LiDAR for Visual Effects - Rebirth

Krakatoa Creates CG Visual Effects from LIDAR Scans for Short Film “Rebirth”

Film director and cinematographer Patryk Kizny – along with his talented team at LookyCreative – put together the 2010 short film “The Chapel” using motion controlled HDR time-lapse to achieve an interesting, hyper-real aesthetic. Enthusiastically received when released online, the three-minute piece pays tribute to a beautifully decaying church in a small Polish village built in the late 1700s. Though widely lauded, “The Chapel” felt incomplete to Kizny, so in fall of 2011, he began production on “Rebirth” to refine and add dimension to his initial story.

LiDAR for Visual Effects - Rebirth

Exploring the same church, “Rebirth” comprises three separate scenes created using different visual techniques. Contemplative, philosophical narration and a custom orchestral soundtrack composed by Kizny’s collaborator, Mateusz Zdziebko, help guide the flow and overall aspirational tone of the film, which runs approximately 12 minutes. The first scene features a point cloud representation of the chapel with various pieces and cross-sections of the building appearing, changing and shifting to the music. Based on LIDAR scans taken of the chapel for this project, Kizny generated the point clouds with Thinkbox Software’s volumetric particle renderer, Krakatoa, in Autodesk 3ds Max.

LiDAR for VFX - Rebirth

“About a year after I shot ”The Chapel,” I returned to the location and happened to get involved in heritage preservation efforts,” Kizny explained. “At the time, laser scanning was used for things like archiving, set modeling and support for integrating VFX in post production, but I hadn’t seen any films visualizing point clouds themselves, so that’s what I decided to do.”

EKG Baukultur an Austrian/German company that specializes in digital heritage documentation and laser scanning, scanned the entire building in about a day from 25 different scanning positions. The collected data was then registered and processed – creating a dataset of about 500 million points. Roughly half of the collected data was used to create the visualizations.

3D Laser Scanning for Visual Effects - Rebirth

Data processing was done in multiple stages using various software packages. Initially, the EKG Baukultur team registered the separate scans together in a common coordinates space using FARO Scene software. Using .PTS format, the data was then re-imported into Alice Labs Studio Clouds (acquired by Autodesk in 2011) for clean up. Kizny manually removed any tripods with cameras, people, checkerboards and balls that had been used to reference scans. Then, the data was processed in Geomagic Studio to reduce noise, fill holes and uniformly downsample selected areas of the dataset. Later, the data was exported back to the .PTS ASCII format with the help of MeshLab and processed using custom Python scripting so that it could be ingested using the Krakatoa importer. Lacking a visual effects background, Kizny initially tested a number of tools to find the best way to visualize point cloud data in a cinematic way with varying and largely disappointing results. Six months of extensive R&D led Kizny to Krakatoa, a tool that was astonishingly fast and a fraction of the price of similar software specifically designed for CAD/CAM applications.

“I had a very basic understanding of 3ds Max, and the Krakatoa environment was new to me. Once I began to figure out Krakatoa, it all clicked and the software proved amazing throughout each step of the process,” he said.

Even with mixing the depth of field and motion blur functions in Krakatoa, Kizny was able to keep his render time to roughly five to ten minutes per frame, even while rendering 200 million points in 2K, by using smaller apertures and camera passes from a higher distance.

“Krakatoa is an amazing manipulation toolkit for processing point cloud data, not only for what I’m doing here but also for recoloring, increasing density, projecting textures and relighting point clouds. I have tried virtually all major point cloud processing software, but Krakatoa saved my life on this project,” Kizny noted.

In addition to using Krakatoa to visualize all the CG components of “Rebirth” as well as render point clouds, Kizny also employed the software for advanced color manipulation. With two subsets of data – a master with good color representation and a target that lacked color information – Kizny used a Magma flow modifier and a comprehensive set of nodes to cast and spatially interpolate the color data from the master subset onto the target subset so that they blended seamlessly in the final dataset. Magma modifiers were also used for the color correction of the entire dataset prior to rendering, which allowed Kizny greater flexibility compared to trying to color correct the rendering itself. Using Krakatoa with Magma modifiers also provided Kizny with a comprehensive set of built-in nodes and scripting access.

3D Laser Scanning for Visual Effects - Rebirth

The second scene of “Rebirth” is a time-lapse reminiscent of “The Chapel,” while the final scene shows live action footage of a dancer. Footage for each scene was captured using Canon DSLR cameras, a RED ONE camera and DitoGear motion control equipment. Between the second and third scene, a short transition visualizes the church collapsing, which was created using 3ds Max Particle Flow with help of Thinkbox Ember, a field manipulation toolkit, and Thinkbox Stoke, a particle reflow tool.

“In the transition, I’m trying to collapse a 200 million-point data cloud into smoke, then create the silhouette of a dancer as a light point from the ashes,” shared Kizny. “Even though it’s a short scene, I’m making use of a lot of technology. It’s not only rendering this point cloud data set again; it’s also collapsing it. I’m using the software in an atypical way, and Thinkbox has been incredibly helpful in troubleshooting the workflow so I could establish a solid pipeline.”

Collapsing the church proved to be a challenge for Kizny. Traditionally, when creating digital explosions, VFX artists are blowing up a solid, rigid object. Not only did Kizny need to collapse a point cloud – a daunting task in of itself – but he also had to do so in the hyper-realistic aesthetic he’d established, and in a way that would be both ethereal and physically believable. Using 3ds Max Particle Flow as a simulation environment, Kizny was able to generate a comprehensive vector field of high resolution that was more efficient and precisely controlled with Ember. Ember was also used to animate two angels appearing from the dust and smoke along with the dancer silhouette. The initial dataset of each of angels was pushed through a specific vector noise field that produced a smoke-like dissolve and then reversed thanks to retiming features in Krakatoa, Ember and Stoke, which was also used to add density.

3D Laser Scanning for Visual Effects - Rebirth

“To create the smoke on the floor, I decided to go all the way with Thinkbox tools,” Kizny said. “All the smoke you see was created using Ember vector fields and simulated with Stoke. It was good and damn fast.”

Another obstacle was figuring out how to animate the dancer in the point clouds. Six cameras recorded a live performer with markerless motion capture tracking done using iPi Motion Capture Studio package. The data obtained from the dancer was then ported onto a virtual, rigged model in 3ds Max and used to emit particles for a Particle Flow simulation. Ember vector fields were used for all the smoke-like circulations and then everything was integrated and rendered using Thinkbox’s Deadline, a render management system, and Krakatoa – almost 900 frames and 3 TB of data caches only for particles. Deadline was also used to distribute high volume renders and allocate resources across Kizny’s render farm.

Though an innovative display of digitally artistry, “Rebirth” is also a preservation tool. Interest generated from “The Chapel” and continued with “Rebirth” has enticed a Polish foundation to begin restoration efforts on the run-down building. Additionally, the LIDAR scans of the chapel will be donated to CyArk, a non-profit dedicated to the digital preservation of cultural heritage sites, and made widely available online.

The film is currently securing funding to complete postproduction. Support the campaign and learn more about the project at the IndieGoGo campaign homepage at http://bit.ly/support-rebirth. For updates on the film’s progress, visit http://rebirth-film.com/.

About Thinkbox Software
Thinkbox Software provides creative solutions for visual artists in entertainment, engineering and design. Developer of high-volume particle renderer Krakatoa and render farm management software Deadline, the team of Thinkbox Software solves difficult production problems with intuitive, well-designed solutions and remarkable support. We create tools that help artists manage their jobs and empower them to create worlds and imagine new realities. Thinkbox was founded in 2010 by Chris Bond, founder of Frantic Films. http://www.thinkboxsoftware.com

Autodesk ReCap: Making Reality Capture Easy and Affordable

Autodesk Aims to Streamline Use of Point Cloud Data

A key addition to the complete 2014 portfolio of Suites is Autodesk® ReCap™ product, a family of powerful and easy-to-use software and services on the desktop and in the cloud to create intelligent 3D data from captured photos and laser scans in a streamlined workflow.  Autodesk ReCap is the first industry solution to bring together laser scanning and photogrammetry into one streamlined process. In addition, no other solution on the market provides the visualization quality and scalability to handle extremely large data sets.

The Autodesk ReCap product line comprises two main offerings – Autodesk ReCap Studio and Autodesk ReCap Photo. Autodesk ReCap Studio makes it easy to clean, organize and visualize massive datasets captured from reality. Autodesk ReCap Photo helps users create high-resolution textured 3D models from photos using the power of cloud computing. Rather than beginning with a blank screen, Autodesk ReCap now enables any designer, architect or engineer to add, modify, validate and document their design process in context from existing environments.

For example, a civil engineer can bypass an existing bridge or expand the road underneath digitally and test feasibility. At construction phase, builders can run clash detection to understand if utilities will be in the way. Urban planners can get answers to specific design questions about large areas, such as how much building roof surface is covered by shadow or vegetation.

ReCap Studio is a data preparation environment that runs on the desktop.  Users can import captured data directly into Autodesk design solutions, such as AutoCAD®, Autodesk® Revit®, Autodesk Inventor®, etc., to conduct QA and verification of data. The data can come from non-intelligent, black and white sparse point clouds to intelligent, visually high appealing content. ReCap Studio will ship in Autodesk product and suite installers or be available for free on the Autodesk Exchange Apps store.

ReCap Studio 2

ReCap Photo is an Autodesk 360 service designed to create high resolution 3D data from photos to enable users to visualize and share 3D data. By leveraging the power of the cloud to process and store massive data files, users can upload images on Autodesk 360 and instantly create a 3D mesh model. ReCap Photo is available with Standard Suites entitlement and higher.

ReCap Photo 2

Key features of Autodesk ReCap include:

  • Visualize and edit massive datasets:  On the desktop, ReCap users can view and edit billions of points to prepare them for use in Autodesk portfolio products to enable realistic in context design work
  • Professional-Grade Photo to 3D Features: ReCap unlocks the power of ubiquitous cameras to capture high-quality 3D models, bringing reality capture within reach of anyone with a camera.  ReCap supports objects of any size and range, full resolution for high-density meshes, survey points and multiple file exports.
  • Photo and Laser: ReCap incorporates the best of both photo and laser data capture so that customers can use photos to fill in holes or augment laser scan data. Users can both increase photos scene accuracy with laser points and add photo-realistic detail to laser scans. Create point clouds from photos, align scans and photos and convert professional grade photo to 3D models.

Autodesk continues to invest in developing sophisticated, easy-to-use reality capture technologies. The company has made several key acquisitions including Alice Labs and Allpoint Systems as well as applied its own research and development resources to accelerate the mainstream adoption of these technologies. As customers are looking for ways to easily and accurately capture the world around them, Autodesk ReCap streamlines Reality Capture workflows, making working with Reality Capture data easyquick and cost effective.

Autodesk is the only company who has combined laser scanning data and photogrammetry into one product family to address and streamline the entire workflow.  Whereas traditional point clouds appear as dots, Autodesk technology can now visualize truly massive point clouds as realistic surfaces. Unique to Autodesk is that users can interact with these huge data sets doing CAD-like operations such as selection, tagging, moving, measuring, clash detection, and object extraction, all with native points. Laser scanning and photogrammetry are historically very expensive and data intensive. Autodesk’s goal is to democratize the process of reality capture so that anyone can capture the world around them to create high quality 3D models.

leica law enforcement

Leica Geosystems launches a dedicated forensics program for law enforcement

Leica Geosystems launches a dedicated forensics program for law enforcement at this year’s worldwide 3D laser scanning conference.

As part of its eighth annual Worldwide User Conference devoted to 3D laser scanning in San  Ramon, California, USA (near San Francisco), Leica Geosystems successfully launched a program devoted specifically to the law enforcement and public safety community.  The event drew law enforcement agencies and forensic professionals from around the United States and the world over a four day period October 24-27, 2010.

Of special interest was the seven-hour “live fire” shooting reconstruction workshop titled “3D Laser Scanning of Shooting Scenes and Trajectories” taught by Mike Haag of the Albuquerque Police Department’s Major Crime Scene Team.   Mr. Haag has used the Leica ScanStation on dozens of cases for shooting reconstruction and he is a Distinguished Member of the Association of Firearms and Tool Mark Examiners.   Over 30 law enforcement professionals attended this class on a very rainy and wet Sunday at the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department who provided their facility.  The weather didn’t inhibit the operation of the Leica ScanStation C10 or the enthusiasm of the class which learned the fundamentals and best practices of shooting incident reconstruction and trajectory measurement using 3D laser scanning.

The Leica Geosystems ScanStation C10 is an easy-to-use, compact and portable 3D laser scanner that measure 3.5 million points at a scene in less than two minutes in any lighting conditions.  The system does not require any special eye protection when used, is robust and captures the leveled survey-quality data required for accurate crime scene reconstruction and analysis.

In recent years  many public safety agencies across a broad spectrum of law enforcement—County Sheriff’s departments, metropolitan police agencies and state investigative agencies—have acquired Leica ScanStations and now deploy them regularly for a wide range of tasks, including crime scene investigation,  officer involved shootings and threat assessments of buildings and other infrastructure.  Increasingly, criminal prosecutors are relying on compelling images and animations created with the system to present evidence to juries and to effectively counter the so-called “CSI effect.”

Dr. John DeHaan, of California-based Fire-Ex Forensics, Inc. an internationally recognized expert in his field and the author of Kirk’s Fire Investigation was the first speaker in the general session with a presentation titled “Documenting Fire and Explosion Scenes with Leica ScanStation Technology.” After guiding the audience through multiple cases including a home destroyed by a gas leak and an ambulance (VBIED) rigged with an explosive device as a test exercise Dr. DeHaan itemized 11 significant benefits and advantages of Leica’s ScanStation technology over other methods.

“Based on the recent, extremely rapid uptake of HDS for forensics and homeland security applications,” explained Tony Grissim, Leica Geosystems Public Safety and Forensic Accounts Manager, “the launch of a dedicated law enforcement track at this year’s conference demonstrates how seriously Leica Geosystems is committed to serving the needs of the law enforcement community.”  Grissim added that portions of the program were recorded and will be available on Leica’s forensic web site at www.leica-geosystems.com/us/forensic

Leica Geosystems—when it has to be right.

With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems is trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze and present spatial information. The company is best known for its broad array of products that accurately capture, model quickly, analyze easily, visualize and present spatial information. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 3,500 employees in 28 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon Group, Sweden.

To view this release on the web please click here

http://www.leica-geosystems.us/forensic/press_18.html

For further information regarding the use of HDS for Accident Investigation contact:

Frank J. Hahnel, III
Accident Investigation Account Manager
Leica Geosystems Inc.
407.421.0873 phone
frank.hahnel@lgshds.com
www.lgshds.com
www.leica-geosystems.us/forensic

FARO will launch a revolution in 3D at Intergeo 2010

FARO Technologies, a provider of portable 3D measurement and imaging solutions, says it will launch “revolutionary” 3D laser scanner technology at Intergeo 2010.

FARO will launch a revolution in 3D at Intergeo 2010“The time has come for a dramatic reinvention of 3D laser scanning by offering the most user friendly and easiest to handle scanner at a very affordable price,” explains Bernd Becker, director of product management and business development 3D Laser Scanner at FARO. “At Intergeo FARO will present a new revolutionary 3D laser scanner technology which makes 3D laser scanning available to a much larger audience.”

FARO will also demonstrate version 4.7 of SCENE which incorporates the new “one-click” Web-Share functionality. The SCENE Web-Share feature allows for easy and secure sharing of scan data via the internet. Scanned images can now be put on the internet by just a click of a button, thus enabling users to share scan information with their customers, suppliers and partners without the need of additional software.

FARO offers efficient modelling for the areas of architecture, civil engineering, tunnelling, heritage, product design, and process industry due to its software partner achievements, with one of the most important named as the new point cloud engine of AutoCad 2011.

Author
Michael Richards
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Google Maps Street View 2.0 [LiDAR]

Brian Ussery is reporting that Google is back in Atlanta, GA making Street View images for Google Maps but, this time they brought in the big guns. Beu Blog reported on April 28, 2010, “The cars here today are equipped with GPS, high resolution panoramic cameras and multiple SICK sensors. These sensors collect LiDAR data that can be used for 3D imaging and visualizations like that seen in Radiohead’s recent “House of Cards” music video. Google Earth and SketchUp, Google’s 3D virtual building maker for Maps also use this type of data.

Last week Google announced the release of a plugin which allows users access to Google Earth imagery via Maps. As a result it’s now possible to view 3d images in Google Maps. The problem here is fairly obvious, Google Earth’s aerial imagery is taken from above and as a result not from the same perspective as users interacting with the data. Not to worry though, the StreetView team has been working on these kinds of problems for some time. When it comes to Navigation, Maps or StreetView, earthbound LiDAR enhanced imagery processed via Sketchup seems like a perfect complement to Google’s existing view from above. Combining high resolution imagery taken from the user’s perspective with advanced 3D image technology, presents some new possibilities to say the least. Factor in new releases like business ads in Maps, now being available in 3D on your mobile device and it’s pretty clear how Sketchup will be monetized.”

It is expected that Google’s incorporation of LiDAR into their mapping efforts will lead to some significant changes to our industry. If you have not previously seen the “House of Cards” video, be sure to check out the interactive music video code to see how Google made the point cloud data readily available for manipulation in a standard web browser. Point clouds are finally becoming more natively accepted in most CAD platforms and with Google getting involved in the industry, who knows where we will be in the near future.

IBM Visualizes a “Smarter Planet” using 3D Laser Scanning Technology [LiDAR]

HOUSTON, TX March 18, 2010 Coign Asset Metrics & Technologies (CoignAMT), at the direction of Zoo Film Productions of Hollywood, CA, has helped produce IBM’s first globally released television commercial created entirely from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) 3D point cloud data.

CoignAMT used the HDS6100 phase-based laser scanner from Leica Geosystems to create scenes of cars on a freeway, patients in a hospital, electricity grids and much more. The 30-second LiDAR-based commercial is a key part of IBM’s Smarter Planet initiative to portray that data is all around; and that by changing the way the world thinks, companies can maximize the use of data to lower their costs and reduce environmental impact.

Travis Reinke, business sector manager for CoignAMT, says, “Coincidentally, IBM’s perspective is a core part of CoignAMT’s business practice. We help our clients see the long-term value of the data they currently have by using the latest technology, such as 3D laser scanning, to quickly gather an immense amount of data to support their existing “intelligent” systems.”

The Zoo Film Productions crew spent a week in Houston, TX with CoignAMT personnel capturing laser scan data of transmission lines and over 16 blocks of downtown Houston streetscape and surounding buildings. CoignAMT then merged the point cloud data gathered in downtown with 6 square miles of low-altitude helicopter-based LiDAR provided by Aerotec LLC out of Birmingham, AL. Zoo Film Productions crews also created numerous scenes of hospital activities as well as automobiles with and without drivers that CoignAMT scanned individually for use in the commercial.

Reinke continues, “We were honored to be part of this innovative project given the direct correlation between the services CoignAMT provides and IBM’s Smarter Planet initiatives. Using the latest laser scanning technology to visually portray the importance of the data surrounding us was an unforeseen irony. I would never have imagined that we would be using this technology to scan people and cars, objects that are often considered ‘noise’ on a typical inventory project.”

View IBM “Data Anthem” at 848×480: http://www.glossyinc.com/zoo/ibmdataanthem.html
Full credits and a selection of stills: http://www.glossyinc.com/ibmdacred.html
Follow CoignAMT on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CoignAMT
Follow Travis Reinke on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/HDLS

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cj6VtYpBI4

# # #

About Coign Asset Metrics & Technologies LLC:
Coign Asset Metrics & Technologies, LLC (CoignAMT) is a HUBZone qualified, SBA certified, small business that provides a full range of asset management life cycle services and specialized technologies, including high definition laser scanning (HDLS). Its mission is to strengthen public and private sector organizations by aligning their assets and operational practices with their strategic initiatives. CoignAMT is headquartered in the Pittsburgh, PA area, with regional offices located in Colorado Springs, CO, and Houston, TX. Clients include federal, state, and local governments, as well as private sector customers in the construction, energy, transportation, manufacturing, and security industries.

3D mapping drone fires lasers from a mile away (video)

by Vladislav Savov @ Engadget posted Nov 18th 2009 at 6:40AM

The MIT Technology Review has unearthed a new laser-based 3D mapping robot that can produce results similar to those obtained from $100,000 systems at about a fifth of the cost. Funded by the US Army, researchers at the Stevens Institute of Technology have now demonstrated the Remotely Operated and Autonomous Mapping System (ROAMS, for short), which employs a mirror-based LIDAR system that bounces a laser off a rapidly rotating mirror and gleans environmental information from how long it takes for each pulse to bounce back. An array of video cameras and IR proximity sensors add to this recon bot‘s sentience, though you’ll still need to be within a mile’s range to operate it. So not quite yet ready for solo missions to Mars, but plenty useful for gathering data on our own planet. You’ll find video and imagery of the results this machine kicks out after the break.

Coign Asset Metrics & Technologies Awarded GSA Nationwide Laser Scanning Contract

Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) October 30, 2009 — Coign Asset Metrics & Technologies (CoignAMT.com) announced today that it was selected for a five-year, $30 million, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract awarded by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Public Buildings Service (PBS). For this nationwide contract CoignAMT, as prime, and its partners will provide professional laser scanning and Building Information Modeling (BIM) services to each of the eleven GSA regions.

“We are very excited to be part of this monumental opportunity,”

CoignAMT is recognized for excellence with 3D Laser Scanning and Building Information Modeling
CoignAMT is recognized for excellence with 3D Laser Scanning and Building Information Models

“We are very excited to be part of this monumental opportunity,” said Travis Reinke, Asset Inventories Sector Manager for CoignAMT. “Our team is comprised of some of the most talented individuals in the laser scanning and building information modeling industries and we look forward to sharing our experiences utilizing the latest technologies and software to assist the GSA PBS in effectively managing their facilities for years to come. Having been involved in the laser scanning industry since the very beginning, it is exciting to not only see the rapid progression of the technology itself, but also the acceptance of its benefits in the architectural and federal community.”

This contract will support the new construction, renovation, and modernization initiatives of the GSA’s PBS central office and its eleven regional offices. Sites will likely involve federal offices, courthouses, border stations, laboratories, warehouse, and childcare facilities, among other types of real property. Services being provided by CoignAMT under this $6 million base year contract with four one-year options will include:

  • Documentation of facility interior and exterior conditions and systems utilizing 3D laser scanning
  • Transformation of point cloud datasets into BIM
  • BIM that encompass the facility life cycle (planning, design, construction, operations, maintenance, rehabilitation, and divestiture)
  • Subject Matter Expert support for architectural design; mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP); and structural and civil engineering
  • Visual, geospatial and engineering analysis
  • Development of Best Practices relating to laser scanning, building information modeling and facility management
  • Business processes improvement through comprehensive facility life cycle management and expanded use of technology

CoignAMT President, Gary Sheets, stated, “Throughout the federal government and private sector, GSA Public Buildings Services is regarded as a leader in maximizing facility efficiencies through the application of advanced technologies. We are honored that GSA PBS has recognized our technical expertise, depth of experience and innovative solutions with this selection and look forward to supporting the GSA PBS with its laser scanning, BIM, and facility life cycle management initiatives nationwide.”

About the GSA PBS and the National 3D-4D-BIM Program: The landlord for the civilian federal government, GSA Public Buildings Service (PBS) acquires space on behalf of the federal government through new construction and leasing, and acts as a caretaker for federal properties across the country. PBS owns or leases 8,600 properties, maintains an inventory of more than 354 million square feet of workspace for 1.1 million federal employees, and preserves more than 480 historic properties.

In 2003 the General Services Administration (GSA), through its Public Buildings Service (PBS) Office of Chief Architect (OCA), established the National 3D-4D-BIM Program. OCA has led over 30 projects in its capital program, and is assessing and supporting three dimensional (3D), four-dimensional (4D), and Building Information Modeling (BIM) applications in over 35 ongoing projects across the nation. The power of visualization, coordination, simulation, and optimization from 3D, 4D, and BIM computer technologies allow GSA to more effectively meet customer, design, construction, and program requirements. GSA is committed to a strategic and incremental adoption of 3D, 4D, and BIM.


About Coign Asset Metrics & Technologies LLC:
Coign Asset Metrics & Technologies, LLC (CoignAMT) is a HUBZone qualified, SBA certified, small business that provides a full range of asset management life cycle services and specialized technologies, including high definition laser scanning (HDLS). Its mission is to strengthen public and private sector organizations by aligning their assets and operational practices with their strategic initiatives. CoignAMT is headquartered in the Pittsburgh, PA area, with regional offices located in Colorado Springs, CO, and Houston, TX. Clients include federal, state, and local governments, as well as private sector customers in the construction, energy, transportation, manufacturing, and security industries.

For more information, contact:
Travis Reinke, Asset Inventories Sector Manager
Phone: 888.600.5849 ext 3

www.CoignAMT.com

www.twitter.com/CoignAMT

Leica Geosystems HDS Announces New 3D Laser Scanning Software

Leica Geosystems announces three new laser scanning software products for scan data import, forensic scene mapping, and modeling complex 3D surfaces. Combined, these products increase the breadth and depth of laser scanning software solutions available from Leica Geosystems.

A new, standalone Cyclone IMPORTER module is part of the separately announced, enhanced Cyclone 7.0 software suite. This new “open systems” module enables the direct use by Cyclone of scan data. Direct import of native data formats avoids conversion steps to neutral formats that can be time consuming and that are generally not as efficient for downstream data processing. Overall, it lets users of scan data from 3rd party scanners take better advantage of the broad capabilities in the Cyclone suite of software.

Cyclone IMPORTER module

ForensicMap Pro, developed by MicroSurvey, is available exclusively from Leica Geosystems. It builds on the strength of MicroSurvey’s existing software for mapping forensic scenes and incidents and takes advantage of Leica’s point cloud engine technology. With the addition of point cloud processing capabilities in mapping software specific for them, forensic professionals can now take further, direct advantage of the richness and completeness of 3D High-Definition SurveyTM data for forensic investigations, a high growth area for laser scanning.

Leica ForensicMap Pro software

3DReshaper software, a powerful, standalone software for working efficiently with large, complex meshes and comparing them against designmodels, has been added to the suite of point cloud processing software directly available from Leica Geosystems. Developed by Technodigit SARL, a Hexagon company, 3DReshaper enables users of laser scan data to create smooth surface models of very complex 3D geometry surfaces. This capability is especially useful for laser scanning applications involving heritage, archaeology, architecture, ship hulls, and terrain mapping among others. Hexagon is also the parent company for Leica Geosystems.

For more information please visit www.leica-geosystems.com/hds

UPDATE: GSA Nationwide Laser Scanning Services Contract Awards

GSAlogo

The General Services Administration (GSA), Public Buildings Services (PBS), has officially awarded six individual $30 million Nationwide Laser Scanning IDIQ Contracts to the following firms (source: https://www.fbo.gov/spg/GSA/PBS/PHA/GS-00P-09-CYD-0137/listing.html):

Some firms were awarded contracts in their specific region(s) and others were awarded a contract covering all of the GSA regions.

Congratulations to all! These firms include some of the most talented individuals in 3D laser scanning. It will be interesting to see how much work actually comes out of this contract and how it will impact the laser scanning industry. Be sure to follow us on Twitter to get the latest updates on this monumental contract award.