PointCab 4Archicad 2.0 – Archicad Plugin Released

New release – pointcab 4archicad plugin 2.0

Discover all new functions in the latest release of our point cloud plugin 4Archicad!

Due to our constant development and the inspiring feedback from our Archicad users, our new 4Archicad plugin brings
a bunch of new functionalities and enhancements.
Check out what’s new below:

NEW FUNCTIONS

Vectorizer Transfer: Automatically create Walls & more from Vector Lines

What it’s for?

Simply create Vector Lines in PointCab Origins and effortlessly transfer them to Archicad via the PointCab 4Archicad Plugin. With the vector lines you can then automatically create Walls and more.

How it’s done:

Follow the steps in our video tutorial.

Create Mesh

What it’s for?

Create a mesh in Archicad by using 3D Points in PointCab Origins.

How it’s done:

Follow the steps in our video tutorial.

Point Cloud Transfer

What it’s for?

Transfer your unstructured E57 point clouds with ease to Archicad.

How it’s done:

Follow the steps in our video tutorial.

Import of Section as interior elevation

Click to enlarge the picture

What it’s for?

“Reference to” function for now with interior elevation!
Use it to create an interior elevation instead of a section or elevation.

General Improvements

Compatibility

Archicad

The AEC Impact – World Population Day

THE AEC IMPACT

World Population Day

Article Overview

World Population Day – Overview
World Population Day – Goals
The Contribution of the AEC Industry utilizing Laser Scanning Technology
Case Studies and Real-World Applications
Conclusion

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry stands at the forefront of shaping our built environment. In our series “The AEC Impact” we explore the myriad ways in which the industry contributes to societal well-being, environmental sustainability, and economic growth. Join us as we uncover the transformative power of the AEC industry and its pivotal role in building a brighter, more sustainable world.

World Population Day - overview

World Population Day, observed on July 11, is a crucial occasion dedicated to raising awareness about the pressing issues related to the world’s population. Established by the United Nations in 1989, this day emphasizes the importance of population trends and their implications on development, environment, and global health. As the global population continues to grow, currently surpassing 7.9 billion, the challenges related to sustainability, urban planning, and resource management become increasingly critical. Surveyors and architects play a vital role in addressing these issues, leveraging advanced technologies such as laser scanning and digital twins to create sustainable and efficient solutions.

World Population Day - Goals

World Population Day aims to draw attention to the urgent issues arising from population growth, including but not limited to:

Sustainable Development: Ensuring that economic and social progress can continue without depleting resources for future generations.
Urbanization: Managing the rapid expansion of cities to ensure adequate housing, and provide essential services.
Healthcare: Addressing the needs of growing populations, especially in developing countries, to ensure access to healthcare and combat diseases.
Environmental Impact: Mitigating the negative effects of human activities on the environment, promoting conservation, and addressing climate change.
Resource Allocation: Ensuring that resources such as water, food, and energy are distributed equitably and sustainably.

The Contribution of the AEC industry utilizing Laser Scanning Technology

Surveyors and architects are at the forefront of addressing the challenges highlighted by World Population Day. Their expertise in planning, designing, and managing the built environment is key to creating sustainable and livable cities. Their methods and skills are employed in a variety of different applications:

Urban Planning: By providing accurate and comprehensive data on existing urban environments cities can become more efficient and sustainable.
Infrastructure Development: Surveyors can use laser scanning to assess the condition of infrastructure. Architects plan renovations and ensure new developments are integrated smoothly with existing structures.

Historical Preservation: Preserving historical sites is crucial for maintaining cultural heritage. Laser scanning allows for precise documentation and restoration of these sites.
Environmental Impact Analysis: Detailed 3D models help to asses the environmental impact of new developments, aiding in the creation of designs that minimize ecological footprints.
Resource Management: Accurate modeling of resources such as water and vegetation helps in planning their sustainable use and management.

Case Studies and Real-world Applications

Smart Cities:
In cities like Singapore and Barcelona, laser scanning and point cloud processing are used to create digital twins—virtual replicas of physical spaces. These digital twins help monitor urban environments, optimize energy use, and enhance public services.

Disaster Management:
In earthquake-prone areas like Japan, laser scanning is used to assess structural damage quickly and accurately, aiding in rapid response and reconstruction efforts.

Sustainable Buildings:
Green building projects, such as the Bullitt Center in Seattle, use these technologies to design buildings that are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, setting new standards for sustainable architecture.

conclusion

World Population Day serves as a reminder of the challenges posed by a growing global population. Surveyors, engineers, and architects, equipped with advanced technologies, play a pivotal role in tackling these challenges. By creating sustainable, efficient, and resilient urban environments, they contribute significantly to ensuring a better future for all. As we observe World Population Day, it is essential to recognize and support the innovative solutions these professionals bring to the table in addressing the complexities of population growth and urban development.

Want to keep up with the latest pointCab news?

Then follow us on Social Media or subcribe to our newsletter!

Origins 4.2 – the latest functions

ORIGINS 4.2 – THE LATEST FUNCTIONS

Discover all new Origins functions in the latest release of Origins version 4.2!

Due to our constant development and the inspiring feedback from our users, PointCab Origins 4.2 brings
many new functionalities and enhancements.
Check out the new functions below:

NEW FUNCTIONS

GUI Update: Customize Origins like never before

What it’s for?

Experience Origins with a completely new look and feel: customize and arrange windows in size and position to your liking.

How it’s done:

Just click and drag your windows in Origins and arrange them to your liking.

New License Manager

Click to enlarge the picture

What it’s for?

Discover a new, convenient and easy-to-use way to manage all your PointCab Licenses in one place.

How it’s done:

The new License Manager provides an easy way to manage all your PointCab Licenses. Just take a look at our slides and see how it’s done.

New Tools Menu available

What it’s for?

We have moved!
You’ll now find all options to import Elements and prepare Nebula files in one place in this toolbar.

How it’s done:

Just toggle to the Tools Menu item and find all your options for importing Elements & preparation of Nebula files.

New Vectorizer Tool for rectangles (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

Enjoy a faster workflow and create rectangle vector lines with one click!

How it’s done:

The new rectangle tool of our Vectorizer creates a rectangle of vector lines with one click. Enabling you to speed up your vectorization!

New way to export clusters (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

You can now choose clusters and easily export them as separate projects.

How it’s done:

Just select the clusters you want to export as a separate project and do a right-click. Choose export and that’s it!

New "2D + Z" transformation method (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

Minimize the risk of errors when selecting identical 3D points!

The new 2D+Z transformation method was developed for projects that require rotation around the Z axis and translation in all three dimensions (XYZ). It ensures an accurate transformation while maintaining the perpendicularity of the object. Verticality is maintained through the registration process and derived from the tilt measurement data.

(Note: The screenshots for the 3D transformation are exaggerated to show that the object can be rotated around all axes.)

How it’s done:

When transforming your point clouds in the Transform Calculator, just select “2D + Z” in the dropdown menu and hit “Find constellations”.

Click to enlarge the picture

GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS

Improved Orthophoto appearance in color sheet (customer request)💡

What it’s for?
We improved the appearance of the color sheets, for a more crisp look and easier workflow. The upper picture demonstrates the better appearance in detail.

Advanced scan renaming (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

Changing the names of your scans (and cluster) is now a breeze. Just choose the scans you want to rename and give them a new name. Don’t lose track of your projects anymore.

How it’s done:

Just select your cluster and start to rename it to your liking. Everything in brackets is editable.

Hide scan names in quality matrix

What it’s for?

Turn on / off the scan names in the quality matrix.

How it’s done?

Simply press “n” on your keyboard to hide or show the scan names.

Language Settings moved

How it’s done?

Struggle to change Origins to your preferred Language? You’ll now find all languages in the Settings Menu in Origins.

Automatic update for FARO API

What it’s for?

Origins now check automatically for the latest FARO API and suggest you to update it.

Hide scan positions in top view (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

Hide or unhide your scan positions by cluster in the top view.

How it’s done?

In the Advanced Importer select your cluster, open the menu with a right click and select un/hide scans to hide or unhide them.

Riegl SDK Update

What it’s for?

PointCab Origins 4.2 now supports all Riscan datasets.

EXTENDED DATA FORMATS – IMPORT / EXPORT

Trace your footsteps

What it’s for?

You can now import your trajectory files from Mobile Mapping Systems and beautifully visualize your path.

How it’s done?

Open “Import Elements” under Tools and choose “Import trajectory”. Browse your files to add your XYZ coordinates from the traj.txt file. Adjust the data types like in this example and you are ready to go!

Click to enlarge the picture

Import Ladybug panoramas (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

Now you can import your Ladybug panoramas into PointCab Origins.

How it’s done?

Under “Import Elements” choose the “Import Ladybug” tab and start importing your Pano-Views!

Click to enlarge the picture

Import Matterport panoramas (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

Now you can import your Matterport panoramas into PointCab Origins.

How it’s done?

When importing Matterport files, the panoramas are imported directly (no need to go to Import Elements – Import e57).

Import Viametris panoramas

What it’s for?

Now you can import your Viametris panoramas into PointCab Origins.

How it’s done?

Under “Import Elements” choose the “Import Viametris” tab and start importing your pano-views!

Click to enlarge the picture

BUG FIXES

Global Surveyors Day

GLOBAL SURVEYORS DAY

March 21 is officially declared Global Surveyors Day.

A good reason to take a closer look at the history and background!

ABOUT THE HISTORY OF SURVEYING

THE BEGINNINGS

The beginnings of surveying can be traced back to the construction of the pyramids, where property boundaries were defined using hemp ropes and knots. Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras and Aristarchus of Samos were investigating the shape of the earth and the movement of the planets. During the Roman Empire, surveying played an important role in the development and administration of conquered territories.

During the Middle Ages, surveying was simplified and geometry was regarded as one of the liberal arts. The rediscovery of ancient writings in the 15th century, including Ptolemy’s “Geographia” led to an upswing in cartography. The Age of Discovery required more accurate maps and instruments, which led to the development of new surveying techniques.

MODERN ERA

Surveying experienced a further upswing in the 18th century. Following the French Revolution, the surveying and archiving of all properties was achieved with the introduction of the land tax register. In almost all of Europe, the introduction of the metric system in the second half of the 19th century put an end to the variety of different units of measurement.

Nowadays, modern technologies such as GPS, laser scanning and photogrammetry make it possible to measure our world comprehensively, digitally and with high precision.

GLOBAL SURVEYORS DAY

NATIONAL SURVEYORS WEEK IN THE USA

The first “National Surveyors Week” was proclaimed on February 13, 1984, by the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM). In addition, the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, signed a proclamation calling on citizens to recognize the achievements of professional surveyors. The proclamation therefore acknowledged the important role of land surveyors, who were instrumental in establishing settlements in North America. George Washington, the first recognized surveyor, is probably the most famous among them.

National Surveyors Week starts every year on the third Sunday in March and is historically one of the first official events to regularly celebrate the achievements of surveyors.

GLOBAL SURVEYORS DAY

Global Surveyors’ Day has been officially celebrated since 2018, which conveniently coincides with National Surveyors Week, which has existed for some time.

Global Surveyors’ Day was first introduced and celebrated on March 21, 2018, at the Conference on Land and Poverty at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC, USA.

The day is supported by many organizations, including the CLGE, NSPS, and FIG.

DIFFERENT SURVEYORS DAYS AROUND THE WORLD

Although “Global Surveyors Day” was officially declared in Washington DC in2018 and supported by the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors (GLGE), in Germany, for example, Surveying Day is often still celebrated on March 5 instead of March 21. The reason for this is that the GLGE already proclaimed March 5 as Surveying Day in 2012, the birthday of the famous cartographer and globe maker Gerhard Mercator.

In Iran, on the other hand, the day falls on September 4 – the birthday of the Iranian surveyor and astrologer Al-Biruni.

Regardless of when the day is celebrated where in the world, everyone seems to agree on one thing: surveyors and geodesists make incredibly important contributions to the well-being of mankind and therefore deserve our attention and recognition.

Want to keep up with the latest pointCab news?

Then follow us on Social Media or subcribe to our newsletter!

Feima Robotics & PointCab announce bundle

Feima Robotics and PointCab announce bundle to create an End-to-End Mobile Mapping Solution for customers worldwide

By entering a strategic partnership, Feima Robotics, and PointCab have created an all-in-one mobile mapping solution, covering the complete Scan to BIM workflow. It streamlines and integrates the mobile mapping and point cloud processing workflow, resulting in an affordable and user-friendly experience.

a strong partnership and great potential

Richard Steffen, CEO of PointCab is confident about the success of the partnership:
“With Feima Robotics we have found a reliable partner to further simplify the Scan to BIM workflow for a broader worldwide user base. The fusion of a state-of-the-art mobile mapping solution with our Origins Software fills the gap from reality capture to CAD deliverables and we are pleased by the innovative and user-friendly End-to-End solution emerging from it. We see great potential in this international partnership and are excited for the future ahead.”

Shijie Zhang, VP of Feima Robotics sees a great chance in the cooperation with PointCab:
“Feima Robotics is dedicated to providing our customers with geospatial solutions with integrated software and hardware. In the past years, we have released about 20 more types of intelligent UAV systems and dynamic 3D mobile scanning platforms. We feel now is a good time and pace for Feima Robotics to expand our overseas business. Together with PointCab, we work to provide the best possible mobile mapping solutions for our Chinese domestic and overseas clients.”

STRIVING FOR THE PERFECT WORKFLOW

Handling point cloud data from mobile mapping solutions is often a complex task to do.

How do you ensure good data quality? And how do you process the captured data to create CAD-ready deliverables?

The new hardware + software bundle from Feima and PointCab addresses exactly those issues, providing mobile mapping customers with a well-thought-out End-to-End Solution, tailored to easily process huge datasets.

State of the art mobile mapping solution...

The Feima SLAM100 handheld mobile mapping solution comes with a wide field of view. Therefore, data can be comprehensively captured from all corners within a max. range of 120m. The optional three 5-megapixel cameras allow simultaneous acquisition of texture information, colorized point clouds, and local panoramas. Automatic acquisition for extracting of control points and converting them into local and global coordinate systems is just one of many handy features the SLAM100 is equipped with. Additional mounts and accessories (for UAVs, GPS, Vehicles, a.m.m.) allow diverse data collection for a wide range of applications.

Feima’s mobile app for Android and iOS allows synchronizing all project information to the cloud. Feima’s SLAM GO POST software makes post-processing of the collected data easy. Helping to produce partial images, display point clouds, and optimize results with just a few clicks.

...meets powerful and intuitive software

After importing the Feima data into Origins, stunning ortho photo views are automatically created by the software, providing a clear visualization of the project. This allows the user to navigate through the data in a more intuitive fashion.

With the help of ortho photo views, creating layouts, sections, floor plans, and more can be done with just a few clicks. In addition, the Origins pano views are unmatched when it comes to a fast and clear visualization of mobile mapping data. Preferably used for CAD and BIM modeling, taking measurements and gathering 3D information directly in the pano views helps to speed up the workflow immensely. On top of that, semi-automized tools like the Vectorizer also help to generate CAD-ready deliverables easily. Vectorized layouts, flatness deviations, volume determination, and much more can therefore be created in seconds.

Thanks to its broad inter-compatibility, all Origins results can be exported to all prevalent CAD and BIM software. PointCab’s optional CAD Plugins for AutoCAD, Revit, ZWCAD, and more offer an even better-optimized workflow, enabling CAD/BIM users to directly transfer all point cloud data into CAD objects without the need to export/import it first.

This End-to-End Solution of powerful hardware combined with the easy-to-use and intuitive software makes this bundle a perfect match for starters and pros alike!

👉Read the Chinese press release from Feima Robotics

Want to keep up with the latest pointCab news?

Then follow us on Social Media or subcribe to our newsletter!

Summer News

SUMMER NEWS

Summer is just around the corner and with it some important news!

Find out now what will be important in the coming weeks:

Our "Customer loyalty promotion" - valid until 30.06.23

What is the “Customer loyalty promotion”?

In order to continue to guarantee the highest service and product quality for our customers, we are adjusting our price and product structure as of July 1.

With our “Customer loyalty promotion” we would like to thank our existing customers for their loyalty and give them the opportunity to extend an existing maintenance and support package at the “old” price until June 30.

How it works:

If a maintenance contract expires within 2023, it can be extended until June 30 at the “old” price.

It’s important to note that a maintenance contract that expires in June isn’t the only affordable option available. Even a maintenance contract that don’t expire until November 2023, for instance, can be extended now at the previous price.

The extension period starts accordingly with the respective regular expiration date. Our sales team is looking forward to your request.

Origins innovations

What’s new?

A new product joins Origins and Origins Pro: Origins 3D!
With Origins 3D, we close the gap between Origins and Origins Pro.

What’s included in Origins 3D?

Origins 3D offers the perfect balance between Origins and Origins Pro at an attractive price.

Origins 3D includes all the features of Origins Pro, except for registration, and thus offers an excellent solution for those who manage without the registration module.

Nebula Self-Hosting is available!

What does it offer?

With the new self-hosting solution, our Nebula Cloud can now be implemented and hosted on your own server structure.

What is the advantage of self-hosting?

With self-hosting, Nebula is hosted as an application on your own existing server structure.

This gives you complete control over your data and eliminates the need for external storage.

Time for bargains

As already mentioned, we will adjust our price and product structure on July 1st.

So if you have been thinking about buying a plugin or a variant of Origins (maybe the new Origins 3D?) for a while, you should not postpone your decision any longer. Take advantage of the current conditions until the end of June.

Our point cloud and cloud solutions are waiting to be discovered in our online shop.

If you have any special questions, our sales team is always at your side.

Origins 4.1 – The latest functions

ORIGINS 4.1 – THE LATEST FUNCTIONS

Discover all-new functions in the latest 4.1 Origins Release!

Due to our constant development and the inspiring feedback from our users, PointCab Origins 4.1 comes with many new functionalities and enhancements. Check out the new functions below.

NEW FUNCTIONS

Polygon editor for area-based tools

What it’s for?
View and edit the coordinates of your polygon points in the job editor!

How it’s done:
When creating a surface the coordinates of the polygon points appear in the job editor and can be adjusted there. This affects all functions of the area tool and all functions that are related to areas: Merger, point cloud export, volume, and mesh.

Export origin point of sections in .dwg (customer request) 💡

What it’s for?
When exporting a section, the center of the section is exported as an additional CAD element called “origin point”. This way the reference point is preserved and you are quickly able to restore it, in case you need it. (A crosshair will be displayed in AutoCAD)

How it’s done:
Go to Layout & Section Tool > Create Section > Settings > Layout/Section/Space Warp > CAD > Activate “Add Centerpoint to dwg/dxf” under “Option”.

Customized 3D Point export to .dwg

What it’s for?
Now you can choose your preferred data format for exporting points to .dwg!

How it’s done:
In the Job Editor under “CAD” you can now find the “Text visibility in Export”. Here you can define where PointID, Point Number, and X, Y, Z information shall be exported to. When the 3D points are exported, the corresponding folder opens directly. Therefore right-clicking “show in folder” is no longer necessary. In the .dwg file, the selected information will be displayed next to the point. The same functionality is also available under the “File” tab in the Job Editor.

“Save as” Functionality to .pcp (PointCab Project)

What it’s for?
Finally, a new way to duplicate your project! Previously, you could only archive a project and then had to pack and unpack it again… These times are finally over!

How it’s done:
Just go to File > Save As: Origins saves a copy of your current project state in the background. Isn’t that great?

Export Orthophotos position (customer request) 💡

What it’s for?
Export the positions of several layouts with ease!

How it’s done:
Select all your layouts with the selection arrow or Ctrl + A, then copy them with Ctrl + C and simply paste them into your text editor. You will easily get all layouts with name and order Lefthandle | Righthandle | Center, as well as all 3D points.

Toggle on/off names of Panoramas

What it’s for?
Finally a clearer display of panoramas – due to a third option!

How it’s done:
The names and positions of the panoramas can easily be hidden by pressing the “P” key. We love the new feature, try it out yourself right now!

Sections with enhanced reflectivity

What it’s for?
The new option enhances the reflectivity in your panoramas and in sections!

How it’s done:
In the panoramas, there is a new sheet that enhances reflectivity. If the “Enhanced reflectivity” slider is checked, the reflectivity will be displayed with increased contrast. To use it for sections just create a new one and set the reflectivity to 100% in the Job Editor under “Processing” and activate the slider for “Enhanced Reflectivity”. Now calculate your job and the sheet with “Enhanced Reflectivity” is available. Lookin’ good, isn’t it?

Click to enlarge the picture

Export all panoramas in different file formats

What it’s for?
This new option helps you to convert your panoramas into your desired image file format. You can choose between png, jpg, tif, bmp, webp

How it’s done:
Before exporting the desired panoramas, choose your preferred format for exporting in the settings under General > Export > “Panorama format”.
Once that’s done, go to the Advanced Importer > “Import” tab: do a right click: select All scans > “Save all Panoramas” and export all panoramas in your preferred file formats!

⚠️Cloud-to-Cloud (C2C) Test / Beta⚠️

What’s it about?
We intend to offer a full-fledged cloud-to-cloud (C2C) registration in Origins. For now, this is our first attempt to provide C2C in Origins 4.1.

Here’s what to keep in mind:
We explicitly don’t recommend using this C2C in its current form to register actual projects!

But we would like to encourage you to test our C2C beta and we’re excited about your experiences and feedback about it.

Discover all details in our C2C Test / Beta PDF

GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS

Plane position names inside the plane area

What it’s for?
Improved visibility: In the Registration Editor, the labels of the recognized layers are now displayed within the respective layer.

Optimized Nebula Export

What it’s for?
Just a much faster Nebula Export to get your point cloud projects into the cloud!
Who doesn’t want that?

Shortcut Manager improvements

What it’s for?
We have added a Clear-Button in the Shortcut Manager. Maybe just a little improvement for your user experience but we think you deserve it.

How it’s done:
Settings > Shortcuts: New “Clear Button” to delete user-defined shortcuts.
The “Record Button” can then be used to record as usual.

Project main files backup

What it’s for?
When changes are made to the project, Origins now creates automatic backups in the background!

How it’s done:
You don’t have to worry about it, origins will create the backups for you automatically!

Customizable zoom speed

What it’s for?
Adjust the zoom speed in the 3D viewer the way you prefer it.

How it’s done:
Open the 3D Viewer and click on the Gear Icon in the upper left corner. Then you’ll be able to adjust your zoom speed in the “3D View Parameter” in the Job Editor. This setting can also be found under Settings > GUI > 3D Control > Zoom Speed

Advanced project information

What it’s for?
This handy feature keeps you on track with your project information!

How it’s done:
You might have noticed it already when opening Origins: in the Last Projects overview, more project details are now displayed!
Curious about more information? Just open your project and go to “File” > “Project Info”. Now you can view your “Project Information” above the Job Editor. Have a look at e.g. the creation date, date of last changes, total processing time, and much more!

Layout center line visible in all standard views

What it’s for?
The red dotted line of a section, which marks the center of a section, will now also be displayed in the left-view orthophotos window.

How it’s done:
No need to change anything. Origins does that automatically now.

Save into FARO project file (customer request) 💡

What it’s for:

We have added the new function “Save into FARO project file” by user request.

How it’s done:

With this function, registration values (scan positions and rotations) can be directly written into an existing FARO LSPROJ file.

EXTENDED DATA FORMATS – IMPORT / EXPORT

FARO SDK/API update – Support of FARO Premium Scans

Fantastic news for all FARO Focus Premium users!
As of now, the scans can be imported from the Premium Scanner.

Import e57 files with panorama (for Mobile Mapping scan data)

What it’s for?

Now you can write panoramas in .e57/.las format from datasets of NaVvis, GeoSLAM, and Stonex.

How it’s done with .e57 files:

Create a new project and open your scan data. Select the .e57-file and save it to start importing your e57-file as a point cloud.
Proceed to import the panoramas under “Tools” and click on “Import elements”
Navigate to the “Import E57” tab and select the same file. There you can see how many panoramas are included. Click on import.
Last step: simply calculate the panoramas in the job list.

How it’s done with Stonex files:

Create a new project and open your Stonex data. Select the .las-file and save it to start importing your .las-file as a point cloud.
After your Stonex point cloud has been successfully imported into Origins, go to “File” > “Import Elements”.
Navigate to the “Import Stonex” tab and navigate to the location of your .txt file and press “Import”. Make sure that the option “Copy images to project” is activated.
The panorama views appear as circles in your project and as jobs in the job list that need to be calculated. After Origins has processed the images, you can open them as usual by selecting the Panorama tool and clicking on the scan point in the standard views.

Please note:
The Stonex panoramas are just hemisphere panoramas (180 degrees) and therefore the point cloud cannot be back-projected onto them, which means that no measurements can be made. They are purely suitable for visualization purposes.

BUG FIXES

PointCab appoints new CTO & CMO

PointCab CEO and co-founder Dr. Richard Steffen has decided to strengthen the PointCab leadership with the appointment of a new CTO and CMO.

Both picks are dedicated young professionals who have been with PointCab for a couple of years. Senior Developer Martin Graner, will be taking over the position of CTO from Dr. Richard Steffen. Global Marketing Manager Nicole Herber will fill the newly created role of CMO where she will take a more eclectic role in PointCab´s future endeavors.

Martin Graner, CTO

Steffen explains the decision as follows: “We are still nimble and lean yet not the small start-up we were ten years ago. With the company growing economically as well as in terms of a variety of new areas in the future to come, it is no longer feasible for me to fill the double role of CTO and CEO. Luckily, I have found a natural successor in my role as CTO with Martin. He started working with PointCab in 2016 and has since proven himself time and time again. He’s a quick and strategic thinker and the knowledge he’s built up around our products over the years can easily compete with my own. He’s become a trusted voice in our decision-making process and has my full confidence. I’ve never thought the day would come of myself saying this, but undoubtedly with Martin taking on the task, I look forward to stepping down as CTO and dedicating my time fully to my role as CEO.”

Steffen continues: “I am also happy to say that I’m just as confident with Nicole as our new CMO. When she started as a Marketing Manager in 2019, I have to admit that I treated our Marketing as more of an afterthought mainly working with external entities. Our COO Chris McAuliffe saw the need to change things up and hired her to build up our own Marketing Strategy on various levels. Since then, she not only did just that but also opened our eyes to what potential still lays ahead. That’s why we decided to strengthen our Marketing department with Nicole leading the change. From day one, she was full of ideas with the drive and can-do attitude to accomplish them. She’s proven to be a great mentor for her team and a strong sparring partner for our leadership team. “

Nicole Herber, CMO

Concluding Dr. Richard Steffen notes: “With Martin and Nicole in their new leadership roles, I’m confident we have positioned ourselves well for the future. Their appointments allow us to further grow, while simultaneously strengthening our existing teams and structures. As an employer, we strive to provide the opportunity and mentorship for our employees to achieve their full potential.

2022: Recap & Round-up

Introductory remarks

2022 was yet again a troubling year when it comes to world events.
At the beginning of the year, everyone was looking forward to the pandemic fading and everyday life resuming more or less the way it was before. However, a rude awakening came with the start of the assault on Ukraine in February. As the year continued, more crises followed like the fight for freedom in Iran and natural disasters like wildfires all around the world or the devastating floods in Pakistan.

As a company, some of these events affected our economic situation and our business. However, what affected us, the people behind the company, more was the human suffering behind those events.

So before we give you the 2022 recap for the company PointCab, we as the PointCab team would like to acknowledge our privilege to be able to work and live freely and unharmed in 2022, while so many others did not. Our heart goes out to the people of Ukraine, Iran, Pakistan, and all others who have to endure loss, suffering, sickness, and tragedy.
May 2023 bring you peace, relief, and hope.

New Releases: Nebula

We’ll start our recap not chronologically but with one of our more recent releases: PointCab Nebula. For the first time in our company’s history, we have developed a new product that is designed to be used independently from our desktop application and main product Origins. Granted, we’re not fully there yet. At the moment Nebula users still rely on Origins to create point cloud projects fit for upload into the Nebula cloud solution. However, we are dedicated to transforming Nebula from a platform for sharing and managing point cloud data to your all-in-one tool with point cloud processing abilities. So stay tuned!

New Releases: CAD Plugins

While releasing a new major product might be enough work done in one year for many, it’s not for us. That’s why we also expanded our product portfolio with 3 new plugins in 2022. The 4Autocad plugin was released first in May. Since Autocad is one of the most popular CAD software on the market, we felt it was time to provide a more simple point cloud workflow.

Just 3 months later, the 4ZWCAD plugin followed. During the whole development process, we were supported by the ZWSOFT team, which resulted in a plugin perfectly adapted to the needs of ZWCAD users. When ZWSOFT invited us to speak at ZWORLD in Italy to present the plugin it was received very positively by ZWCAD users and dealers alike.

Last but not least and just in time for Christmas, the 4Archicad plugin was released at the request of our customers. Thanks to their input and feedback, we were able to release yet another plugin that seamlessly fits into the CAD workflow.

Events in 2022

Thanks to the pandemic calming down, we’ve managed to resume a full schedule of live events again in 2022.

Highlights include the Geoweek in Denver, digitalBAU in Cologne, and Intergeo in Hannover. However, we were also fortunate enough to be invited to wonderful events by our partners like Viakom’s sailing trip, GeoSLAMs Germany Tour, and many more.

Attending these events has been a pleasure all around and we can’t wait to see more of this in 2023.

Partnerships: New & Old

Speaking of our partners, we are happy to report that we have added a few in 2022 but also made some changes. Due to a strategic reorientation of both companies, we have decided in mutual agreement that BIMm Solutions and PointCab will go their own ways from now on. However, we will of course continue to help all customers with PointCab 4BIMm licences and BIMm solutions will do the same.

When it comes to new partnerships in 2022, Viakom is probably the most prominent one. Viakom is now our biggest software partner and provides the secure cloud & hosting infrastructure for PointCab Nebula. Furthermore, ZWSOFT has officially added us as their software partner for third-party ZWCAD applications. Reseller-wise, we are happy to announce that Stonex has joined our network internationally. There would be a lot more to report about more resellers who joined us, more software partners who have opened up their workflow to ours, and established partnerships being further nurtured. However, this would exceed the limits of our little recap here.

Whats left to say?

We like to thank all of you, our followers, customers, and partners for your continued support. Because of you, we have had a successful business year which has succeeded our expectations. Thanks to you, we are able to continue our mission to further facilitate point cloud processing &handling.

Thank you very much & see you again in 2023!

PointCab Nebula – the cloud solution for point cloud data

New independent cloud solution for point cloud data
– PointCab Nebula

Capturing point cloud data provides us with one key advantage compared to more traditional means of surveying – complete 3D information. However, it comes at a price. No matter how well-compressed some data formats are nowadays, point cloud data eats up a lot of space. Therefore, the storage and sharing of point cloud data have become a pressing issue for those who rely on it. For this reason, PointCab and Viakom have developed a cloud solution specifically tailored to point cloud data – PointCab Nebula.

PointCab Nebula is an independent cloud solution that supports all prevalent 3D scanners and CAD programs. The solution consists of two components: the Nextcloud-based Nebula plugin and the Nebula web viewer.

Viakom’s Managed Nextcloud serves as the technical framework. As such, it was not chosen by chance but rather because it permits the integration of further services from other providers. As a result, it holds great potential for the end-user, who could possibly connect further services such as CAD and GIS connections to their cloud. In its Nebula configuration, the Nextcloud offers all the advantages expected from a collaborative cloud-based platform. The core functions are the storage, sharing, and exchange of various data types such as documents, tables, and images. Of course, the user can decide which files are shared with whom and for how long. The entire cloud infrastructure is provided by IONOS and Viakom as development and operating partners. Since both companies are based in Germany, the data is stored and protected according to ISO-27001-certification and EU-GDPR standards – one of, if not the highest standards for data protection in the world.

The PointCab Nebula plug-in is designed for the Nextcloud. It combines all those functionalities mentioned above with additional tools tailored to handling point cloud data in the cloud. In its first version, Nebula is able to manage point cloud projects online in the cloud and visualize them in the web viewer in the browser. The user/recipient of the data does not have to download the data to use it. Layouts and sections, panoramic images, and a 3D view of the point cloud can be inspected online. In addition, it allows the user to take simple measurements such as 3D points and distances in the browser as well. Currently, Nebula users still rely on PointCab’s desktop application Origins to create projects suitable for upload to Nebula. However, PointCab and Viakom are working on detaching Nebula from the PointCab desktop application Origins and establishing it as an independent software solution. This should enable the processing of point cloud data directly in the cloud for a broad user base in the future.

“Our vision is to create an independent cloud platform that meets the needs of those who work with point cloud data on a daily basis. In doing so, we want to guarantee users full freedom and data sovereignty. “, says Richard Steffen, CEO of PointCab. “With the IONOS Cloud, this goal is realized. The high scalability and the high-security standard of the European cloud set Nebula apart from other solutions.”, explains Tim Kartali Head of Channel Sales at IONOS. “Furthermore, it also enables an open exchange with alternative offers and services which is a huge benefit for the user” adds Matthias Damerow from Viakom.

In its current version, Nebula is particularly attractive to existing PointCab customers who wish for an affordable and easy-to-use solution for the web-based sharing of projects. However, for those who do not yet hold an Origins license but are in need of a solution like this, it is worthwhile to get started thanks to the PointCab early adopter offer. It is valid until the end of the year and includes PointCab Nebula, 500 GB of storage space, and an Origins subscription at an excellent price. Of course, additional data storage can be acquired at any time.

More information about the special deals can be found in the PointCab Shop.