From Point Cloud to Mesh Model in Minutes. Pointfuse User Guide. Version 4.0.3

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1 From Point Cloud to Mesh Model in Minutes Pointfuse User Guide Version December 2018

2 Version and Copyright Version History Document Version Software Version Date Main Changes October 2014 Initial release November 2014 Fixed issue with FARO project files FWS November Batch Exporting option added to Batch Processing Reordered toolbar buttons and menu options for camera and projection settings. Installation instructions added to appendix June 2015 Generate mesh model surfaces colored by texture. All users can now put multiple point clouds in a scan folder. Generate surfaces from any point cloud in any scan folder, via a new selection dialog. Create 2D scaled ortho images of point clouds and mesh models. Create multiple sections at specified intervals. Crop and ortho preview: the results can be projected on the faces of the selection cuboid. Snapshots: BMP, JPG, PNG, TIFF. DP (Dot Product) and E57 file imports, and new proprietary file vector file format, PVF. Additional export formats: to DAE (COLLADA) and OBJ (Wavefront). New mesh model attributes shown in Properties window. Improved intensity controls for point clouds. New folders added to Project Explorer: Ortho Images and Snapshots. UI improvements, inc. edit dialogs and New Project wizard August 2015 Changes to licensing process October 2015 Re-engineered point cloud engine to display and crop huge point clouds before converting to mesh models. Uses new POF file format. Tabbed viewport, each tab with different view settings etc. Select a surface, rather than the whole model, when cropping or creating ortho images. Measure size/distance on mesh model or point cloud. Lock the selection cuboid/plane in selected dimensions. Export textures: enhancements and fixes. Ortho image options simplified October 2015 Auto check for software updates. Watermarks when Pointfuse is unlicensed December 2015 Edit tool dialogs redesigned October 2016 Different layers: NEW structured surfaces (mesh). Export to Filmbox (FBX), StereoLithography (STL) and SketchUp (SKP). Measure polylines and polygons (as well as lines). Keyboard controls for selection cuboid/plane. UI enhancements, inc. icons, batch & edit dialogs, and colors January 2017 Bug Fixes, inc. initialization and Windows 10 Graphics Error. Improved stability. Optimized texture generation. Updated FARO Library March 2018 Selectable surfaces for classification and scene tree (instead of layers). Additional parameters for processing profiles: Planar Fitting Tolerance and Surface Angle Tolerance. Licensing and watermarking changes. Batch processing moved to a separate utility April 2018 Live cropping: you see only the contents of the crop box. Grid shows measurements.

3 Version and Copyright Document Version Software Version Date Main Changes More ways to navigate the model with a mouse and view from set positions June 2018 Autodesk BIM 360 upload wizard BETA BETA August 2018 Pointfuse Bolt added to Create Mesh Model in the cloud. Auto Classify mesh model surfaces. For manual classification, Replace now uses \, not Alt. New icons, inc for Create Mesh Model (formerly Generate Surfaces) October 2018 New and amended processing profiles, including Texture Resolution. Can export NWC (Navisworks) to desktop and to BIM 360, and X3D (Web3D Consortium) to desktop. Import Topcon point data CLR and CL3 and Zoller & Frohlich ZFS. Bounding and selection guides for creating mesh models in desktop. Cropping enhancements. More parameters for Auto Classification November 2018 Improved Upload to BIM 360 wizard December 2018 Restriction on desktop processing only applies to Trial license. New Surface Area Tolerance for default Airborne processing profiles.

4 Version and Copyright Copyright and Trademarks Pointfuse Copyright Pointfuse Limited. All rights reserved. Pointfuse is a registered trademark of Pointfuse Limited. One or more international patents applied for by Pointfuse Limited apply to this product. The following credits, copyright notices and licenses apply to portions of this product. Boost Software License - Version August 17th, 2003 Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person or organization obtaining a copy of the software and accompanying documentation covered by this license (the "Software") to use, reproduce, display, distribute, execute, and transmit the Software, and to prepare derivative works of the Software, and to permit third-parties to whom the Software is furnished to do so, all subject to the following: The copyright notices in the Software and this entire statement, including the above license grant, this restriction and the following disclaimer, must be included in all copies of the Software, in whole or in part, and all derivative works of the Software, unless such copies or derivative works are solely in the form of machine-executable object code generated by a source language processor. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON- INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OR ANYONE DISTRIBUTING THE SOFTWARE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. The DotProduct DLLs are licensed from DotProduct LLC. E57 Software is used under license. The FARO Open DLLs are distributed with this product by permission of FARO Technologies Inc. Faro SDK available under FARO LS SDK See Freeglut released under the X-Consortium licence. See Freeglut Copyright Freeglut code without an explicit copyright is covered by the following copyright: Copyright (c) Pawel W. Olszta. All Rights Reserved. Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies or substantial portions of the Software. The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL PAWEL W. OLSZTA BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. Except as contained in this notice, the name of Pawel W. Olszta shall not be used in advertising or otherwise to promote the sale, use or other dealings in this Software without prior written authorization from Pawel W. Olszta. This software uses the FreeImage open source image library. See for details. FreeType open source font rendering library: The FreeType Project LICENSE Copyright , 2006 by David Turner, Robert Wilhelm, and Werner Lemberg HDF5 (Hierarchical Data Format 5) Software Library and Utilities Copyright by The HDF Group. NCSA HDF5 (Hierarchical Data Format 5) Software Library and Utilities Copyright by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. All rights reserved.

5 Version and Copyright Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted for any purpose (including commercial purposes) provided that the following conditions are met: 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions, and the following disclaimer. 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions, and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or materials provided with the distribution. 3. In addition, redistributions of modified forms of the source or binary code must carry prominent notices stating that the original code was changed and the date of the change. 4. All publications or advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software are asked, but not required, to acknowledge that it was developed by The HDF Group and by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and credit the contributors. 5. Neither the name of The HDF Group, the name of the University, nor the name of any Contributor may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission from The HDF Group, the University, or the Contributor, respectively. DISCLAIMER: THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE HDF GROUP AND THE CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" WITH NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. In no event shall The HDF Group or the Contributors be liable for any damages suffered by the users arising out of the use of this software, even if advised of the possibility of such damage. IFC-SDK released under the GNU Lesser General Public Licence, Version 2.1, February 1999 See This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. The full license is in IFC-SDK-LGPL.txt file included with this distribution or is available at : This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details. LasZip released under the GNU Lesser General Public Licence, Version 2.1, February 1999 See Copyright: (c) , martin isenburg, rapidlasso fast tools to catch reality This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY and without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. martin@rapidlasso.com COPYRIGHT: (c) , Martin Isenburg, rapidlasso Portions of this product use Qt libraries under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3. (See gpl-3.0.txt and lgpl-3.0.txt.) The Qt libraries (including their source code) are most easily downloaded from Alternatively you can get the source code from us by ing info@pointfuse.com. SourceSans Font: SIL OPEN FONT LICENSE Version February 2007 SuperEasyJSON was obtained from and is used under the terms of the following MIT license. The MIT License (MIT) Copyright (c) 2013 Jeff Weinstein (jeff.weinstein at gmail) Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

6 Version and Copyright The Xerces-C++ DLL is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.

7 Contents Contents 1.1 List of Figures... iv List of Tables... v 2 Introduction What is Pointfuse? Trying and Buying Pointfuse Feature Summary About this User Guide Formatting Conventions How to Contact Us Quick Start Simple Workflows Full Workflow The Interface Menus, Toolbar and Shortcuts Project Explorer Window Tabbed Viewport Displaying a File Removing and Deleting Files from View Scene Tree Window Properties Window Edit Tools Arranging Dockable Windows Status Bar Other Preferences Creating Intelligent Mesh Models from Point Data Creating a Project Creating a Mesh Model Viewing and Moving Around the Model Viewport Settings Colors, Antialiasing and Smoothing Camera and Projection Controls Mouse Controls Creating Crops, Plans/Sections and Ortho Images Exporting Mesh Models Save, Close and Exit Projects and Files Views and Properties Name and File Name Renaming Project Structure New Project Wizard Changing Project Structure Importing Files to a Project Page i

8 Contents 5 Creating Mesh Models Pointfuse Bolt Creating a Mesh Model on the Desktop Creating a Mesh Model with a Trial License Processing Profiles Creating Custom Processing Profiles Deleting Custom Processing Profiles Changing How the Model Looks Point Cloud Display Dynamic Point Size Shading Method: Elevation, Intensity and RGB Mesh Model Display Color by Textures Highlight Surface Specular Highlights Antialiasing and Smoothing Mesh Models - Smoothing and Antialiasing Point Clouds - Smoothing and Antialiasing Viewport Settings Change the Background Color Change the Grid Full Screen Invert Mouse and 3Dconnexion Mouse Measuring a Model Snapshot Tool Changing How You Move Around the 3D Model Camera: Orbital or Free Floating Projection: Perspective or Orthographic View Position Mouse: Invert and 3D Invert Mouse (Regular) Enable 3Dconnexion Mouse Interaction of Projection, Camera and Mouse Reset View and Restore Defaults Classifying Surfaces Workflow for Classifying Surfaces: Auto and Manual Scene Tree and Properties Cropping versus Select and Delete Surfaces Move versus Merge Auto Classify Surfaces Adjusting Auto Classify Values Manually Classify Surfaces Creating Geometry Groups in the Scene Tree Selecting Surfaces Classifying Surfaces into Geometry Groups Page ii

9 Contents 8.7 Working with Classified Surfaces Change Geometry Group Colors Geometry Properties and Color Classification Deleting Selected Surfaces Exporting Selected Surfaces Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models Overview of Editing Tools Example Workflow for Editing Models Types and Uses of Editing Tools Selection Tools and Controls Position, Size, Rotation and Lock Controls Create New File(s) from Edit Cropping Cropping versus Delete Selected Surfaces Cropping Process Plans and Sections Orthographic Images Export Mesh Model Supported Export File Types Export to Autodesk BIM Export to Files on Your Computer Individual Export Batch Export Appendix A Toolbar and Menu Functions A.1 Menu Functions Appendix B Keyboard Shortcuts Appendix C Defining Preferences and Defaults C.1 General Tab C.1.1 Caching C.2 Display Defaults Tab C.3 Processing Profiles Tab C.3.2 Default Processing Profile Values Appendix D Project and File Properties D.1 Properties of Projects D.2 Properties of Point Data and Mesh Models Appendix E Supported File Types Appendix F System Requirements Appendix G Pointfuse Functions Appendix H Installing Pointfuse H.1 Trying Pointfuse H.2 Buying and Activating a Pointfuse License H.2.1 Online License Activation Binding to a Computer H.2.2 Offline License Activation Binding to a Dongle Page iii

10 Contents Glossary of Terms List of Figures This list excludes small illustrations and most menus and dialogs. Figure 1 Simplest Pointfuse Workflow... 4 Figure 2 Workflow for Quickly Comparing Resolutions... 4 Figure 3 Full Pointfuse Workflow... 5 Figure 4 The User Interface... 6 Figure 5 Project in the Project Explorer... 7 Figure 6 Tab Titles: Icon and File Name... 8 Figure 7 Scene Tree where only Ticked Items are Displayed... 9 Figure 8 New Project Wizard, Page Figure 9 New Project Wizard, Page Figure 10 New Project Folders in Project Explorer Figure 11 The Create Mesh Model Dialog (Bolt) Figure 12 Project Structure: Single and Multiple Point Clouds per Scan Folder Figure 13 Add Scan Dialog Figure 14 Create Mesh Model (Bolt) Dialog Figure 15 Creating Mesh Model on Desktop Trial Resolution Limits Exceeded Figure 16 Creating Mesh Model on Desktop Within Trial Resolution Processing Limits Figure 17 Effects of Dynamic Point Size Figure 18 Smoothing and Antialiasing Mesh Models Figure 19 Smoothing and Antialiasing Point Clouds Figure 20 Measuring a Model and the Measurement Tool Dialog Figure 21 The Snapshot Tool Figure 22 Perspective Projection of Model Figure 23 Orthographic Projection of Model Figure 24 Workflow for Classifying Surfaces Figure 25 Workflow for Manually Classifying Surfaces Figure 26 Surface Selection Mode Figure 27 Geometry Properties Figure 28 Workflow for Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models Figure 29 Crop Mesh Model, with Selection Tools Labelled Figure 30 Selection Tool tab of an Edit Tool Dialog Figure 31 Selection Tool Controls in an Edit Tool Dialog Figure 32 Labels on Faces of a Selection Cuboid Figure 33 Cropping Tool Dialog (Output tab) Figure 34 Cropping: Before (left) and After (right) Figure 35 Plans/Sections Tool Dialog (Output tab) Figure 36 Creating a Plan/Section of a Mesh Model Figure 37 Plan/Section of a Mesh Model Figure 38 Ortho Images Tool Dialog (Output tab) Figure 39 Orthographic Image of Mesh Model (left) and Point Cloud (right) Figure 40 Scale Panel of an Orthographic Image Figure 41 BIM 360 Upload Wizard Folder Selection Figure 42 BIM 360 Upload Wizard File and Surface Selection Figure 43 Autodesk BIM 360 Uploaded Model Page iv

11 Contents Figure 44 Export File Figure 45 Batch Export Figure 46 The Toolbar Figure 47 Installation Paths List of Tables Table 1 Projection, Camera and Mouse Interaction Table 2 Point Cloud Shading Options Table 3 Mesh Model Texture Options Table 4 Antialiasing and Smoothing Table 5 Projection, Camera and Mouse Interaction Table 6 Editing Tools for Point Clouds and Mesh Models Table 7 Export File Types and Features Table 8 Toolbar Functions Table 9 Keyboard Shortcuts Table 10 Property Fields for Point Clouds and Mesh Models Table 11 Supported File Types Table 12 Recommended System Specifications Table 13 Pointfuse Functions Page v

12 2 Introduction 2 Introduction 2.1 What is Pointfuse? Pointfuse quickly and accurately converts point clouds (typically from LIDAR scanners and photogrammetry) into intelligent mesh models, with selectable surfaces, and including RGB and intensity textures. You can process them in the cloud, using Pointfuse Bolt, or on the desktop. It builds models from all or part of a point cloud, or from multiple point clouds. You can crop a model further, and generate 2D plans/sections, and orthographic images. You can auto classify many of the surfaces (floors, walls, roofs etc) and then manually classify the remainder. You can select which surfaces to display and export. Intelligent mesh models consist of polylines and polygons as well as surfaces (both plane and irregular surface meshes). They have a far smaller memory footprint than the original point data, so need less computing power to visualize and manipulate. Furthermore, they contain richer geometrical properties than point clouds, which means you can select and classify objects such as pipes and walls. Pointfuse is a seamless and integral part of BIM workflows, and is especially useful in infrastructure, asset management, and health and safety projects. You can export 2D images and 3D models for further processing, typically CAD tools. Pointfuse runs on a physical PC; you cannot run it on a virtual machine, or on a Mac. You can use Pointfuse via desktop sharing, but Remote Desktop is not supported. TeamViewer is the suggested alternative Trying and Buying Pointfuse You can get Pointfuse from Try the software for free. The trial version includes all the features of the licensed version, except that you are limited to three exports of mesh models to other formats. After that, you need to buy a license to use Pointfuse. The trial version has buttons to buy Pointfuse. See Installing Pointfuse on page 95 for details License Expiry When your license expires, you need to buy a license to use Pointfuse. Page 1

13 2 Introduction Feature Summary The features of Pointfuse include: Automatically build mesh models from point clouds, creating an intelligent model of surfaces and edges. You can use Pointfuse Bolt to process in the cloud. Textures can include RGB and intensity. Import and view point clouds from airborne, mobile and terrestrial LIDAR scanners, as well as from photogrammetry. Source files can be in formats including CL3, CLR, DP, E57, FLS, FWS, LAS, LAZ, PTS, PTX, XYZ, and ZFS. Import and view externally built mesh models. Change camera view and projection for optimal viewing. Visualize point clouds and mesh models in a variety of ways. Point clouds can be colored by RGB, Intensity or Elevation, and for mesh models you can select textures, and use smoothing and antialiasing. Crop point clouds before converting to a mesh model. Crop, convert and combine multiple point clouds into a single intelligent mesh model. Edit mesh models: crop, and create plans and multiple sections at specified intervals. Auto classify and manually classify features: select and group geometries so you can separate elements, such as pipes or walls. Export all, or selected parts of models, direct to Autodesk BIM 360. Save mesh models, including crops, and plans/sections, and export some or all of the surfaces, for use in CAD software. The supported formats are: DAE (COLLADA), DXF (Drawing Exchange Format), IFC (Industry Foundation Classes), NWC (NavisWorks), OBJ (Wavefront), STL (StereoLithography), SKP (SketchUp), FBX (Filmbox), or X3D (Web3D Consortium). You can include a texture in exports to OBJ, DAE, FBX and X3D. Create scaled orthographic images from point clouds and mesh models. 2.2 About this User Guide This assumes familiarity with common Windows conventions, such as mouse control, menus, toolbars etc. You do not need prior experience of working with point data or mesh models. There are three main sections: Quick Start, from page 4 A brief but essential overview of the Pointfuse interface and core functionality, with links to the sections with further details. This is relevant for all versions of Pointfuse. Main Body, from page 21 Comprehensive, task-oriented instructions for using all the features of Pointfuse. Appendixes, from page 80 Detailed reference information, including installation instructions (page 95) and toolbar and menu items. The Glossary is at the back. Page 2

14 2 Introduction Formatting Conventions Ordinary bold is used for emphasis. The names of fields and items you click (toolbar buttons and menu items) are in this bold font. Italics and angle brackets are used for variable elements, e.g. <point cloud name>. Notes are in boxes like this, with a pen symbol. Important links to sections where you will find further details are in boxes like this, with an arrow. Other links are in ordinary paragraphs. 2.3 How to Contact Us We are continually improving our products, and welcome comments on existing features and requests for new ones. Please also get in touch if you have questions or issues that are not covered in this user guide. Address: Website: Pointfuse Ltd Queen Anne House Broadway Maidenhead SL6 1LY United Kingdom Page 3

15 3 Quick Start 3 Quick Start This section summarizes typical workflows, the interface, and how to convert point data to an intelligent mesh model comprising structured surfaces and edges. More advanced features, such as editing tools (cropping, and creating ortho images, and plans/sections), are in the more detailed sections that start with section 4, on page Simple Workflows You can create a mesh model from a point cloud in a few simple steps, accepting defaults: Start Pointfuse Load a point cloud Generate surfaces Classify surfaces Export mesh model Figure 1 Simplest Pointfuse Workflow See Creating Intelligent Mesh Models from Point Data on page 12 for an overview of loading a point cloud into a Pointfuse project and generating a mesh model. Start Pointfuse If you are uncertain what resolution will work best for your point data, use cropping (page 59) to create a small point cloud and then make a mesh model, using different settings. Then compare the results to decide which resolution to use to generate a model of the original point cloud. Load a point cloud and display it in viewport Crop to create a new, small point cloud Generate Surfaces, selecting a Processing Profile Generate Surfaces, selecting a different Processing Profile Sample mesh model created Sample mesh model created Compare models and note best resolution Select original point cloud and generate model with chosen Processing Profile Final mesh model created Figure 2 Workflow for Quickly Comparing Resolutions Page 4

16 3 Quick Start 3.2 Full Workflow This illustrates the many ways you can use Pointfuse to work with your point data and the mesh models you generate. Create New Project Create scan folder(s) containing point cloud(s) This illustrates the key stages of a typical Pointfuse workflow. Optionally display point cloud Crop (another) point cloud? NO YES Create mesh model: Select scan folder, point clouds, and Processing Profile View mesh model (one model, even if multiple point clouds in scan folder) Remove unwanted points See subsequent pages for further details, including: New Project Wizard on page 22, specifically Figure 12 on page 23. Project Explorer Window on page 7. Cropping on page 65. Creating Mesh Models on page 25. Pointfuse Bolt on page 25. Classify (more) surfaces? NO Edit model? NO Export whole model, selected surfaces, elevations, plans or sections YES YES Auto Classify then manual classify Crop and/or create plans, sections or ortho images Processing Profiles on page 29. Changing How the Model Looks on page 31. Changing How You Move Around the 3D Model on page 41. Classifying Surfaces on page 47. YES Convert more point clouds? Finished NO Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models on page 59. Export on page 74 Figure 3 Full Pointfuse Workflow Page 5

17 3 Quick Start 3.3 The Interface The interface has common Windows components, including: a menu bar, right click/context menus, a toolbar, dockable windows, status bar, plus a central tabbed viewport for viewing the data. It also uses the concepts of projects containing a hierarchy of related files, and of selecting and grouping surfaces for classification, so they can be added or removed from view without affecting the data itself. You can rearrange (and close) the windows and toolbar; the layout will be retained between sessions. To revert to the default layout, select Options > Windows > Reset Layout, and to reset all display options, including those on the Options > Preferences dialog, select Options > Preferences > Restore Defaults. The screenshot shows the default arrangement of windows (Project Explorer, Properties, and Scene Tree), either side of the viewport, which is displaying the file listed in bold in the Project Explorer: Figure 4 The User Interface Menus, Toolbar and Shortcuts This is the Quick Start section: see Toolbar and Menu Functions on page 80, Menu Functions on page 82, and Keyboard Shortcuts on page 83 for more details. Functions on menus and the toolbar are greyed out when they are not relevant. Page 6

18 3 Quick Start There are context menus when you right click in the Project Explorer, viewport and toolbar area. Project Explorer context menus vary according to the item selected (project, scan, file). See Project Explorer Context Menus on page 82. Where an option has a keyboard shortcut, it is listed on the menu, e.g. New Ctrl+N, and also in Keyboard Shortcuts on page 83. Toolbar buttons are also on a menu, but not all menu items have a corresponding toolbar button Project Explorer Window This is the Quick Start section: see Projects and Files on page 21 for more details. The Project Explorer shows a hierarchy of folders and files, with expandable branches and context menus. It is also where you select what to display in the viewport. The top level is the project. You can only open one project at a time. The next level contains work items called scan folders. New scans are added to the bottom, above the Ortho Images folder. Drag and drop to change the sequence. Each scan folder contains child folders: Point Clouds Mesh Models Plans / Sections They cannot be renamed in Pointfuse. The child folders are for individual files of the relevant type: Point Clouds Mesh Models Plans / Sections When these files are displayed in the current viewport tab, they are listed in bold. Images that are not editable in Pointfuse are listed in folders at the bottom: Ortho Images Snapshots Figure 5 Project in the Project Explorer The same icons are used to indicate the contents of each viewport tab. Page 7

19 3 Quick Start You can also drag and drop files from one scan folder to another; they will automatically be put in the appropriate child folder (e.g. point clouds in a Point Clouds folder). The Project Explorer is a way of viewing and working with files in Pointfuse. You should only work with such files (especially adding, deleting and renaming) in Pointfuse. See Views and Properties on page 21 for details Tabbed Viewport The viewport displays the data in tabs (or views). When you open a file, it is initially displayed so that the full extent is visible and centered. Each tab can contain either 3D data (point clouds and/or mesh models) or a single 2D file (plan/section, ortho image or snapshot). Each tab has an icon indicating the file type, plus the file name. If displaying multiple 3D files, up to two icons are shown beside the name of the file most recently added to the tab. For example: From left to right, tabs containing: a point cloud, a mesh model, a mixture of point clouds and mesh models, a snapshot, a plan/section, and an ortho image. Figure 6 Tab Titles: Icon and File Name You can change what and how things are displayed in each tab. See Changing How the Model Looks on page 31 and Changing How You Move Around the 3D Model on page Displaying a File Only one project can be open at a time, but each project can contain multiple scan folders, child folders and files, and you can view multiple 3D files in each tab, e.g. combining point data and mesh models. Furthermore, each tab can have different settings (background color, camera etc). You do not need to display a point cloud in the viewport to convert it to a mesh model. 1. Open a file or its parent project, by selecting File > Open or File > Recent Projects. If you select a Pointfuse project, it will be listed in the Project Explorer. Right click one of its files in the Project Explorer and then select either Add to New Tab or Add to Existing Tab to display it in the viewport. Alternatively, double click it, which will Add to New tab. If you select a point cloud or mesh model, the New Project wizard is displayed. Amend or accept the default Name and Folder, and whether to create a new project folder and whether to import the file into it. (See Creating a Project on page 12.) When you click Finish, the project will be listed in the Project Explorer and the file displayed in a new tab. 2. The file displayed in the viewport has its name in the Project Explorer shown in bold. Page 8

20 3 Quick Start Removing and Deleting Files from View To remove a file from display, just close the tab. To close all tabs, but keep the project open, select View > Close All Tabs. To remove one of several files in the current tab, right click it in the Project Explorer and select Remove from View, or select another file and then select Replace View. (You can only replace a 3D file with another 3D file.) To delete files from the project, select them in the Project Explorer, right click the selection and click Delete. To delete folders, with all their contents, delete the parent scan folder. This ensures the integrity of the project structure Scene Tree Window The Scene Tree window displays details of what is displayed in the current viewport tab not necessarily what is selected in the Project Explorer. If you have multiple files open in the same viewport tab (for example, a point cloud and the model you built from it), you can toggle the display on and off for each. If you select and classify surfaces into groups, you can see and manage a hierarchy of model elements here, and toggle display on and off for each. When exporting, you can choose which elements to include in the export. See Classifying Surfaces on page 47. Figure 7 Scene Tree where only Ticked Items are Displayed Page 9

21 3 Quick Start Properties Window This is the Quick Start section: see Views and Properties on page 21 and Project and File Properties on page 89 for screenshots and details. The Properties window displays details of the item currently selected in the Project Explorer not necessarily what is in the viewport, OR of selected surfaces: Project properties Values are the Name, File Name (path), and Folder. You can double click Name and type a new one. (See Name and File Name on page 21.) File properties Values depend on the file type: point cloud, mesh model, snapshot etc. You can change Name: double click in the field and type a new one. (See Name and File Name on page 21.) Geometry properties When you select surfaces for classification, you see properties of what is selected, including vertex bounds and counts. See Classifying Surfaces on page Edit Tools This is the Quick Start section: see Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models on page 59 for more details. Pointfuse has tools for editing point clouds and mesh models in X, Y and Z dimensions. The tools are: Cropping, Plans / Sections, and Ortho Images Arranging Dockable Windows You can move, resize or close the windows and the toolbar. By default, the windows are pinned to the left or right of the workspace, as in Figure 4 on page 6. To switch between docked and undocked (floating), double-click the window s title bar. To resize a docked window, drag the edges; to resize a floating one, drag the corners. To move a window (or toolbar), drag the title bar. Windows can be grouped, occupying a single window space, with tabs at the bottom. To separate tabbed windows, drag the title bar of one of them to a new position. To close a window, click the X icon at the top right corner, and to close a window or toolbar, right click in the menu/toolbar area and untick it. The edit tools windows are only visible when you use an editing tool (e.g. cropping). See Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models on page 59. Each time you open Pointfuse, the layout will be as it was when you closed Pointfuse. Use Options > Windows to Reset Layout to the default and select individual windows. Page 10

22 3 Quick Start Status Bar The status bar along the bottom display progress and status messages Other Preferences This is the Quick Start section: see Defining Preferences and Defaults on page 84 for more details. Define defaults for many things, using Options > Preferences. These include background color, how point clouds are displayed, the preferred texture for rendering mesh models, and the location of cache files. Use Options > Preferences > Restore Defaults to revert to factory defaults for these preferences. There are also Processing Profiles that apply when converting point data to mesh models. Page 11

23 3 Quick Start 3.4 Creating Intelligent Mesh Models from Point Data To create a mesh model, you must add at least one file containing point data into a Pointfuse project. See Supported File Types on page 91. Drag and drop point cloud files from Windows Explorer into Pointfuse. This opens the New Project wizard, with the selected files already selected. Select the New Project or File > New and navigate to point cloud files. Add Scan (point cloud) to the currently open project. See Add Scan on page Creating a Project This is the Quick Start section. For further details, see: Simple Workflows on page 4 and Full Pointfuse Workflow on page 5. Projects and Files on page 21. New Project Wizard on page 22. Pointfuse has a project-based structure, with a hierarchy of folders and files. Scan folders are the key concept: folders at the top level within the project, containing all the files relating to each point dataset: the point clouds themselves, mesh models, crops, and plans/sections. Ortho images and snapshots are part of the project, but not in a scan folder. 1. Open Pointfuse. 2. In Windows Explorer, navigate to a point cloud, and drag and drop it into Pointfuse. You see the first page of the New Project wizard: Figure 8 New Project Wizard, Page 1 3. Type a Project Name, overwriting the default. 4. Enter the path for the Project Folder, or click the Browse button to open a dialog to navigate to an existing folder or create a new one. 5. Leave the Create Project Folder field ticked so that Pointfuse creates a folder for the project, with the same name as the project. Page 12

24 3 Quick Start 6. Click Next to open the second page of the wizard. The point cloud is already selected and added: Figure 9 New Project Wizard, Page 2 7. If you want a more complex project structure, see Figure 12 Project Structure: Single and Multiple Point Clouds per Scan Folder on page 23. Key points: Click the single chevron to add selected point clouds to a single Point Clouds folder. Click the double chevron or drag and drop selected files onto the project folder. This creates multiple scan folders: one folder for each point cloud. To convert multiple point clouds into a single mesh model, the point clouds must be in the same folder. 8. To rename a Scan folder or point cloud in the project, select it and press F2. You can remove or delete point clouds and folders (and their child folders) by right clicking. 9. You can change the Input Units from the dropdown except for LAS or LAZ files. 10. Click Finish to create and save the project. The project structure will be shown in the Project Explorer, but all the folders will be empty except the Point Clouds ones. The point cloud will be displayed in the viewport: Figure 10 New Project Folders in Project Explorer To create new folders and add point clouds to the project later; see Add Scan and Add Data on page 24. Page 13

25 3 Quick Start Creating a Mesh Model This is the Quick Start section. For further details, see: Simple Workflows on page 4 and Full Pointfuse Workflow on page 5. Creating Mesh Models on page 25. Create Mesh Model converts point data to a mesh model, with surfaces you can classify and select. This section describes the simplest case: building a single model from a single point cloud. See Figure 1 Simplest Pointfuse Workflow on page Open or create a project that contains the point cloud. 2. Click Create Mesh Model and select whether to process in Bolt or Desktop. Bolt means you can process large models and use Pointfuse while the model is processed. With a Pointfuse Trial license, you are limited to desktop processing, with resolution limits, and the point cloud must be displayed in the current viewport tab. Figure 11 The Create Mesh Model Dialog (Bolt) Page 14

26 3 Quick Start The dialogs for Bolt and Desktop are almost identical. If you select Bolt, you will be prompted to sign in with your address and password. If you do not have a Bolt account, contact support@pointfuse.com. If you select Desktop, have a Trial license, and the model and resolution exceed the limits for desktop processing, the point cloud will have a red bounding box, with a green selection cuboid indicating what can be included. The bottom of the dialog tells you the limits and makes suggestions. Optional: Specify a custom Output Name. Select a different Processing Profile with different Resolution and Tolerances. See Processing Profiles on page 27. If the point cloud has RGB or intensity data, you can select Generate Textures and a Maximum Texture Resolution. This may increase processing time. 3. Click OK to create the mesh model. With desktop processing the mesh model is displayed when finished. With Bolt, you must import the data back to Pointfuse Desktop. 4. If you processed on the desktop, the finished model will be added to the Project Explorer and displayed in a new viewport tab. If you processed in Bolt, you need to go to the Bolt tab and import the tiles back to desktop. See Pointfuse Bolt on page You can now work with the mesh model in the viewport. Page 15

27 3 Quick Start 3.5 Viewing and Moving Around the Model There are three aspects: how the viewport looks, how the model looks, and how you move around, as summarized below (and repeated on page 45). See Changing How You Move Around the 3D Model on page 41 for full details. Orbital Camera Free Floating Camera Perspective Projection Orthographic Projection (Also known as Parallel Projection) Intuitive navigation with regular mouse. Drag left button Double left click Mouse wheel 3Dconnexion mouse Rotate camera about orbit center. Make click point the orbit center, at viewport center. Rotation unchanged. Roll to zoom in/out. Hold and drag to pan. Zoom in/out, and rotate on X and Y axes. Because the orbit center is fixed, it is not ideal for fly-through. Ideal for fly-though with 3D mouse. Drag left button Double left click Mouse wheel 3Dconnexion mouse Rotate camera orientation. No effect. Intuitive, multidimensional, free movement through the model. Pan up/down and left/right, zoom in/out and rotate on X and Y axes. Cursor keys Rotate camera about orbit. Cursor keys Zoom camera in/out and sideways. R Reset to original orbit, orientation and zoom. Useful for editing (crop etc). Drag left button Double left click Rotate camera about orbit center. Make click point the orbit center, at viewport center. Rotation unchanged R Drag left button Double left click Reset to original orbit, orientation and zoom. Pan model left/right and up/down. No effect. Mouse wheel Roll to zoom in/out. Mouse wheel Roll to zoom in/out. 3Dconnexion mouse Rotate on X and Y axes. No fly through. 3Dconnexion mouse Pan up/down, left/right, and rotate X and Y axes. No fly through and may get distortion if you rotate more than about 180. Cursor keys Rotate camera about orbit. Cursor keys R Reset to original orbit and orientation. Zoom unchanged. R Reset to original orbit and orientation. Zoom unchanged. Table 1 Projection, Camera and Mouse Interaction Page 16

28 3 Quick Start Viewport Settings This is the Quick Start section: see Viewport Settings on page 37 for more details. Settings can be different for each viewport tab. Settings you can change by right clicking in the viewport (or using the main menus) include: The background color, and if it is solid or a gradient. The grid, when viewing 3D data. (It is always off for 2D plans/sections.) Remove all models from the viewport tab (they will still be listed in Project Explorer). Full screen. Press Esc or Ctrl+Return to revert to normal mode Colors, Antialiasing and Smoothing Point Cloud Shading Method This is the Quick Start section: see Shading Method: Elevation, Intensity and RGB on page 32 for more details, including screenshots of results. Point clouds can be rendered in three ways, selected from View > Point Cloud, or the toolbar, or, to set defaults, Options > Preferences > Display Defaults: Solid The point cloud is displayed with all points a single color. Elevation The point cloud is colored according to elevation, where blue is the lowest and red the highest. This is especially helpful when viewing undulating landscapes that lack the clear outlines of buildings. RGB Red, Green and Blue are used (if present in the data), to display the point cloud in color, for a more realistic effect. Intensity Displays the points using the point cloud s intensity values (if present in the data). Page 17

29 3 Quick Start Mesh Model Rendering Method This is the Quick Start section: see Mesh Model on page 33 for more details, including screenshots of results. Mesh model surfaces can be rendered in several ways, selected from View > Mesh Model, or the toolbar, or, to set defaults, Options > Preferences > Display Defaults: Solid Color Surfaces are displayed in the single color chosen for the Surfaces (change this in the Properties window). RGB Texture Red, Green and Blue are used (if present in the source point cloud), to display the model in realistic color. Intensity Texture Displays the model using intensity values (if present in the source point cloud) Antialiasing and Smoothing Use View > Antialiasing and its smoothing options in combination with View > Point Cloud > Dynamic Point Size to reduce jagged and sharp features of 3D models. Smoothing options usually work better if antialiasing is on. Antialiasing is also essential when editing (cropping and making plans/sections). Page 18

30 3 Quick Start Camera and Projection Controls This is the Quick Start section: see Changing How You Move Around the 3D Model on page 41 and Table 1 on page 16 for more details. The camera controls (Orbital or Free Floating), in conjunction with the projection settings (Perspective or Orthographic), give you power and flexibility to view and move around the models. A 3Dconnexion mouse provides even more. However, familiarity with the variety of permutations and functionality takes a little practice: 1. Start by displaying a point cloud or mesh model. It should default to Orbital camera (left) and Perspective projection (right), and using a regular (not 3D) mouse: 2. Use the mouse and/or cursor keys to move around (see Table 5 on page 45). 3. From the dropdown on the button, switch from Orbital to Free Floating camera. 4. Enable the 3D mouse (Options menu) and use that to move around the model. If you get disoriented inside a model or move the model out of sight: Use Reset View to display the model in the center of the viewport, at the default zoom level and orientation for the current camera and projection combination. In Orbital (fixed) camera mode, double click where you want the orbit center to be Mouse Controls This is the Quick Start section: see Invert Mouse (Regular) on page 43, Enable 3Dconnexion Mouse on page 43 and Table 1 on page 16 for more details. Pointfuse is designed to work with two mice: You need a regular (not 3D) mouse for moving the pointer and clicking selections, and you may also find it useful for big movements (e.g. zooming large distances). A 3Dconnexion mouse is ideal for fine-tuning movement and for fly-throughs. Mouse behavior is affected by camera and projection settings, e.g. whether the mouse appears to move the model or the camera. Page 19

31 3 Quick Start 3.6 Creating Crops, Plans/Sections and Ortho Images This is the Quick Start section: see Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models on page 59 for more details. Pointfuse has tools to edit 3D data: Crop point clouds and mesh models Create 2D plans and sections of mesh models, including creating multiple sections at specified intervals Create 2D scaled orthographic images of one or all faces of a point cloud or mesh model There is also a Measurement Tool (see page 38) and a Snapshot tool (see page 39). 3.7 Exporting Mesh Models This is the Quick Start section: see Export on page 74. You can export some or all of the surfaces of a mesh model directly into Autodesk BIM 360 or to file formats you can import use in other CAD software. The supported formats are: DAE (Collada) DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) FBX (Filmbox) IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) NWC (NavisWorks) OBJ (Wavefront) SKP (SketchUp) STL (StereoLithography) X3D (Web3D Consortium) You can include a texture in exports to OBJ, DAE or FBX. You can export 2D plans/sections to DXF and STL. 3.8 Save, Close and Exit Select File > Close to close the current project but leave Pointfuse open. Select File > Exit to close the current project and exit Pointfuse. Opening a new project will also close the current one. Page 20

32 4 Projects and Files 4 Projects and Files This is the first of the detailed sections. It recaps some of what was in the preceding Quick Start section, but in greater detail. Before reading this section, please read the Quick Start section, particularly: Project Explorer Window on page Views and Properties Always work with Pointfuse files in Pointfuse itself, not Windows Explorer, especially when adding, deleting and renaming. This is because the Pointfuse Project Explorer is just a view of files that are stored differently on your computer: The folder structure is different (e.g. in Windows Explorer, all point clouds in a project are in a single folder). Pointfuse uses icons to distinguish different types of file (see Figure 5 on page 7). Files you rename in Pointfuse will be listed by their original name in Windows Explorer. If you unticked Import Data into Project Folder when you created the project, those files will not be in any project folders in Windows Explorer; what you see in the Pointfuse Project Explorer is a pointer to the source file, rather than the actual file. Exports to DAE, DXF, FBX, IFC, NWC, OBJ, SKP, STL, and X3D, which cannot be opened in Pointfuse, are listed in Windows Explorer, but not in the Pointfuse Project Explorer Name and File Name The concept of a view of project files is more obvious when the Name and File Name in the Pointfuse Properties window are different: The Name is the name displayed in Pointfuse. This is the name of the source file, unless you have renamed it in Pointfuse, in which case the Pointfuse name will be displayed. The File Name is the file s original name (what you would see in Windows Explorer). The File Name includes the path; if you left Import Data into Project Folder field ticked when you created the project, that will be the project folder, but if you unticked it, the path will be the source folder. See Project and File Properties on page 89 for a list of all Properties fields and Supported File Types on page Renaming To change the display name of the project, scan folder or file, either right click on the item in the Project Explorer and select Rename, or left click on it and press F2. Page 21

33 4 Projects and Files 4.2 Project Structure You can drag and drop files from Windows Explorer into Pointfuse, but after they ve been added to a Pointfuse project, only delete, move, or rename them in Pointfuse New Project Wizard The Quick Start section describes dragging and dropping a point cloud into Pointfuse. This section describes more complex scenarios, including importing multiple point clouds. 1. Select Create New Project from the Welcome screen or File > New, to open the first page of the New Project wizard, illustrated on page Type a Project Name (overwriting the default New Project). 3. Enter the path for the Project Folder, or click the Browse button to open a dialog to navigate to an existing folder or create a new one. 4. Leave the Create Project Folder field ticked so that Pointfuse creates a folder for the project; it will have the same name as the project. For example: Project files will be in: K:\New Church 2 project\new Church 2 However, if Create Project Folder is not ticked, they will be in K:\New Church 2 project 5. Click Next, which opens the second page of the New Project wizard. The new project is in the panel on the right. It does not yet contain any folders or files: Page 22

34 4 Projects and Files 6. Build up a project structure by selecting point clouds to the project. Select one or more point clouds on the left and click a chevron button to add to the project. Multiple Folders Click the double chevron or drag and drop to create multiple scan folders for selected point clouds: one folder for each point cloud (each with the same name as its point cloud), creating a project like this: Single Folder Click the single chevron to add all selected point clouds to a single Point Clouds folder, beneath the currently selected scan folder, creating a project like this: This is essential if you want to generate a single mesh model from multiple point clouds. Figure 12 Project Structure: Single and Multiple Point Clouds per Scan Folder 7. Click Finish to create and save the project, close the dialog and see the point cloud in the Project Explorer and viewport Changing Project Structure The structure you create with the New Project wizard is not final. Create new scan folders and add point clouds to the project (see Add Scan and Add Data on page 24). Press F2 to rename a selected folder or file. (See Name and File Name on page 21.) Drag and drop scan folders and individual files to change the sequence. You can only move files into other folders of the right type a point cloud into a point cloud folder, for example. Ortho Images and Snapshots are 2D files, so are created in Ortho Images and Snapshots folders respectively; they are not be in a subfolder of a scan folder Importing Files to a Project Add point clouds to an existing project in two ways: create a new scan folder or add to an existing one. Page 23

35 4 Projects and Files Add Scan Use this to create a new scan folder in the current project and add point data to it. 1. Click Add Scan, or, in the Project Explorer, right click the project folder and select Add Scan. Figure 13 Add Scan Dialog 2. At the top of the dialog, specify a Name for the new scan folder. 3. Navigate to the point cloud data, select the files you want, and either drag to the panel on the right, or click the chevron. 8. To change the Units, select from the dropdown except for LAS or LAZ files, which can only be in meters. 4. Click OK to add the data and close the dialog. 5. A new scan folder will be created at the bottom of the Project Explorer. It will contain the default folders of Point Clouds, Mesh Models, and Plans/Sections. 6. Save the project: File > Save or Ctrl+S Add Data Use this to add point data to an existing scan folder: 1. In the Project Explorer, right click on a scan folder and select Add Data. 2. In the dialog, navigate to the data. 3. Select the files you want and click Open. 4. The point clouds will be added to the Point Clouds folder of the selected scan folder. 5. Save the project: File > Save or Ctrl+S. Page 24

36 5 Creating Mesh Models 5 Creating Mesh Models You can generate intelligent mesh models from point clouds by processing in the cloud, using Pointfuse Bolt, or on the Pointfuse desktop. Using Bolt means you can process much larger point clouds, and after the point data is uploaded, you can continue using Pointfuse desktop, while Bolt creates the surfaces. To use Bolt, you need a Bolt license and login. 5.1 Pointfuse Bolt 1. Open or create a project that contains the point clouds. (See Creating a Project on page 12.) 2. In the Project Explorer, select the scan folder or point clouds you want to convert. 3. Click Create Mesh Model and select to process in Bolt. You can also select Edit > Create Mesh Model (Bolt) or press the shortcut, X. If you are not logged in to Bolt, you will be prompted to do so. 4. The Create Mesh Model (Bolt) dialog is displayed: Figure 14 Create Mesh Model (Bolt) Dialog 5. Ensure the Scan Group containing the point data to convert is selected. If it contains multiple point clouds, all are selected by default, to combine in a single mesh model. Page 25

37 5 Creating Mesh Models 6. Choose an Output Name. 7. Choose a Processing Profile, which determines the resolution and tolerances of the mesh model. Either select an existing processing profile from the dropdown list or click New. See Processing Profiles on page 29. If you choose a custom processing profile, you can amend the Name, Resolution, and Tolerances by double clicking in the Value column and typing a new value. If you choose one of the profiles supplied with Pointfuse (Handheld, Terrestrial, or Airborne), the values are not editable. 8. If the point cloud has RGB or intensity data, you can select Generate Textures to include that data in the mesh model and a Maximum Texture Resolution. This may increase processing time 9. Click OK to start the process. The status bar will show progress. When uploading to the cloud is complete, you can use Pointfuse desktop again, including starting another Bolt job. 10. Select Pointfuse Bolt > Pointfuse Bolt Manager. This lists Bolt jobs in the project. : 11. When Upload, Processing, and Download are 100%, right click and select Import: 12. The Import Tiles dialog is displayed: 13. Optionally change the Name and destination Scan Group. 14. If Combine Tiles is ticked, the model will be imported to Pointfuse Project Explorer as one or a few mesh model files, depending on the size of the point cloud data and the Maximum Tile Size. If unsure what value to use, accept the default. You can import with a different value later. 15. Leave Delete Job When Complete unticked unless you are very short of disc space and are certain you won t want to import again with a different tile size. Page 26

38 5 Creating Mesh Models 16. Click OK. The mesh model tiles will be added to the Scan Group s Mesh Models folder. 17. In the Project Explorer, select the tile or tiles, right click, and select Open in New View. 18. To delete a job, go to the Bolt tab, right click the job folder and select Delete Job. 5.2 Creating a Mesh Model on the Desktop 1. Open or create a project that contains the point clouds. (See Creating a Project on page 12.) 2. Click Create Mesh Model and select Desktop. You can also press the shortcut key, Z, or select Edit > Create Mesh Model. 3. The Create Mesh Model (Desktop) dialog is displayed. The fields are the same as for Bolt, described above. 4. Click OK to create the mesh model. When finished, it is added to the Mesh Models folder in the Project Explorer and displayed in a new viewport tab. Page 27

39 5 Creating Mesh Models 5.3 Creating a Mesh Model with a Trial License With a Pointfuse Trial license, you are limited to desktop processing, and to a resolution equivalent to the volume of a cube with sides 3000 times the resolution. You must display point data in a viewport tab. This can be multiple point clouds, as long as they are all in the same Point Clouds folder and are displayed in a single tab. They will be combined into a single mesh model. If you select a resolution that exceeds the processing limit, the bounding box will be red, with a selection cuboid indicating what can be included: Figure 15 Creating Mesh Model on Desktop Trial Resolution Limits Exceeded The bottom of the dialog tells you the limits and makes suggestions: Move the selection box. Click on a face to slide it, similarly to when using edit tools (see Selection Tools and Controls on page 61). Select a coarser resolution. This may mean you can process all the data, in which case, the bounding box will turn green and the selection box will disappear. Figure 16 Creating Mesh Model on Desktop Within Trial Resolution Processing Limits Page 28

40 5 Creating Mesh Models 5.4 Processing Profiles A processing profile specifies the resolution and tolerances for converting point data to mesh models. Pointfuse has default profiles for the presumed level of detail for point clouds sourced from Terrestrial, Handheld, or Airborne technology, and for high, normal, and low quality of each. The names of the default profiles are for guidance. The values best suited to converting your particular point data may differ. To compare them, crop to get a smaller portion of the point data (see page 65) and quickly do multiple conversions, using different profiles. Resolution: The smaller the resolution value, the greater the detail, but the more time, memory and disk space may be used. There is no direct correlation between resolution and processing time: higher resolution models are sometimes quicker to generate than lower resolution ones. Typically in the range m. Planar Fitting Tolerance: The depth of field, typically one third of the resolution, in the range to 0.3m. Surface Angle Tolerance: The threshold, in degrees, for creating an edge and new surface. Typically 22 degrees. If working with curved surfaces like pipes, try increasing to around 22 degrees. Surface Area Tolerance: The threshold, in meters squared, for creating a new surface. Generate Textures Select this if you want the mesh model to include textures (RGB or intensity) from the source point data. This is the only value you can change for default profiles. For a list of values for each of the default processing profiles, see Default Processing Profile Values on page 88. Page 29

41 5 Creating Mesh Models Creating Custom Processing Profiles Custom profiles are not limited to the projects you created it for, but are available in all projects on your computer. Options > Preferences 1. Select the Options > Preferences dialog. Select the Processing Profiles tab. Create Mesh Model Click Make Mesh Model Mesh Model. or click Edit > Create 2. You see a dialog that includes a dropdown list of processing profiles. 3. Select New. 4. You see the New Processing Profile dialog: 5. Use the dropdown to select an existing profile to use as the basis for the new one. It can be one of those supplied with Pointfuse, or a custom one you created previously. 6. Type a Name and click Save. The previous tab or dialog is redisplayed. 7. Amend Name, Resolution and Tolerances by double clicking in the Value column and either typing a new value, or using the chevrons to increment or decrement. Choose whether this profile will Generate Textures by default. 8. Click Apply to save changes and OK to close the dialog. Click OK to save changes, close the dialog and start generating surfaces Deleting Custom Processing Profiles Delete custom processing profiles from the Preferences dialog. You cannot delete the default profiles. Profiles relate to your computer, rather than the current project. Before deleting a profile, be certain you will not need it in another project. 1. Select the Options > Preferences dialog, Processing Profiles tab. 2. Use the dropdown to select an existing custom processing profile. 3. Click Delete. You will not be prompted for confirmation and the profile will be deleted regardless of whether you then press OK, Cancel or Apply on the main Processing tab. Page 30

42 6 Changing How the Model Looks 6 Changing How the Model Looks Combine the effects of several tools to customize how the model looks in terms of colors of points, lines and surfaces, and how they are rendered. The ideal combination depends in part on the specific dataset. This section summarizes the features, but as they affect each other, experiment to explore what suits your data and purpose. 6.1 Point Cloud Display Change these settings from the toolbar, context menu or View menu to apply to all point clouds displayed in the current viewport tab. To change the defaults, use Options > Preferences > Display Defaults Dynamic Point Size The points of a point cloud can be displayed at a fixed size, regardless of how far away they are, which means that when you zoom in, they look small and spread out. Alternatively, if you enable Dynamic Point Size, points will scale up as you zoom in. This creates a more solid effect that is particularly realistic when the shading method is RGB. The effect of this setting can be adjusted with smoothing: see Point Clouds - Smoothing and Antialiasing on page 36. Dynamic Point Size OFF, zoomed in (Point Smoothing ON and Antialiasing OFF) Dynamic Point Size ON, zoomed in (Point Smoothing ON and Antialiasing OFF) Figure 17 Effects of Dynamic Point Size To enable or disable this by default and define the starting point size, use Options > Preferences and select the General tab. See Display Defaults Tab on page 86. To toggle Dynamic Point Size for the current tab, either select View > Point Cloud > Dynamic Point Size or right click in the viewport and select Dynamic Point Size. Page 31

43 6 Changing How the Model Looks Shading Method: Elevation, Intensity and RGB A point cloud is displayed with one of three shading methods, although whether all three options are effective depends on whether the relevant values are in the source data: To change the default setting for subsequently opened tabs, use Options > Preferences and select the Display Defaults tab. See Display Defaults Tab on page 86. To change the setting for the current tab, click the relevant toolbar button, or select from the View > Point Cloud menu or the right click menu in the viewport. Option Description Example Elevation RGB The point cloud is colored according to elevation, where blue is the lowest and red the highest. This is useful for natural landscapes that lack the clear outlines of buildings. Crop the point cloud (see page 65) to remove peripheral data, so the full color gradient is applied to the area of interest. Red, Green and Blue are used (if present in the data), to display the point cloud in color. Intensity Displays the points using intensity values (if present in the data). Table 2 Point Cloud Shading Options Page 32

44 6 Changing How the Model Looks 6.2 Mesh Model Display Change these settings from the toolbar, context menu or View menu to apply to all mesh models displayed in the current viewport tab. To change the defaults, use Options > Preferences > Display Defaults Color by Textures Textures are created automatically when you make a mesh model in Pointfuse - if the relevant values are in the source point cloud. Option Description Example RGB Red, Green and Blue are used (if present in the source point cloud), to display the mesh model in realistic color similar to an RGB point cloud, but with the much smaller file size of a mesh model. Intensity Displays the mesh model using intensity values (if present in the source point cloud). Solid Color Displays a mesh model s surfaces in a single solid color. Table 3 Mesh Model Texture Options If you export a mesh model to DAE, FBX, OBJ, or SKP, you can include a texture. See Export Mesh Model on page 74. Page 33

45 6 Changing How the Model Looks Highlight Surface You can highlight a surface, to see its extent or when classifying surfaces: press Ctrl+Click on it. To remove the highlight, press Esc or Ctrl+Click on the background. See Classifying Surfaces on page 47. This is also useful when measuring part of a complex model. See Measuring a Model on page Setting the Highlight Color To change the highlight color for the current tab, either right click in the viewport or select the View menu. Click Change Highlight Color. To change the default for subsequently opened tabs, select Options > Preferences > Display Defaults > Highlight Color Specular Highlights Specular highlights are the effect of a light source on surfaces (mesh models): light is reflected more strongly in one direction. They emphasize the surface s shape and position in relation to the light source. You cannot move the light source, but as you move the model, the pool of light lands in different places. Switching on specular highlighting shows these reflected highlights in the mesh model (but has no effect on point clouds). To toggle highlights for the current session, right click in the viewport and select Specular Highlights. To change the default for subsequently opened tabs, select Options > Preferences and select the Display Defaults tab. See Display Defaults Tab on page 86. How the highlights look depends on the data and the zoom level. Page 34

46 6 Changing How the Model Looks 6.3 Antialiasing and Smoothing Antialiasing needs to be enabled when editing so that the selection cuboid is transparent (see Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models on page 59). Antialiasing and smoothing are adjustments that, in combination with dynamic point size, can reduce jagged and sharp features of 3D models (point clouds and mesh models): Item Effect Applies to Antialiasing Smoothing Point Smoothing Color blending that uses intermediate shades of grey or color (depending whether the data is color or not) to blend neighboring pixels, for a subtler effect, with less contrast. Changes which pixels are colored, and makes small changes to the size and horizontal alignment at the edges of points, lines and polygons, e.g. to make points rounder. Points are rendered round (instead of square), which can make them look slightly bigger when zoomed out and create a more realistic and solid effect. Point Clouds, Mesh Models. Point Clouds. Line Smoothing Lines look thicker. Mesh Models. Polygon Smoothing Surface edges look smoother. Mesh Models. Table 4 Antialiasing and Smoothing To change the defaults for subsequently opened tabs, use Options > Preferences and select the General tab. See Display Defaults Tab on page 86. To toggle these features for the current session, either select View and then tick or untick the feature, or right click in the viewport, select Antialiasing, and then tick or untick the feature. Page 35

47 6 Changing How the Model Looks Mesh Models - Smoothing and Antialiasing If coloring a mesh model by RGB texture (see Color by Textures on page 33), the best effect may be to switch off both line smoothing and antialiasing. However, if you switch line smoothing on, also switch antialiasing on to soften the effect. Line Smoothing OFF Antialiasing OFF Line Smoothing ON Antialiasing OFF Line Smoothing ON Antialiasing On Figure 18 Smoothing and Antialiasing Mesh Models Point Clouds - Smoothing and Antialiasing For point clouds, the most suitable combination of smoothing and antialiasing depends on whether the point size is fixed or dynamic as well as the dataset. If you are zooming into points, you generally want Dynamic Point Size switched on (see page 31) Point Smoothing OFF Antialiasing OFF Point Smoothing ON Antialiasing OFF Point Smoothing ON Antialiasing ON The lightening is not as marked when you zoom in. Figure 19 Smoothing and Antialiasing Point Clouds Page 36

48 6 Changing How the Model Looks 6.4 Viewport Settings These can be set for each tab of the viewport, or as global defaults Change the Background Color To change the background color for the current tab, either right click in the viewport or select the View menu. Click Background Color. To change the default for subsequently opened tabs, select Options > Preferences and select the Display Defaults tab. See Display Defaults Tab on page Change the Grid Displaying the ground plane grid gives a sense of scale, perspective, and direction. However, sometimes, it is useful to switch it off to examine details, especially if they are near the ground. As well as switching it on and off, you can define the color of gridlines. To toggle the grid on and off for the current tab, click Grid, or select View > Grid, or right click in the viewport and select Grid, or use the shortcut key G. To change the default colors for subsequently opened tabs, select Options > Preferences and select the Display Defaults tab. See Display Defaults Tab on page 86. To change settings in the current tab, select View > Grid > Settings. The grid is automatically switched off when viewing 2D plans/sections and snapshots Full Screen Making the viewport full screen is useful for demonstrations. It hides the dockable windows, toolbar, title bar, menus and status bar, giving more space for viewing the data. Use the shortcut Ctrl+Return to switch between Full Screen and normal display. Alternatively, use View > Full Screen to switch from normal to Full Screen and Esc to exit Full Screen mode. 6.5 Invert Mouse and 3Dconnexion Mouse The Options menu has two mouse-related options that apply to the current tab: Invert Mouse and Enable 3D Mouse. The Options > Preferences > General dialog has the same options, but if set there, they will be defaults for future tabs. These are integral to the way the cameras and projection settings interact, so are explained in that section. See Invert Mouse (Regular) on page 43 and Enable 3Dconnexion Mouse on page 43. Page 37

49 6 Changing How the Model Looks 6.6 Measuring a Model Ortho images show a scale (see Figure 40 on page 73), but you can directly measure mesh models (and point clouds), edit the measurements, add them up, and export them to a CSV file. 1. Click Measurement Tool. 2. In the dialog, click Start and select what to measure. For a clearer view and to ensure you click on the correct surface, Ctrl+Click on a surface (see Highlight Surface on page 34). Line: Single click a start and end point. Then the tool stops measuring, but the dialog remains open. Lines: Single click a start and end point for the first line. A third click starts measuring the next line, and so on, until you click Stop. Polyline: Each single click is a part of one polyline, until you click Stop. Polygon: Each single click is a part of one polygon, but it adds an additional line at the end which snaps back to the first point. To finish defining and measuring the polygon, click Stop. Figure 20 Measuring a Model and the Measurement Tool Dialog Page 38

50 6 Changing How the Model Looks Measurement lines are color coded on the model: Red = previously measured, and listed in dialog Yellow = previously measured, and currently selected on model and in dialog Blue with no end point = currently measuring 3. The measurements are displayed in the dialog, as in the example in Figure 20, above. 4. Repeat for multiple measurements. 5. Select a polyline or polygon to see and select the Edit dropdown: Continue: Allows you to append more points to a polyline or polygon. Insert Before: Inserts any new measurements before the selected line in the polyline or polygon. Insert After: Inserts any new measurements after the selected line in the polyline or polygon. Click on a node and drag it. The measurements in the dialog are recalculated. 6. To remove an individual line or polygon, select it in the viewport or the dialog and click Remove. To remove all the lines and polygons, click Clear. 7. Click Export Measurements to create a CSV file containing the values listed in the Measurement Tool dialog, as well as the X, Y and Z positions of each point. 6.7 Snapshot Tool Use this to create a high-resolution 2D image of the 3D point cloud or mesh model, as currently displayed in the viewport. The snapshot shows the same view/orientation as in viewport. If you have classified surfaces (see Classifying Surfaces on page 47), only those currently displayed in the viewport are included in the snapshot. Specular highlights and textures are included if used. The toolbar, menus, and windows are not included. Each snapshot is added to the Project s Snapshots folder. Double click it to open it in a new tab, or right click and select Open Externally, to open in the default application for that file type. 1. Click Snapshot on the toolbar or select Edit > Snapshot. Page 39

51 6 Changing How the Model Looks Figure 21 The Snapshot Tool 2. Type a Name. 3. Choose whether to Show Measurements. 4. Select a Format: BMP, JPG, PNG, TIFF. BMP and PNG snapshots can be viewed in Pointfuse (double click to open in a new tab). JPG and TIFF snapshots can only be viewed in external image software. 5. Optionally adjust the Size to customize the resolution. 6. Click Create. 7. The snapshot will be added to the Project Explorer s Snapshots folder. 8. Optionally repeat to create a snapshot in a different format. 9. Click Close. Page 40

52 7 Changing How You Move Around the 3D Model 7 Changing How You Move Around the 3D Model The camera controls (Orbital or Free Floating), in conjunction with the projection settings (Perspective or Orthographic), give you a great deal of power and flexibility to view and move around the 3D models, using mice and cursor keys. (They are not relevant, and therefore disabled, when viewing 2D plans, sections, ortho images and snapshots.) The permutations can be a little disorienting at first, so you need to understand how they work individually and in combination. See Table 5 Projection, Camera and Mouse Interaction on page 45 for a summary. If you get disoriented or move the model out of sight, use Reset (or View > Reset View, or shortcut R) to display the model in the center of the viewport, at the zoom level and orientation that is the default for the current camera and projection combination. 7.1 Camera: Orbital or Free Floating You change position and orientation by clicking and dragging the regular mouse, twisting and tilting the 3D mouse, and using cursor keys. These are for 3D models, so disabled when viewing 2D plans/sections, ortho images and snapshots. There are two types of camera, selected from the dropdown on the Navigation button : Orbital Orbits a fixed point in 3D space (the orbit center). By default, this is the model s center. The orientation adjusts so that however you move the model, the orbit center stays in the center of the viewport. Change the orbit center by double clicking on a different place on the model. Usually best for regular (not 3D) mouse. Free Floating The camera s orientation is altered by clicking and dragging a regular mouse, just moving a 3D mouse, or using the cursor keys. Usually best for 3D mouse fly-though (with Perspective projection). Table 5 Projection, Camera and Mouse Interaction on page 45 lists how the different cameras work with regular and 3D mice. Page 41

53 7 Changing How You Move Around the 3D Model 7.2 Projection: Perspective or Orthographic There are two types of projection, selected from the dropdown on the Projection button : These are for 3D models, so are disabled when viewing 2D plans/sections, ortho images and snapshots. Perspective Elements that are the same size in reality are scaled in the viewport so that those nearer the front look larger than those further away. This is a realistic look for 3D data, but it can be tricky to make direct comparisons of the size of different parts of the model. Figure 22 Perspective Projection of Model Orthographic Elements that are the same size in reality look the same size in the viewport, even if the model is positioned so that some are nearer the viewer than others. This makes it easier to compare the size of different parts of a 3D model, although it does not mimic how things look in real life. You may also find it easier when editing (cropping etc). Orthographic projection is sometimes known as Parallel projection. Figure 23 Orthographic Projection of Model By definition, ortho images use Orthographic projection. If the viewport is displaying files in Perspective projection, you will notice the difference. See Orthographic Images on page 71. Note that the difference in projection is shown in the grid (if displayed) as well as the model. Page 42

54 7 Changing How You Move Around the 3D Model 7.3 View Position Select from the dropdown to reset the view to a specific face: 7.4 Mouse: Invert and 3D Your interaction with the model and cameras is affected by the mouse or mice (and the projection - see Table 5 Projection, Camera and Mouse Interaction on page 45). More specifically, you can invert regular mouse actions, and can have a 3D mouse in addition to a regular one Invert Mouse (Regular) Dragging the mouse in the viewport rotates either the camera or the model about the orbit point. The direction of movement depends on whether the mouse is moving the model or the camera. Either is valid, but they have opposite results. Switch between the two using Options > Invert Mouse for this session, or Options > Preferences > General to remember between sessions. It will only affect a regular (not 3D) mouse: When Invert Mouse is not ticked, the model moves in the same direction as the mouse. When Invert Mouse is ticked, the model moves in the opposite direction to the mouse. This applies whether the camera itself is set to Orbital or Free Floating, and whether the projection is Perspective or Orthographic, although the feel of the control is slightly different with each permutation Enable 3Dconnexion Mouse Although you can view and manipulate the model with a regular (not 3D) mouse or an equivalent such as a touchpad, Pointfuse is designed to work with a 3Dconnexion mouse as well. It does not replace a regular mouse, which you need for actions that involve moving and clicking the pointer (menu and toolbar selections etc). With a 3D mouse, you can simultaneously pan, zoom and rotate. This is particularly useful for delicate movements and for doing a smooth, virtual fly-through of a model, with the camera in Page 43

55 7 Changing How You Move Around the 3D Model Free Floating mode and the model in Perspective projection (see Table 5 Projection, Camera and Mouse Interaction on page 45). For big movements (e.g. zooming large distances), you may prefer the regular mouse. The 3D mouse behavior is fixed, regardless of the mouse s own settings or Pointfuse s Invert Mouse setting. To enable (or disable) it, use Options > Enable 3D Mouse for this session, or Options > Preferences > General to remember between sessions Capabilities of 3Dconnexion Mouse The 3D mouse controls views of the model (in addition to a regular mouse). Instead of moving the whole mouse to move the pointer, you move the cap (like a short joystick), as if it is the camera. A 3D mouse lets you move in up to six ways, depending on camera and projection: Pan up/down Pan left/right Zoom in/out Rotate on Y axis (twist to spin left/right) Rotate on X axis (tilt forwards/backwards) Rotate on Z axis (roll) not implemented in Pointfuse When the 3D mouse is enabled, use that and the regular mouse, along with different camera and projection settings, to get the precise combination to suit what you are doing. If you are new to using a 3D mouse, you will probably find it helpful to set its tracking speed to be slow (see the documentation for your 3D mouse) and to remember the keyboard shortcut R to Reset View (also on the toolbar and menus). Page 44

56 7 Changing How You Move Around the 3D Model 7.5 Interaction of Projection, Camera and Mouse The two camera modes react differently to a regular mouse, 3Dconnexion mouse and cursor keys. Furthermore, camera and mouse behavior depend on the projection mode. The best way to understand these permutations is to experiment with them, but in summary: Perspective Projection Orbital Camera Intuitive navigation with regular mouse. Drag left button Double left click Mouse wheel 3Dconnexion mouse Cursor keys R Rotate camera about orbit center. Make click point the orbit center, at viewport center. Rotation unchanged. Roll to zoom in/out. Hold and drag to pan. Zoom in/out, and rotate on X and Y axes. Because the orbit center is fixed, it is not ideal for flythrough. Rotate camera about orbit. Reset to original orbit, orientation and zoom. Free Floating Camera Ideal for fly-though with 3D mouse. Drag left button Double left click Mouse wheel 3Dconnexion mouse Cursor keys R Rotate camera orientation. No effect. Intuitive, multidimensional, free movement through the model. Pan up/down and left/right, zoom in/out and rotate on X and Y axes. Zoom camera in/out and sideways. Reset to original orbit, orientation and zoom. Orthographic Projection (Also known as Parallel Projection) Useful for editing (crop etc). Drag left button Double left click Rotate camera about orbit center. Make click point the orbit center, at viewport center. Rotation unchanged Drag left button Double left click Pan model left/right and up/down. No effect. Mouse wheel Roll to zoom in/out. Mouse wheel Roll to zoom in/out. 3Dconnexion mouse Cursor keys R Rotate on X and Y axes. No fly through. Rotate camera about orbit. Reset to original orbit and orientation. Zoom unchanged. 3Dconnexion mouse Cursor keys R Pan up/down, left/right, and rotate X and Y axes. No fly through and may get distortion if you rotate more than about 180. Reset to original orbit and orientation. Zoom unchanged. Table 5 Projection, Camera and Mouse Interaction Page 45

57 7 Changing How You Move Around the 3D Model 7.6 Reset View and Restore Defaults If you get disoriented: View > Reset View, or shortcut R, or click Reset. This only resets the position of the model to the defaults set in Options > Preferences > Display Defaults. It does not change window positions or colors. Options > Preferences > Restore Defaults Resets dockable windows, grid, and colors etc (items on Options > Preferences) to defaults. Use View Position to reset the view to a specific face. Page 46

58 8 Classifying Surfaces 8 Classifying Surfaces Select and group surfaces to include or exclude them from view and from exports, without necessarily changing the mesh model itself. You can permanently change the model by merging and deleting some surfaces. You can directly upload some or all surfaces to Autodesk BIM 360 or export to multiple formats for the next stage of your workflow. 8.1 Workflow for Classifying Surfaces: Auto and Manual Display mesh model Click Auto Classify Manually classify other surfaces Delete or hide any unwanted surfaces Export selected surfaces Figure 24 Workflow for Classifying Surfaces 8.2 Scene Tree and Properties You view and manage the groups from the Scene Tree window at the bottom right. See Scene Tree Window on page 9. When manually classifying surfaces, you also use dialogs from a context menu. See Selecting Surfaces on page 55. For example, you can group the floor, roof, walls, and pipes, with subfolders for each type of pipe. For an easier view inside the model, you can hide the roof. If you just want to study the walls, you can hide or delete all the other groups. You can change the Surface Color, Line Color, and Line Thickness for each group of surfaces in the Properties window, without losing RGB or intensity data. This makes it easy to identify particular features. See Geometry Properties and Color Classification on page Cropping versus Select and Delete Surfaces Cropping is good for removing parts of a point cloud that fit neatly in the selection cuboid and that you don t want to convert as part of a mesh model. You can also crop mesh models. See Cropping on page 65. Classify surfaces is ideal for more complex items, such as people or pipes: select and classify surfaces of the mesh model, and delete what you don t want. Page 47

59 8 Classifying Surfaces 8.4 Move versus Merge When you manually select and classify a group of surfaces, you choose to move or merge them into a geometry group. When you Auto Classify, they are moved: Move Surfaces will be moved to a geometry group folder, but remain individually selectable in the viewport. Merge Selecting any part of the merged surfaces in the viewport will select them all. If your merge includes surfaces from two different models, some of the surfaces will be moved to the folder of the surfaces they are merged with. 8.5 Auto Classify Surfaces Auto classified surfaces are moved into geometry group folders in the Scene Tree, but surfaces are not merged with other surfaces. When you manually classify surfaces, you can choose whether to move or merge. See Manually Classify Surfaces on page Click Auto Classify to open the dialog: Page 48

60 8 Classifying Surfaces 2. Set criteria for classification. The first time you run it, it may be easiest to run with defaults, and then adjust. See examples on page 50. You can always Restore Defaults: a. Minimum Surface Area Only planes with a total surface area this size and greater will be classified. b. Planar Accuracy Tolerance How much a surface can deviate from planar and still be classified. The higher the value, the more planes will be classified. But if the value is too high, two or more surfaces may be classified as a single one, when they should really be different. c. Classify All / Classify Selected Every surface will be analyzed for classification, OR only surfaces currently highlighted in the viewport (using Ctrl+Click) will be analyzed for classification. d. Include Already Classified Surfaces If ticked, surfaces that have already been classified (automatically or manually) will be included in the auto classification. They may be moved from existing geometry groups to new ones. Surfaces that were previously classified but no longer meet the criteria will be moved to a subfolder of UnClassified. e. Horizontal Planes Angle Tolerance Only planes less than or equal to this angle from horizontal will be classified. f. Vertical Planes Angle Tolerance Only planes less than or equal to this angle from vertical will be classified. g. Angled Planes Angle Range Only planes within this range of angles from horizontal will be classified. 3. Click OK. Surfaces are classified and colored in groups, and added to the Scene Tree (bottom right). You can change the colors in the Properties window. 4. You can show and hide groups by ticking and unticking in the Scene Tree. It is easier if you view the model as Solid Color, not a texture like RGB. Page 49

61 8 Classifying Surfaces 5. Optionally rerun Auto Classify with different values, ticking Allow Reclassification if you want to reassess surfaces already classified 6. To start classification afresh, close the viewport tab, and when prompted, don t save changes. 7. When you are happy with the auto classifications, manually classify remaining surfaces Adjusting Auto Classify Values Auto Classify is quick, so you can do it several times, to get the best result for your data. Then manually classify any remaining surfaces. Remember to tick Allow Reclassification when you re adjusting and comparing values like this. Brick Building The mesh model is of a brick building, with RGB texture. First Parse Auto Classify with a Minimum Surface Area of 30 m² and Mean Standard Deviation of m correctly classifies most of the vertical surfaces (green) and horizontal (red). To include the wall and roof section at the front left, you would reduce the Minimum Surface Area, or add them by manual classification. Page 50

62 8 Classifying Surfaces Low Standard Deviation If the Mean Standard Deviation is reduced to m, most of the surfaces are not smooth enough to be classified, regardless of how small the Minimum Surface Area is. Medium Standard Deviation Increasing the Mean Standard Deviation increases the number of classified surfaces. In this case, it needs to be higher to include the main wall on the right. Optimum For this dataset, these results are a good point from which to continue by manually classifying the remaining surfaces. Page 51

63 8 Classifying Surfaces High Standard Deviation With some datasets, having a very high standard deviation is useful for auto classifying curved surfaces. Page 52

64 8 Classifying Surfaces 8.6 Manually Classify Surfaces Optional: amend folder structure in Scene Tree Choose selection mode: Append, Replace, or Remove Select surfaces Right click and select Move Geometries Move Move as group of separate surfaces or Merge? Merge Right click and select Merge Geometries Do you want to create a folder? Yes Select parent folder and Add Group No Select folder and click Add Geometry Select geometry group and click OK Optionally color-code geometry groups Do you want to classify more surfaces? Yes No Save project Figure 25 Workflow for Manually Classifying Surfaces Page 53

65 8 Classifying Surfaces Creating Geometry Groups in the Scene Tree You can select and classify surfaces, creating and amending a hierarchy of folders as you go (see page 57). However, it is usually easier to set up the folders first, especially for large complex models. To create the structure before you start selecting: 1. In the Scene Tree, right click on what will be the parent folder: 2. Select Add New Group. Groups (folders) can contain other groups as well as geometry nodes (selected surfaces). 3. A new folder is added, titled New Group Node. To rename it, select it and press F2. 4. Repeat to create other folders. 5. To create a named location for selected surface geometries, right click on what will be the parent folder and select Add New Geometry Group. 6. A new geometry group is added, titled New Geometry Node. To rename it, select it and press F2. 7. If you create just one folder and one geometry group, without changing the default names: 8. Repeat to create other geometry groups. 9. Save the new scene tree before you start selecting surfaces to move and merge. Page 54

66 8 Classifying Surfaces Selecting Surfaces 1. Choose a selection mode: Append Either press and hold Ctrl or click Selection Mode and select Append. Replace Either press \ or click Selection Mode and select Replace. Remove Either press and hold Shift or click Selection Mode and select Remove. 2. Select surfaces by clicking on them individually or drag selecting them. With drag select, surfaces that are entirely contained in the selection box are selected - even those hidden behind other surfaces. For example, click three unclassified vertical surfaces to select them (shown in yellow), then move them to the Vertical Planes group: Figure 26 Surface Selection Mode You can select Change Highlight Color from the View menu or by right clicking in the viewport. Page 55

67 8 Classifying Surfaces 3. To pan or zoom, use the mouse wheel and arrow keys, or change the navigation or projection from the toolbar. Selected surfaces will remain selected while you move around the model. You can then return to a selection mode. 4. Switch between different modes to select exactly the right surfaces are highlighted. Append and Remove modes toggle: if you click on a surface that is already selected, it will be deselected, and vice versa. 5. To check what you ve selected, right click and select Only Show Selected Geometries. 6. You can deselect all selected surfaces: right click and select Clear Selected Geometries or switch to Replace Selection Classifying Surfaces into Geometry Groups 1. Select the surfaces you want to identify as a group. 2. Right click in the viewport and select Move Geometries or Merge Geometries: Move puts them in a folder together, but keeps them as individually selectable surfaces. Merge permanently combines them as a single surface: click anywhere on it in the viewport and you select all of it. After merging surfaces, you cannot separate them. 3. You see the Choose Destination dialog: If your Merge includes surfaces from two different models or two different geometry groups, some of the surfaces will be moved as well as merged. For example, if you have models Tower Top and Tower Base, and you select surfaces from both, which you then merge to a subfolder of Tower Top, surfaces that were in Tower Base, will now be in Tower Top. Page 56

68 8 Classifying Surfaces 4. To create a new folder for the selection, select a parent folder, then select Add Group. Right click on the new empty folder, called New Group Node, and select Rename. 5. Select the destination folder, then Add Geometry. The selected surfaces are added to that folder, which you can then rename. 6. Select the geometries and click OK to save the changes and add them to the Scene Tree. Then click Save to save the changes to the project. You can also Add Group and Add Geometry from the context menu of the Scene Tree. See Creating Geometry Groups in the Scene Tree on page Working with Classified Surfaces Change Geometry Group Colors By color-coding groups of surfaces, you can develop a clearer visualization of your data, without changing the underlying data. For example, grey for walls and floor, red for 5-inch pipes, blue for 3- inch pipes, and yellow for everything else. The geometry group colors are superimposed on whichever coloring method you have currently selected for your mesh model: solid color, RGB texture, or intensity texture. 1. In the Scene Tree window, select a geometry group. 2. In the Properties window, click in Surface Color, Line Color, or Line Thickness fields: If the field shows the default, Inherits from Parent, clicking the Browse button opens a standard color selector. If the field is set to a color, clicking in it shows a Browse button to open a standard color selector and a chevron to reset it to inheriting: Page 57

69 8 Classifying Surfaces Geometry Properties and Color Classification The Properties window shows details of what is selected in the Scene Tree window, including vertex bounds and counts. Figure 27 Geometry Properties Deleting Selected Surfaces To delete surfaces from the mesh model, select them, as above, then right click and select Delete Selected Geometries. See also Cropping on page Exporting Selected Surfaces You can export some or all of the surfaces directly to Autodesk BIM 360 or to file formats that you can use in other CAD software for the next stage of your workflow. FBX and IFC are particularly good at retaining surface classification, and you can include a texture, such as RGB, when exporting to DAE, FBX, OBJ, or SKP. See Export Mesh Model on page 74. Page 58

70 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models 9.1 Overview of Editing Tools You can crop point clouds and mesh models, create plans and sections of mesh models (including multiple cross-sections at specified intervals), and create scaled orthographic images of point clouds and mesh models. You can also measure between multiple pairs of points, on a mesh model or point cloud Example Workflow for Editing Models Display point cloud(s) Tip: Orbital camera and orthographic projection often easier to work with Crop point cloud to area of interest Optional: create ortho images or snapshots of point cloud Create mesh model, then Auto Classify surfaces, and manually classify remainder Optional: crop mesh model Create plans, multiple cross sections, or ortho images of mesh model Take measurements and snapshots of mesh model Export some or all surfaces of mesh model to Autodesk BIM 360 or file on desktop: DAE, DXF, FBX, IFC, OBJ, SKP, or STL Figure 28 Workflow for Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models Page 59

71 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models Types and Uses of Editing Tools Point Cloud Mesh Model Select Result Select Result Select and 3D cuboid of edges and surfaces Move and merge surfaces Classify Crop 3D cuboid of point data 3D cuboid of just the points inside cuboid (default). or 3D cuboid of edges and surfaces 3D cuboid of just the edges and surfaces inside cuboid. 3D cuboid of just the points outside cuboid. Plans/ Sections n/a 2D plan or sections of edges and surfaces 2D slice or plan, typically viewed from above. Can create multiple sections at specified intervals. Ortho Images 3D cuboid of point data Separate 2D orthographic raster images for each face selected, and including scale. 3D cuboid of edges and surfaces Separate 2D orthographic raster images for each face selected, and including scale. It includes all the 3D data in the tab: point clouds and/or mesh models. BIM 360 n/a Mesh model in Project Explorer Upload some or all surfaces of mesh model to Autodesk BIM 360. Export n/a Mesh model in Project Explorer Export some or all surfaces to use in other CAD software. Table 6 Editing Tools for Point Clouds and Mesh Models You can crop when multiple point clouds and mesh models are displayed. The dialog lets you choose what is cropped. Page 60

72 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models 9.2 Selection Tools and Controls When you select an editing tool, selection controls are superimposed on the model: a cuboid (or, for plans and sections, a flat plane) containing the selection area. As you adjust the cuboid, anything outside fades, so you can see the selection cuboid contents clearly. There are also green, red and blue circular rotation controls in three planes for adjusting the position, size and rotation of the selection cuboid or plane. Mesh Model Selection Cuboid Handle to Move Position of Cuboid Handle to Move Position of Cuboid Rotation Control (not selected) Rotation Control (selected) Figure 29 Crop Mesh Model, with Selection Tools Labelled Tilt, rotate and zoom to find the ideal viewing angle: move the model using the regular mouse, 3Dconnexion mouse and cursor keys, as normal (the selection controls move with it). Use the regular mouse to select and control individual selection tools. You can also use the Tool Dialog Selection Controls, described on page Position, Size, Rotation and Lock Controls The Crop, Plans/Sections, and Ortho Images tools all work in a similar way: select a tool, adjust what is selected, create the output, then either select a different part of the model, or close the tool. You select part of the model using the controls in the viewport and/or the related values in the edit tool window. For example, if you change the rotation in the viewport, the rotation values will change accordingly in the tool dialog Viewport Selection Controls The viewport controls are intuitive, but take care to select the one you want before moving it: Hover over a face of the selection area to select it (it darkens). Then drag to shrink/enlarge. As it resizes and moves, the circular rotation controls adjust as well. Hover over a white handle of a circular rotation control to select it and then shift the position of the whole cuboid/plane (and associated rotation controls) in the direction you move it. Page 61

73 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models Hover over, or close to, a circular rotation control so that it is brighter and thicker, indicating that it is selected, as for the green one illustrated in Figure 29, above. Move the regular mouse to rotate the selection area in that plane; use the 3D mouse to adjust the whole view. Shft+ArrowKeys, PageUp, PageDown, moves the box in all 6 directions If you tick to Lock the Position, Size and/or Rotation fields in the tool dialog, the corresponding controls will be removed from display in the viewport until you untick Lock. Selection with different tools: Plans/sections: There is a selection plane, rather than a cuboid. Ortho images: The faces are labelled Left, Right, Front, Back, Top, Bottom by default, as in Figure 32 on page 64. Cropping: The selection cuboid is unlabeled, as in Figure 29 on page 61. If the selection cuboid is opaque, switch on antialiasing: View > Antialiasing. You may also find it helpful to change the background color: View > Change Background Color Tool Dialog Selection Controls In addition to the click/drag controls in the viewport, you can adjust the selection cuboid in any edit tool dialog. Click the Selection Tool tab that is initially at the bottom of each edit tool dialog: Figure 30 Selection Tool tab of an Edit Tool Dialog This displays Selection controls like those in Figure 31, below, in place of the Output fields. Page 62

74 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models Figure 31 Selection Tool Controls in an Edit Tool Dialog The Selection Tool tab is the same on all the edit tool dialogs. The Position, Size and Rotation of the selection cuboid will be the same if you switch between Cropping, and Ortho Images tool, until you adjust or Reset Selection (or use viewport another tab). Page 63

75 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models Figure 32 Labels on Faces of a Selection Cuboid Adjust the section cuboid by editing the values for Position, Size and Rotation, and corresponding changes are immediately shown in the viewport. Tick to Lock any of those dimensions. The corresponding controls are greyed out in the dialog and removed from the viewport. The selection can only be adjusted in dimensions that are not locked. To reset the position of the point cloud or mesh model, click Reset (or press R). To reset all the editing tools (cuboid/plane and circular rotation controls), click Reset Selection in the edit tools window Create New File(s) from Edit When you are using an editing tool and click Create, new file(s) are created, but the dialog stays open: Crops (see page 65) Cropped point clouds and mesh models are stored in the selected scan folder s Point Clouds or Mesh Models folder, respectively. Display in a viewport tab to do further editing. Plans and Sections (see page 68) Create a single plan, or multiple sections at specified intervals. The 2D plans and sections are stored in the selected scan folder s Plans/Sections folder. If you double click one in the Project Explorer, it will open in a new tab, but you cannot edit it in Pointfuse. Ortho Images (see page 71) Orthographic images are 2D raster images, stored in the project s Ortho Images folder. If you double click one in the Project Explorer, it will open in a new tab, but you cannot edit it in Pointfuse. Page 64

76 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models 9.3 Cropping Start with a 3D cuboid comprising one or more point clouds or mesh models, and create a single 3D cuboid that is a subset, but in same format as the source. Crop point clouds to get rid of unwanted points (e.g. clutter at the edges), and to reduce file size. This will make it quicker to build a mesh model. Crop mesh models to create smaller models of specific areas. This reduces visual distraction and to makes zooming to the area of interest quicker. You can crop when you have a mix of point clouds and mesh models displayed in the viewport tab, but you can crop only one type at a time, to create a new file of the same type Cropping versus Delete Selected Surfaces Cropping is good for removing parts of a point cloud that fit neatly in the selection cuboid. For more complex items, such as people or pipes, select and classify surfaces of the mesh model, and delete what you don t want. See Classifying Surfaces on page 47. The Cropping selection cuboid shows live cropping and clipping: you only see and crop what is visible in the selection cuboid. What is outside the selection cuboid fades, so you can barely see it. If you have classified surfaces and removed some from view, they will not be included in the crop Cropping Process 1. Open a project and display the point clouds or mesh model to crop. 2. Click Crop. Page 65

77 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models 3. The Cropping Tool dialog is displayed: Figure 33 Cropping Tool Dialog (Output tab) 4. A selection cuboid is displayed around the point cloud/model. 5. Optimize the view, e.g. by tilting the model and changing the background color, or by using the Selection Tool tab. See Selection Tools and Controls on page Specify a Name for the cropped file. 7. If you have a mix of Mesh Models and Point Clouds displayed, select which format you want to crop. The result will be a new, cropped file of the same type. 8. If you have classified surfaces and hidden some from display in the Scene Tree (see Classifying Surfaces on page 47), choose whether to Include Only Visible Items. 9. By default, the contents of the selection cuboid will be copied to the new file. If you want to remove the selection, tick Invert Selection; this will be remembered for the current session of Pointfuse, even if you open a new project. 10. If cropping a mesh model, you can choose whether to Include Textures. 11. Either select an existing Scan folder from the dropdown list, or tick Create New Scan and specify New Scan Name. Page 66

78 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models 12. Use the selection tools in the viewport to adjust what to crop (see Types and Uses of Editing Tools on page 60). As you adjust the crop box, anything outside it fades, so you clearly see what is inside. Alternatively, adjust via the Selection Tool tab. 13. Click Create. 14. The result is added to the specified scan folder in the Project Explorer but is not displayed in the viewport. Instead, you stay in crop mode, to allow further cropping. 15. When you have finished cropping, click Close. 16. Display the results in the viewport. For example: Figure 34 Cropping: Before (left) and After (right) Page 67

79 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models 9.4 Plans and Sections Create 2D plans and sections from a 3D mesh model. You can create sections at regular intervals, e.g. at different heights so there is one for each floor of a building. The size and position of the selection plane and the other settings in the tool dialog are remembered for the current tab. This makes it easier if you create multiple sections, look at the results, and want to tweak the settings before creating new sections. 1. Open a project and display a mesh model in the viewport. 2. Click Plans/Sections. If you have more than one mesh model displayed in the viewport, you will be prompted to choose which one the plan or sections are created from (any point clouds will be ignored). Select a file and click OK. 3. The Plans/Sections Tool dialog is displayed: Figure 35 Plans/Sections Tool Dialog (Output tab) Page 68

80 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models 4. A selection plane is displayed through the model. 5. Optimize the view, e.g. by tilting and zooming to see the selection plane, rather than just its white edge, or by using the Selection Tool tab. See Selection Tools and Controls on page 61. Figure 36 Creating a Plan/Section of a Mesh Model 6. Specify a Name for the plan or sections. 7. Optionally tick to Draw Border around the resulting image. The border corresponds to the edge of the selection plane. 8. Optionally tick Create Multiple Sections. If ticked, you can: a. Specify the Number of Plans / Sections. b. Define the Spacing between sections. The additional sections will be taken at specified intervals above the selection plane. 9. Use the selection tools to adjust the selection plane. By default, this is a horizontal slice, but you can change X or Y rotation to take a vertical or diagonal slice. To create multiple horizontal sections (see below), position the plane at the lowest level you want to section. 10. Click Create. 11. The plan or sections are added to the Plans / Sections folder under the same scan folder as the source, but not automatically displayed in the viewport. 12. To create further plans and sections, adjust the selection plane, either by moving it directly or by changing the Position value in the Plans/Sections Tool window. Click Create after each one. 13. When you have finished, click Close. Page 69

81 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models 14. Display the result in the viewport and optionally export it. For example, a plan of the tower in Figure 36: Figure 37 Plan/Section of a Mesh Model The grid, projection and camera settings are automatically switched off when viewing plans/sections (and other 2D data). 15. To create more plans or sections, with slightly different settings, click to open the dialog again. The size and position of the selection plane and the other settings in the tool dialog will be the ones you just used. If you want to start from scratch, either click Reset Selection, or open the model in a new tab. Page 70

82 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models 9.5 Orthographic Images Select a 3D cuboid as for cropping, but create 2D orthographic images of each face currently displayed in the viewport. Each image includes details of scale (see Figure 40 on page 73). They are raster (not vector) images, so cannot be edited in Pointfuse, though you can display them, one per tab. Ortho images use Orthographic projection. If the viewport is displaying files in Perspective projection, you will notice the difference. 1. Open a project and display data in the viewport. Orthographic images contain all visible parts of point clouds and mesh models currently displayed in the viewport. Mesh models will be rendered using the currently selected rendering option (see toolbar); for point clouds, you select the rendering in this dialog. 2. Click Ortho Images. 3. The Ortho Images Tool dialog is displayed. Figure 38 Ortho Images Tool Dialog (Output tab) Page 71

83 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models 4. A selection cuboid is displayed around the model, with faces labelled Front, Back, Left, Right, Top and Bottom. 5. Optimize the view, e.g. by tilting the model and making the edges of a building parallel with the edges of the selection cuboid. See also Selection Tools and Controls on page 61 and View Position on page 43, 6. Specify a Prefix for the orthographic images. 7. Adjust the Scale of pixels per meter (default is 100). 8. Select a Background Color. 9. Switch Multisample on or off. Multisampling uses more resources, but creates a clearer image. 10. For point clouds, select a Point Size, between 1.00 and 10.00, and you can change the Shading Method (the default is the current viewport setting). 11. For mesh models you can change the Rendering Method (the default is the current viewport setting). 12. Tick which Cuboid Sides you want to create orthographic images of: Front, Back, Left, Right, Top and Bottom, as labelled on the selection cuboid. Adjust the cuboid if necessary. 13. Click Create. 14. The orthographic images are added to the Ortho Images folder. They have the name you specified, appended with the name of the face in brackets, e.g. church tower (Front). 15. To create orthographic images from a different cuboid, adjust the cuboid, either by moving it directly or by changing values in the Ortho Tools window. 16. When you have finished, click Close. Page 72

84 9 Editing Point Clouds and Mesh Models 17. Double click on an orthographic image to see it in a new tab. Figure 39 Orthographic Image of Mesh Model (left) and Point Cloud (right) Mesh model colored by RGB texture; point cloud colored by orthographic distance. The Scale panel contains information like this: Figure 40 Scale Panel of an Orthographic Image The grid, projection and camera settings are automatically switched off when viewing ortho images (and other 2D data). Page 73

85 10 Export Mesh Model 10 Export Mesh Model You can save mesh models in industry-standard formats to use in other software for the next stage of your workflow. You can upload directly to your Autodesk BIM 360 account, or save models in formats suitable for other CAD and related software. If you have previously classified surfaces, you can selectively export them. For example, you can export a building, without the floor, or just the pipework. See Classifying Surfaces on page 47. The trial version of Pointfuse limits you to three exports, whether to Autodesk BIM 360 or your PC. After that, you need to buy a license to use Pointfuse Supported Export File Types You can export to a file on your desktop some or all of the surfaces of a mesh model, in the formats in the table, below. If uploading to Autodesk BIM 360, you can export to FBX and IFC: File Suffix Associated With Upload to BIM 360? Retains Classification Hierarchy? Can Include Textures? For 2D Plans/ Sections? Other Files Created DAE Collada Yes, see page 33 DXF Drawing Exchange Format FBX Filmbox Yes Yes, see page 47 IFC Industry Foundation Yes Classes NWC Navisworks Yes Yes, see page 47 Yes (embedded or not), see page 33 OBJ Wavefront Yes, see page 33 SKP SketchUp Yes, see page 33 Yes PNG PNG PNG and MTL STL StereoLithography Yes X3D Web3D Consortium Yes, see page 33 PNG Table 7 Export File Types and Features If an export does not include textures, empty PNG and MTL files may be created. Page 74

86 10 Export Mesh Model 10.2 Export to Autodesk BIM 360 If you ve selected and classified surfaces, the classification hierarchy will be uploaded too. Prerequisites * An Autodesk BIM 360 account with admin rights. Add Pointfuse as an app, as explained in the Autodesk article To Add Apps & Integrations. * A full Pointfuse license or Pointfuse trial with at least one of the three permitted exports remaining. 1. Before exporting, click Save on the toolbar. 2. To upload the whole model, or selected surfaces, select BIM 360 Export. a. Sign in to your Autodesk account (if not already logged in) and when prompted, give Pointfuse access to your account to see your and Project Files Folders. You will see Project Files folders, but not Plans folders. This is because a mesh model is a representation of what already exists, rather than a plan. See the Autodesk article About Plans and Project Files. Figure 41 BIM 360 Upload Wizard Folder Selection b. Select the destination folder and click Next to open the upload page. Page 75

87 10 Export Mesh Model Figure 42 BIM 360 Upload Wizard File and Surface Selection c. You can change the File name. d. Select the Export file type. For FBX, you can also choose whether to include a Texture. e. Select items. By default, all surface geometries are ticked. Untick any you don t want in the export. f. Click Next to upload the model. g. When done, select Show file in BIM 360 to view it in your default browser. Figure 43 Autodesk BIM 360 Uploaded Model h. In the browser, functions include: preview (including markup), download, move, copy, rename, lock, share, and delete. Page 76

88 10 Export Mesh Model 10.3 Export to Files on Your Computer The trial version of Pointfuse limits you to three individual exports, whether to Autodesk BIM 360 or your PC. After that, you need to buy a license to use Pointfuse. Export models in a format that you can then import in other software, such as Teckla Structures, Revit, or ArchiCAD Individual Export Exporting a single mesh model means you can include and exclude particular surface geometries (see Classifying Surfaces on page 47). 1. Before exporting, click Save on the toolbar. 2. Display the model or plan/section in the viewport. 3. Click Export, or select File > Export to open the Export dialog: Figure 44 Export File 4. In the File Name field, click the Browse button and navigate to the folder where you want to save the exported file. a. In the File Name field of the new dialog, specify a name for the exported file. b. Select a Save as Type from the dropdown list. The default is DXF. c. Click Save to return to the main dialog, which now displays the path and name for the exported file. 5. If exporting to DAE, FBX, OBJ, SKP, or X3D, you can select which texture to include (see Color by Textures on page 33). Page 77

89 10 Export Mesh Model If exporting to FBX and you select a texture, you can then choose whether to Embed Textures. If unticked, textures will be created in a separate PNG file: 6. By default, all surface geometries currently displayed in the viewport are ticked, but you can change which are included in the export by ticking or unticking them in this dialog. See Classifying Surfaces on page Click OK to create the export file. 8. You can open the export in a CAD or similar program, but not in Pointfuse Batch Export Batch export means you can export multiple mesh models to multiple export files, all of the same type. However, if you want to select which surface geometries to include or exclude, export models individually, as above. You need a full license (not trial) to do batch exports. 1. Before exporting, click Save on the toolbar. 2. Select the mesh models in the Project Explorer. 3. Right click, and select Batch Export. The dialog is almost the same as for an individual export (see above), but you select an Export Folder and an Export Type (instead of choosing a file name and type): Page 78

90 10 Export Mesh Model Figure 45 Batch Export 4. If exporting to DAE, FBX, OBJ, SKP, or X3D, you can select which texture to include (see Color by Textures on page 33). For FBX, you can choose whether to embed the texture. 5. Click OK to create the export files. 6. You can open the exports in a CAD or similar program, but not in Pointfuse. Page 79

91 Appendix A Toolbar and Menu Functions Appendix A Toolbar and Menu Functions Toolbar functions are also on menus (though not all menu items have a corresponding toolbar button). Tooltips either display the name (e.g. Open Existing Project) or current value (e.g. Perspective). Functions are described in the relevant sections of this user guide, and summarized below. Figure 46 The Toolbar Button Shortcut Function Comments Applies to Page Ctrl+N Create new Project - 12 Ctrl+O Open Existing Project or File Enabled when not running a task Projects, Point Clouds, Mesh Models 8 Save Save current model Add Scan Export Mesh Model New point cloud to current project Convert point cloud to mesh model and export Point Clouds 24 Mesh Models 74 BIM 360 upload Upload to Autodesk BIM 360 Mesh Models 74 Create Mesh Model Build from an imported point cloud, or directly from a file Point Clouds 25 Z Create in Bolt Requires Bolt license and login Point Clouds 25 X Create on desktop Point cloud must be displayed in current viewport tab Point Clouds 25 Cancel Stop current task (e.g. open file, or create mesh model) - - Navigation Mode Point Clouds, Mesh Models 41 Orbital Camera Free Floating Camera Point Clouds, Mesh Models Point Clouds, Mesh Models Page 80

92 Appendix A Toolbar and Menu Functions Button Shortcut Function Comments Applies to Page View Position Resets the view to a specific face: top, bottom, left, right, front, or back 43 Projection Type Point Clouds, Mesh Models 42 Perspective Projection Orthographic Projection Point Clouds, Mesh Models Point Clouds, Mesh Models Selection Mode Mesh Models 47 Ctrl Append Selection Mesh Models 47 \ Replace Selection Mesh Models 47 Shift Remove Selection Mesh Models 47 R Reset View Resets camera position & orientation Point Clouds, Mesh Models 46 G Toggle Grid Grid automatically off for 2D plans/sections and snapshots - 37 Full Screen Switches to show viewport full screen Auto Classify Mesh Models 48 Point cloud rendering option Icon is colored to match current selection, if any. Point Clouds 32 Solid Color Point Clouds 32 Elevation Point Clouds 32 RGB Intensity Mesh model rendering option Only effective if the source includes RGB values. Only effective if the source includes Intensity values. Icon is colored to match current selection, if any. Point Clouds 32 Point Clouds 32 Mesh Models 33 Solid Color Specify color in Options > Preferences > Display Defaults Mesh Models 33 Page 81

93 Appendix A Toolbar and Menu Functions Button Shortcut Function Comments Applies to Page RGB Texture Intensity Texture Only effective if the source includes RGB values Only effective if the source includes Intensity values Mesh Models 33 Mesh Models 33 Crop Point Clouds, Mesh Models 65 Create Plans / Sections Mesh Models 68 Create Ortho Images Measure Tool Snapshot Point Clouds, Mesh Models Point Clouds, Mesh Models Point Clouds, Mesh Models Table 8 Toolbar Functions A.1 Menu Functions The File, Edit, View, and Options menus contain all the functions on the toolbar, and a few additional ones. There are also context menus (right click) for the Project Explorer, viewport, and Scene Tree. Some functions can also be accessed by a keyboard shortcut (shown on the menu and in Keyboard Shortcuts on page 83). Page 82

94 Appendix B Keyboard Shortcuts Appendix B Keyboard Shortcuts Use these shortcuts as an alternative to selecting from menus or the toolbar: Shortcut Applies to Function Comments Page G Toggle Grid on and off 37 Ctrl+N New Project 12 Ctrl+O Open File 8 Ctrl+S Save - R Point or mesh data in viewport Reset Camera Position & Orientation 46 Ctrl Mesh model Append Selection 47 \ Mesh model Replace Selection 47 Shift Mesh model Remove Selection 47 X Point data Create Mesh Model on Bolt Z Point data Create Mesh Model on desktop Requires Bolt license and login Point cloud must be displayed in current viewport tab Ctrl+Return Full Screen toggle 37 Esc Exit Full Screen mode 37 F2 Project, scan folders or files in Project Explorer Rename item 21 Ctrl+Click Mesh models Highlight Surface 34 Shift+ arrow key Page Up, Page Down Selection cuboid/plane, e.g. cropping Moves selection up, down, left and right, clockwise and anticlockwise 61 Alt+M Selected surfaces of mesh model Move Selected Geometries 47 Alt+N Selected surfaces of mesh model Merge Selected Geometries 47 Alt+C Selected surfaces of mesh model Clear Selected Geometries 47 Alt+G Selected surfaces of mesh model Only Show Selected Geometries 47 Table 9 Keyboard Shortcuts Page 83

95 Appendix C Defining Preferences and Defaults Appendix C Defining Preferences and Defaults Customize Pointfuse by defining defaults for how the interface looks, how you move around it, and how data is displayed. Use Options > Preferences > Restore Defaults to revert. You can also define processing profiles to determine the resolution used when building mesh models from point data. From the Options menu, select Preferences, to open a tabbed dialog. C.1 General Tab These are global defaults that take effect when you click Apply or Close. Page 84

96 Appendix C Defining Preferences and Defaults See Antialiasing and Smoothing on page 35. See Caching on page 85. See Invert Mouse (Regular) on page 43. See Enable 3Dconnexion Mouse on page 43. C.1.1 Caching Caching is enabled by default for more efficient processing of point clouds. This is especially important when building mesh models from large point clouds. It creates temporary folders in the location specified here. If your computer has a solid state drive, set the caching folder to be on that drive. Page 85

97 Appendix C Defining Preferences and Defaults C.2 Display Defaults Tab The fields on this tab all relate to how point clouds and mesh models are displayed by default, in future; existing tab contents are unaffected. Therefore, the Apply button is only enabled if you have changed something in another Preferences tab. In contrast, if you change a setting from the toolbar or menu (Camera, Projection, Antialiasing, Smoothing, Shading Method and those listed as General), it only applies until you change it again, or you close Pointfuse. Use Options > Restore Defaults to revert to factory settings. See Changing How the Model Looks on page 31. See Viewport Settings on page 37. Page 86

98 Appendix C Defining Preferences and Defaults C.3 Processing Profiles Tab A processing profile determines the resolution and tolerances used when converting point data to mesh models. In this dialog, you can view the profiles installed with Pointfuse (suitable for point clouds built from Terrestrial, Mobile or Airborne technology) as well as create and edit any custom ones. See Creating Custom Processing Profiles on page 30. Page 87