Scan Essentials Trial Questions

Having used Undet pretty much every day since Feb 2018 (and having been very pleased with it) I am now trialling Scan Essentials.

It looks as though I will subscribe to Scan Essentials (via Studio) going forward but I do have a few questions if anybody can help please?

FWIW, the features I particularly like about SE are the ability to mark construction points directly onto the Point Cloud, the ability to model directly onto the Point Cloud, and the ability to save multiple clipping box positions, all of which are massive time savers for me.

Questions:

I cannot work out the logic of the Point Cloud Transformation options within the settings box. There are 2 options, ‘Reset Transformation’ and ‘Reset Transformation and Move Model’ but they both seem to do the same thing, i.e. they both set the Point Cloud X,Y,Z coordinates back to 0.00 and replace the model back in its original position. Surely the ‘Reset Transformation’ option should set the X,Y,Z coordinates back to 0.00 and leave the Point Cloud at its current position?

Also is there any way to apply textures to the model from the Point Cloud data in the same way Undet allows, or is there any plan to include this feature going forward.

No doubt I will have more questions shortly :smiley:

Hi Kevin,

The “reset pointcloud” will indeed just bring back the pointcloud to its original position (and reset the transformation matrix bacx to 0).
The “reset and move model” will also bring back the pointcloud to its original position but will also move the model (geometries) by applying the same transformation back, keeping the current relative position between both the model and the point cloud (while the first option is not moving the model at all).

Imagine your pointcloud is at a known or specific position you would like to keep : you can open it in a model project, manage to move it to overlap the model properly and then use the second option to bring back your model at the original position of the pointcloud, with the pointcloud itself.

Hope it helps.
regards

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Hi Yannick

Thank you very much for your clear explanation - I understand fully now and I have just managed to reproduce that action.

Just thinking aloud, I would have thought it was better to move the Point Cloud i.e. set its XYZ to 0.00 at the new location, rather than move the model so that everything lines up with the model axis. That would then do away with the requirement for an Axis Scene?

Thanks again

It definitely depends on your need, either you want to move the pointcloud to the model or the model to the pointcloud (by moving the pointcloud first because the model is complex and maybe not that easy to fully move) in any case both options are offered.
Happy to help.

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Thanks.

Are you able to shed any light on my textures question, i.e. is there any way to apply textures to the model from the Point Cloud data or is there any plan to include this feature going forward?

Well, sorry I just read better your comment^^, I see what you mean by reseting to 0 the new location of the cloud. That could be an option indeed, but I guess we rather like to keep the real original position somewhere, in case it as a meaning for the pointcloud.

SE does not have that option. But that is a suggestion to keep.

Just wondering what the correct procedure is to get official support on Scan Essentials - is there a Help Line Number or a dedicated email address?

I am having issues with Point Clouds moving from new selected positions once a file is re-opened.

The following link includes .skp .rwl & .e57 files for a situation where this has occurred although I have tried so many options I have probably messed things up anyway.

Thinking about it - I deleted the TSE_Manipulator at some stage after moving the Point Cloud which could be the reason if this holds coordinate data?

Edit:

I see deleting the TSE Manipulator does set the Point Cloud back to its original location on reopening - I wont make this mistake again.

Is it not possible to make a note of new Point Cloud coordinates in case of emergency so that it can always be repositioned easily?

Entering coordinates into the transformation fields below has no effect, plus of course we would need to enter angular coordinates as well as XYZ.

Transformation Data

Hi Kevin,

Yes, deleting the manipulator is just deleting the transformation unfortunately, the manipulator itself being the one object that keep this information. I am afraid that at this point we have no workaround to recover the last transformation.

Being able to use angles together with the cartesian coordinates would definitely be a plus.

Thanks to your feedback we will think about a way to avoid such a mistake, this manipulator should not be deleted and we will manage to avoid this.

Thank you for having highlighted this and apologies for the inconvenience.

Thank you Yannick.

With the previous plugin I used, I always took a screenshot of the coordinates which made recovery from emergencies extremely simple.

By the way - I am really impressed so far with Scan Essentials.

Coordinates

One feature I need is a customisable toolbar.

I use certain functions a lot and some almost never.

I would LOVE to make a custom SE toolbar :crossed_fingers: :smiley:

Toolbar

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Another suggestion while I think of it.

Could the point cloud manipulator be renamed to something like ‘zz Trimble Scan Essentials Manipulator’ instead of ‘Trimble Scan Essentials Manipulator’.

This will keep it out of the way of the groups and components in the outliner by moving it to the bottom.

I have tried renaming it manually but the point cloud reverts to initial coordinates.

Hi, an answer after quite a long time sorry^^
Just to mention your suggestions was read.

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