A Case Study of Point Clouds in Architecture,

Engineering, and Construction: Tips and Tricks on

How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables
Egidijus Zilinskas - Co-Author of Undet

AC5820-V

Scanning and point cloud data processing is an innovative and early trend, but it is already a leading
architecture, engineering, and construction industry’s technology that allows us to save time, gain better
accuracy, and win effectiveness. In this class, we will explore several real-life cases and discuss the best
ways and necessary tools that are required to efficiently derive 2D and 3D deliverables from a point
cloud. You will learn how to manage dense point clouds and control their visibility. We will also share our
best practices and tips and tricks for maximum performance working with scanned data in AutoCAD®
software.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this class, you will be able to:

 Create 3D and 2D deliverables from point clouds

 Explain when and why the 3rd party software is necessary for point cloud projects

 Manage effectively the visibility of dense point clouds in AutoCAD

 Incorporate suggested tips and tricks in your future workflow

About the Speaker

Egidijus Zilinskas is a co-founder of Autodesk® Partners InfoEra and technical specialist for 3D laser
scanning workflow and technologies. He has worked in the CAD/BIM/GIS consulting business for
surveyors and architects since 1995 and in the 3D laser scanning business since 2005. He is a co-author
of point cloud processing software for AutoCAD® called ‘Undet’ and the most popular surveying software
in the Baltic States called ‘GeoMap’. He is also CEO of TerraModus, which provides point cloud data
processing and 3D scanning services.

egidijus@infoera.lt
A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

Introduction

This class is based on actual every day cases, therefore, full of challenges and definitely worth
listening. During the session I will use AutoCAD and 3rd party software called Undet, which you
can download with 7 days free trail from www.infoera.com or www.undet.com websites. Also I
have uploaded some point cloud data sets, which I was using for preparation of this virtual
class.

Point cloud in native AutoCAD

Since 2011 years AutoCAD has great ability to support point clouds. You can index scanned
data in to PCG or ISD structure from different point cloud file formats. Also it is equipped with
basic tools for point cloud visibility and coloring management. Besides, I guess you already
know that one PCG file can consist up to 2 billion points. But the more sensitive question is: if
you can see all scanned points in the area of interest? This question was considered and
implemented in the latest AutoCAD version (2013). So now you can set Maximum visible point
count up to 10 million, depending whether your OS is 32 or 64 bits. In the earlier versions it was
possible to set only up to 2 million.

Hardware

If you want see up to 10 million points standard PC or better laptop is enough. But if you want
see more than 10 million you will already need more resources. You will also need some 3 rd
party software here as plain AutoCAD limits Max point count up to 10 million.

Recommendations for your hardware:

 High speed HDD or SSD disk

 64 bit operating system
 Video card – professional or gaming (no green light for integrated cards)
 RAM 8GB+
 Laptop – high performance mode ONLY (no balanced or power safer mode)
 Processor: Pentium 4 or Athlon processor, 3 GHz or greater or Intel or AMD dual-core
processor, 2 GHz or greater

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

AutoCAD environment settings

Before starting creation of point cloud, firstly we need make sure that the hardware
acceleration is turned on. You can find it in the lower right corner. It is necessary to have it
turned on when working with such a massive date like point clouds.

Next step is to check point cloud density

For the primary review of the point cloud and

investigation of the structure I recommend you to set
lower density (something around 15% to 20%). It’s all
in order to get better performance at least in the
begging of the project. Real time density I
recommend to set exactly the same as density.
Because you will avoid disappearing points, when
rotating point cloud.

Maximum displayed point cloud number of

points you can set in command line entered
POINTCLOUDPOINTMAX and selected the
Performance

desired number of points (up to 10 million.).

This parameter must be chosen based on
your computer hardware. Because each
computer and point cloud project has
different parameters, and this choice should
be made on a test. Selection strategy can be
defined in a simple dependence: if you want
to see more points - performance will suffer, Point count
and vice versa.
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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

After determination of density we should set appropriate visual style.

In order to see colourful point

cloud we need change visual
style in to wireframe.

There are many visual styles

and you can choose the one
you prefer but wireframe shows
the best performance.

If you want to see solids you

must select realistic or shaded
visual style modes.

P.S If you chose 2D Wireframe mode or turn off hardware acceleration, you can see point cloud
only in black and white.

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

Creation of Point Cloud project

Before attaching point cloud into AutoCAD, it must be indexed. Option for indexing can be found
in AutoCAD ribbon menu bar, selecting Insert -> Create Point Cloud. AutoCAD 2013 version
supports basic point cloud files formats, which you can see in image bellow.

A new Dialog box appears where you

can see our chosen file. As well we
can insert more scans, remove them
or even merge them in to a single
point cloud. You can also set here to
convert your point cloud into PCG or
ISD format. ISD format is usually
used for indexing in Civil 3D and Map
3D. I will select PCG option. Besides
it lets to import true colours, Intensity
and other attributes. After settings
were made up, just left to browse
where you want to allocate your
indexed file and press “Create
button”.

While the scanned data is being

index we suggesting do not overload
computer with another processing.

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

After all set up of the settings we just need to attach created point cloud. And we are ready to
start.

Tools for point cloud management

After selecting the point cloud new tab appears. You can find here all AutoCAD tools
implemented for point cloud visibility and coloring management. You can fast and easily change
density of the point cloud.

You can enable /

In color mapping dialog box disable point cloud
you can choose different bounding box
spectrum and set other frame of the
There is possibility also to control
parameters. It’s all about to project, according
coloring by intensity or set custom
get clearest view of the to the most remote
colors.
structure. points.

You can fast We are recommending Auto Here are a variety of tools for
and easily update function to keep hold off. cropping point cloud. Point cloud
change density And only when you need just can be cropped using standard or
of the point placed RE (refresh) key to non-standard mathematical forms.
cloud. command line and redraw point
cloud. This trick will greatly
speed up the reviewing point
cloud.

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

Intensity color mapping settings

In this dialog box you can try to

choose different settings
according to intensity to get
clearest view as possible.

So sometime is useful to spend

some time for choosing best
settings.

Basic tools to manage point cloud

View cube is requiring viewing point cloud from different angles.

What will keep drawing geometry and lets to avoid possible
errors according to mistakenly turned view.

We are recommending orienting view cube to current UCS.

All created or saved UCS you can easily check or select in one
place.

So you will always know which UCS is active.

In docking toolset are placed basic functions to view point

cloud with different tools like:

 Full Navigation wheel

 Zoom extents
 Orbit functions

If you are using CTRL, ALT, or SHIFT key combinations to view

objects make sure what auto update function is switched off.

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

3rd software for point cloud management

3rd party software is filling AutoCAD with additional

functions and allows exploiting the benefits of both IT
solutions and getting the most productive works.

Everyone 3rd software has a separate sub-menu tab with

additional features provided to manage, classify or
analyze point cloud data.

In this class we are using 3rd party software for point

cloud visibility management called Undet.

Why do I need 3rd party software if AutoCAD and AutoCAD based products has
point cloud functionality?

AutoCAD (2011/2012 version) have the great functionality to import point clouds and review
them but in most of cases it is not enough to prepare as-built documentation or high level of
detail 2D drawings or simple 3D models. Why is so?

 Time consuming import. No possibility to group and classify imported data depending
on your work tasks and data structure. When using plain AutoCAD importing point
clouds gets difficult and long lasting process because you can index only one file per
time and usually having many files from different scanners force you to spend
unproductive hours for indexing and managing import dialog.
 Limited file support. AutoCAD can support only following file formats: *.las, *.xyb, *.fls,
*.flw. The problem is that not all scanning equipment programs can export data to the
mentioned file formats.
 Difficult to control visibility and coloring. Working with bigger point clouds in
AutoCAD gets difficult to control visibility and coloring. It is very complex and
uncomfortable to select individual object for detail view and characteristics management.
Basically, there are no features to select or filter desirable to view objects from the point
cloud. Besides, the standard PCG file has only one coloring channel (imported natural

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

RGB) and no possibility to manage colors regarding height or distance from the
reference plane. In addition to this, you cannot resize points, but this is necessary when
you face low density of points or lack of sharpness in the cloud.
 Limited number of points on the display. Plain AutoCAD handles to display only near
2 mln. points so you will not be able to see entire cloud. Basically, you will miss points.
Furthermore, when rotating the point cloud standard AutoCAD can display only 800 000
points. Therefore, sometimes it is even impossible to identify densely scanned object
when rotating. Unclear snapping on the point cloud is an issue as well because
AutoCAD snaps the object independently if it is hidden or not.

AutoCAD (2013 version) have some new functions to control point clouds data and review them
but in most of cases it is not enough to prepare as-built documentation or high level of detail 2D
drawings or simple 3D models. Why is so?

 Data management. No possibility to group and classify imported data depending on

your work tasks and data structure. You cannot select multiple indexed point cloud files
at once to attach into AutoCAD drawings.
 Uncomfortable and limited control of visibility. There is no possibility to create view
section boundary from others view projections except from top view. Once you lock point
cloud there is no way to change view section boundary size. However, if you do not lock
it - you can accidently move point cloud from project coordinates. If you don’t merge
scan positions into one single, you won’t be able to crop point cloud data from different
scan positions at once. And you will lose ability to manage point cloud positions visibility.
 Limited color management. Using plain AutoCAD functions you can only choose
coloring by intensity or true colors. There is no possibility to set coloring by selected
plane or height in case to identify deformation or to get best available information about
opens.
 Limited number of points on the display. Plain AutoCAD handles to display near 10
mln. points so you will not be able to see entire cloud. There are cases when you need
to visualize a huge object or territory. So you might want to see even more points. It is
possible with some 3rd party software.

What functionality does 3rd party software provide?

Additional indexing will speed up the process and give additional performance for view point
cloud data depending on the project tasks.

„No limits“ to point cloud project size. 3rd party software lets to import unlimited amount of
multiple files at once. No matter if you use different scanners, the only restriction is your HDD
size!

Data files and Individual points management. 3rd party software provides you with the
possibility to group and classify imported data depending on your work tasks and data structure.

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

You can simply group data files or even individually selected points to manageable logical
classes.

Interactive Color management. Gives you full access to manage colors. Intensity, height, true
color or distance from the reference plane can be used for coloring your point clouds. Low
density of points or lack of sharpness in the cloud is not a problem as well. You can generate a
colorful image with larger and brighter points. Also lets you to set color of your point cloud data
by selecting view section area, scan positions or logical classes.

Interactive Visibility management. Use grips and gizmo because it is the easiest interactive
method to change the size and position of point cloud detail view area.

Smart indicator. Select view section area and 3rd party software will show you how many points
from different scan positions falls into your working area, also you can switch on / off any scan
positions or data groups. Smart indicator helps you to easily see all points, so no more missing
points! You can see 1,5mln – 40mln points in the detail view area depending on your equipment
and OS

Supports of additional point cloud data file formats. Such as scan data from Riegl scanners
with RDB files structure with colored points.

Additional UCS settings. Such as UCS by selected points to statistically locate UCS of
selected area of interest. And also to set correctly UCS to center of view section slices (as
example to create profiles).

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

What I need to know for detail 2D drafting

Top success keys:

- To know when in selected area all points are shown

- Easily manage all visibility positions to identify the bad scanning positions and get
clearest view.
- Interactively set any coloring settings (It is very useful to set coloring by reference plane,
which gives full access to the best information about the deformation of the surface
bumps or holes.
- If point cloud density is poor, we need ability to change point size ant get better view
without any spaces.
- Easy change the view section position – in case to keep up continuous scratching.

In our example the main project task was to create detailed drawings, in which we ware
should mark stone joins. Below I am giving you some tips and tricks which had helped to
complete project faster than was planned in work schedule.

After making the slices we

noticed that our chosen
areas contains of different
scan positions in which
some scans were made
from long distance and
exist inaccurate between
all positions.

At the beginning we tried

work to all positions all the
time, but view was so
unclear and we cannot
understand detail object
parts.

So we started to choose
positions by the indicator
showing, which was
showing points count
fallen from different
positions or just started
switching off / on positions
in case to get clearest
view.

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

Sometimes after choosing

clearest position and zooming
in we can’t understand
anything, because were too
rarely scanned.

To solve this problem we

suggesting you to generate
image directly from point cloud
with larger and brighter points.

After images creation make

sure that 2D wireframe mode is
turn on. And in case to see get
better performance please
switch of point cloud visibility.

If you need draw opens,

elevation or just analyze
deformation we suggest
select coloring mode by
reference plane.

It will give you a sense

of depth, and becomes
easier to identify the
corners, edges, or even
to check the geometry of
the building, wall
smoothness.

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

Sometimes if you have scan position with poor quality of real colors, we suggesting you to use
coloring by intensity. And if you want to get best coloring setting in short time please keep
natural break function on, it lets you automatically choose interval selection on specific places.

We also noticed that if you want get clearest coloring view, please set coloring mode for each
scan position individual.

Other tips and tricks

- Sometimes if you are out of time and you didn’t finished drawing, you can save your
view section and mark it, with any name. And you can any time turn back to your saved
view section. It looks like a simple thing, but it is very useful.
- To change view section size using grips and gizmo functions will help you to quickly
select the desired section view and move it anywhere you want.
- And using 3rd party software indicator you will always know when you are seeing all
points. So you can easily avoid time form playing with density button.

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

3D modeling

Extracting point cloud into 3D models we found these tips and tricks that helped to make the
work more quickly and to avoid unstable AutoCAD workflow. And in this example we tried to
show main tips and trick that came out during 3D modeling.

I understanding that there are plenty of ways and tools to make 3D modeling, and each of you
have own way and know better than me how to extract point cloud.

Tips and tricks for 3D modeling

To start understand and analyzing object structure I suwggest you to create a separate logical
class only for object of interest without any bushes or an useful information.

This trick will help you to get clear view without nearby bushes, trees, tall buildings, or just to
keep up clean point cloud. And additional good thing is that you will concentrate maximum
visible point count on preview mode in your selected area. And selected territory will became
quite dense.

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

We've found that doing complex modeling with AutoCAD tools in original coordinate system it
works unstable. So we moved point cloud into different coordinate system with origin closed to
zero. And only after modeling part is finished, we suggest to move your objects to original
coordinate system.

We noticed that in order to start modeling we should become familiar with the object and
understand the mains forms that it contains as you see in picture bellow.

We are offering to mark specific

object places and create separate
view sections, in which we will be
able to come back during
modeling.

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

For each individual view section we

are suggesting to best coloring
settings.

Like in this view section example on

left picture: deformation colored by
plane.

Doing 3D modeling in case to set

correctly UCS we are suggesting to
use “UCS by points” feature. Which
automatically sets precise UCS to
selected points evaluated their
statistical dispersion.

Automatic selection of a statistical UCS

plane is also useful in situations when
you need to assign UCS to small
object parts, which has a different
angles

Feature to assign UCS to view

section center line really helps for
fast profiling.

To understand how many profiles

you need, or just to know specific
places where you need create
additional profile you may use
offset feature. In which you can set
direction and select offset step.

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A Case Study of Point Clouds in AEC: Tips and Tricks on How to Derive 2D and 3D Deliverables

Other tips and tricks

- To change view section size using grips and gizmo functions will help you to quickly
select the desired section view and move it anywhere you want.
- Second view port helped to visualize the location of profile drawing.
- Please don’t forget dynamic UCS feature benefits when you need to cut or model solids.

Conclusion:

In practice, I can say AutoCAD 2013 version has enough features for point cloud visibility
management. But any 3rd party software provides additional features that really help and in
some places without certain features it is wasting lots of unnecessary time.

I can be reached at:

egidijus@infoera.lt

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