Preserving coordinates when using “cloud to mesh” and getting the mesh into Revit

[TSwayze]

Been testing the new Cloud to Mesh function to see if I can use it to produce a mesh I can use in Revit, but I haven't quite figured it out. Been doing to following:

My point cloud has UTM coordinates and origin in the middle of the cloud. I open this is Recap Pro and use “cloud to mesh”.

The result is an RCM-file which I can open with Recap Photo. The mesh looks great, but the origin is now in the bottom left and the UTM coordinates long gone. 

I can export this to FBX. FBX can be opened in an old version of AutoCad and exported to a DWG - or I can open the FBX with Naviswork and link the NWC-file into Revit.

1. Is there a way to preserve coordinates or origin with the “cloud to mesh” function? The mesh is useless without it.
2. Is there a better workflow for this? Having to go through this many programs and file types is a bit clumsy.

[barmanr]

Hi @TSwayze ,

The mesh you get from Scan2Mesh will have the coordinates in UTM actually. The RCM as well will be in the said target coordinate system. If you press the D key in ReCap Photo, you should see the UTM coordinates in the top left corner. But exporting the rcm from Photo will not retain the coordinates. This is not supported.

The OBJ file that you get directly from Scan2Mesh in ReCap will come along with a .pos file if you specified a coordinate system. This is a position file where you can import the obj into Infraworks. For now, the geolocation only works with Infraworks for OBJ. The OBJ is correctly mapped in the model builder space. Perhaps you can then export this OBJ to FBX via Infraworks. To note: FBX larger than 2-3GB will usually not work. 

Thanking You.

Warmest Regards,

Rishov Barman, Reality Capture

[TSwayze]

I have tested this with a couple of models now, both starting with a PTS-file. Pressing "D" i RecapPhoto reveals that the coordinates are not the same. The OBJ-file I get from "cloud to mesh" does not include a POS-file. 

Thanks for the tip on InfraWorks, will look into that further.

[barmanr]

Hi @TSwayze ,

Based on your screenshot, the RCM has not been geolocated. If it was you would see another line above the XYZ with the UTM coordinates. And hence no POS file for OBJ as well. A couple of things to verify:

The way scan to mesh recognizes the UTM coordinate system is via the rcp file. So once you import/index your PTS file, can you save the rcp with the set coordinate system first. Then when you reopen the rcp it needs to be set in the settings dialog.

To summarise if the rcp settings has the UTM specified then scan2mesh should generate the rcm and obj with a pos file in UTM space. But if you only set the coordinates by using the update origin tool then scan2mesh engine will not preserve the coordinates and will create the mesh in ENU space hence you see the XYZ coordinates only. Possible to share a screenshot of the settings dialog in ReCap Pro after you save and open the rcp?

If you have the UTM specified and it still doesn't then we have an issue here. Possible to share the PTS file/RCS-RCP files with me? You can upload to perhaps one drive and PM me the link.

Thanking You.

Warmest Regards,

Rishov