Cyclone to Autocad 2011 file conversion

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graemel
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Cyclone to Autocad 2011 file conversion

Post by graemel »

Hi

Can anyone help with what's required to convert our point clouds, we use Cyclone, to any of the file types that Autocad 2011 will accept? We don't need it for ourselves as we use CloudWorx but our business development guys are keen to push it to our clients. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Graeme
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Tilo
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Re: Cyclone to Autocad 2011 file conversion

Post by Tilo »

Hi Graeme,

our PointCloud for AutoCAD 2011 will be able to import PTZ files (amongst others) to the native AutoCAD point cloud format (PCG). From Cyclone it should be easy to export PTZ. Furthermore we are providing some more tools (cross sections, modelling features), which are missing in vanilla AutoCAD.

It's definitely worth having a look at it.
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graemel
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Re: Cyclone to Autocad 2011 file conversion

Post by graemel »

Thanks Tilo

Was hoping for a quick fix but looks like we'll need some software to do the conversions.

G
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Re: Cyclone to Autocad 2011 file conversion

Post by stevenramsey »

Tilo

A very strange answer to Graeme's question why would anyone want to pay for an additional plug in to convert pointcloud data from Cyclone to Autocad when they would use Cloudworx to do that.

Autodesk does seem to have ignored most of te worlds most common formats but a ASCI based xyz and some form of I RGB should be possible so a PTS export out of Cyclone with possibly some editing in TextPad.

I will try to get the official line form Autodesk
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Re: Cyclone to Autocad 2011 file conversion

Post by pburrows145 »

stevenramsey wrote:I will try to get the official line form Autodesk
Nice one Steve - I am also getting a lot of questions about this so it would be useful to find out more.

Indeed, a very strange first answer... :|
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Re: Cyclone to Autocad 2011 file conversion

Post by Matt Young »

I first heard about an Autodesk plugin for point clouds in AutoCAD back in 2005, five years down the line, here it is. I would of expected Autodesk to have given it a little thought in that time with regard to usable formats.

Sorry AutoDesk, but you may have missed the boat and have to swim a bit harder now.
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Re: Cyclone to Autocad 2011 file conversion

Post by Matthias »

Matt Young wrote:I first heard about an Autodesk plugin for point clouds in AutoCAD back in 2005, five years down the line, here it is. I would of expected Autodesk to have given it a little thought in that time with regard to usable formats.

Sorry AutoDesk, but you may have missed the boat and have to swim a bit harder now.
I believe that the important points are not:
- at which time did Autodesk or other major players started to think about,
- at which time they started to swim and how hard they swim now and
- how complete is there implementation in AC 2011.

For me the important point is that their start helps to bring point clouds to the masses. For this purpose the investments of hughe companies like Autodesk or Bentley can be very helpful. This will create opportunities and volume in the future. Million of AutoCAD users have now a point cloud viewer on there desk and most of them have no idea what to do with point clouds and how to benefit from this. Also a great opportunity for this forum.

Ok, I'm sure we can start a very long disc. about a topic "what's best for the industry, how to democratize markets, etc". But this does not fit to the topic of this thread. So if someone wants to have a separate thread about this, just do it.

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Re: Cyclone to Autocad 2011 file conversion

Post by Tilo »

Just to come back "on topic":
stevenramsey wrote: A very strange answer to Graeme's question why would anyone want to pay for an additional plug in to convert pointcloud data from Cyclone to Autocad when they would use Cloudworx to do that.
To some the answer may sound strange, but to some it's just providing an answer to their question ;)
stevenramsey wrote: Autodesk does seem to have ignored most of te worlds most common formats but a ASCI based xyz and some form of I RGB should be possible so a PTS export out of Cyclone with possibly some editing in TextPad.
No, it is not possible! The only file types AutoCAD 2011 imports are LAS, FLS, FWS and XYB. See http://www.laserscanning.org.uk/forum/v ... 0&start=10 Maybe the Autodesk strategy is to push their own (PCG) format to a quasi standard like their DWG, however I doubt this will happen.

So maybe there are other tools out there doing the conversion and maybe Cyclone/CloudWorx are providing an export to one of the mentioned file types. LAS is the most promising here.
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Re: Cyclone to Autocad 2011 file conversion

Post by Matt Young »

Looks like I hit a nerve... :cry:

There is no export from Cyclone to any of the Acad formats that I can see, why would there need to be if Cloudworx abd other software can load points into AutoCAD already.

The way I see it, the important thing is - if you want users of pointcloud data to use AutoCAD, why not make AutoCAD accept those formats.

Of course its great that anyone could load pointcloud data into AutoCAD, they will all be asking for it now.

Does anyone know if the already bloated AutoCAD is any good with the formats it does handle?

Autodesk has something for everyone and there lies its problem!
If you don't see that there is nothing, then you are kidding yourself.
graemel
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Re: Cyclone to Autocad 2011 file conversion

Post by graemel »

Oops, looks like I've opened a can of worms here... ;)

But to go back to my first statement 'we already use CloudWorx' and are quite happy with it...

What I want to do is give clients who have 2011 a copy of their point clouds and was hoping there was a way to do it rather than telling them to buy sofware! Don't think thats asking too much.

Graeme
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