2022: Recap & Round-up

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2022: Recap & Round-up

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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

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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.

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Events in 2022

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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.

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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!

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PointCab Nebula – the cloud solution for point cloud data

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New independent cloud solution for point cloud data
– PointCab Nebula

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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.

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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.

 

THE LATEST FUNCTIONS IN ORIGINS

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THE LATEST FUNCTIONS IN ORIGINS

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These are the new improved functions in PointCab Origins! 

Our latest version of PointCab Origins comes with a whole package of new features and enhancements. Lots of the new features and improvements are based on feedback from our users. Thank you so much for your constant input! 

New top 3 Origins Functions:

We have summed up the three most important Origins innovations in this video for you:

Vectorizer lines are now much easier to handle, improved registration results with planes, and a new intuitive way to select scan positions with the area tool! 

More improvements & new features in Origins:

New preset for SLAM projects

Origins now offers a specific preset for SLAM projects!

When creating a new project in Origins with a SLAM dataset, the new option “SLAM scanning project” can be chosen in the dropdown menu. In the advanced options you can see that a preset with the correct values for SLAM projects is set here already. After importing the data, you can see that the default views provide a decent representation of the data. You get a result with nice point distances and sharp rendering of the orthophotos. The preset delivers the best result for most SLAM data.

Preset für SLAM Projekte

Customize 3D points

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XYZ separators can be named as desired and their sort order can be adjusted flexibly!

If your CAD software requires 3D points in a certain format, arrangement, or with special separators, this can now be defined in the settings. To do so, just open the settings and go to the “Sketch/Panorama”tab. Here the XYZ Column Separator can be defined as desired. This also applies to the XYZ Decimal Separator. You can also sort the order of the point number, X, Y, Z values, and the point ID. Everything adjusted to your needs? Then confirm with OK. In the Job Editor under “File” you can export the desired 3D points. If we take a look at the exported 3D points, we will see that the comma separator for all points is e.g. a colon and the columns are separated by e.g. a semicolon. Exactly as we had defined before. This way, 3D points can be conveniently exported for your CAD software without having to laboriously adjust them by hand.

Improved automerger

Create a separate image for each layer with one click!

When creating a section, the automerger can be activated in the settings under “Merger/Web Export/Nebula”. In the dropdown menu you can define for which layers an Auto Merger should be generated. We leave all of them active and confirm with OK. In the Job Editor under “Processing”, we can now set e.g. Indexed and Reflectivity to 100%. We process the job and the automerger and take a look at the results. We find individual auto-merger files for Indexed, Layout and Reflectivity in the results in the previously defined export formats.

Automerger improvement

Assign virtual panoramas faster

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We improved the virtual panoramas! 

For better distinction and visibility, the panoramas are now displayed differently. Colored dots show that the panorama has already been processed, gray dots indicate that it has not been processed yet. When looking at the results, you will notice that the processed panorama already has a Preview Image, which can now be displayed in other software. This makes it easier to distinguish virtual scans from others, similar to our normal scans.

Inverted mouse control (customer request)

By customer request, Origins 4.0 R10 now features the ability to change the mouse control in the panorama view! 

If we look at a panorama and zoom in, we can move the panorama by pressing the middle mouse button. If we drag the mouse to the left, the image moves to the right. For some users, this may not be intuitive. In the settings under “General”, the mouse axis can now be inverted both horizontally and vertically. If we move the held-down mouse to the left, the image also moves to the left. The vertical control is now also inverted. By the way, this setting also affects the standard views.

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Colorize distances & new color picker (customer request)

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Customize the look of distance measurements! 

The appearance of a measured distance can now be customized to your liking in the Job Editor. Both the line color and the opacity of the distance, as well as the label, can be customized to your taste. The new color picker offers even more functions and easier handling.

Section Cycling

Easier handling if many sections are on top of each other!

If there are many sections on top of each other in one place, it is difficult to select the right section. With the shortcut Ctrl+E, you can now open a dropdown menu to get directly to the desired section.

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Extended constellation search

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Improved Cloud 2 Cloud calculation!

When registering two scans with low overlap, it may occur that the automatic Cloud 2 Cloud calculation doesn’t find the matching constellation right away. For a more precise overlap of two scans, you can now reject the result and Origins will restart a constellation search. This process may take a little longer, but will be more precise and offers a higher chance to find a matching constellation. The process can be repeated as many times as you like until you get a satisfying result.

National Surveyors Week – background and trivia

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NATIONAL SURVEYORS WEEK - BACKGROUND AND TRIVIA

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In the United States National Surveyors Week is celebrated every year starting on the third Sunday of March. The week is dedicated to surveyors and is intended to honor and educate the profession. While it started out in the US, National Surveyors Week is nowadays celebrated by many around the globe. This year, we like to honor the occasion by giving you a little background info and trivia.

Since the beginning of recorded history, surveyors have been instrumental in advancing society. The construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza in 2700 BC is one of the earliest examples in the history of land surveying. Surveying is also used in transportation, communications, mapping, and establishing legal boundaries for land ownership. Many scientific disciplines also use this important tool for research.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are approximately 54,800 surveyors in the United States. They have expertise in:

– Geometry / Trigonometry,
– Regression analysis
– Physics, Meteorology
– Engineering
– Programming languages
– Law

While the fundamentals of surveying have remained the same, the surveying instruments today are much more technologically advanced than in the past. Drones and lasers have now replaced most of the work done with a telescope on a tripod. Remote sensing and satellite imagery are becoming more accurate and affordable, so they are used more and more these days. Probably the most important new technology in recent years is three-dimensional scanning (3D laser scanning).

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History of National Surveyor Week

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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 Presidential Proclamation urging citizens to recognize professional surveyors and their remarkable contributions. There are many famous land surveyors who have played a major role in the history of the settlement of North America. George Washington, the first recognized land surveyor, is probably the most famous of them all. 

Current use of laser scanning

Today, there are numerous industries that have discovered laser scanning for themselves. The advantages are obvious: laser scanning makes it possible to create a precise digital image of reality – the digital twin.  

This is why PointCab Origins is also used in various sectors. We have compiled a selection of industries in which laser scanning is used. Common areas of application are:

– Architecture
– Heritage
– Construction (As Built)
– Industrial plants
– Surveying
– Craftsmanship

 This is also how our PointCab Origins point cloud software is used in various fields.

Want to learn more? Then check out these links:

National Society of Professional Surveyors website:  https://www.nsps.us.com/
Washington as Public Land Surveyor: https://www.loc.gov/collections/george-washington-papers/articles-and-essays/george-washington-survey-and-mapmaker/washington-as-public-land-surveyor/

Initiative to win over young talent: https://www.getkidsintosurvey.com/

PointCab Origins trial version: https://pointcab-software.com/en/point-cloud-software/trial-version/ 

PointCab Mobile Mapping Weeks

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POINTCAB MOBILE MAPPING Weeks

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Learn how to harness the power of Origins with GeoSLAM, NavVis or Emesent.

Between  December 7th and 16th, we are hosting special webinars together with these 3 mobile mapping providers to show you the different mobile mapping workflows with Origins.

Register now!

 

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EMESENT WEBINAR: FROM POINT CLOUDS TO CAD DRAWINGS

Dezember 7th, 9.30AM (CET)

Emesent’s Hovermap solution shows its strength when it comes to terrain that is difficult to access. Mounted on a drone, the intelligent mobile mapping solution autonomously scans the area using LIDAR. In this webinar, we will show you how to get the most out of Hovermap data with Origins.

 

To registration

NAVVIS WEBINAR: IMPROVING CAD WORKFLOWS WITH MOBILE MAPPING TECHNOLOGIES

Dezember 9th, 5.30PM (CET)

In this webinar, Pascal Groothedde explains how he, as a NavVis user, uses Origins in daily practice to transfer his data into the CAD system. He presents one of his projects and shows us how his workflow works. Martin Graner (PointCab) and Frieder Kirn (NavVis) will also be on hand to share tips and tricks on mobile mapping with Origins + NavVis.

 

To registration
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GEOSLAM WEBINAR: MOBILE MAPPING - EASY, SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE SCAN TO CAD

Dezember 16th, 11.00AM (CET)

Our Origins solution is perfectly adapted to the workflow with GeoSLAM devices. So well, in fact, that Origins has been integrated with GeoSLAM as a OEM software under the name GeoSLAM Draw. In this webinar, our experts show you step by step how to transfer your GeoSLAM data into your CAD system and how Draw helps you with this.

To registration

Lidar Community mourns the death of Martin Isenburg

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LIDAR COMMUNITY MOURNS THE DEATH OF MARTIN ISENBURG

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Martin Isenburg was an outstanding software developer, bright mind and pioneer in the field of lidar and topographic data processing. As the father of the .las/.laz format, he helped to simplify the exchange of point cloud data worldwide and thus leaves a great legacy. His LAStools have also been popularly and frequently used throughout the LIDAR sector and his open source LiDAR compressor LASzip has become the de facto industry standard for compressed LiDAR. 

Martin has always been willing to share openly with others and has been a promoter and driver of new innovations and ideas. Individual members of our team have also had frequent exchanges with Martin and will greatly miss the stimulating conversations we had together.

It was with great dismay that we learned that Martin succumbed to his battle with bipolar disorder and suicide last week. The world thus loses a great thought leader and an outstanding personality. We mourn together with his family, friends and loved ones.

We urgently appeal to all those who are themselves struggling with mental illness to overcome the social stigma around it and turn to specialised support services. 

PointCab signs Petition for Open Point Cloud Formats

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POINTCAB SIGNS PETITION FOR OPEN POINT CLOUD FORMATS

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The eternal problem with converting

When working with point cloud data, users still have to jump back and forth between different data formats. Using different software solutions or even sharing data often requires conversion to open formats such as .e57. The constant conversion of data consumes time, resources, and storage capacity. In addition, this process often leads to a loss of information. 

Although these problems are well known, the market has not yet reacted. Shouldn’t we be glad that open formats like .las, .laz, or .e57 exist at all? It is true that before these formats were published, there was practically no way to pass on point cloud data to other systems in a meaningful way. In the meantime, however, this solution is simply no longer practicable. 

While the computing power for point cloud processing has increased significantly over the years, the volume of data has also grown considerably.  More and more points and additional information are being collected to produce more precise and reliable results. However, higher data volumes also mean a longer conversion times. Time that cloud surely be used more efficiently. In addition, the .e57 format – the industry standard – is compressed rather poorly and requires much more storage capacity than other formats. Heavy point cloud users will quickly run into a storage problem that will also put a strain on their wallets. Similar problems occur with data transfer. Downloading a point cloud project might take serval hours.

 

The solution

But what can be done in practice to combat these problems? The solution is actually fairly obvious. If all software on the market were able to read the native formats of the various laser scanners and software directly and, in the best case, also write them, the age of constant conversion would be a thing of the past. This would be technically possible without much hassle. So why is it not happening?

In order for a software to be able to read other point cloud formats, you need a so-called Software Development Kit (SDK) from the manufacturer. Some manufacturers, such as RIEGL, already make their SDK available to other applications.  Unfortunately, there are still many other manufacturers who do not yet provide SDKs and so the user is still forced to convert their data.

 

The petition

The petition for open point cloud formats therefore calls on manufacturers who have not yet made an SDK available to do so. This would not only be in the interest of the end user. Research and even the manufacturers themselves would also benefit. That is why we have signed the petition and plan to make an SDK for our own .lsd format available soon. 

If you also think that something has to change, then join us with your voice and sign the petition too.

 

Sign Petition

Point Cloud Processing on macOS

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Point Cloud Processing on macOS

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Apple has become a synonym for good design. So it’s no wonder that Apple’s devices are in high demand among designers and architects. However, especially in the LIDAR sector, where more and more designers, architects, and real estate companies are entering the field, the predominant operating system is still Windows. As Apple has integrated a lidar sensor in their latest device it can be expected that Apple will be part of capturing the world in 3D in the coming years. To keep up with the expected demand, we at PointCab decided to take the lead and release the first commercial software for comprehensive LIDAR point cloud processing on macOS. While software like Arena 4D Studio Professional already offer point cloud visualization, they do not provide the manipulation capabilities that our Origins software  offers. 

Our Origins software for macOS works almost identically to its Windows counterpart. It can read all open laser scanning formats and its results are compatible with all prevalent CAD software. However, since some hardware and software providers do not supply their own macOS solutions yet, they also don’t have a SDK readily available to allow Origins to read their native formats.

Nevertheless, our CEO and co-founder Dr. Richard Steffen is confident some of the industry will follow soon: “For quite some time now we’ve been playing with the idea to make Origins available for macOS. We’ve seen CloudCompare doing a great job with their open-source software for macOS and expected commercial hardware and software manufacturers to follow soon. Since our software is known for its great inter-compatibility, we hoped for other manufacturers to take the lead and then port their format SDK to macOS. After we renewed the whole structure of our software with our Origins 4.0 version we thought there’s no better time to work on a macOS version.”

“We finally decided to take matters into our own hands and not to wait around any more. We’ve reached out to other manufacturers to make their format SDKs available and were mostly received in kind. RIEGL for example was one of the first to respond and is in contact with our developers as we speak. It seems like the compatibility with macOS is in the back of everyone’s minds but since most other players in the industry rely on Windows it never makes top priority. Honestly, it was very much the same for us and if we hadn’t released our Windows 4.0 version, we still might not have a macOS version. As a software provider that relies on compatibility with other manufacturers, it’s a gamble to put our resources towards a less prevalent operating system. Only the future can tell if we’ve made the right bet covering this niche market. So far, we’ve received a lot of interest, especially from CAD users that work on macOS. We hope that us making the first move as a commercial provider will inspire others to do the same.”

So far, our Origins software has been tested successfully on macOS Big Sur 11, Catalina 10.15, and Mojave 10.14. In terms of hardware, it works on any Apple computer with an Intel-based processor (x64). We’re also confident that the compatibility for the latest Apple M1 ARM-based Chip will follow with the next updates.

As with our Windows version, the Origins software does not require high-performance hardware components to run smoothly. As demonstrated in our preview webinar on May 27th a Mini Mac with 8GB RAM already does the trick. 

Point Clouds in BricsCAD

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EASY POINT CLOUD MODELING IN BRICSCAD

Point clouds in BricsCAD? Easy as can be with our new 4Brics plugin.

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PointCab 4Brics - Why a BricsCAD point cloud plugin?

As you may know, we already developed point cloud plugins for Revit and Archicad. Now, we are happy to announce that we have also developed a plugin that will simplify the modeling of point clouds in BricsCAD. The decision to develop a BricsCAD plugin was an easy one. For months, more and more customers approached us and asked for us to develop a BricsCAD solution. Those who know our team know that we always try to implement customer requests as quickly as possible and try to respond to all requests. So it’s not surprising that we got to work right after the first requests came in.

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How was the plugin developed?

We are developers and point cloud professionals. We are not BricsCAD experts and we openly admit to that. This is the reason why, when developing our BricsCAD plugin, we did what we always do in such cases – consult the expertise of our customers. Therefore we spent months studying the BricsCAD software and the workflow of our BricsCAD users. Special mention must be made here of Sebastian Zell, who has been massively involved in all stages of development, from conception to beta testing. The result is a plugin that perfectly matches the workflow of our BricsCAD customers and the architecture of the BricsCAD software.

What can the plugin do and how are point clouds modeled in BricsCAD with it?

Our 4Brics plugin helps you to transfer 3D information from Origins to BricsCAD in the correct position and in real-time. This way you don’t have to export the entire point cloud or individual orthophotos first and then import them into BricsCAD. As already mentioned, we have adapted our plugin to the architecture and structure of the BricsCAD software. That is why there is the function to fix axes. In principle, single or multiple axes can be fixed, depending on what is needed at the moment.  For example, the x and y-axis can be fixed if heights are to be determined. Measurements are generally made with the 3D point tool in Origins. No matter whether lines, surfaces, or individual objects from your own templates are to be transferred – simply click on the desired element in Origins and it will be transferred to BricsCAD in the correct position. As usual, the 3D point tool can be used in the standard views, layouts & sections, or panoramic views. No matter which view you use, the information from the point cloud is always transferred correctly to BricsCAD. In addition to the transfer of 3D point cloud data, we have also implemented other functions that make your work in BricsCAD easier. For example, our multilines tool allows you to create several individual lines one after the other without interruption. Preparing your data for other CAD software is also done with just a few clicks. For example, you can transfer the data from your user coordinate system to the world coordinate system or flatten the heights. This way the data can also be read into CAD software like Revit or ArchiCAD. 

If you want to learn more, take a look at our overview video or visit our online shop.

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PointCab Origins 4.0 – a Review

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PointCab Origins 4.0 – A Review

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Karol Argasińsk: BIM Manager and freelance surveyor 

On April 07, 2021 we officially released our new Origins 4.0 version. One week before, on March 31 our developers presented in a webinar what the new version has to offer. 

Karol Argasiński, a long-time PointCab user and beta tester, took this opportunity to write a review of our new version for Lidar News. Read his take on the update here.

See article here

Of course, you can decide for yourself what you think of Origins 4.0

In this in-depth webinar, our developers show you the most important changes we’ve made to the new version. You can find all the features listed on our changelog.