How do you use laser scanning data for topographic survey?

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Koalar
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How do you use laser scanning data for topographic survey?

Post by Koalar »

Let's discuss about this topic: how to use point cloud data for topographic surveying.

Though the laser scanning data is a kind of big data that we can get lots of benefit from this kind of detailed information, as we can visualize the scene in digital format or we can extract anything we need.

But to transfer 3D information into 2D is still needed during this period. Moreover, different country maybe with different standard for topographic results.

How are you dealing with this kind of application in your country?

What's the software you use for the conventional topographic survey? How about now?

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Re: How do you use laser scanning data for topographic surve

Post by ChrisJPalmer »

I have been helping out a few of our customers recently using the following plug-in for FARO Scene, which gives pretty awesome results directly into CAD or to help produce DTMs or topo-surfaces in Revit:

http://www.faro.com/faro-3d-app-center/ ... eyor-rithm

If you are not a FARO user (why not !) or just happen to take your data straight into AutoCAD, there are some great new 3D snap features in 2015, whilst there is also a really cool plugin for Civil 3D for produce contour maps and DTM
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Re: How do you use laser scanning data for topographic surve

Post by Koalar »

ChrisJPalmer wrote:I have been helping out a few of our customers recently using the following plug-in for FARO Scene, which gives pretty awesome results directly into CAD or to help produce DTMs or topo-surfaces in Revit:

http://www.faro.com/faro-3d-app-center/ ... eyor-rithm

If you are not a FARO user (why not !) or just happen to take your data straight into AutoCAD, there are some great new 3D snap features in 2015, whilst there is also a really cool plugin for Civil 3D for produce contour maps and DTM

Thanks for your reply. I have read the manual of app for scene, that's useful. I wonder is there any standard for topo survey in your country? Like surveyors need to use a certain kind of symbol library to drawing the 2D map in CAD software.

If point, line, polygon are the basic elements for topo drawing, I will use AutoCAD or Civil 3D with recap, but in China we need to draw maps with certain symbols, otherwise the topo maps could not be used officially.
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Re: How do you use laser scanning data for topographic surve

Post by Matt Young »

We have some in-house routines that we have been running with AutoCAD for a long time. When laser canning came along and we started using Cloudworx for AutoCAD we simply altered our workflow slightly. We still use the same routines for placing symbols, text and other elements but now have the ability to do the survey on the desktop in a much more visual way than before.
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Re: How do you use laser scanning data for topographic surve

Post by landmeterbeuckx »

Because this seems interesting a follow-up.

I'm using Scene for registering my pointclouds; Pointsense, Virtusurv and Pointcab for data extraction but specific surveyor needs ask me to look forward.

Is anybody using either Rithm Surveyor, DTMSoftware or Carlson Pointcloud,...? Rithm seems interesting because of the integration with scene, I use carlson civil suite for my engineering stuff so maybe this is more functional?

Greetings,
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Tel : +32477753126
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[email protected]
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Re: How do you use laser scanning data for topographic surve

Post by Scan-Ninja »

That's most of our work, civil/survey. I use a combination of Cyclone, cloudworx, Bentley Descartes, Microstation.
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Re: How do you use laser scanning data for topographic surve

Post by MarkL »

I've done a few in AutoCAD, mainly using Cloudworx or importing ReCap files of clouds segmented in Cyclone. We have access to a cheaper scanner, which we are integrating with the field crews so they can keep one with them and use it when they deem necessary. It's still a bit laborious to get curbing right, but once that's out of the way it's quite easy to get a good dtm. Other items such as power poles, manholes and valves can be added by just creating a cogo point with the correct code. We are developing custom routines to deal with linework from the scans, but it all takes time.
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Re: How do you use laser scanning data for topographic surve

Post by Scan-Ninja »

[quote="MarkL"]...It's still a bit laborious to get curbing right, but once that's out of the way it's quite easy to get a good dtm..." /quote]

Curbing is always the issue. Even with Cyclone alignment tool, it is still hard to get the back of the curb.
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Re: How do you use laser scanning data for topographic surve

Post by Dedken »

landmeterbeuckx wrote:Because this seems interesting a follow-up.

I'm using Scene for registering my pointclouds; Pointsense, Virtusurv and Pointcab for data extraction but specific surveyor needs ask me to look forward.

Is anybody using either Rithm Surveyor, DTMSoftware or Carlson Pointcloud,...? Rithm seems interesting because of the integration with scene, I use carlson civil suite for my engineering stuff so maybe this is more functional?

Greetings,
Lieven
Lieven, did you know that if you have a Pointsense license you can use the Draw-To-CAD free app in Scene? It's a very simple tool, but incredibly quick for outputting points to CAD. At one point I trialled Rithm Surveyor and Draw-To-CAD on the same project and I found that despite the options Rithm Surveyor has (layering, for example) overall I found it much easier to use Draw-To-CAD and to layer my linework in ACAD.

In terms of software for topos LSS is my software of choice - it now has a really powerful engine for utilising pointclouds.
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Re: How do you use laser scanning data for topographic surve

Post by landmeterbeuckx »

Dedken wrote:
landmeterbeuckx wrote:Because this seems interesting a follow-up.

I'm using Scene for registering my pointclouds; Pointsense, Virtusurv and Pointcab for data extraction but specific surveyor needs ask me to look forward.

Is anybody using either Rithm Surveyor, DTMSoftware or Carlson Pointcloud,...? Rithm seems interesting because of the integration with scene, I use carlson civil suite for my engineering stuff so maybe this is more functional?

Greetings,
Lieven
Lieven, did you know that if you have a Pointsense license you can use the Draw-To-CAD free app in Scene? It's a very simple tool, but incredibly quick for outputting points to CAD. At one point I trialled Rithm Surveyor and Draw-To-CAD on the same project and I found that despite the options Rithm Surveyor has (layering, for example) overall I found it much easier to use Draw-To-CAD and to layer my linework in ACAD.

In terms of software for topos LSS is my software of choice - it now has a really powerful engine for utilising pointclouds.
Hi Kenneth,

I've used the draw to cad plugin and find it indeed a practical solution. I haven't tested the Rithm Surveyor app but it seems this is a combination between virtusurv (macro driven) and the Draw to cad.
I love Virtusurv but find the separate files very heavy to work with.

I also want to work with data without having to transfer to rcp, e57, virtusurv,etc... Just load my cloud and start drawing as i would measure in the field with my total station.

I've asked for a trail license for LSS but they answered that they are developing a full release and do not give (temporalily) trail licenses anymore. I do want to test it.
LSBbvba
Surveying services - 3D Laserscanning
Tel : +32477753126
www.lsbbvba.be
[email protected]
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