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Reality Capture
An Introduction to Reality Capture
Reality Capture – Capture the Present, Form the Future
An Introduction to Reality Capture
There is a better way to capture existing site conditions accurately and completely, in both building renovation and infrastructure projects. Implementing a digital Reality Capture process enables you to minimize labour requirements, save time, and reduce project risk. The result is a highly-accurate, full-coverage, actionable set of real-time data, which can be directly connected into 2D and 3D design processes.
Reality Capture is the process of producing a digital 3D model representation of your object, building or site created by scanning it in the real world using static, mobile and aerial laser scanning and/or photogrammetry.
With either laser scanning or photogrammetry methods, millions of surface points are measured and mapped to develop a textured, high-resolution, geometrically precise 3D model.
The Reality Capture Process can be defined by 3 Key Steps:
1. Capture
Using hardware such as laser scanners or camera-mounted
UAVs, a site is scanned and a detailed set of data or “points”
is captured for further processing.
2. Compute
Using Reality Capture software, scan data is automatically
registered, stitched into a coordinate system, cleaned up,
and analyzed. The final product is a point cloud or mesh ready
for CAD and BIM authoring tools.
3. Create
Design with confidence knowing that your base information is
a model of up-to-date data of actual site conditions, whether
on a building renovation or large scale infrastructure project.
Scan with Accuracy, Design with Confidence
Having a comprehensive scan of the entire site can help you detect issues earlier than traditional surveying methods and often give an “under the hood” or “up close” insight into potential problems you may run into. Issues that can cause serious rework or halts in a project’s timeline include:
- Structural issues like bowing, buckling, or deflection.
- Thermal changes to the site or structure from freezing or thawing during seasonal changes.
- Effects of facade treatment on environmental quality of a building’s interior.
- Incorrect installation of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and other complex building systems.
- Geotechnical or topographic issues.
- Inaccurate mapping of utility placements or other hidden site elements.
- Inability to measure earthwork and site changes over time.
See Beyond the Site
Once scan data is aligned to a 3D model, the benefits of Reality Capture extend into the design and construction phases. Architects gain a clear understanding of site restrictions and challenges which allows them to overcome these through creative design. Engineers can be better prepared to handle problems at an earlier stage of the project. All stakeholders can leverage the data and digital model to make better decisions like designing an optimum layout based on topography or using materials that reduce energy costs.
Begin with the End in Mind
No longer do architects, engineers and site surveyors need to take multiple trips to the job site to capture and verify existing conditions. Using Reality Capture, your teams can scan once and design with confidence knowing that the conditions data they are designing with is accurate, detailed and actionable.
Intuitive and Integrated Software
Photogrammetry and laser scanning software solutions have expanded greatly in the past several years. For the design and construction industry, a true Scan-to-BIM workflow will get you from push-button scan to deployable BIM model in a few hours. With no previous experience, any industry professional can navigate the workflow because of how user-friendly and intuitive it has become. One-click automated processes perform powerful tasks like auto scan registration, which stitch multiple scans into a single point cloud, and intelligent cleanup services, which automatically remove unwanted noise, but still allow for automatic feature extraction.
Perhaps most importantly, the software now integrates directly with key CAD and BIM design creation tools so you can bring reality data into the data creation tool of your choice, including AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks, Civil3D, InfraWorks, and others. Reality Capture allows you to enhance intelligent models built from existing data with captured elements, such as a roadway section or a building interior, and bring it into design modeling software as point cloud data. You can then easily process the point cloud data to generate surfaces or perform an analysis of your project by applying classification themes for your project, like intensity and elevation.
Once the existing conditions have been recorded, you can conduct a preliminary design layout for your project, whether it be an HVAC layout within an existing building renovation or setting roadway alignments on a transportation infrastructure project. In addition, generating your design within the real-world context of the project’s existing environment allows you to more effectively communicate design intent with project stakeholders and the general public.
Once the existing conditions have been recorded, you can conduct a preliminary design layout for your project, whether it be an HVAC layout within an existing building renovation or setting roadway alignments on a transportation infrastructure project. In addition, generating your design within the real-world context of the project’s existing environment allows you to more effectively communicate design intent with project stakeholders and the general public.
Extensibility into Mobile Apps is Crucial
Reality Capture is most used in the field, so
enabling field crews to use handheld mobile
devices is paramount. The point cloud data can be
viewed, marked-up, and shared from a tablet to
the office with notes and annotations in real time.
You can register scans in real time in the field.
Questions and clarifications from team members
can be answered and resolved quickly. During
construction, comparison analysis can be done on
the spot, instead of having to wait for the data to
be brought back to the office, analyzed, and then
sent back to the field.
Capture the Present, Form the Future
Reality Capture helps you quickly create 3D models of
site conditions to ensure timely project delivery, while
improving productivity, accuracy, quality, and safety
throughout the design and build process.
You can bring your projects into 3D environments
instantly, from building renovations to large infrastructure
projects and everything in between. By closely monitoring
construction progress and working on the most accurate
3D representation of a site, you can greatly reduce the
number of change order requests and rework. This helps
you stay on schedule and win more projects because you
can ensure design excellence and timely delivery. As a
robust quality control tool, Reality Capture allows you to
prevent small mistakes from becoming disasters or predict
them before they even occur. Finally, Reality Capture is
accessible to any skill level. With increased accessibility,
affordable hardware, and powerful, intuitive software, it is
easier to put Reality Capture into practice on your jobsite
or design workflow now more than ever.
With SCENE software you can scan three dimensional, complex forms by creating point cloud data. SCENE integrates seamlessly with FARO® Laser Scanner Focus and FARO® Scanner Freestyle product lines. SCENE works best when you use the latest software version. Upgrade releases offer new ease-of-use features that help you get your job done quicker and easier, as well as bug fixes. With each new version, you increase your work efficiency and get more done with less effort. This article shows you how to download and install the software.