Creating a solid model from a point cloud

[Anonymous]

Hi

I'm completely new to 3D scan data.

So far I've created a new part in Inventor, and attached a point cloud (.rcs file).  It looks good, but I can't seem to do anything with it.

Is there any way to mesh the surfaces and create a part from it?  I don't need it to be made up of single features - one solid part would be fine.  It's a model of a room, and I want to be able to put other parts inside it and measure the distance to internal walls (of the point cloud) etc.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Or at least be able to create planes by selecting points in the cloud....  

Thanks

[kgilham]

 Unfortunately Inventor does not have a way of converting point cloud data to a mesh model.  Autodesk does have a tool called ReCap that is designed to work with point cloud data and can output a mesh that Inventor can import.  http://www.autodesk.com/products/recap-360/features/all  

Once a mesh is in Inventor, if you want to convert it to a solid body you can use the app called Mesh Enabler to convert it 

https://apps.autodesk.com/INVNTOR/en/List/Search?isAppSearch=True&searchboxstore=INVNTOR&facet=&coll...

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot.

I've just started using ReCap but had no idea it could create a mesh.  I'll look into it.

Thanks again

[Anonymous]

Is there new way to create mesh from point clouds, I think that ReCap disabled this option?

Thanks

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! Regarding converting point cloud to mesh, there seems to be conflicting information. Some claims ReCap Pro can do it but some says it does not work. Some says recap360.autodesk.com may work. There might be other 3rd party solutions also.

As far as Inventor is concerned, the ability to convert point cloud to mesh is not available.

Many thanks!

[arron.craig]

The best workflow is going to depend on the type of point cloud data. For piping, structural and complex data of plant rooms etc, there are tools in Leica Cyclone that can recognize beams and pipes and insert primitive shapes. I'm not sure what Faro scene can do though. 

For more organic geometry, I have used Rhino to mesh the scan and then bought that .stl into Fusion 360, decimate the mesh enough to convert to BREP and then sent that solid .step to Inventor. 

A free option that I haven't tried yet is this python plugin for Blender, I am not sure how it will cope with complex scans but could be worth a try. 
https://blenderartists.org/t/a-script-to-skin-a-point-cloud-for-blender-2-6x-or-later/529168 

[lena.talkhina]

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[mikejones]

Hi Henriq

You can apply work planes, axis, and points directly to the point cloud data within inventor if that gives you what you need i.e. apply planes to the floor and walls, etc and an axis through pipes. Under the MANAGE tab in the POINT CLOUD area, you have a drop-down option that gives you the three options. 

Alternatively, if you have access to Autocad Architectural, import your point cloud into that first, create a slice through the cloud data at floor level and trace a wall feature on top of the cloud data. This will create a 3d model of the walls that you can import into inventor as a 3d dwg file.

Mike

[sguan1212]

Is 2024 now, Inventor point cloud feature panel is still not showing any developments. I hope Autodesk is working on this in the background. There are simply not enough tools for handling/processing of point clouds

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! A few things. Inventor is a precise Brep modeler. Point Cloud isn't precise data. The data can only be used as a reference not for precise modeling purpose. Here is a short video showing how to make mesh from point cloud using Autodesk Reality Capture.

https://www.autodesk.com/learn/ondemand/tutorial/create-a-mesh-from-a-point-cloud

I suggest you look into it. After the mesh is created, you may import it to Inventor and use Mesh Enabler Add-In to convert it to a solid body/composite body. Regardless, the imprecision issue still remains. What is your end goal of this point cloud data in Inventor?

Many thanks!

[sguan1212]

Hi Johnson, the end goal would be to represent the existing equipment/environment in the 3D model layout, so one can work around it, use it to check for clashes etc.. Eventually drop into a drawing for presentation. To mesh it in recap then made into a body with mesh enabler is very lengthy and time consuming, I have success with small parts, but not anything medium to large. Mesh enabler will process for infinity and then I just end up killing the session. So far, most of all the meshing done in Recap have been a waste of time and token credits. Even if the mesh enabler succeeds with large file, it is very heavy on a drawing and difficult to handle and can look like a mess. The best way to handle the point cloud I think would be for Autodesk to develop more tools for tracing the clouds, just as mentioned in earlier discussion by arron.craig, Leica Cyclone has some tracing abilities for piping and steel structures. But that involves another license and learning of another software. It would be nice if everything can be done in Inventor. It's wishful thinking but I do hope we'll get there one day. Soon