Point Cloud Data to 3D CAD: Recommendations?

[CEHill]

I would like your opinion and experiences on available software that converts point cloud data (from a laser scanner) to AutoCAD 3D.

[dgorsman]

We have had some success with CloudWorx/Cyclone, plus NavisWorks Review (or better) will also open various LIDAR-generated point data files.

[Opie]

I'm using CloudWorx/Cyclone right now. It has a bit of a learning curve.

I'm trying to figure out what to do with the data once you have it in CAD. Anyone have any samples?

[CEHill]

We have had some success with CloudWorx/Cyclone,
plus NavisWorks Review (or better) will also open various
LIDAR-generated point data files. 

I have seen the CloudWorx white paper and attended a limited demo where the meeting room and attendees were scanned. No CAD conversion was demonstrated though.

We are meeting with a civil engr. and a technician specializing in LIDAR scanning this morning.

Is CloudWorx the best software choice in your opinion?
What do you mean by 'some success'?
Is this too time-consuming/hard to translate
Is the accuracy not quite there?
Also, how mature is point data CAD conversion software?

I appreciate any insight you can share on this topic.

[CEHill]

Hey Opie

Your response has me a little apprehensive. This makes it sound pretty cryptic.
BTW, what is a ballpark figure for a single-seat license to enjoy all this fun (ClouudWorx)?

Current learning curve overload - Inventor, AutoCAD P&ID customization...and possibly this stuff, too. Yee-haa!!!

Let us know!

[Opie]

The ballpark figure thrown to me was around $6k. Unfortunately, I'm not certain of what was included with that price. I was also pointed toward a program from Pointools.com.

You might also try the forum here at www.laserscanning.org.uk.

[dgorsman]

We have had some success with CloudWorx/Cyclone,
plus NavisWorks Review (or better) will also open various
LIDAR-generated point data files. 

I have seen the CloudWorx white paper and attended a limited demo where the meeting room and attendees were scanned. No CAD conversion was demonstrated though.

We are meeting with a civil engr. and a technician specializing in LIDAR scanning this morning.

Is CloudWorx the best software choice in your opinion?
What do you mean by 'some success'?
Is this too time-consuming/hard to translate
Is the accuracy not quite there?
Also, how mature is point data CAD conversion software?

I appreciate any insight you can share on this topic.

- CloudWorx is the best one I have seen so far
- "some success", well an operating plant was scanned, the steam interfered with some data points and the laptop failed from excessive heat inside one building, and its difficult to isolate pipes in some congested areas; overall, more good than bad
- translation is dirt-simple, we use the point cloud as a template for creating an existing model, and the ASCII point file is imported directly into NavisWorks
- accuracy is FANTASTIC (at least, from a piping design standpoint)
- one of the "hold backs" for point cloud work was processing power, but given the average hardware these days the major issue is the person in the field properly locating and coordinating the different scans

[CEHill]

- CloudWorx is the best one I have seen so far
- "some success", well an operating plant was scanned, the steam interfered with some data points and the laptop failed from excessive heat inside one building, and its difficult to isolate pipes in some congested areas; overall, more good than bad
- translation is dirt-simple, we use the point cloud as a template for creating an existing model, and the ASCII point file is imported directly into NavisWorks
- accuracy is FANTASTIC (at least, from a piping design standpoint)
- one of the "hold backs" for point cloud work was processing power, but given the average hardware these days the major issue is the person in the field properly locating and coordinating the different scans

This clarifies things!

After our meeting yesterday with with a very experienced consulting team, who does both scanning and converting the scanned data from the raw point clouds all the way up to turn-key CAD 2D and 3D deliverables, I am impressed by the technology. BTW, they use Leica software - $30k +/-.

We anticipate (if the budget allows) that they will scan, we will receive the raw 3D, DWG-based model and flesh these out with 'metadata' from inside a soon-to-be released AutoCAD plant design product.

Thanks again

[dgorsman]

No problem. Yeah, the initial investment is huge, but can pay dividends later on especially with undocumented modifications or upgrades.

[cdatechguy]

The point clouds are pretty cool.... I use point files extracted from the software in my ArchiCAD/Architerra models. Most of the time I have to scale back the distance between points to 1-2' as anything closer seems to kill the software on large site models....

The survey firm we work with are using the Leica system as well....

I tried to import a point file into Revit 8.1 a while back and it crashed Revit...lol...