Laser scanning technology helps preserve and repurpose a historic masonry building in Crete

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Laser scanning technology helps preserve and repurpose a historic masonry building in Crete

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Postgraduate students at the Technical University of Crete used a combination of a Trimble Laser Scanner, PointCab Origins Pro, and Autocad to obtain and document the exact geometry of a historic masonry structure with the purpose of its structural rehabilitation.

The island of Crete, Greece is known for its beautiful landscape and rich history. It’s the birthplace of the first European advanced civilization, the Minoans, and was shaped by the Mycenaeans, Romans, Osmans, and many more. The traces of these cultures can still be found all across the island in different archeological remains.

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One of them is a two-century-old residential masonry, built during the Osman rule. It has been abandoned for the last 70 years and is the former residence of the wealthy Seimeni family. As one of the few remaining buildings of that type of local architecture in the region, it bears great historic value. In order to preserve and repurpose the building, exact documentation of its geometry was required, among other factors, in order to assess its structural integrity and the degree of necessary strengthening interventions. The building is planned to be restored in the next years and to be used as a local folk art museum.

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Postgraduate student Eirini Chorianopoulou, supervised by Professors Maria Stavroulaki and Nikos Skoutelis decided to exploit the benefits of the latest laser scanning technology available. Since there were parts of the building that could not be approached and a distant measurement technique was needed, using simpler tools and techniques would not suffice. Therefore, an accurate digital representation of the building in its condition before the restoration could be captured. 

This will give future visitors the chance to understand and compare the prior and current state and appreciate the work that will be done in order to preserve the authenticity of the structure after its restoration. With the purpose to obtain the geometric properties of the structure, the Trimble X7 3D laser scanner was employed. A number of 25 scans were used to generate the point cloud. All the data was imported as e57 format files and edited in PointCab Origins Pro. Accurate plans, sections, and elevations of the structure were created at all necessary levels and were exported as .dwg files for further editing in Autocad. Postgraduate researcher Evangelos Nitadorakis, responsible for handling the point cloud evaluation, found himself satisfied with the results that the use of PointCab’s Origins software provided: 

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“The accuracy of the generated sections allowed the identification and quantification of pathology indicators such as wall inclinations not visible with the human eye and remote measurements in parts of the structure that are not easily accessible. In addition, the delta analysis tool helped to distinguish even the slightest deviations in vertical levels. Furthermore, with a proper combination of all the data from Origins, an exact 3D model of the structure was created in a FEM analysis software and structural and dynamic analysis were conducted in order to assess the fragility of the structure under various loading cases. Employing PointCab Origins, we appreciated the easy handling, the speed of data processing, and the quality of the outcomes.”

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As-built documentation of a planetarium

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Using LIDAR technology for as-built documentation of a planetarium

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Thanks to the use of laser scanning and PointCab Origins Pro, placing new projectors is no longer a problem

The precise placement of projectors in specially designed theatre rooms within planetariums is no easy task. Just measuring these rooms, which have sloping floors and domes, is a challenge. In addition, the measurement results and the design proposals derived from them must be communicated clearly and concisely to all project participants.

In the USA, the professionals from Seiler Instrument, more precisely Seiler’s Planetarium Division, are often called in for such jobs. Seiler employee Howard George used to use a combination of manual measurements and a total station for this task- a very time-consuming process. To speed up and simplify the process, laser scanning and PointCab’s point cloud software were therefore used for the first time.

The first step was to employ a handheld GeoSLAM ZEB Revo RT LiDAR scanner that creates 3D point clouds literally in minutes. Then the challenge was to efficiently extract the geometry and features to create BIM models of the spaces and better communicate the design intent to project stakeholders. To achieve this, Howard was provided with a trial version of PointCab 3D Pro (now Origins Pro). This is an easy-to-use point cloud editing and sharing software that was recommended by the Design Solutions team at Seiler. Howard comments, “In non-orthogonal areas like planetariums, PointCab allows me to freely tilt, rotate and magnify data points and orient perspectives. ” Thanks to the PointCab and Revit support, as well as online resources, Howard was able to start modelling from the point cloud within a few days, even as a novice, thanks to PointCab`s 4Revit plugin. This allowed him to simulate the placement of the projectors as-is and quickly create vectorised CAD schematics of the space and installation details. He was thrilled: “PointCab’s software exports 2D images of 3D spaces, but screen sharing the software via Zoom or simply forwarding my results with PointCab Share allows me to walk anyone through my process and show them whatever they want to see.” 

Verschiedene Evaluationen in Origins Pro

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The powerful combination of LiDAR scanning technology and PointCab Origins Pro has had a profound impact on the schedule and customer experience for these complex projector installations. Howard says: “I’m given metric spherical coordinates from ZEISS  to place projectors in relation to the dome. In PointCab, I export Cartesian imperial coordinates to place the projector stands on the floor.  Then the PointCab software exports 2D images of 3D spaces to me. Sharing data via PointCab Share (freeware) or screen sharing via Zoom allows me to share each step of the process with everyone and show in detail what is of interest.” In just one week, essential but very time-consuming tasks were thus radically reduced and changed for the better for everyone involved in the project. Once tested, the Seiler Planetarium Division would like to continue to rely on the combination of laser scanning and the PointCab software in the future.

Conversion of a former mustard factory

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From mustard factory to residential building

In this application, an existing old mustard factory was to be converted into a residential building. The two-story, U-shaped building contained various rooms full of production machinery, storage rooms and garages.

A digital survey of the property was imperative for highly accurate as-built plans. The specific task was to deliver floor plans and sections as CAD plans to the planning office cost-effectively and at short notice.

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What exactly was it about? The purpose was the conversion of an existing old mustard factory. As is often the case, no current as-built plans were available. The complete acquisition of the object by means of 3D laser scanning, took 1/2 day. The result was 30 3D laser scans. Subsequently, floor plans and sections were created in PointCab Origins. Based on the evaluations created with PointCab Origins, the investment volume could be estimated. The duration of the data evaluation was only two hours.  Subsequently, the floor plans were imported into the customer’s CAD system. This provided a data basis for preliminary planning, design planning and final planning. In addition, the data could be used as a visualization basis for the creation of the apartment exposé.

WHY POINTCAB ORIGINS?

Software Speed

Even the most extensive point cloud data can be evaluated easily and quickly with PointCab Origins.

Direct workflow to CAD software

The information from the evaluated point cloud data can be easily and quickly transferred to CAD software.

Proximity to support

PointCab’s support is characterized by comprehensive expertise and individual attention.

The duration of the data evaluation took only 2 hours, which really surprised me!
Staff Bouwsupport
Jun. 2013

About BouwSupport

BouwSupport began in 1996 as an independent company that grew out of an existing architectural firm. Pre-construction and construction processes are part of our core competencies. You as architect or client provide the design or specification drawings, we prepare the specifications and working drawings. In the further course we can also take care of the complete or partial construction coordination.
BouwSupport

Acquisition of a high school

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New construction and modernization of a high school on the west coast of England

For the new construction and modernization of Skegness Academy, a high school in Lincolnshire on the west coast of England, an accurate as-built model was required.

In order to obtain the exact dimensions of the high school, the FARO Photon 120 laser scanner was used, which can capture up to 990,000 points per second. With the help of reference points in the individual scans, they could later be merged. The scans were then used to generate a dimensionally accurate point cloud that provided an accurate 3D model of the building.

For the project, PointCab Origins was used to create elevations and sections, as well as detailed, dimensionally accurate images. This allowed various views of the high school to be generated and read into Autodesk Revit. A complete 3D model was then created with just the click of a button.

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The FARO Photon 120 delivered 230 scans here. Images of the entire site and the building from the inside were taken. The views were imported into Autodesk Revit. From this data, a highly accurate 3D model of the building was created.
What advantage did PointCab Origins bring here? The fully automatic generation of views and sections. Likewise, accurate and true-to-scale images were used here. The further processing of the scan data in the CAD system was also possible without plug-ins thanks to PointCab Origins. This provided the optimal basis for modeling, visualization, processing and simulation.

WHY POINTCAB ORIGINS?

Software Speed

Even the most extensive point cloud data can be evaluated easily and quickly with PointCab Origins.

Direct workflow to Revit

The information of the evaluated point cloud data can be easily and quickly transferred to Revit.

Proximity to support

PointCab’s support is characterized by comprehensive expertise and individual attention.

We think PointCab Origins is the fastest way to extract plans and sections from point clouds.
Eric Bergholz
CEO Laserscanning Europe
Jun. 2013

About Laserscanning Europe GmbH

Laserscanning Europe is the leading system company for 3D laser scanning. As an independent and experienced partner, we can offer our customers the best project solution for their application.

By renting and selling laser scanning hardware, software and accessories, we provide our customers with the required tools for their projects. In our training courses, we share our know-how and many years of experience from various projects. On demand, we support our customers with data collection by means of 3D scanners, analysis of scan data and modeling.

https://www.laserscanning-europe.com

Laserscanning Europe

BIM model of a hotel in St. Moritz

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From scan to BIM on the fly – HMQ scans luxury hotel in St. Moritz

The Hotel Sonne in St. Moritz is a popular destination for skiing and Welness vacationers. To prepare the hotel for the future, HMQ AG was commissioned to generate a comprehensive 3D building model of all interior spaces and the exterior facade. The 3D point cloud data was required for further processing in Graphisoft Archicad to create a complete BIM model.

Right from the start, the project included a major challenge: the acquisition of the hotel with laser scanners from FARO had to take place during the peak winter season and also during ongoing guest operations. The entire building therefore had to be captured as quickly as possible and without major disruption to guests. In the interior, a floor area of 1,100 m² had to be surveyed, distributed over three floors and a building height of approx. 10 meters. Outside, the work was no easier. The snow lying at the time of the project, which is why vacationers primarily traveled to St. Moritz, made the scans of the facade difficult.

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HMQ, however, managed all challenges and had a huge amount of point cloud data from around 500 scans after only 72 hours. HMQ has been using Archicad 21 software to create BIM models for some time. To be able to use the point cloud data for processing in Archicad, HMQ uses PointCab Origins. More specifically, use the 4BIMm plugin, which allows the point clouds to be analyzed and the information seamlessly transferred into ArchiCAD. This reduced time for HMQ and, consequently, project costs. Putting all this together, the result was a relaxed project process for everyone involved. This can only be beneficial for a vacation hotel.

The basis for this is the uniquely fast processing of the most extensive point clouds in PointCab Origins. Ease of use was the main focus when Christian Vetsch, Managing Director at HMQ together with his team decided to use PointCab Origins three years ago. The great compatibility with all scanner types and makes made the decision even easier for HMQ.

“We chose PointCab Origins because the software is easy and intuitive to use and is constantly being developed,” says Christian Vetsch. If you ask HMQ employees, they also appreciate the uncomplicated proximity to PointCab support.

WHY POINTCAB ORIGINS?

Software Speed

Even the most extensive point cloud data can be evaluated easily and quickly with PointCab Origins.

Direct workflow to ArchiCAD

The information of the evaluated point cloud data can be easily and quickly transferred to Graphisoft ArchiCAD.

Proximity to support

PointCab’s support is characterized by comprehensive expertise and individual attention.

We chose PointCab Origins because the software is easy and intuitive to use and is constantly being developed
Christian Vetsch
Managing Director HMQ AG
Dez. 2018

About HMQ AG

HMQ AG, based in the cantons of Graubünden, Zurich and Aargau, is one of the leading Swiss engineering and planning companies.
The core competencies of the engineers, planners and consultants of the HMQ Group lie in the specialist areas of surveying, construction and planning. To ensure customer satisfaction as well as to offer employees an exciting work environment, HMQ AG builds on innovation, quality and technology.
To the HMQ AG website: http://hmq.ch/
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Art Graphique

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Art Graphique et Patrimoire: digitally capture and document cultural sites

Art Graphique & Patrimoine was founded in 1994 out of a passion for sculpture and for the preservation of cultural heritage. Since then, AGP has managed many different projects that required traditional expertise as much as a progressive spirit of innovation. Over the years, AGP has accumulated more than 1500 prestigious references in France and abroad. Today, AGP is one of the leaders in France in the field of digital technologies for the acquisition and preservation of cultural heritage.

Art Graphique has used PointCab Origins to generate accurate othophotos from the extensive scan data of the buildings. You could see vivid examples of this just now in the video of Art Graphique et Patrimoine. Thanks to PointCab Origins it was possible to generate detailed orthophotos, regardless of the laser scanner file formats. Fast processing of very large and extensive point clouds is no problem thanks to PointCab Origins. All details are accurately captured and mapped. This creates a reliable basis for restorations and new components. In addition, Art Graphique creates impressive images through the versatile visualization options in PointCab Origins, which let the buildings shine in a new light.

WHY POINTCAB ORIGINS?

Software Speed

Even the most extensive point cloud data can be evaluated easily and quickly with PointCab Origins.

Detailed Otho photos

The information of the evaluated point cloud data can be easily and quickly generated into orthophotos.

Proximity to support

PointCab’s support is characterized by comprehensive expertise and individual attention.

Turning the extensive scan data into othophotos worked unprecedentedly well.
AGP
Nov. 2018

About Art Graphique et Patrimoine

Art Graphique & Patrimoine was founded in 1994 out of a passion for sculpture and for the preservation of cultural heritage. Since then, AGP has managed many different projects that required traditional expertise as much as an advanced spirit of innovation, and over time has accumulated more than 1500 prestigious references in France and abroad. Today, AGP is one of the leaders in France in the field of digital technologies for the acquisition and preservation of cultural heritage. https://www.artgp.fr/?lang=en

agp

Measurement of a packing plant

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Engineering company Kvejborg – Food industry

In a pilot project, the task was to measure two robot workstations in a large bakery during ongoing production. The existing robot tools were to be submerged in order to optimize the overall process. The bakery’s production runs in three shifts. A very fast recording method was needed to measure the packaging workstations, since stopping production involves high costs. The solution was to stop the robot cells individually for a short time. Some employees of the large bakery then manually stacked the fresh baked goods. The time required for the detailed measurement of the interior using a laser scanner was only 10 minutes per cell.  This meant that there were no disruptive influences on the production process.

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The subsequent data processing with PointCab Origins then generated the layouts, which were available to the plant planners the very next day. This is where the compatibility of PointCab Origins paid off. In contrast to a point cloud, the plans could be easily transferred to the CAD systems Solidworks and Inventor for further processing. Complex plants very often involve several different technical planners. PointCab Origins enables the planning office Kvejborg to make the generated planning basis available to all partners involved in the planning process simultaneously – without additional costs.

WHY POINTCAB ORIGINS?

Software Speed

Even the most extensive point cloud data can be evaluated easily and quickly with PointCab Origins.

Direct workflow to CAD software

The information of the evaluated point cloud data can be easily and quickly transferred to the CAD software.

Proximity to support

PointCab’s support is characterized by comprehensive expertise and individual attention.

With PointCab Origins, our customers can use the laser scanning results directly in Inventor.
Engineerringunternehmen Kvejorg
Jun. 2013

About Kvejborg

The Danish company Kvejborg is a Scandinavian design office in the plant engineering sector that is involved in the design of machines, tools and robot applications. Laser scanning technology is an integral part of the company and is used, among other things, as a design basis in special machine construction. https://kvejborg.dk/

Kvejborg

3D rendering of a historic commercial hall

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Laserscanning Architecture uses PointCab Origins in AutoCAD Architecture

The company Laser Scanning Architecture used the FARO 3D laser scanner for the three-dimensional acquisition of a historic commercial hall. The 3D data created was evaluated using AutoCAD Architecture and PointCab Origins. The scan data was analyzed in both photo mode and pixel mode using FARO Scene software. In the model, analyses and geometric allowances were performed in colored panoramic views. Perspectives could be freely selected and partial areas of the model could be hidden as desired.

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Using PointCab Origins, a 2D analysis was realized in AutoCAD Architecture. For this purpose, orthographic 2D views of the existing structure were created from any position in the model using PointCab Origins. This laid the foundation for efficient replanning. The advantages were: orthographic 2D images of the inventory, as well as freely selectable positions in the scan. The inventory could be quickly captured in detail (cornices, stone formats, etc.). The resulting highly accurate dimensioning, formed the basis for efficient redesign, including overdrawing of component edges. PointCab Origins results were used to create plans, elevations, sections and 3D BIM models. Images could be extracted from the point cloud. The client was able to quickly view and use the information thanks to the web export.

WHY POINTCAB ORIGINS?

Software Speed

Even the most extensive point cloud data can be evaluated easily and quickly with PointCab Origins.

Direct workflow to AutoCAD

The information of the evaluated point cloud data could be easily and quickly transferred to AutoCAD.

Proximity to support

PointCab’s support is characterized by comprehensive expertise and individual attention.

Fast point cloud evaluation with PointCab Origins and Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture.
Laser Scanning Architecture
Jun. 2013

About Laser Scanning Architecture

As a formerly classic architectural office, we specialized in 3D laser scanning in 2010. Since then, the demand has increased so much that we are now only active in 3D surveying. Managing director Johannes Rechenbach has a working experience of more than 30 years as a freelance architect and has been running his own architectural office in Hannover for 20 years.

During this time, we have learned many times that a thorough survey of the existing building is always the basis for a successful remodeling project. The precise laser scanning therefore offers the perfect basis for all projects of building in existing contexts. https://www.laser-scanning-architecture.com
laserscanningarchitecture

Thyssenkrupp

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Measurement of an automotive production plant - ThyssenKrupp

The company ThyssenKrupp was faced with the task of creating an efficient and complete measurement of an existing automotive production plant in a short time. The priority was to quickly transfer the scan results to existing CAD systems such as AutoCad, FactoryCad or RobCad for further processing. By surveying with 3D laser scanning technology, a real image of the entirety of all installations was created in a single measurement, giving the project the necessary planning reliability.

In the next step, a floor plan was calculated from the scan data using PointCab Origins. This was available to the engineers as a basis for planning on the very next day of the measurement and could be further processed in existing CAD systems without additional training on the topics of laser scanning and handling point clouds. An additional added value results from the fact that the independent file format of PointCab Origins enables the data to be made available to other partners.

WHY POINTCAB ORIGINS?

Software Speed

Even the most extensive point cloud data can be evaluated easily and quickly with PointCab Origins.

Direct workflow to CAD software

The information of the evaluated point cloud data can be easily and quickly transferred to CAD programs.

Proximity to support

PointCab’s support is characterized by comprehensive expertise and individual attention.

Thanks to PointCab Origins, we were able to perform layout matching completely without modeling.
ThyssenKrupp Drauz Nothelfer GmbH
Dez. 2018

About ThyssenKrupp System Engineering

Thyssenkrupp System Engineering GmbH is an internationally active manufacturer of various components for the automotive industry’s body and powertrain process chains. https://www.thyssenkrupp-system-engineering.com/

ThyssenKrupp

Plant documentation in gas supply

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Acquisition of complex piping systems – Export of precise dimensions

Niederreihnische Gas-Technik GmbH (NieGaTec) is a partner of the energy industry. Managing Director Klaus Jäger invested in the acquisition of a laser scanner in 2010 in order to improve his measurements. The complex pipeline structures in particular can be optimally recorded with the laser scanner. After purchasing the hardware, the question arose as to the optimal software for the rapid evaluation of the measurements. In the utility industry, 2D plans still dominate as a basis for work. Pipe runs are represented by line connections and gate valves, valves and other installations are indicated by symbols. Therefore, it was important for NieGaTec to quickly convert the 3D measurements back into layouts and sections.

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After researching the market, the professionals chose PointCab Origins software because its ease of use and layout representation best met the needs of the gas industry. The layouts are read into AutoCAD through the PointCab Origins CAD export and drawn up by the staff. In this process, the symbol libraries developed by NieGatec can be used in their entirety. The interaction of laser scanning technology and PointCab Origins now enables NieGatec GmbH to guarantee its customers fast and precise measurements.

WHY POINTCAB ORIGINS?

Software speed

Even the most extensive point cloud data can be evaluated easily and quickly with PointCab Origins.

Direct workflow to AutoCAD

The information of the evaluated point cloud data can be easily and quickly transferred to AutoCAD.

Proximity to support

PointCab’s support is characterized by comprehensive expertise and individual attention.

Simply ingenious software for creating piping plans from our laser scanning projects.
Niederrheinische Gas-Technik GmbH
Jun. 2013

About Niederrheinische Gas-Technik GmbH

Niederreihnische Gas-Technik GmbH (NieGaTec) is a partner of the energy industry. The company provides versatile engineering services for utilities in the energy industry. These include many municipal utilities and gas suppliers. For the documentation and planning of plants, an as-built survey is indispensable. This often involves gas distribution systems, gas pressure regulating stations (GDR) and gas pressure regulating metering stations (GDRM). www.niegatec.de

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