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Point clouds from multiple scans require a reliable spatial relationship before they are merged. SHARE PointClouds Studio V2.6 brings manual corresponding-point registration into the same software: choose the reference point cloud and the point cloud to be registered, pick at least three pairs of clearly identifiable corresponding fixed features, check point distribution and the overlap/error preview, and then generate a new registered deliverable. This reduces round trips to external tools and prevents merging before the spatial relationship is understood. The corresponding features must be selected manually, and independent checks are still required.
Figure 1: The complete SHARE PointClouds Studio V2.6 manual registration process, from inputs and manual point selection to overlap/error preview and independent verification.
Common Conditions in Multi-Point-Cloud Alignment
Renovation surveys, building inspections, underground spaces, tunnels, historic buildings, and steel-structure projects often require capture by floor or zone, or supplementary scans. Floor-, zone-, or segment-based work must be planned and saved as separate field capture tasks with sufficient overlap. Registration can align those existing datasets, but it cannot split one capture into new field tasks. Three common workflow conditions are:
- A single scan cannot cover the entire site, so multiple files must be aligned before unified measurement or modeling.
- Converting, registering, and importing data again through external tools can create confusion around file versions and coordinate relationships.
- If files are merged simply because they “look aligned,” errors propagate into sections, dimensions, and computer-aided design (CAD) work. Registration establishes a spatial-alignment process that can be checked, rolled back, and handed over.
The SHARE PointClouds Studio V2.6 Workflow: Register First, Validate Next, and Merge Last
1. Establish the Inputs and Reference First
Retain the original files, identify which point cloud will serve as the reference and which one must be transformed, and verify the units, coordinate system, and data source. If the two deliverables are already in different project coordinate systems, first determine whether registration or coordinate transformation is required. Do not treat them as the same step.
2. Manually Pick Corresponding Points
Select at least three pairs of clearly identifiable corresponding fixed features in the two viewports. Prioritize stable wall corners, structural corners, targets, or repeatably identifiable component points. The corresponding points should cover the overall area rather than being clustered in one corner or arranged nearly collinearly.
Figure 2: Point Cloud Registration shows the reference point cloud, the registration point cloud, and corresponding-point picking.
3. Review Status and the Overlap/Error Preview
The preview helps reveal mismatched point pairs, poor distribution, or only local overlap as early as possible. If the status is abnormal, return and revise the point pairs instead of proceeding to merge with the error unresolved.
4. Save the Registration Result as a New File
After confirmation, generate a new registered LAS deliverable without overwriting the original point clouds. This allows project members to compare the data before and after registration and return to the source data if a problem is discovered.
5. Verify with Independent Features or Check Points
Do not assess only the points used for registration. In areas excluded from the calculation, inspect wall corners, component edges, or independent check points to confirm the overall relationship rather than only local overlap.
6. Merge Only After Validation, Then Proceed Downstream
Registration establishes the spatial relationship; merging merely combines data that has already been aligned. Only after validation should the workflow proceed to cropping, batch section extraction, measurement, CAD-assisted drafting, or downstream building information modeling (BIM).
Observable Benefits of This Workflow
| Workflow condition | SHARE PointClouds Studio V2.6 workflow | Observable result |
|---|---|---|
| Registration uses an external-tool transfer | Select corresponding points and review the overlap/error preview within SHARE PointClouds Studio | Can avoid an external registration transfer when the supported workflow is used |
| Merging and registration need separate decision points | Establish the spatial relationship first, then merge after validation | Keeps registration checks ahead of file merging |
| Visual review needs supporting evidence | Use status, overlap/error preview, and independent verification | Supports identification of mismatched pairs or poor local overlap before downstream drafting |
| Source and registered outputs need separate retention | Save a separate registered deliverable | Allows comparison with retained source files and replacement if validation fails |
| Handover requires the basis for alignment | Record the reference, corresponding-point selections, result, and check records | Gives downstream team members a documented basis for alignment |
No fixed number of minutes saved or universal error level is promised here. The benefit should be verified through the number of software switches and rework events, deviations at independent check points, and delivery-review records within the project.
Best-Fit Scenarios
The following scenarios assume that the datasets were planned and saved as separate field capture tasks with sufficient overlap; post-processing cannot create missing overlap or recapture absent areas.
- Floor-by-floor or zone-by-zone capture using simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) systems such as SHARE SLAM S20, SHARE SLAM S20 SE, SHARE SLAM S100, or the SHARE3DCAM C10 Series.
- Supplementary scan areas in renovation surveys and as-built dimensional checks.
- Multi-segment loop-closure deliverables for underground spaces, tunnels, historic buildings, and steel structures.
- Projects captured indoors and outdoors separately that must be brought into one delivery coordinate system.
- Repeat surveys conducted on different dates where stable corresponding features remain on site.
How to Evaluate the Registration Workflow
Record five items: the number of external software switches before registration; the number and distribution of point pairs; the preview error status; verification results in areas excluded from the calculation; and the number of issues found and corrected before the CAD stage. Compare these records across representative projects to evaluate transfers, registration quality, and downstream corrections without making a fixed efficiency claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Does SHARE PointClouds Studio V2.6 find corresponding points automatically? No. The documented workflow is to manually pick corresponding fixed features, review the error and overlap, and then generate the result.
Q2: Are at least three point pairs always sufficient? Three pairs are the workflow minimum, not a quality guarantee. For complex or extensive sites, add more clearly identifiable pairs based on geometric distribution and verify the result in independent areas.
Q3: Is coordinate transformation still required after registration? It depends on the delivery requirements. Registration establishes the relative relationship between two point clouds. If the result must be placed in a target project coordinate system, perform coordinate transformation using valid control points or confirmed translation, rotation, and scale parameters, then check the result.
Q4: Can two LAS files simply be merged? Only if they already share a reliable coordinate relationship. Merging itself does not solve the spatial relationship.
Q5: Can this workflow be used for point clouds from different devices? It can be evaluated, but first verify units, coordinate systems, scale, and stable corresponding features. Decide whether the result passes based on independent check results.
