Laser Scanning Intensive Course
Laser Scanning Intensive Course
INTRODUCTION
Lecture 1
LASER SCANNER SURVEY
INTRODUCTION
DIRECT SURVEY
‐ Metric tape
‐ Plumb line
‐ Spirit level
‐ Gage
‐ Theodolite
INDIRECT SURVEY
‐ Total station
‐ Laser scanner
‐ Drone
‐ Cameras
‐ Laser range finder
Lecture 1
MAIN TECHNICAL FEATURES
OF A LASER SCANNER SURVEY
3D laser scanner is a relatively new technique used in terrestrial surveying. There are many different laser scanning systems and
types. But about the category we can summarize two main groups:
Lecture 1
MAIN TYPES OF LASER SCANNERS
Lecture 1
LEICA GEOSYSTEM SCANSTATION2
System Performance
Scan Resolution
Enviromental
Direct import/export formats
Lecture 1
LEICA GEOSYSTEM SCANSTATION2
Electricity
The laser scanner is handled and managed from the
workstation (laptop) by using the official software
Leica Cyclone.
Lecture 1
SOME GLOSSARY AND THE ROLE OF TARGETS
Targets are SPECIFIC and STRATEGIC points thanks to with it’s possible to connect different ScanWorlds.
A ScanWorld is the partial result of a laser scanner activity from one ScanStation;
A ScanStation it’s called the position where the laser scanner is located for elaborating a scanworld.
Thanks to the use of targets it’s possible to link different scanWorlds . This operation is called “registration”.
A Registration is a specific operation made with Cyclone software (or similar) thanks to with the sotware process specific
algebric and geometrical calculations in order to connect different scanworlds.
Lecture 1
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
1. HIGHEST QUALITY OF THE MEASURES TAKEN; 1. HEAVY EQUIPMENT (23 KG HEAD + TRIPODS + TARGETS +
2. HIGHEST RESULTS FOR LONGER DISTANCES (UNTIL 300 CABLES + LAPTOP + LASER CASE);
METRES FAR FROM THE SCAN POSITION FOR SURFACES WITH 2. EXTENDED TIME TO SCAN;
A 90% REFLECTIVE CAPACITY); 3. NECESSITY OF EXTERNAL POWER RECHARGER;
3. POSSIBILITY TO HAVE A TRUE COLOURED POINT CLOUD 4. «ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT» OF THE INSTRUMENT ON
THANKS TO THE INTEGRATED CAMERA; FIELD BY INSERING DISTANCES, ANGLES, RESOLUTION.
4. DIRECT ACQUISITION OF THE TARGETS ON FIELD;
5. LOW LEVEL OF NOISES AND LASER INTERFERENCES;
Lecture 1
HOW TO PERFORM A LASER SCANNING SURVEY
STRATEGIES AND NECESSITIES
Lecture 1
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
Cyclone represents the official software for the management of point clouds realized with a Leica Scanner laser.
TOOLBARS NEEDED
• Models
• Point Cloud Rendering
• Reference Plane
• Coordinate System
• CutPlane
• Viewing
• Modeler’s Tools
LOAD A POINT CLOUD ON CYCLONE DATABASE TAKE NOTE: with this operation you give to the
software a specific link for finding your file. If you
1. Open Cyclone will change its position, you will need to do again
2. Double clic on «Servers» these steps!
3. Right clic on «your computer name»
4. Select «database» ‐‐‐‐‐ «add» ‐‐‐‐‐ «find/search» ‐‐‐‐‐ select your point cloud file
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
HOW TO OPEN A POINT CLOUD PROJECT Why Cyclore create two similar files? Because this software makes an
«automatic» backup of all the activities and operations made on a pointcloud
database.
1. Open Cyclone
2. Servers CONTROL SPACE. It represents a sort of «mother file» that will remain
3. [Name of your computer] unchanged and identical. Any changes to this file will definitely change the
4. Point Cloud original point cloud.
5. ScanWord
MODELSPACE. It represents a copy of the ControlSpace pointcloud where it’s
6. ModelSpace
possible to make all the changes, cut parts, and so on without the risk to loose
7. ModeSpace View
data information.
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
GENERAL SETTINGS AND TOOLBARS INSTRUCTIONS
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
GENERAL SETTINGS AND TOOLBARS INSTRUCTIONS
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
GENERAL SETTINGS AND TOOLBARS INSTRUCTIONS
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
GENERAL SETTINGS AND TOOLBARS INSTRUCTIONS
FENCE MODE
It allows you to define a portion of the point cloud and then delete the internal content or the external content as well. You
must select the part that needs to be deleted by using the left button of the mouse, then click the right button.‐‐‐fence‐‐‐Delete
Inside / Delete Outside
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
CREATE A SEGMENT FOR PROCESSING A SECTION
1. CREATE A SEGMENT
• Select two points of the point cloud in the same area/surface, by using the Multipick‐mode command;
• Go to create object ‐‐‐ from picks points ‐‐‐ line segment;
• Go to Selectable/Visible and deselect the “selectable” option of the point cloud;
• use the single selection, pick‐mode, select the first point of the segment;
• Then select “Set coordinate system origin” [0,0,0] available on the Toolbar of the Coordinate System;
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
CREATE A SEGMENT FOR PROCESSING A SECTION
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
CREATE A PLANE FOR PROCESSING A SECTION
• Go to Reference Planes, select the plane, copy it and select the option “set active reference plane” for activating this plane;
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
CREATE A PLANE FOR PROCESSING A SECTION
• Select one of these buttons for having the right orientation of the plane (X‐Y, X‐Z, Y‐Z);
Set reference plane to X‐Y, X‐Z, Y‐Z
• Select edit active reference plane. With this command it’s possible to manage several options
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
CREATE A CUTPLANE FOR PROCESSING A SECTION
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
CREATE A CUTPLANE FOR PROCESSING A SECTION
• View half‐space. This command runs the section and eliminates the portion of the point cloud to either side of the cutting
plane. If you want to view the part of the point cloud that the software has shut down let’s do: add/edit cutplane, select the
active plane, select the button flip cutplane normal. After this operation close the window and select again View half‐space.
• View slice. It shows only the shape/the line section of the point cloud marked on the cutplane.
• Set slice tickness. It gives the possibility to handle the tickness of this slice, the portion of point cloud visible around the
cutplane.
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
HOW TO CREATE A SNAPSHOT AND AN ORTHOIMAGE
After the elaboration of the cutting plane and after the realization of the section you can elaborate the snapshot / orthoimage, ie the
image needed to be imported on autocad to perform the vector drawing.
HOW TO MANAGE THE RESOLUTION and the GRAPHIC QUALITY OF THE IMAGE
• In edit‐‐‐properties increase the loading of points (from 40.000 until 90.000 mln)
• make more or less dense the point cloud with cloud density reduction
• Define the dimension of the dots with point width
• Reduce the presence of noise elements: switch off the line segment, switch off the coordinate system (UCS) symbol.
Then create the Snapshot: file ‐‐‐ snapshot ‐‐‐ save (choose the extension, f.ex. .jpeg, .tiff, etc.) ‐‐‐ save.
Image size: from 1500 until 5000 width and keep active Keep aspect ratio
Or create an Orthoimage: file ‐‐‐ Export ‐‐‐ select the extension file “Ortho Image” ‐‐‐ define the resolution as for the snapshots
images.
Lecture 3
POINT CLOUD MANAGEMENT
CYCLONE SOFTWARE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A SNAPSHOT AND AN ORTHOIMAGE
At first they may seem similar, but in fact they have substantial differences. The Orthoimage give to the surveyor several detailed informations
fundamental for the drawing of the point cloud on AutoCAD software. When you export/save an image from Cyclone you obtain:
+
Text file
With metrical information for
locate the image in the correct
place on AutoCad space.
For technical purposes and necessities For graphic representations, general descriptive views for showing the
result of the laser scanner project
Lecture 3
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
MAIN STEPS
Notes:
‐ For horizontal sections: move the cutplane at 1,20‐1,50 mt above the floor level, and,
in general, set your cut plane at the windows levels. In this way, your technical
drawings will have the correct representation of the whole distributions of the main
windows and doors.
‐ For vertical section: set your cut plane in the middle of doors and in general in the way
that you can appreciate the organization of the spaces and understand the distribution
of the rooms.
‐ For the representation standards and rules is recommended to dissect on the empty
parts.
Lesson 5
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
Lesson 5
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
Lesson 5
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
Lesson 5
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
Lesson 5
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
Lesson 5
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
Lesson 5
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
2. Manage all those parameters that can increase the quality of the restitution of the image and the resolution of
the point cloud (f.ex. number of points loaded and displaied, switch off the cutplane, switch off the UCS, handle the
colours from the «colour map» of the point cloud and so on);
Lesson 5
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
3. Elaborate the Orthoimages. Procede by realizing both the half‐space section and the slice section;
ORTHO IMAGE
Point Cloud
image in .tiff Text file
extension
Lesson 5
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
4. Elaborate the Orthoimages. Detect how detailed can be your orthoimages by zooming on the point cloud and
produce as many orthoimages as needed.
Lesson 5
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
4. Elaborate the Orthoimages. Detect how detailed can be your orthoimages by zooming on the point cloud and
produce as many orthoimages as needed.
Lesson 5
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
4. Elaborate the Orthoimages. Detect how detailed can be your orthoimages by zooming on the point cloud and
produce as many orthoimages as needed.
Lesson 5
FROM THE ORTHOIMAGE TO THE VECTOR DRAWING
5. Collect all your orthoimages with their file texts in a specific folder AND after that open an AutoCad file.
Let’s start to insert all these orthoimages on AutoCad. Follow the instructions reported on each file text!
a. UNITS meters
b. UCS world
c. Insert the first orthoimage with (0,0,0) origin
d. Rotate 3D in all the direction described
a. For the floorplans there will not be
rotation;
b. For sections there will be a X, Y and Z
rotations
e. Move the orthoimage from (0,0,0) point to the
coordinates written on the file text.
NOTE: before copy the coordinates, remember
to delete the space between each singular
coordinate number. Then copy and paste on
AutoCad.
For ex:
If you have ( 0.5; 0.14; 0.98)
First of all remove this yellow spaces then copy
and paste the numbers.
Lesson 5
MANAGEMENT OF THE CAD FILES
LAYER LISTS, ARCHITECTONICAL REPRESENTATION RULES
6. When you have loaded all the orthoimages on the CAD file it’s necessary to set the layer list.
Lesson 5
MANAGEMENT OF THE CAD FILES
LAYER LISTS, ARCHITECTONICAL REPRESENTATION RULES
7. When the CAD file is set and well organized it’s possible to start the redrawing phase.
1 3
2 4
Lesson 5
MANAGEMENT OF THE CAD FILES
LAYER LISTS, ARCHITECTONICAL REPRESENTATION RULES
Lesson 5
MANAGEMENT OF THE CAD FILES
LAYER LISTS, ARCHITECTONICAL REPRESENTATION RULES
Lesson 5
MANAGEMENT OF THE CAD FILES
REPRESENTATION RULES
Lesson 5
HOW TO PERFORM A «REGISTRATION» PROCEDURE
APAJA SURVEY EXAMPLE
The «registration» is the technical operation thanks to with we can combine 2 or more different ScanWorlds in a
same project.
• PRELIMINARY STEP: it’s necessary to rename the targets acquired during the survey campaign.
• We are going to work on the CONTROLSPACES of each ScanWorld needed;
• Lock the point cloud (from the Layers list) Use the «pick mode» and
select the first target;
Lesson 6
HOW TO PERFORM A «REGISTRATION» PROCEDURE
APAJA SURVEY EXAMPLE
The «registration» is the technical operation thanks to with we can combine 2 or more different ScanWorlds in a
same project.
• PRELIMINARY STEP: it’s necessary to rename the targets acquired during the survey campaign.
• We are going to work on the CONTROLSPACES of each ScanWorld needed;
• Lock the point cloud Use the «pick mode» and select the first target;
• Tools Registration Add/Edit Registration Label
Lesson 6
HOW TO PERFORM A «REGISTRATION» PROCEDURE
APAJA SURVEY EXAMPLE
• During the operation related to the assignement of the codes for each target it’s fundamental to DO NOT USE
the same code for different targets. Each target MUST have a unique code.
• The same codification system must be applied to all the ScanWorlds used in the registration process.
ScanWorld 1
ScanWorld 2
Lesson 6
HOW TO PERFORM A «REGISTRATION» PROCEDURE
APAJA SURVEY EXAMPLE
When the code operation of «rename» all the targets it’s finished it’s possible to create the «Registration»
document;
Lesson 6
HOW TO PERFORM A «REGISTRATION» PROCEDURE
APAJA SURVEY EXAMPLE
2. Auto/Add Constraint
4. Register
During this step it’s possible to check the dimension of the error for each target. You
have to remember that the «error on the targets» it’s not the error on the point
cloud. In fact, during the process of unification the software will distribute the
quantity of the error on the whole target system trying to reduce at the minimum
level the presence or error.
Lesson 6
HOW TO PERFORM A «REGISTRATION» PROCEDURE
APAJA SURVEY EXAMPLE
6. Create ModelSpace
When the process is finished the Registration will appear as a normal ScanWorld,
completed with ControlSpace and ModelSpace.
Lesson 6
HOW TO PERFORM A «REGISTRATION» PROCEDURE
APAJA SURVEY EXAMPLE
Lesson 6
HOW TO PERFORM A «REGISTRATION» PROCEDURE
APAJA SURVEY EXAMPLE
Lesson 6
HOW TO PERFORM A «REGISTRATION» PROCEDURE
APAJA SURVEY EXAMPLE
Lesson 6
HOW TO REALIZE A VIDEO ANIMATION OF THE POINT CLOUD
1. Choose the point cloud that you want to represent with a video animation and fix in your project purposes a
preliminary idea of the route/the path that the cameras have to perform.
Lesson 6
HOW TO REALIZE A VIDEO ANIMATION OF THE POINT CLOUD
2. Insert your cameras deciding first of all the view points, and after this follow this procedure:
Create object Insert Camera
3. Repeat this operation for the whole main views that you want to show in your video animation. At the end of
this operation you will have a group of cameras.
Lesson 6
HOW TO REALIZE A VIDEO ANIMATION OF THE POINT CLOUD
5. Tools Animation «Create Path» (it creates an open path) OR «Create Path (Loop)» it creates a closed
path;
Lesson 6
HOW TO REALIZE A VIDEO ANIMATION OF THE POINT CLOUD
The ANIMATION EDITOR
a) Define the number of Frames that you want to have
between each cameras range (usually for medium
distances you can choose 15 frames)
Before starting the «animation rendering phase» remember to go back to the Layers List, switch off the «Spline»
layer and the «cameras» layer; increase the number of points of the point cloud and set all the necessary things for
having a good representation of the point cloud.
9. Rename your file Choose the «.AVI» extension and click «Animate»
10. Choose «Frames not compressed» and click «ok»
Lesson 6
HOW TO REALIZE A VIDEO ANIMATION OF THE POINT CLOUD
Cyclone will start to perform and build the video animation.
During this process you cannot use Cyclone for other prurposes and it’s recommended to do not force the hardware
of your laptop.
For these reasons it’s also advised to plan the realization of the video animation when you can stop your work
activities on your PC and leave it totally concentrated for this operation!
Lesson 6