of the Line Scan Options dialog box offers the
following line scan option:

Audio feedback
A check box, selected by default, that enables specifying that a sound is made on
receiving a scan line.

Using a Leica Absolute Scanner in PolyWorks 2020 7

Line Scanning Scanning in PolyWorks

Figure 2.2 The device-specific parameter in the Line Scan Options dialog box is shown enclosed
in a red rectangle.

2.3 Scanning in PolyWorks

Scanning in PolyWorks involves performing a scan session using the appropriate device
controls. The bullets that follow define terms used in this section. They are followed by
the procedure for performing a scan session in PolyWorks, shown in Figure 2.3.

 A scan line is the set of aligned points captured in a common plane of light by the line
scanner at regular intervals.

 A pass is all the scan lines acquired after pushing the acquisition button and before
pushing it again, or acquired while the acquisition button is held and until it is
released, depending on how the device is configured.

Each pass acquired in the IMAlign module is used to create an individual 3D image; a
file is also created in the host workspace. Passes acquired in PolyWorks|Inspector are
combined into one same point cloud Data object.

 A session involves scanning one or more passes using the same parameters.

Using a Leica Absolute Scanner in PolyWorks 2020 8

Line Scanning Disconnecting from the device

Figure 2.3 Scanning with the Leica Absolute Scanner plug-in.

To start a session, press the Start Scan

button in the PolyWorks plug-in or push
and release the acquisition button on the
device.

Use the acquisition button of the device to

acquire one or more passes. The method
depends on how the device is configured.
To end a session, push the End Scan
Note that data is only acquired once the button in the PolyWorks plug-in or
tracker locks with the scanner. press the end of acquisition button
on the device.

2.4 Disconnecting from the device

The line scanning plug-in is disconnected from the device when one of the following
situations occurs:

 Another line scanning plug-in uses the RDS software.

 The probing plug-in of this device is connected (PolyWorks|Inspector only).

 The line scanning plug-in is closed.

Using a Leica Absolute Scanner in PolyWorks 2020 9