Start with your first project. Follow the step-by-step instructions and create your first ground plans and sections based on point clouds.
Do you need a point cloud? Download a point cloud sample file. You will find the link on the right side of this page.
Start: Import a point cloud
In this way you import your point cloud project to PointCab. Attention: We start here with a registered terrestrial laser scanning point cloud.
Import the point cloud project
In the following dialog box select your project:
Select your point cloud project
In this dialog box choose the appropriate project data : e.g. FARO Workspace, Trimble Workspace, Z+F, Riegl, etc.
Choose your point cloud dataset
Tick the checkbox, if a registered point cloud is used. In case you work with PointCab Register, you can find more instructions here . After a short analysis of the point cloud, choose a storage location for your project:
Choose a storage location for your project
A default name “Project.pcp” is proposed:
Name your project
After clicking “Save” the import of the point cloud will start:
Your point clouds are being imported
Three standard views (Top-View, Front-View, Left-View) are calculated immediately after import. As a result you get an Overview of your project straightaway. By pressing the “P button” on your keyboard, you can hide or unhide the scan positions:
PointCab creates three standard views
You can continue to use the standard views directly in your CAD software. Just open the results folder by right-clicking the selected task in the Job List and then clicking “Show in Folder”:
Here the standard views are stored
In Windows Explorer you will see the three standard views. Double-click to open them in your CAD software :
Double-click opens DWG file
Here in the free Autodesk DWG-True-View.
You can now start using all other PointCab tools.
Default settings of a project
At the beginning of new imports all scan data are processed with a use of preset default settings. You can customize them for every project, before the data import.
Menu File -> Settings gives an access to the project settings :
Project settings customization
You wish to add your company logo to your results ? Under the tab General you can select your logo and personalize your results :
Import your logo
You wish to have everything in color ? Under the tab Layouts/Sections you can set the default views in color:
Customize the default import settings
After customizing your own results, you may wish to restore default settings to avoid erasing your co-worker’s settings :
Restore default settings
Align a project
The alignment function allows you to transform the point clouds into a new coordinate system.
Activate the Align scan project function
Function “Align scan”
Now, the first point of the line has to be determined as origin of the new coordinate system. Set this new origin by clicking the left mouse button directly in Top-View.
Determine the first point of the line
In PointCab, the X axis appears, which shows the direction visually. By defining a further point, the direction is aligned. The alignment is created by a defined direction of the arrow and uses the initially defined point as a basis.
Determine the direction by means of a second point
Alternatively, you can enter the transformation parameters for the new coordinate system directly in the Job Editor if they are already known.
Edit transformation parameters
If you select Apply to user coordinate system (UCS) in the Job Editor, the point clouds are only visually transformed into the user coordinate system. The original coordinates remain. If you close the PointCab project and reopen it, the transformation has disappeared.
Apply to user coordinate system
If you select Apply to project, a coordinate transformation is performed on the point cloud. The original coordinates are transformed in full into the new coordinate system.
The coordinate transformation is applied on the point cloud
All three standard views will be recomputed. After the calculation, your project is aligned to the previously defined coordinate system.
Scan data is aligned anew – Default views will be updated anew
Create results: Job List
What was our batch list in former times, is now replaced by the Job List – but with new content! In the Job List, each running process is created, no matter what result you want to create. Once you activate the respective PointCab tool and begin editing, the data is stored in the job. The main advantage for you is that a project-related history is created in the Job List. Thus, you can close your project anytime and edit it later on again.
Job list
Of course, you can also adjust an already created job or just copy its settings for another job. For this purpose, you simply open the functions by selecting the context menu (right mouse click) of the listed job.
Context menu of a job
You have the following options:
Edit: If you want to change a previously created job, please use this command. The old job will be overwritten according to your changes.
Duplicate: If you want to change a previously created job but not overwrite it, you can use the Duplicate function. For this purpose, you enter 0.00 m for parallel translation and the quantity # 1. Using the Duplicate function, you can also create one or more parallel copies.
Delete: The job is deleted from the Job List and no longer exists in your history. If you have deleted a job by mistake, the job is not deleted from the hard drive!
Show in Folder: Displays the result in the directory where it has been saved.
Start processing: Starts the processing of the job.
Open: Opens the result in PointCab.
Job Editor
Every process started in PointCab is added as a job to the Job List. Each job can be edited separately in the Job Editor:
Job Editor
Parameters
As soon as a layout is created, it is visible in the corresponding Standard View, but also under the Coordinates parameters in the Job Editor. If the finished floor level height is known, it can be defined as a coordinate value under Parameters:
Z coordinates are height parameters of a layout
You find the X, Y and Z coordinates of the projection plane in the tab Layout Parameter.
The intersection area defines the width of the selected area – all points that are part of the yellow highlighted intersection area, are processed by PointCab.
The angle defines the measured angle between the horizontal basis (e. g. X axis) and the created intersection line.
Due to the parameter Direction, you can determine how you look at your object and how it is projected. You can determine, for instance, if you want to look from the bottom up, in order to create a ceiling plan.
Use the parameter Align in order to adjust your straight line to the X axis or Y axis.
The function Stretch allows you to extend your straight line at a defined angle.
Processing
The scan positions and the resolution with which the floor plan is to be processed can be set in the Processing parameters:
Processing parameters
Each orthophoto created with PointCab consists of single image points that represent each scanned point in your point cloud. Change the image resolution to define the quality of the orthophoto. The higher the resolution, the more detailed the overview of the point cloud is. Orthophotos with high resolution require more storage space and they often cannot be imported in the same resolution into other systems!
Thus, it is important to find the perfect balance for the analysis. It is usually a better idea to get an overview of the project – at a lower resolution – and then to choose only those areas in detail that are to be evaluated further.
Apart from X, Y and Z coordinates, a laser scanner determines the reflection properties of a real object. Different materials have different reflection values. By defining the reflectivity, you either obtain very pronounced edges (0%) or you can locate and distinguish different materials better (100%).
PointCab allows the use of color information captured by the laser scanner. You can use full color information (100%) or no color information (0%).
Scan radius:
For processing, PointCab only uses points within the defined radius around the center of each scanner position (point cloud). This radius is defined in the parameter scan radius. The scan radius should be adjusted to the respective laser scanning project. When the scan radius is too small, “empty” areas are the consequence. Distortion and blurry areas can result from a too large scan radius.
Scan positions
Single scanner positions can be activated or de-activated. If a scanner position is de-activated, the points scanned from that scanner position are not included in the calculation. PointCab only uses activated scanner positions of the point cloud for processing.
Scan positions
CAD
How exactly the interface to the used CAD system is defined (e.g. whether a black background is required) can be set up under the menu item CAD:
Output settings for CAD
In the Job Editor, under the tab CAD, you can adjust the CAD parameters that you have chosen in your CAD system. For instance, you can change the background color or change the export unit from meter into millimeter.
The following image file formats are available in PointCab: PNG – JPG – BMP – TIFF.
The projection defines which coordinates will be saved in the export file. Use the setting “Planar” if you work with 2D systems or 2D CAD software. In this setting, the orthophoto is created on the XY plane directly. A more detailed explanation of the available CAD Projection options can be found here.
File
The last menu item handles data output settings. For example, a different storage location can be selected or data can be renamed:
Output settings for file
In the tab File, you can adjust the file path and the name of your plan.
The exports indicate the format in which your results will be saved. You can create DWG, DXF and DAE files with PointCab.
Result files and directories
Example: Transfer of sections to another computer
If you have created a layout in *.dwg format and want to use this *.dwg file on another computer, you have to copy the folder _Results/Orthophotos with subfolder and *.dwg file to the other system.
If you want to use the results in the CAD system on the same computer, you just have to open the corresponding file _Results/Orthophotos/*.dwg.
The folders in detail
When you import your point cloud, PointCab creates a project file and two folders: Project_PointCloud and Project_Results:
Result folder structure
The project file *.pcp contains all jobs you have performed in the respective project. With a double click on this file, the project opens in PointCab.
The folder Project_PointCloud contains the point clouds. Based on this data, PointCab performs every calculation, analysis or documentation. In this folder, you find a LSDX file, where the processing history of your project is saved, as well as a LSD file for each point cloud.
The folder PointCloud contains all data that is used by PointCab
The folder Project_Results contains the results created by PointCab. According to our tools, they are divided into 3D, Documentation and Orthophotos:
PointCab results: 3D, Documentation and Orthofotos
In the folder 3D, you find the results of the following tools:
PointCab results in the folder 3D
In the folder Documentation, you find the results of the following tools:
Results in the folder Documentation
In the folder Orthophotos, you find the results of the following tools:
Results in the Orthophotos Folder
Window overview
All windows can be arranged according to the users preferences. When working on multiple screens, windows can moved between screens.
Programm layout
In the menu Views particular windows can be activated and deactivated. Important functions of this menu are accessed by right-click top window border.
Views
Main icons are located in upper area:
Main toolbar
The left menu contains our module toolbar:
Module toolbar
On the right side is the Job Editor:
Job Editor
… and below Job List:
Job List
View Settings
In order to change the language settings, please select the menu File > Change language and restart PointCab.
In this Tutorial we will show you a few settings, which can make your work easier. In case of larger projects the overview of details an become quite extensive, as shown below:
Standard views
You can activate the main toolbar by right-clicking in the upper menu:
Show toolbar
Here you can switch easily between tabbed the view and the tiled view:
Tiled View or Tabbed View
Individual windows can be freely arranged or moved to a second Desktop:
Window rearrangement
If you need more view space, the module toolbar can be switched off :
Show and hide the toolbox
You can still access all Tools by pressing the appropriate keyboard shortcut. If you want to create a new layout press the key 2:
Shortcuts to different modules
We prepared even more Shortcuts for you. You can find more information about pre-installed shortcuts under the Help menu:
Shortcuts
The layer’s visibility settings are activated by the following button:
Visibility settings of processing layer
In this way further layouts and sections can be created:
Hidden processing layers
Keyboard Shortcuts
PointCab submit it’s user a large selection of keyboard shortcuts. An overview you can find under the menu Help:
| View | P | Hide scan positions |
| F12 | Create a screenshot of the current view | |
| F4 | Change between the tabular view and window view of the results | |
| F11 | Full-screen display of the activated window | |
| – / + | Maximize or minimize the view (Zoom in /out) | |
| H | Adjust the view size to the activated window (Zoom all) | |
| Edit | Shift | Marking snaps in at 0° / 45° / 90° |
| Pfeiltasten | Shifting in the window | |
| Strg | Activate shifting with mouse |
CAD projection: 3D, Planar, Origin
What do these settings have in common and what exactly makes a planar setting?
These questions will be answered in this tutorial. In the first draft, you see a floor plan that is not parallel to the axis of the XYZ axes. We want to define a section in this plan. With the 3D setting, this section is displayed in the correct position and thus imported into a 3D space in a CAD system:
CAD output 3D
However, there are CAD applications that don’t work directly in a 3D space, but extrude the heights by using the correctly positioned XY structure in order to receive a 3D model. For these applications, it is important that the results are output axially parallel to the respective coordinate axes. This is accomplished by the Planar setting:
CAD output Planar
With the setting Planar & Origin, the XY structure may be shifted to the zero point defined in CAD now.
CAD output Planar & Origin