Toronto Archives – Point3D Commercial Imaging

Point Cloud Registration With Cyclone Register360

Spencer — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 02:02:26 +0000

Scans In, Pointclouds Out

In January 2022, Point3D was contracted to document the existing conditions of a commercial office building in Toronto, Ontario using 3D Laser Scanning. The project consisted of nearly 300 scan setups collecting millions of LiDAR measurement references, hundreds of 360-degree images, and infrared sensor data.

Each 3D scan was cleaned and registered with multiple links to ensure an accurate point cloud bundle. The combination of all 3D scans captured produced a dense, RGB-coloured point cloud providing a full understanding of the building’s dimensions and current condition. After registration was complete, a registration report confirmed the overall accuracy of the building spatial data. Essentially, this point cloud serves as a dimensionally accurate digital twin of the actual building.

Once digitally constructed, the final point cloud is exported into .RCP and .LGS file formats for both designers and non-technical project stakeholders to view. The video below shows the process of registering the 3D Laser Scan data in Leica Register360.

https://vimeo.com/677018329

3D Laser Scanning

3D Laser Scanning is a reality capture method employed to measure the dimensions and geometry of existing structures more efficiently and accurately than traditional tools used for site measures. Put simply, 3D Laser Scanning helps to digitize the built environment. Millions of LiDAR measurement reference points and a 360-degree image are captured at the same time with every scan setup. Together, all as-built references, both dimensional and visual, are documented for further architectural and engineering analysis.

3D Laser Scan Registration

The dataset from each 3D scan setup must be registered to produce an accurate point cloud file. Best practices include having at least one link with another setup to ensure the best overall accuracy of the final point cloud file. This is completed with a combination of automatic and manual visual alignment. Scan data points are matched with those from other scans as accurately as possible. Typically, in a 3D scanning project, there are pre-registered and unregistered 3D scans, all of which are visually checked for proper registration during the final quality assurance process.

The benefits of introducing point clouds into the as-built development workflow are literally immeasurable.

For project delivery, the finalized or registered point cloud is typically made available in two formats. The first file format, .RCP, is specifically for professional architects and engineers. The second, .LGS, is a lightweight and easily accessible version of the point cloud which is accessible to almost anyone. While both formats are provided and can technically be opened for free (.RCP with Autodesk Recap, .LGS with Leica Truview), we have the following recommendation:

The .RCP point cloud: Used with the Autodesk suite of products including, but not limited, Autodesk Revit, Autodesk AutoCAD, and Autodesk Civil 3D. The point cloud along with Autodesk Recap Pro is used to create Building Information Models eliminating the need for repeat job site visits for measuring and modelling.
The .LGS point cloud: Preferred by some designers for use with measuring and visual confirmation of as-is building conditions, the .LGS file can be faster to load on most machines than Autodesk Recap. There are also additional features such as HDR images and IR-sensor information exclusive to the .LGS point cloud file. Also, it shouldn’t be discounted that the .LGS can be easily downloaded by any project or company stakeholder. The .LGS point cloud used with Leica Truview allows users to explore the point cloud similar to a virtual tour. This has proved to be an efficient way to receive boots-on-the-ground building intelligence without actually having to show up on site.

While .RCP and .LGS files are the most popular with our clients, Point3D is able to provide other industry standard formats such as .e57, .pts/.ptx, and .las, depending on the intended use downstream.

This building was digitized with over 300 full-colour 3D Laser Scans

Why Point Clouds for As-Built Conditions?

By using point clouds captured with a calibrated laser scanning device and properly registered by a competent point cloud specialist, architects, engineers, and forward-thinking developers can efficiently produce accurate as-built drawings at scale. While an architect and apprentice can no doubt properly measure the existing conditions of a building, there exist many areas where major human-error can occur throughout the workflow. At scale, missed measurements, inaccurate measurements, and poor documentation practices can cause disaster to a project’s timeline. That’s why we are seeing more architects and developers in Toronto and Ottawa looking to Point3D Commercial imaging to promptly provide documentation by capturing point clouds with 360-images to produce Revit as-built models and AutoCAD as-built drawings. The benefits of introducing point clouds into the as-built development workflow are literally immeasurable.

We are 3D Point Cloud Specialists

3D Laser Scanning offers a major advantage to traditional building survey and site measure processes. If you are interested and looking to learn more about using point clouds in Ottawa, Montreal or Toronto, get in touch with our team to schedule your 3D Laser Scan.

Any Questions? Write To Us.

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Point3D Is A Canadian Museum Association Corporate Member

Spencer — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 15:59:52 +0000

We are happy to announce we have joined the Canadian Museum Association to better connect with museum professionals in Canada

You already know that Point3D is on top of the Museum virtual tour industry so it should be no surprise we are also a corporate member of the Canadian Museum Association. Through membership, we have connected with and done work with several Canadian Museums in capturing their exhibits and event venue space with 3D Virtual Tours. The immersive experiences extend the traditional reach of the exhibits, allowing for online visits by users around the world. They also give curators the ability to share more than just pictures with other institutions looking to sponsor and host exhibits.

The Canadian Museum Association is an organization working together to support Canada’s museum community. It includes volunteers and national institutions alike to build stronger museums and “a better Canada.” The association advocates for a variety of initiatives in the education sector, provides a huge host of jobs, works on the Truth and Reconciliation Program (specializing in Action #67), and partners with museums across Canada to achieve this!

We captured the opening Firestone Collection at the Ottawa Art Gallery back in 2018. Since then, we have re-visited the OAG several times to capture virtual tours of several other collections and expositions.

A member of the Canadian Museum Association furthers the objectives of the Canadian Museum Association. Our participation includes paying the membership fee to keep the Canadian Museum Association running and then offering special pricing to museums in order to support their reach and general museum education across Canada. Our membership fees go towards the association’s advocacy for public policy, support, building skills in the profession, and building connections between museums and their supporters. We are happy and proud to work alongside museums across Canada that are educating young minds and keeping the history of Canada alive!

Explore Canadian Museum Virtual Tours

Located an hour north of Toronto, The Sharon Temple was constructed by the Children of Peace, an Upper Canada Quaker sect from 1825 – 1831. The Temple is an architectural symbol of their vision of a society based on the values of peace, equality, and social justice. We captured Museum 3D Tours of six heritage buildings on the property to allow users to explore artifacts, and immerse themselves in the Museum from any computer or cell phone!

With four buildings throughout the property, Champlain Trail Museum approached Point3D to create a museum virtual tour that could let users traverse between them. After scanning the separate buildings, they were connected with multimedia labels to do just that!

Rooted in Rural is a new permanent exhibition that explores Osgoode township’s rich agricultural and rural roots. Hosted at the Osgoode Township Museum, the exhibit was captured over the Summer of 2021 to create a museum virtual tour that could be shared with Ottawa-area schools in the Ottawa Catholic School Board and Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

The Canadian museum virtual tour that started it all, Bytown Museum. Set in Ottawa’s oldest stone building next to the Rideau River locks, this Museum features a permanent exhibition of early Ottawa, the Bytown, and the construction of the Rideau River locks themselves.

For us, the Bytown Museum is one of our earliest adopters of museum virtual tours and a long-time supporter of our business. We regularly re-visit the museum to capture temporary exhibits held on the second level of the building.

We are Ontario’s 3D Virtual Tour Experts

We offer a unique and extensive experience providing fast, realiable service for the most complex scanning environments. Our immersive 3D Imaging can serve as a solution to a wide range of industries. If you are interested and are looking to learn more or are ready to use 3D Virtual Tours in Ottawa, Montreal or Toronto, contact our team to schedule your first 3D Tour scan.

Any Questions? Write To Us.

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We Visited Leica Geosystems Toronto

Spencer — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 04:02:52 +0000

Visiting Leica Geosystems Toronto

As a 3D laser scan service provider, we aim to provide the best and most practical 3D laser scanning solution. That’s why we visited Leica Geosystems in Toronto to learn about Leica Geosystems’ new device, the BLK2GO. We were able to pair this opportunity with some Matterport capture work in Toronto and stay the weekend. At Leica, we met with our favorite Leica Geosystems rep Tony Juteau and meet 3D enthusiasts, colleagues of all industries who also came to learn about the new laser scanner.

The Leica BLK2GO is a handheld mobile scanner that uses both visual SLAM and lidar SLAM, capturing 420,000 points per second using one of the world’s smallest dual-axis lidar. Using small but powerful panoramic cameras and a 12-megapixel detail camera, the point cloud files include RGB values and high-contrast imagery. The device expedites mobile survey capabilities, allowing spaces where time is sensitive and mobility is required.

During this training session with a not-yet-available Leica Geosystems Cyclone, we and other vendors were brought up to speed with the new import and registration functions of the program for the new device. This included new ways to clean the point cloud. As mobile laser scanning is fluid, it is more prone to the movement of people and objects in the scan. New tools in Leica Geosystems Cyclone Register360 allow for cleaning and filtering of the measurement references.

Using the device in the following demo confirmed that while a revolutionary device, it did not replace the Leica BLK360 in most environments. The resulting data is noisier and slightly less accurate than our terrestrial laser scanners so asbuilt modeling capabilities are limited. Of course, there is a right device for every job which we later had that warranted the mobile laser scanner.

We later used the Leica BLK2GO for a set of buildings that required expedited mobile laser scanning. The six complexes were comprised of 112 three-bedroom units that were tenantant just at the heights of the coronavirus COVID-19 virus. The scanning exercise could not be performed with a terrestrial laser scanner as the time spent in each unit needed to be limited. The resulting point clouds were registered and used to create Revit models of each building’s as-found conditions. The scanning accuracy of the laser scanner was 10mm-20mm and allowed for modeling accuracy of up to LOD300.

We also used the mobile laser scanner to capture large outdoor heritage sites like the Holocaust Monument in Ottawa.

Using 3d laser scanning data captured with mobile laser scanning, we modeled an asbuilt Revit model of a 20-unit building at an LOD of 300.

We are 3D Point Cloud Specialists

Any Questions? Write To Us.

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