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Why Field Conditions Determine Quality Before Post-Processing Begins
Glass, mirrors, dark or low-reflectivity materials, long corridors, repetitive rooms, strong light, and moving objects can affect point-cloud or image quality. Identify these conditions before capture, plan loops and overlapping views, inspect coverage on site, and arrange supplementary capture when gaps are found.
For the range, environmental rating, and accessory suitability of a specific SHARE SLAM S20, SHARE SLAM S20 SE, SHARE SLAM S100, or SHARE3DCAM C10 Series configuration, refer to the corresponding product documentation.
Before Capture: Routes, Control, and Deliverable Requirements
Mark high-risk materials, obstructions, stairs, long corridors, and indoor–outdoor transition points on the floor plan, then design loops and overlap areas. Before work begins, confirm the deliverable coordinate system, units, and acceptance method.
When absolute coordinates are required, distinguish between control points and independent check points, and ensure that the points cover the project area. If the project will use post-processed kinematic (PPK) data, prepare rover, base-station, and navigation data for the corresponding time period. Use an external PPK tool to generate an RTKLIB POS trajectory file, check trajectory continuity and solution status, and use the file as global navigation satellite system (GNSS) trajectory input for aided processing.
During Capture: Four Steps to Reduce Rework
- Close loops: Create verifiable loops wherever possible at both ends of long corridors, around corners, and in large halls.
- Maintain overlap: Retain sufficient common features between adjacent capture segments, prioritizing stable geometry such as door frames, wall corners, and columns.
- Move steadily: Avoid sudden stops and sharp turns. When pedestrian or vehicle traffic is present, wait or capture during off-peak periods.
- Review on site: Check coverage and the trajectory after each segment. Perform supplementary scanning on site when gaps are found. Image deliverables or subsequent 3D Gaussian splatting (3DGS) processing require stable lighting and complete photo coverage. Dimensions and acceptance must still be based on the point cloud and independent check results.
How to Handle Challenging Environments
| Environment | Main Risk | Recommended Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Large areas of glass or mirrors | Reflections, missing points, or false points | Test a sample area first, adjust the angle, and add oblique views; use another method if the requirements cannot be met |
| Black or low-reflectivity surfaces | Weak returns and incomplete coverage | Reduce movement speed, add viewing angles and overlap, and check coverage on site |
| Long corridors or repetitive rooms | Repetitive features and accumulated drift | Design loops, place stable markers or control points, and capture in separate segments when necessary |
| Strong sunlight or backlighting | Overexposed images and affected features | Capture during off-peak lighting conditions, and adjust the route and exposure conditions |
| Areas with many moving objects | Ghosting and noise | Clear the area or capture during off-peak periods, then crop affected areas and perform supplementary scanning in critical zones |
After Capture: Linked Review of the Trajectory, Photos, and Point Cloud
When undistorted photos are generated during processing, Image Comparison links the plan view, trajectory, photo locations, Photo Display window, and 3D viewport. This helps identify missed areas, obstructions, and anomalous materials, but it cannot replace independent accuracy checks.
Figure 1: Image Comparison links the plan view, trajectory, photo locations, Photo Display window, and 3D viewport.
When multiple point clouds are not aligned, select the reference point cloud and the point cloud to be registered, manually pick well-distributed matching fixed features, and generate original_name_registered.las after reviewing the error. This is manual corresponding-point registration. To transform the data into the target coordinate system, use at least three valid control points, or enter verified XYZ offset, rotation, and scale parameters, then output original_name_converted.las. This is coordinate transformation.
In Section Extraction, set the direction and project-required width, choose one extraction mode, preview, and extract. Perform separate 3D and elevation checks on coordinate deliverables, using independent check points that were not involved in the transformation to produce a 3D/elevation accuracy report.
Drafting, Engineering, and Support Boundaries
Computer-aided design (CAD) drawing export simultaneously generates drawing exchange format (DXF) and DWG files and includes them in the exported ZIP package. Plan or section linework requires CAD-assisted drafting, manual correction, and review. RVT, IFC, and complete building information modeling (BIM) models remain downstream professional workflows. Do not treat the drawing ZIP as a complete project-transfer or collaboration package. Failed or canceled tasks can be retried. If failures recur, retain the project, task status, and local diagnostic information. Without an available network, login may not complete, some advanced functions such as 3DGS may not work normally, and logs cannot be uploaded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can glass and mirrors be scanned? A sample area can be tested first, but results on large reflective surfaces are limited. Adjust the angle, add viewing directions, and inspect the results on site. Use another method if the acceptance requirements cannot be met.
Q: How can drift be reduced in long corridors? Design loops, add stable common features or control points, and capture in separate segments when necessary. Then use manual corresponding-point registration.
Q: How can I confirm that no areas were missed after scanning? Compare coverage against the floor plan and use the linked view to review the trajectory, photo locations, and photos. When gaps are found, perform supplementary scanning on site whenever possible.
Q: Are accuracy checks still required after the on-site inspection passes? Yes, when coordinate or accuracy acceptance requirements apply. 3D and elevation checks must be performed separately; reviewing only the trajectory or visual alignment is not sufficient.
Q: Can a CAD drawing be generated directly for a complex site? Only CAD-assisted drafting based on the point cloud and DXF and DWG files in the exported ZIP package are supported. Glass, obstructions, and complex components may all affect the linework, which must be reviewed manually.
