Case Studies

Discover our work in the field.
#3DTakeOver

Great things are done by a series of small things.

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February 16, 2015

When will the day come when you can get fast, clean engineering grade data as you walk your scanner through your building? Well, that day was a few years ago for SmartGeoMetrics, and now it just got better! P3dSystems has rolled out three modules for the kinematic ProScan; G-Series (GPS), I-Series (Inertial info), and the T-Series (Total Station Tracking).

Sam Billingsley, author of “Confessions of a Hired Gun” for SPAR Point Group, does an excellent job of providing an objective review of the hardware and acquisition process. A must read for laser scanning gear heads on an great kinematic data acquisition platform that works with many static scanners.

“…for larger areas (manufacturing facilities, warehouses, airports, construction sites, etc.) I’ve seen nothing that can touch its level of productivity and accuracy.”

You can find his full article here or find out more about the ProScan here.


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March 27, 2014

From Spar Point Group

By Sam Billingsley

One of the advantages of being an equipment reseller is being able to play with pretty much every scanner on the market without having to own them all. Last week I had just such an opportunity with the latest offering from Zoller + Fröhlich, the Z+F 5010C. The 5010C is essentially the 5010 (also formerly branded the Leica Geosystems HDS7000). The “C” stands for Camera as this unit is the first Z+F scanner to come with an integrated onboard camera. While this is nothing new in scanning, it is new to Z+F. Fortunately, they were paying attention to the complaints that many of us expressed about the experience of using and results obtained from most onboard cameras. By correcting many of these problems Z+F have produced one of the best systems for capturing RGB scan data that I have used.

For starters, the system does not image the mirror. The camera lens is mounted on the opposite side from the rotating mirror so that it takes a “direct” image. Most notably, the unit can capture High Dynamic Range (HDR) imagery. For the purposes of documenting a site nothing is better. The composite pano is made from 42 images and it normally takes just under four (4) minutes to capture those images. Each image is composited from multiple images of differing exposures that are taken from the same area (thus making it an HDR image). The results are stunning – nothing is too dark or washed out even when there are sunlit windows and shadows in the same frame. In the past I had to use a DSLR, a Nodal Ninja, and a couple of types of software to produce HDR panos. Even after doing so, you still had to manually texture map the point cloud. This was time consuming, mind numbingly repetitive, work that is now accomplished with a few mouse clicks in Z+F’s LaserControl software. It still takes a bit of time but it’s background processing time instead of manual labor and I’m all for that! The only complaint that I have about the camera system is the order in which the images are taken. The unit takes the images in a circular pattern starting at the lowest elevation and increasing the elevation of the camera lens after each 360° rotation. This means that staying out of the images is a bit of a dance that requires you to circle the scanner four or five times while the images are being taken. Having the images taken in the vertical with a horizontal movement following each vertical stripe would certainly help to keep the field personnel out of the images.

The range noise and accuracy are on par with what we’ve come to expect from Z+F (≤1mm linearity error, range noise 0.2 mm – 2.2 mm at <50m). The upgrades are from a class 3R to a class 1 laser while increasing the range to 187 meters. Compared with the 5006 series they have dropped the “high” and “low” power settings and moved to a series of settings that allow the user to select “density” and “quality” settings. Essentially, an increase in the “quality” setting doubles the scan time and reduces range noise to provide a cleaner looking point cloud. The batteries lasted about three hours each and charged at about the same rate so that you could rotate them and get in a full day’s work. The 5010C will also operate as a profiling scanner. As operating in this mode requires some accessories (IMU, GPS, etc) I won’t go into it here except to mention that it will definitely decrease the aforementioned three hour battery life. Scanning speed is listed as 1,016,000 points per second as with most scanners the actual collecting speed is significantly reduced. Scan times were on par with other scanners of the same caliber (5006 series, Leica P20). Full technical specifications are available on Z+F’s website.

Registration is also improved with a firmware tool that uses plane matching to aid in registration. After each scan is complete, the user views a 2D plan view of a cross section of the point cloud (at the scanner’s 0 elevation). If multiple scans have been taken, those positions will also be visible. The user can then drag and rotate the last scan’s data to match the previous scan data. Essentially you line up walls and other vertical shapes. It’s called “plane” matching as even complex shapes are reduced to a series of planes similar to a decimated mesh. Each of these surfaces can be used as a constraint. One hardware addition that greatly aids in this is a mark on the base of the scanner that denotes the direction of the “0” position or the false Northing if you will of the unit. If you always point this mark at your last position you can simply rotate the arrow on the onboard screen to point back at the previous scan position for a quick alignment. This alignment is not the total registration but simply a way to get the clouds close so that registration engine in LaserControl can quickly finish the job. Alternately, this is a great tool for maintaining a consistent orientation if you are delivering a bubble view (TruView, NetView, etc.) to your client. The default is to open each page oriented toward the “0” position. By knowing what that is in the field you can keep your clients oriented in the same direction or on a particular point of focus.
All in all I was quite impressed with the 5010C. While it is not a “low dough” option that some may insist upon, it is priced under other scanners that are its direct competitors (per tech specs). Add to this the fact that it comes bundled with the LaserControl processing software and I think the pricing is spot on.


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March 27, 2014

From Spar Point Group

By Sam Billingsley

One of the advantages of being an equipment reseller is being able to play with pretty much every scanner on the market without having to own them all. Last week I had just such an opportunity with the latest offering from Zoller + Fröhlich, the Z+F 5010C. The 5010C is essentially the 5010 (also formerly branded the Leica Geosystems HDS7000). The “C” stands for Camera as this unit is the first Z+F scanner to come with an integrated onboard camera. While this is nothing new in scanning, it is new to Z+F. Fortunately, they were paying attention to the complaints that many of us expressed about the experience of using and results obtained from most onboard cameras. By correcting many of these problems Z+F have produced one of the best systems for capturing RGB scan data that I have used.

For starters, the system does not image the mirror. The camera lens is mounted on the opposite side from the rotating mirror so that it takes a “direct” image. Most notably, the unit can capture High Dynamic Range (HDR) imagery. For the purposes of documenting a site nothing is better. The composite pano is made from 42 images and it normally takes just under four (4) minutes to capture those images. Each image is composited from multiple images of differing exposures that are taken from the same area (thus making it an HDR image). The results are stunning – nothing is too dark or washed out even when there are sunlit windows and shadows in the same frame. In the past I had to use a DSLR, a Nodal Ninja, and a couple of types of software to produce HDR panos. Even after doing so, you still had to manually texture map the point cloud. This was time consuming, mind numbingly repetitive, work that is now accomplished with a few mouse clicks in Z+F’s LaserControl software. It still takes a bit of time but it’s background processing time instead of manual labor and I’m all for that! The only complaint that I have about the camera system is the order in which the images are taken. The unit takes the images in a circular pattern starting at the lowest elevation and increasing the elevation of the camera lens after each 360° rotation. This means that staying out of the images is a bit of a dance that requires you to circle the scanner four or five times while the images are being taken. Having the images taken in the vertical with a horizontal movement following each vertical stripe would certainly help to keep the field personnel out of the images.

The range noise and accuracy are on par with what we’ve come to expect from Z+F (≤1mm linearity error, range noise 0.2 mm – 2.2 mm at <50m). The upgrades are from a class 3R to a class 1 laser while increasing the range to 187 meters. Compared with the 5006 series they have dropped the “high” and “low” power settings and moved to a series of settings that allow the user to select “density” and “quality” settings. Essentially, an increase in the “quality” setting doubles the scan time and reduces range noise to provide a cleaner looking point cloud. The batteries lasted about three hours each and charged at about the same rate so that you could rotate them and get in a full day’s work. The 5010C will also operate as a profiling scanner. As operating in this mode requires some accessories (IMU, GPS, etc) I won’t go into it here except to mention that it will definitely decrease the aforementioned three hour battery life. Scanning speed is listed as 1,016,000 points per second as with most scanners the actual collecting speed is significantly reduced. Scan times were on par with other scanners of the same caliber (5006 series, Leica P20). Full technical specifications are available on Z+F’s website.

Registration is also improved with a firmware tool that uses plane matching to aid in registration. After each scan is complete, the user views a 2D plan view of a cross section of the point cloud (at the scanner’s 0 elevation). If multiple scans have been taken, those positions will also be visible. The user can then drag and rotate the last scan’s data to match the previous scan data. Essentially you line up walls and other vertical shapes. It’s called “plane” matching as even complex shapes are reduced to a series of planes similar to a decimated mesh. Each of these surfaces can be used as a constraint. One hardware addition that greatly aids in this is a mark on the base of the scanner that denotes the direction of the “0” position or the false Northing if you will of the unit. If you always point this mark at your last position you can simply rotate the arrow on the onboard screen to point back at the previous scan position for a quick alignment. This alignment is not the total registration but simply a way to get the clouds close so that registration engine in LaserControl can quickly finish the job. Alternately, this is a great tool for maintaining a consistent orientation if you are delivering a bubble view (TruView, NetView, etc.) to your client. The default is to open each page oriented toward the “0” position. By knowing what that is in the field you can keep your clients oriented in the same direction or on a particular point of focus.
All in all I was quite impressed with the 5010C. While it is not a “low dough” option that some may insist upon, it is priced under other scanners that are its direct competitors (per tech specs). Add to this the fact that it comes bundled with the LaserControl processing software and I think the pricing is spot on.


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August 28, 2013

The iMMS is the perfect system for quickly collecting dimensional and photographic information in interior and close quarter environments. This revolutionary system combines three LiDAR sensors (3 cm accuracy) with a 360° panoramic camera to provide photo-realistic point cloud data in a mobile platform. The result is a system that digitizes an environment as quickly as you can walk through it!

Indoor Mobile Mapping with the Viametris iMMS

The iMMS maintains its position using “SLAM” (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology with it’s forward facing LiDAR sensor. However, the most optimal results are achieved by post processing the data to use geometric similarities in the environment as additional constraints. This is accomplished using Viametris’ PPiMMS Software Suite. PPiMMS is a powerful post-processing software that automatically corrects any drift in from the SLAM processing in order to compute more precise point cloud results. From an initial acquisition, imported from a Viametris iMMS device, the user builds their own project to correct the potential drifts, add some specific constraints, compute the 3D points clouds and finally export these 3D datasets. Installed on the office work station, PPiMMS can also be used as a stand-alone viewer. PPiMMS can also be used to provide users with a “Streetview” type interface that allows them to navigate the panoramic images from the collected data in a familiar interface.

Mobile mapping has clear advantages over traditional static systems due to the decreased field collection times. High costs due to the necessities of accurate localization has traditionally been the stumbling block of mobile mapping. However, Viametris has overcome this issue with their specific LiDAR-based SLAM technologies. By using SLAM for real-time mapping of the environment and geometric similarities in the environment to further enhance the accuracy during post processing, the iMMS is able to operate without GNSS/GPS receivers or an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). These facts are reflected in the iMMS’ ability to excel at mapping indoors and in its low retail price compared to traditional mobile mapping systems.

SmartGeoMetrics is the exclusive US distributor of the iMMS providing sales, service, support, and rentals of the iMMS for clients that are not yet ready to purchase.

Contact SmartGeoMetrics today for more information on the iMMS or to schedule a demo.

View a Video of the iMMS in action collecting data at ILMF 2013.

Viametris iMMS


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August 28, 2013

SmartGeoMetrics Now Authorized Geomagic Distributor

SmartGeoMetrics adds Geomagic software to their growing list of offerings to users of 3D Imaging data. Long known for having the best meshing application for point cloud data,Geomagic offers software solutions for reverse engineering, parts inspection, deviation analysis and more. As with all SmartGeoMetrics products, industry specific training and educational services will also be available.

“Our quest is to be able to provide our clients with the best solution for their particular application of 3D Imaging technologies. Being able to offer software from Geomagic greatly aids us in realizing this vision.” -Sam Billingsley, VP of Business & Product Development, SmartGeoMetrics.


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August 28, 2013

SmartGeoMetrics is Now an Authorized Re-seller for kubit USA!

SmartGeoMetrics can now offer kubit’s innovative solutions for working with point clouds in the AutoCAD environment. Through kubit PointCloud, PointCloud Pro, and PointSense Plant users can utilize the power of point cloud data in the familiar CAD environment using common CAD commands.

  • Easy to learn and operate with any CAD experience
  • Rapid survey and evaluation of data from different sensors within one CAD environment
  • Hardware independent
  • Multiple modeling tools to speed post-processing

kubit PointCloud FreeEdition

AutoCAD now contains a native point cloud engine which is powerful enough to handle up to 2 billion points of scan data. The use of this engine requires the point cloud to be converted to a PCG formatted file.  Currently, AutoCAD only supports a few data formats for import and conversion to PCG.

kubit provides users with many more import options with their new PointCloud FreeEdition. Users can now take advantage of the powerful AutoCAD PCG engine and import the data from their laser scanner directly into AutoCAD. PointCloud FreeEdition supports the importation of PTZ, ASCII, PTS, Reigl RiScan Pro Project, Trimble Realworks Survey Orthoimage and Reconstructor Orthoimage formats for conversion to the PCG format.

kubit PointCloud

kubit PointCloud is the premier software for working with laser scan data within the AutoCAD environment.  In addition to managing millions of points, PointCloud offers a variety of functions, which facilitate and speed up the processing and evaluation of pointclouds in AutoCAD. Kubit has developed PointCloud for basic cloud manipulation and evaluation.  Multiple point clouds can be edited and worked with simultaneously giving users a virtually unlimited amount of information within one DWG.  Sections/slices along AutoCAD curves and AutoCAD UCS’s are created effortlessly.  These slices and contours are easily managed through kubit’s section manager and points can be snapped using AutoCAD “osnaps”.  In addition, PointCloud supports all viewing modes and visual styles present in AutoCAD.

kubit PointCloud Pro

PointCloud Pro supplies a number of advanced modeling features that make the point cloud modeling process much less demanding.  In addition to clash detection, automatic line fitting, cylinder (pipe) fitting and plane fitting tools all aid in the modeling process. Defined planes can be easily intersected resulting in accurate object edges and corners.

Functionality to overlay or orientate photos (provided by the scanner) into the processing speeds up user workflow and increases the precision of the evaluation. Lines drawn on these high resolution images are accurately relayed into the point cloud.  The ability to work on a high resolution image versus a lower quality cloud means that corners, edges and lines are determined much more easily and accurately.