Inferring Geometry From Point Clouds

[LyleHardin]

When selecting a point cloud, the ribbon indicates I should be able to create a centerline from a cylindrical segment of a point cloud. Likewise with edges and corners. But AutoCAD tells me to select Cylindrical segments or Planes. Where the heck do I get these cylindrical segments and planes to begin with?! The help file is rather elusive about this. 

Basically, I'm trying to figure out how to create these centerlines and edges from the point clouds.

Has anyone figured this out yet?

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> But AutoCAD tells me to select Cylindrical segments or Planes. Where the heck do I get these cylindrical segments

You need to pick a point on a (virtual) surface based on points forming a cylinder-like object.

I've made a video which is (hopfully) helpful >>>click<<<.

- alfred -

[john.vellek]

Hi hardin,

I am checking back to see if @Alfred.NESWADBA's post  helped you with your problem. Please add a post with your results so other Forum users can benefit.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if a post or posts fully solved your issue or answered your question.

[LyleHardin · Accepted solution]

I did some experimenting and have discovered that for these features to work, the point clouds must be registered (assembled) in ReCAP. I don't think any instructions anywhere made that clear. We typically use Trimble's Realworks to assemble the scans. I used ReCAP on a few of the .las folders and was impressed at how well ReCAP assembled the scans. Then, and only then, once I brought the .rcp file into AutoCAD was I able to add centerlines to pipes and find edges and corners from planes.

In summary: To make these 'findable' features available in AutoCAD, the whole .rcp file must be assembled in ReCAP. Bringing in a scan that was assembled with another software (Realworks, Scene, etc.) then imported into ReCAP doesn't work.

[LyleHardin]

Thanks, Alfred, but I found out I needed to go back one more step and assemble the clouds in ReCAP itself. Once that was done, I had those cylindrical and planar objects available to me in AutoCAD. If you bring in a ReCAP file made from Trimble's Realworks or Scene those cylinders and planes do not make themselves available to these extraction commands. 

[TJB0008]

Hi - can you explain "assemble the clouds in recap itself". I am having the same issue - i export the cloud from trimble business center to Recap. I then import the Recap file into auto cad and cannot extract the data! it is driving me nuts!!! Please help!

[SteveHartley]

Hi Guys, 

Waking this topic up again, I have registered (assembled) a point cloud inside Recap 2022 from raw scan files and exported it as a Unified RCS and imported to Autocad 2022.

I am unable to infer geometry from the point cloud, although I have tested another point cloud and it works successfully. 

I have also tried export settings with grid set to 1mm and did not have an affect except increase in file size. 

Please help! 

[LyleHardin]

Try bringing in the .rcp file instead of the .rcs file. See if you can infer geometry from that.

[SteveHartley]

Hi @LyleHardin thank you for your input. 

I tried this and no success.