How To Use Tools

Information Tool

This tool is selected by default, and it’s purpose is to select a data element and offer information about it. The selected element can be a point cloud or a vector feature, including panoramas.

The selected element information is provided in the Properties area, located in the right panel. When a point is selected in a point cloud, the values of the point position, color, and classification are shown.

If a vector feature is selected, its attributes are also shown in the Properties area. Additionally, if the vector feature contains a name and/or description, these will be shown in a popup frame next to the feature.

The Information tool also has a Continuous Mode that can be used to update the information automatically as your cursor moves across your project. This mode only operates when a single layer is selected.

Measurement Tool

This tool has a Distance mode and an Area mode. To measure, you must click or tap on a point cloud to define a line or polygon. To finish the measurement, use a double click/tap to add the last point, or push the Finish Measurement button.

Some general notes about picking points for measurement:

• You can navigate (zoom, rotate, pan) while picking points, to get closer to the data or move to a different area without canceling editing.
• Be aware that points that are closer will get picked in preference to farther points. However, sometimes it is not clear if the candidate point is near or far. In that case, it may be helpful to get closer or rotate the camera to get a better view.

In Distance mode, the tool will report the length of each segment on the 3D view, and the total length in the Measurement tool panel on the right side of the screen. The units used to report these distances can be changed in the Preferences tab at any time.

In Area Mode the tool will report the total area that you define in both the 3D view and the Measurement Tool panel. The units used to report areas can be changed in the Preferences tab at any time. Additionally, you can use the Flat area projection toggle to perform the area measurement in 2D, considering the area as flat.

Buffer and Section

These tools are used to visually analyze and select points in your project, following some geometric constraints.

After the tool is activated, you are able to choose different modes, which share a few common options.

Export Points

When you tap the EXPORT POINTS button it will bring up the format selection menu.

Tap the textfield to the right of Choose export format to open the selectable formats drop down.

Please note that only the XYZ format will have the Units for export enabled

When Exporting Points under the Buffer and Section Tool, they will be exported in the draw rule you have selected. For example, if you have an Elevation Heatmap established and tap export the points, your export will contain the heatmap drawing view of your chosen export type. This is true for every format selectable.

Point Buffer

In this mode, you are able to pick a center point, and all points within a certain 3D range of this center point are selected. Initially, the center is moved interactively with the cursor, until you click or tap somewhere in your point cloud. From that moment on, the center will be fixed until you reactivate the tool or tap the ESC key. Once that is set, you are then able to change the color used for minimum distance (zero) and the maximum distance (given by the Range value in the slider).

Also, in all of the modes that are available, you can choose to display only the selected points or to draw them with their original color:

Default Buffer color



RGB

Elevation Heatmap

Note that, after defining a buffer with the “Only Buffer” option, you can still use the Information, Measurement, and Editing tools. Their operation will just be limited to the selection defined by the buffer.

Box Buffer

In this mode, you will need to draw a 3D line. The line that you draw defines an enclosing box, and all of the points within a certain 3D range of this box are selected. The enclosing box can be rotated using the Rotation parameter in the tool panel. Additionally, you are able to tap/click and drag each face of the box to further customize the buffer area.

Line Buffer

This mode selects points within a certain 3D distance of a line that you are able to draw by tapping or clicking. Similar to the Measure tool, performing a double left click or double tap will complete the Line.

Longitudinal Section

This tool uses a line, but selects points which are closer in X and Y, regardless of their height, so that the result is a longitudinal section of the point clouds along the line. It can be used for topographic profiles and for creating vertical cuts of the data.

By using the Show Section View button, you can display the selected points in a sectioned off view. In the Section view, you can zoom in to pan and explore your data in a different manner. The view can also be expanded, just like the 3D and Map views. There are also two tools, Flip and Change Vertical Scale that can be used within the Section View to change how the data is being viewed.

It is worth noting that the Section view does not show all the detail of the original data, as it only shows points that are visible in the 3D view. If you wish to see more points in the section view, you must zoom closer in the 3D view and then click or tap on Show Section View again to refresh it.

The section points can be exported to a file by using the Export section in 2D and Export section in 3D buttons. In 2D export, the data will have XY coordinates, as in the Section window. In 3D export, the points will have XYZ coordinates.

Cross Section

This tool works with a center line, similar to the Longitudinal Section tool, but instead selects points across a perpendicular plane. In addition to the Range, you are able to change the Station of the perpendicular plane along the line interactively, as well as the distance from the line (Offset).

Cross section points can be viewed in section views, and exported in the same way as Longitudinal sections.

Annotation

This tool allows you to place annotations across different layers in your project that can then be viewed at any time. When you select the tool, you will be prompted to create an Annotation Layer in your project.

Once the Layer is created, named, and classified, you simply need to tap or click in your project wherever you would like the Annotation placed.

You can also change certain features, like the Point size and color, using the Annotation panel on the right side of the screen.

Layer Editing

While the Annotation tool is a convenient way to quickly add vector elements, you may need to perform other operations like modifying the elements' geometries, or just deleting them. To add or modify features in a vector layer, activate the Layer Editing tool.

Then, in the Layers tab, select the feature layer that you would like to extend or modify.

Adding a New Feature

Once the Layer Editing tool is active and a feature layer is selected in the Layer Manager, the Tool panel on the right side of the screen will show the editing operations available to you.

After selecting the Add Feature operation, you are able to extract out a new feature by picking points in the 3D view. Depending on the geometry type of the selected feature layer, it will be possible to draw a point, multiple points, a polyline, or a polygon.

The captured coordinates can be displayed in the Properties panel by expanding the “Geometry” group. These coordinates will be shown here in the Projects' coordinate reference system:

Ensure that you name the new feature, and then tap or click the Insert button to save the feature to your project.

Edit Feature Geometry

In this mode, a feature vertex is selected, either by clicking/tapping on it in the 3D view, or in the Geometry list inside of the Properties panel. The selected vertex is decorated with three axes and planes. You can use one of the axes or planes to click/tap and drag the vertex to change its location. Ensure you click or tap the Update button when you are done editing vertices.

Add or Remove Vertices

In this mode, new vertices can be added or removed from existing features. For lines or polygons, a vertex is selected either by clicking on it in the 3D View or in the Geometry list in the Properties panel. The next feature segment will also be selected and highlighted in red. Then, when you click or tap on the point cloud, an intermediate vertex will be added to the feature in the middle of the highlighted segment.

To remove the selected vertex, just click or tap on the trash bin icon next to the cancel button.

Remove the Feature

This operation is used to remove the whole feature. You will need to confirm by clicking or tapping the Remove button.

Save/Manage Views

This tool allows you to save your current 3D view in the project configuration common to all users, together with the selection, visibility, and style of the layers. In this way, other users can reproduce exactly the same display.

By clicking or tapping on the Save current view button, you are able to type a name to store the current view and layers configurations.

At any time, you can return to a saved view by selecting it in the list and then click or tapping the Zoom to view button. A message will appear to warn you that the current layer visibility and styles will be overwritten. If necessary, the current view and configuration should be saved to a new view before applying a saved one. You can also zoom to a saved view by double clicking/tapping on its name.

Screenshot

This tool allows you to capture images to use as thumbnails for projects and layers.

Project thumbnail

To create or update a project thumbnail, first click or tap on the screenshot button in the Tool panel. The image captured from the 3D View will appear in the panel.

Then click or tap on the upload button to save the image as a thumbnail for the project. The result will be visible from the Projects home page.

Layer thumbnail

To create or update a layer thumbnail, you must select the layer in the Layer Manager tab and then click or tap on the Capture Layer button in the Tool panel.

In this case, only the selected layer will appear in the image. The thumbnail can be saved with the upload button, same as before.