8 Steps to Laser Scanning
1. Setup the Tripod
2. Mount the Scanner onto the Tripod
To mount the FARO Laser Scanner to a tripod we recommend using a FARO Quick Release which is an
optional equipment for the FARO Laser Scanner. The Quick Release is equipped with a 3/8” screw to fit into the scanner’s mount.
Attach the upper part of the Quick Release to the scanner’s mount and tighten the screw.
Ensure that the setscrews of the tripod are let-in flush before tightening the part. Mount the counter piece of the Quick Release onto the tripod. Secure the part by tightening the setscrews.
Carefully mount the scanner with the upper part of the Quick Release onto the counter-part. Make sure that the marks on both parts of the Quick Release are aligned. Lock it by rotating the nut at the upper part of the Quick Release in a clock-wise direction.
3. Insert the SD Memory Card
Open the SD Card slot cover on the battery side. Insert the SD card with the notched edge in the direction as illustrated until it clicks. The SD card might have a protective lock-switch at the top left. Make sure that this lock-switch is in the open position.
Do not remove the SD card from the scanner while it is busy, otherwise you risk corrupting data. A busy SD card is indicated by this icon blinking in the status bar on the display.
4. Supply Power to the Scanner
Use the rechargeable battery provided by FARO to power the FARO Laser Scanner.
Open the laser scanner’s battery compartment. With its type label directed upwards, point the
battery contacts to the scanner, push the battery straight in, and slide it into the compartment until the
fastener clicks into position.
Close the battery cover.
Adhere to the battery safety measures described in the laser scanner manual. Insert or remove batteries from the laser scanner in dry and dust-free environments only.
5. Switch the Scanner On
Press the scanner Power On/Off button. The scanner LED will blink in blue.
When the scanner is ready, the LED stops blinking and illuminates permanently blue; the Home screen of the controller software appears on the integrated touch screen.
6. Set the Scanning Parameters
The scanning parameters are the settings used by the FARO Laser Scanner for recording the scan data. There are two ways to set the scanning parameters:
- Select a scan profile which is a predefined set of scanning parameters.
- Or change the parameters individually. Tap the parameters button on the home screen.
Selecting a Scan Profile:
- 1. Tap the selected Profile to select one of the predefined scan profiles. You will get a list of all available profiles.
- 2. Select a profile from the list. The selected profile will be highlighted and marked with a check mark. The scanning parameters will be changed according to the settings of the selected profile. To see details of the selected profile, tap it once again.
- 3. You may go back to the scanning parameters to change them individually.
Setting the Parameters Individually
- Resolution and Quality:
- Tap to adjust the scan resolution and quality. Resolution is the resulting scan resolution in Mega-points. The quality setting affects the scan quality and the scanning time at constant scan resolutions. Increasing the quality reduces noise in the scan data but increases scanning time
- Scan Range:
- Change the scan area with its horizontal and vertical start and end angles.
- Select Sensors:
- Enable or disable the automatic use of the data of the built-in sensors (GPS, compass, dual axis compensator (inclinometer) and altimeter). This information is very valuable for the later scan registration in SCENE.
- Scan with Colour:
- Switch capturing of coloured scans on or off. If switched on, the scanner will also take colour images of the scanned environment with the integrated colour camera. These images will be used in SCENE to automatically colorize the recorded scan data.
- Colour Settings:
- Change the metering mode used to determine the exposure for taking the colour images.
- Advanced Settings:
- Change the scan filter settings and enable or disable the Far Distance Optimization.
- Scan Duration:
- Expected scan time.
- Scan Size [Pt]:
- The resolution of the scan in horizontal and vertical points.
- Scan File Size:
- Expected scan file size in Megabytes.
7. Start a Scan
Please respect all necessary safety measures and start the scan either by clicking on the Start Scan button on the scanner display. Scanning starts and the laser will be switched on. The scanner will save the scanned data to the SD card. The scanner’s LED will blink in red as long as the laser of the scanner is switched on. During scanning, the scanner rotates clock-wise by 180°. If scanning with colour, the scanner
continues to turn to 360° to take the images.
Remember that the scanner is turning and the mirror unit is rotating with high speed. Ensure that the scanner can move freely and that no objects or fingers can touch the mirror unit.
You can abort scanning with the Stop Scan button on the display or with the Start / Stop button on the scanner.
Once scanning and taking the pictures are finished, the scanner might make another full turn to capture inclination data. Please do not move the scanner while this data is being recorded.
When finished, a preview picture of the captured scan will be displayed on the screen.
To view and process the scanned data with SCENE, remove the SD card from the scanner, insert it into your PC, start SCENE and transfer the scans to your local hard drive. Now, you can view and process the scans with SCENE.
For more information on this, read the SCENE manual or visit: http://tutorial.faroeurope.com
8. Power the Scanner Off
To shut down the scanner, press its Power On/Off button or tap the Power button in the user interface drop-down list under Home. The scanner-LED will start blinking in blue and will stop blinking once the scanner has finished shutting down. When the scanner has completely shut down, remove the battery and secure the equipment in protective cases.
