E875 Scene 4.8 Manual en

08M55E00_FAROScene.
book Page 1 Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM
VERSION 4.8
NOVEMBER 2010
08M55E00_FAROScene.book Page 2 Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM
FARO Technologies Inc., 2010. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by
any means without written permission of FARO Technologies, Inc.
FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. MAKES NO WARRANTY, EITHER
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY
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TRACKER AND ANY MATERIALS, AND MAKES SUCH MATERIALS
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ANYONE FOR SPECIAL, COLLATERAL, INCIDENTAL, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING
OUT OF THE PURCHASE OR USE OF THE FAROARM, FARO LASER
TRACKER, FARO LASER SCANNER OR ITS MATERIALS. THE SOLE
AND EXCLUSIVE LIABILITY TO FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.,
REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, SHALL NOT EXCEED THE
PURCHASE PRICE OF THE MATERIALS DESCRIBED HEREIN.
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL IS SUBJECT TO
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\CONTROL\REFERENC\08PRODUC\ENGLISH\Prdpub53\08m55e00 - SCENE - November 2010.pdf
\CONTROL\RECORDS\05MANUFA\PARTSPEC\7 Software\E875_SCENE_4.8_Manual_EN.pdf
08M55E00_FAROScene.book Page i Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM
FARO SCENE Version 4.8

November 2010
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to SCENE
System Requirements ...................................................... 3
Installing SCENE................................................................ 3
Operation ......................................................................... 4
Chapter 2: Scanning
Chapter 3: Scans and Workspace
Tranferring and Importing FARO Laser Scanner LS and
Photon Scans................................................................. 9
Tranferring and Importing FARO Laser Scanner Focus3D
Scans ............................................................................ 10
Workspace Structure..................................................... 11
Working with Scans........................................................ 12
Loading Scans ............................................................................... 12

Displaying a Scan .......................................................................... 13
Navigating Within the View .......................................................14
Visibility Settings ...........................................................................15
Locating Objects in the Views ...................................................15
Unloading Scans............................................................................ 16
Single Scan Points .......................................................................... 16
File Structure ................................................................... 17
Chapter 4: Project Selector

Working with the Project Selector ............................... 19
Default Project Location............................................................... 19
Opening Projects........................................................... 20
Filtering, Sorting, Searching .......................................... 20
Managing Your Projects ............................................... 21
Adding Existing Projects ................................................................ 21

Creating New Projects .................................................................. 22
Project Previews............................................................................. 22
Favorites.......................................................................................... 22
Ignore Projects ............................................................................... 23
Edit Project Information ................................................................ 23
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Key Words.....................................................................................24
Position..........................................................................................25
Google Earth View ........................................................................ 25
Scanner Administration................................................. 25
Remote Server Connection.......................................... 25
Additional Settings and Information ........................... 26
Switch Off Project Selector........................................................... 26

Default Project Location............................................................... 26
Requirements ................................................................................. 26
Chapter 5: Quick View

Chapter 6: Planar View
Chapter 7: Selecting Scan Points
Chapter 8: Coloring the Range
Chapter 9: Processing Scans
Filter ................................................................................. 39
Default Filter ................................................................................... 41

Stray ................................................................................................ 41
Distance Based .............................................................................. 42
Dark Scan Points ............................................................................ 42
Smooth............................................................................................ 42
Preprocess ...................................................................................... 43
Compensation ............................................................... 44
Chapter 10: Exporting Scan Points

Exporting Slices .............................................................. 48
Single Slice...................................................................................... 48
Several Slices .................................................................................. 49
Tomograph.....................................................................
DXF ..................................................................................
VRML ...............................................................................
IGES .................................................................................
XYZ text ...........................................................................
ii
51
52
53
53
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Chapter 11: Objects

Text Field ......................................................................... 57
Documentation Object ................................................ 58
Object Fit ........................................................................ 60
Point ................................................................................................ 61
Mean Point...................................................................................62
Contrast Mean Point ...................................................................62
Corner Point .................................................................................63
Intersection Point.........................................................................63
Plane ............................................................................................... 63
Limited Plane - Expand Plane ....................................................64
Plane Fit With Constraints ...........................................................65
Intersection Point.........................................................................67
Slab.................................................................................................. 68
Sphere............................................................................................. 70
Pipe ................................................................................................. 71
Line .................................................................................................. 73
Rectangle....................................................................................... 73
Mesh................................................................................................ 73
Region............................................................................................. 75
Object Marker Tools ...................................................................... 75
Export ..............................................................................
Import..............................................................................
Object Visualization ......................................................
Layers ..............................................................................
Pictures............................................................................
77
78
80
80
82
Chapter 12: Color

Colorizing Using Scanner Based Pictures .................... 85
Compensating Horizontal Shift..................................................... 86
Colorizing Using Additional Pictures ............................ 88

Color Contrast Filter....................................................... 91
Chapter 13: 3D View

Objects in the 3D View ................................................. 94
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Chapter 14: WebShare

Creating a Web Project................................................ 97
Adding Meta Information To Your WebShare Project............... 97
Viewing WebShare Projects ......................................... 98
Using SCENE.................................................................................... 98
Using an Internet Browser ........................................................... 100
Examining a SCENE WebShare Project ..................................... 101
Control Panel .............................................................................102
Project Contents........................................................................103
Overview Map ...........................................................................104
Panoramic Scan View ..............................................................105
Chapter 15: Virtual Scans

Chapter 16: Scan Analysis
Inspection ..................................................................... 111
Measuring Distances ................................................... 111
Surface Analysis ........................................................... 114
Chapter 17: Registering Scans

Creating Scan Reference Objects............................ 118
Automatic Detection and Creation ......................................... 118

Manual Creation ......................................................................... 119
Creating External Reference Objects....................... 120

Finding Corresponding Reference Objects ............. 120
Automatic Creation of Correspondences ............................... 121

Manual Creation of Correspondences .................................... 125
Deleting Correspondences ........................................................ 125
Free Registration - Bundle Adjustment ...................... 126
Registering Scans Within a Cluster............................................. 126

Registration of Multiple Clusters to Eachother ......................... 128
Using Strict Pair-Wise Registration............................................... 130
Scan Manager............................................................. 131

Advanced Registration Features............................... 134
Overall Alignment........................................................................ 134

Batch Registration ....................................................................... 136
Free Registration .......................................................................... 138
Registration With Known Position ............................................... 138
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November 2010
Registration Without Inclinometer ............................................. 138

Manual Registration .................................................................... 139
Correspondence View ............................................... 140
Manipulators ................................................................................ 141

Correspondence Lines................................................................ 143
Update.......................................................................................... 143
Exclude All, Include All and Include Next................................. 144
Group and Ungroup ................................................................... 145
Place Scans.................................................................................. 145
Chapter 18: Workspace

Adding Scans............................................................... 147
Importing ...................................................................................... 147

Copying ........................................................................................ 147
Merging Workspaces .................................................. 148
Chapter 19: FARO Focus 3D Scanner

Administration
Tree View ...................................................................... 150
Adminstration View ..................................................... 150
Managing Snapshots .................................................. 151
Editing the System Snapshot of the Inserted SD Card............. 151

Creating a Virtual Scanner Snapshot........................................ 151
Restoring the Local Copy of the Automatic Scanner Snapshot...
151
Transferring a Modified Snapshot to Your Scanner ................. 152
Managing Scan Projects ............................................

Transferring Firmware Updates To Your Scanner......
Restoring Manually Created Scanner Backups .......
Scanner Service Request............................................
152
153
154
155
Chapter 20: Reference Handbook

Menu Bar
............................................................... 157
File ................................................................................................. 157

New.............................................................................................157
Open...........................................................................................157
Close ...........................................................................................157
Save ............................................................................................157
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November 2010
Save As ...................................................................................158
Import......................................................................................158
Export ......................................................................................159
Print..........................................................................................159
Print Preview...............................................................................160
Print Setup...............................................................................161
Recently Loaded Workspaces.................................................161
Exit ...............................................................................................161
Edit................................................................................................. 161
View .............................................................................................. 162
Tools............................................................................................... 162
Options....................................................................................164
DrawToCAD.................................................................................. 176
Window......................................................................................... 176
Help ............................................................................................... 176
Contents.....................................................................................176
About SCENE..............................................................................177
License Manager ......................................................................177
Scanner......................................................................................... 178
Scanning ....................................................................................178
Scanner Administration ............................................................178
Shutdown Scanner....................................................................181
Select Scanner...........................................................................181
About FARO ScanPlugin ...........................................................182
Toolbars......................................................................... 182
Standard Toolbar......................................................................... 182

Planar View Toolbar .................................................................... 183
Point Selection Toolbar ............................................................... 183
Measurement Toolbar................................................................. 184
Object Marker Toolbar................................................................ 184
3D View Toolbar........................................................................... 185
Correspondence View Toolbar ................................................ 186
Scan Toolbar ............................................................................... 187
Context Menus ............................................................ 188
Frequently Used Commands...................................................... 188

Commands For Fit Objects......................................................... 189
3D Picture Fit (Fit of a virtual scan) ............................................ 189
3D View .................................................................................... 190
3D View - Selected Area ............................................................ 196
Constraints Object....................................................................... 196
Constrained Plane Fit .................................................................. 197
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November 2010
Line Fit ........................................................................................... 197

Picture ........................................................................................ 197
Pipe ............................................................................................... 198
Pipe Fit........................................................................................... 198
Planar View and Quick View .................................................. 198
Scan Points Selection in Planar View or Quick View ............ 200
Plane ............................................................................................ 202
Expanded Plane ........................................................................ 203
Plane Fit ........................................................................................ 203
Slab................................................................................................ 203
Slab Fit........................................................................................... 203
Point .............................................................................................. 203
Point Fit.......................................................................................... 204
Sphere........................................................................................... 204
Sphere Fit ...................................................................................... 204
Pipe ............................................................................................... 204
Pipe Fit........................................................................................... 204
Rectangle..................................................................................... 204
Rectangle Fit ................................................................................ 204
Region........................................................................................... 204
Scan .............................................................................................. 205
Scan Fit ......................................................................................... 207
Scan Folder .................................................................................. 208
Scan Manager ......................................................................... 212
Virtual Scan (3D Picture) ............................................................ 213
Workspace ................................................................................ 214
Snapshot (Focus3D Scanner Adminsitration) .......................... 216
Properties...................................................................... 216
Checkmarks ................................................................................. 216

Frequently Used Properties ......................................................... 217
General ......................................................................................217
Transformation ...........................................................................218
3D Picture Fit................................................................................. 219
Constraints Object....................................................................... 220
Constrained Plane Fit .................................................................. 221
Measurement............................................................................... 222
Object Marker.............................................................................. 223
Picture ........................................................................................... 223
Pipe ............................................................................................... 224
Pipe Fit........................................................................................... 224
Plane ............................................................................................. 225
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November 2010
Plane Fit ........................................................................................ 226

Slab................................................................................................ 227
Slab Fit........................................................................................... 228
Point .............................................................................................. 229
Point Fit.......................................................................................... 229
Sphere........................................................................................... 230
Sphere Fit ...................................................................................... 230
Text ................................................................................................ 231
Documentation Object .............................................................. 232
Virtual Scan (3D Picture) ............................................................. 232
Scan Fit ......................................................................................... 233
Scan Folder .................................................................................. 236
Scan Manager ............................................................................. 237
Pull ................................................................................................. 240
Push ............................................................................................... 240
Scanner Parameter ..................................................................... 240
Scan ............................................................................................241
General ......................................................................................242
Transformation ...........................................................................242
Scan Area ..................................................................................243
Operation...................................................................................244
Operator.....................................................................................245
Scanner Info...............................................................................245
Scanner Settings ........................................................................246
Status ..........................................................................................247
Camera ......................................................................................248
Chapter 21: DrawToCAD

Installation .................................................................... 251
Working with DrawToCAD .......................................... 252
Chapter 22: Coordinates

Local Coordinates....................................................... 253
Polar Coordinates........................................................................ 253

Cartesian Coordinates................................................................ 254
Global Coordinates .................................................... 254
Coordinate Transformation ........................................................ 255

Coordinate Transformation of a Scan ...................................... 257
Transformation and Registration................................................ 259
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November 2010
Chapter 23: File Formats

Survey Data .csv ..........................................................
General Scan Data Format .xyz.................................
Binary Scan Data Format .xyzb ..................................
Scan Data Format .ptc ...............................................
Scan Data Format .ptx................................................
Scan Data Format .ptz................................................
Scan Data Format .zfc ................................................
IGES ...............................................................................
261
261
261
262
262
263
263
263
Chapter 24: Error Messages

Chapter 25: Frequently Asked Questions
Chapter 26: Implementation Notes
Chapter 27: Glossary
Technical Support.................................. 273
Software License Agreement ............... A-1
Purchase Conditions ............................. B-1
Industrial Products Service Policy ........ C-1
Industrial Service Policy ........................ D-1
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November 2010

SCENE Version 4.8 is the high performance and practical 3D point cloud
software tool for the professional user. It is specially designed for viewing of,
administration of, and working on extensive 3D scan points from high resolution
3D laser scanners like the FARO Laser Scanner Photon. SCENE processes and
manages scanned data both highly efficiently and easily by using the new
automatic object recognition, scan registration and positioning.
This document contains all general information and specific instructions needed
to use SCENE. If you have any questions or need further instructions for any
procedure, contact your Customer Service Representative by Phone, Fax or EMail. See Technical Support on page 273. You can also reach the Customer
Service Applications and Training group via Internet e-mail at the following
addresses:
support@faro.com
applications@faro.com
training@faro.com
Visit the FARO Customer Service area on the Web at www.faro.com to search our
technical support database, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Listed below are some of the visual and typographical conventions used in each
of the sections.
ALL CAPITAL text
Indicates directory names, menu names, buttons,

tabs, key names, acronyms, and modes. For example,
Click SAVE.
monospaced text
Indicates alpha/numeric characters or values you

enter in a field on the screen. For example, Type
0.005 for the tolerance setting.
bold text
Indicates anything you must input using your

keyboard exactly as it appears. For example, Type
a:install.
SMALL CAPS text
Indicates dialog box, button names, and window

names. For example, Click OK to close the DEVICE
window.

November 2010
You may also see a few new words. It is important that you understand the
meaning of these words before proceeding.
digitize
Indicates the recording of XYZ coordinates of a

point or location in 3D space. The word digitize is
the same as the term measure when referring to
points.
choose or select
Indicates that you are initiating an action. For

example, Select FILE < INSERT < CAD PARTS.
left-click, right-click,
click, or press
Indicates that you press and release the

corresponding mouse button or keyboard key. Also
used when referring to the hardware device buttons.
For example, After selecting a file from the OPEN
FILE dialog box, click OK to open the file or Press
ESC at anytime to cancel a command.
drag
Indicates that you press and hold the LEFT MOUSE

button down and move the mouse. Release the
mouse button to finish. This word is often used when
changing the size of a window or toolbar.
Warning
A WARNING notice denotes a hazard. It calls attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or the like that, if not correctly performed or adhered to,
could result in personal injury or death. Do not proceed beyond a WARNING
notice until the indicated conditions are fully understood and met.
Caution
A CAUTION notice denotes a hazard. It calls attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or the like that, if not correctly performed or adhered to,
could result in damage to the product or loss of important data. Do not proceed
beyond a CAUTION notice until the indicated conditions are fully understood
and met.
Note
A NOTE notice denotes additional information that aids you in the use or
understanding of the equipment or subject. Specifically, they are not used when a
WARNING or CAUTION is applicable. They are not safety related and may be
placed either before or after the associated text as required.

November 2010
System Requirements
The following are the recommended hardware and software requirements for
SCENE.
Hardware
Processor:
32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor with at least 1.5 gigahertz (GHz).
Main memory:
A scan with 30 million scan points takes up approximately 400 MB when
loaded in full resolution. Therefore, your computer should have at least 1 GB
of main memory.
Mouse:
the mouse should have 2 buttons and a scroll wheel.
Graphics Card:
the graphics card should support OpenGL and have its own memory.
Network Card:
required for licensing SCENE.
Software
Operating System:
Windows XP, Vista or 7 operating system (32bit or 64bit versions)
NOTE: We recommend using a multi-core processor system with a 64-bit
operating system with at least 4GB of main memory.
Installing SCENE
To Install SCENE:
Insert the Installation CD supplied with the scanner, select the product and follow
the installation instructions on the screen. An installation wizard will guide you
during installation. You must belong to the group of administrators or power
users to install the software.
License:
After the trial period, you need a license to use SCENE.
If you change your hardware or if you want to use SCENE on a different
computer, you will also need a new license, as the license is bound to a system
ID.

November 2010
With the license manager (Help License Manager) you can view your licenses,
send an e-mail to FARO requesting a license (Send) and add the licenses that
you have received from FARO (Add). After adding a license, press OK or
Apply. For more information, see License Manager on page 177.
Figure 1-1
Operation
Figure 1-2
The SCENE window is made up of the following areas:

Menu bar - contains all the menus with commands for the general operation.

November 2010
Toolbars - provide a quick and easy way to access common menu features
with the mouse.
Scan bar - the functions for configuring the scanner and for performing the
actual scans are accessible from the scan tool bar. The scan bar is only available
for SCENE and SCENE Record if the Scanner Control plug-in has been installed.
Not available in SCENE LT.
Status
bar - displays command and scan point data details and responses to
the last command executed.
Structure view - displays the structure of the Workspace, including all subfolders and objects. The structure view is moving aside if you do not need it any
more. The released space on your screen is allowing SCENE to display more
scan data. Whether the structure view stays visible or is folded away
automatically may be controlled by the pin needle button at the top right of the
structure view window.
Scan
and object views - the visual presentation of the scan data and other
objects. Scans and objects can either be displayed in a quick view, a detailed
planar view or in 3D view. One or more views can be displayed in the view area.
The scan and object views can be displayed as tabbed or as unanchored windows.
Tabbed windows are the standard display option and allow you to maneuver
between multiple windows by clicking at the tabs of the windows. This is
intended to free more space on your screen. You can change between the two
display options under View - Tabbed Documents. Views displayed as
unanchored windows can be minimized by clicking on the minimize button in
their title bar. Views displayed as tabbed documents have additional display
options that can be accessed by right-clicking on their tab or title bar. A further
display option is the presentation mode. SCENE is minimizing all menus and
toolbars to provide maximum space on the screen for scan data. This feature is
controlled via the View menu or by using CTRL-F11 or ALT-ENTER as short cut
command.

November 2010
Chapter 2: Scanning
SCENE Version 4.8 implements all functions to configure and control the FARO
Laser Scanner LS and the FARO Laser Scanner Photon in order to perform high
resolution 3D scans. Please refer to the corresponding chapters in the scanner
manuals to learn more about connecting to these scanners and controlling them
with SCENE. The FARO Laser Scanner Focus3D can be controlled with it's
integrated touch interface only. Please refer to the FARO Focus3D manual for
more information about this.
Chapter 2: Scanning

November 2010

When working with SCENE, you have on the one hand, the scans with their
millions of data records of position, reflectance, and color for single scan points,
and the overall workspace on the other. A workspace contains scans and all the
data required to process the scan making the analysis comprehensible.
This includes:
Text fields, which can point out structural characteristics in a scan.
Documentation objects, which provide information about user defined points
of interest in the scans.
The geometric objects identified in a scan.
Reference to external coordinate systems.
Measurement logs.
CAD models for comparing scanned reality with the existing plans.
The workspace is saved in the file system as a file with the extension .fws (scan
files have the extension.fls). You can start SCENE by double-clicking on a
workspace file. This workspace is then loaded automatically. You can also start
SCENE by double clicking on a scan file (in the FARO Laser Scan format). A
new workspace which contains only this scan is then created automatically in
SCENE. This workspace initially exists only in SCENE and not as a file in the
file system, so you have to explicitly save the workspace.
A workspace is also generated automatically if you start SCENE via the
Windows desktop or the Windows start menu. Initially, this workspace does not
contain scans or CAD models and you can now fill it by dragging & dropping the
appropriate files, or via the Import command, which is in the menu bar under
File.
Tranferring and Importing FARO Laser Scanner

LS and Photon Scans
If you are scanning with remote mode with SCENE connected to a FARO Photon
or FARO LS scanner, the scans are transferred to your computer during the scan
process and will be saved to the folder that is specified in the scanning options
(see scanner manual for more information). In this mode, SCENE will
automatically create a workspace and assign the recorded scans to this
workspace.

November 2010
If you are scanning in local storage mode, the scans will be stored to the internal
hard disk of the scanner. To transfer those scans to your computer, connect to the
scanner, make sure that scanner and computer are in the same network (see
scanner manual for more details) and enter two backslashes followed by the
scanner's IP address into the Windows Explorer's address bar (e.g.
\\192.186.2.122). You should then have access to the scans folder on the
scanner's hard disk. Transfer the scans to your computer by drag and drop and
then import the scans to a workspace by dragging & dropping the appropriate
files to SCENE, or via the Import command, which can be found in the menu bar
under File.
Tranferring and Importing FARO Laser Scanner

Focus3D Scans
Contrary to FARO Photon or FARO LS Laser Scanners, the FARO Focus3D laser
scanner stores its scans on a removable SD card. To transfer those scans, start
SCENE first, then insert the Focus3D SD card into your computer. This SD card
will automatically be recognized by SCENE and you will be asked whether to
import the scans or not. Clicking yes will start the import process of the scans.
SCENE will create a project folder within your regular import folder that is
specified under Tools - Options - Directories - Import Folder and transfers the
scans to it. Additionally, SCENE will generate a new workspace and
automatically import the scans to this workspace. If a project struture had been
defined before the scans were captured (see chapter 19.4 in this manual or the
Focus3D manual for more information), SCENE will create scan folders within
the workspace that represent the project's structure and allocate the scans to the
corresponding scan folders.
When the FARO Focus3D scanner saves its scans to the removable SD card, it
initially generates several files for one scan and puts them all into one folder.
This folder is named according to the specified scan name. During the transfer
process SCENE combines all the files of this folder to one .fls scan file.
If you want to import FARO Focus3D scans manually, drag and drop the
appropriate folder from the SD card to SCENE or use the Import command,
which can be found in the menu bar under File. In this case, open the folder of the
appropriate scan, in this folder select the scan's identification file. This
identification file bears the name of the scan and has the extension .fls. Please
note: this file may not be confused with the .fls scan file that is created by
SCENE during the import process as described above.
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November 2010
Workspace Structure
All objects in the workspace are arranged in a hierarchy so they are easier to find.
This is similar to the file system, where the files are placed in folders, which can
also be nested hierarchically. There are also folders in SCENE. There are folders
for containing scans (Scan Folder) and folders for general use that can contain all
other objects (Folder). A scan is also essentially a folder which, apart from scan
points, can also contain additional information (however, no further scans).
In the structure view you can see the hierarchy of the objects.
Figure 3-1 Structure view
On the top level of the workspace hierarchy, you can find the following folders:
Measurements - contains the measurement logs.
Models - contains CAD models.
References - contains survey data and any self made reference points.
Documentation - contains the documentation objects.
Scans - contains scans.
You can rearrange the objects within the hierarchy. To do this, select an object
and using drag & drop, move it to the folder in which you require it to be located.
You can do this in the structure view and in the planar view. If you use the left
mouse button, the properties of the object will not change. Especially the local
coordinates will not change. But because of the hierarchy of coordinates it may
have changed its global coordinates (see chapter 20 for a detailed description of
coordinates). If you use the right mouse button, you'll get an additional context
menu with which you can decide what should happen with the object.
Figure 3-2 Drag & Drop with right mouse button
Here you can not only choose between copy and move, but also select that the
object should keep its global position.
Apart from this hierarchy, the objects are also assigned to layers. Layers are used
to group objects independently of their hierarchy and to control the visibility of
these object groups. For example, in your CAD model, you can place the interior
11

November 2010
walls of a building on a separate layer. If you then make this layer invisible, you
very easily obtain an impression of the available floor space in the building. The
visibility settings are explained in Visibility Settings. For more information, see
Visibility Settings on page 15.
You can give most objects their own names, which may only contain letters,
numbers, the point '.' and the underscore '_'. Scans cannot be renamed. The
References folder should not be renamed because it is used for registering the
scans.
Working with Scans

A scan can contain several million scan points and with full resolution has a
correspondingly high memory requirement. Apart from the scan points, a scan
contains further data such as the status when recording the scan as well as the
exact position and orientation. All this data is combined in the scan file but it is
handled separately in SCENE. It is therefore possible to access additional scan
data without the scan points having to be loaded in the memory.
If you want to display or process the scan points of a scan, you have to save them
in the memory. In a somewhat abbreviated manner, we call this "loading a scan",
although what we are actually referring to is loading the scan points of a scan.
A scan is always either loaded or not loaded; it is never partially loaded. For this
reason, you should avoid loading a lot of large scans simultaneously because the
memory requirement would be enormous. If you want to process scans in full
resolution, you should select precisely the scan points required from the scans
and load only these. If the scan points of a scan are no longer required, you
should remove them from the memory. If full resolution is not required, you can
also load the scans in reduced resolution. You can find the necessary settings for
this under TOOLS < OPTIONS < SCAN DATA. For more information, see
Options on page 164.
Depending on the memory of your computer, you might not be able to load large
scans completely. In this case you have to load these scans with reduced size.
Therefore we recommend reducing the scanning area to the area of interest
before recording a scan in full resolution.
Loading Scans
In the structure view, the scans in the workspace are listed under a scans folder. A
scan is identified by the cloud symbol
with a star in the cloud symbol
. Modified unsaved scans are marked
. If a scan is loaded in full resolution it is

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marked with a
with
symbol, if it is loaded in reduced resolution it is marked
Figure 3-3 Structure view of a workspace
A scan is loaded automatically if you want to view it in a detailed planar view,

quick view or in 3D. However. You can also load a scan explicitly. To do this,
open the context menu of the scan and select Loaded. In the context menu you
will also see a small check mark if the scan is loaded.
Upon loading a scan for the first time, you will have the choice to apply a set of
default filters to the scan. For more information, see Options on page 164.
Displaying a Scan
There are five types of view to select from when displaying a scan:
Quick View - The standard scan view. For this, the scan does not have to be
loaded. The quick view is available within a few seconds; in the meanwhile the
scan data will be loaded in the background. You can manipulate the scan points
as soon as background loading is finished. Until then you are only able to view
and navigate. Start quick view by double clicking on the scan in the structure
view or via the command VIEW < QUICK VIEW in the context menu of the
scan. If a quick view is active, the scan selected in the structure view is
automatically displayed.
Planar View - The scan must be loaded; this will happen automatically if
required. Start the planar view with the command VIEW < PLANAR VIEW in
the context menu of the scan
3D View - Best suited for combined viewing of scans and objects. If the scan is
not loaded, only its objects are displayed. Start the 3D view via the command
VIEW < 3D VIEW in the context menu of the scan. The command VIEW < 3D
CLEAR VIEW will open the 3D view in clear view mode. For more information,
see 3D View on page 190.
WebShare - will open SCENE WebShare. WebShare is a browser based
panoramic view of your scan projects. For more details refer to chapter 13.
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Navigating Within the View

In the views, you take a position as an observer in the room and look in a certain
direction to observe the scanned area with a freely selectable scale. Depending on
the type of view, your selection of position may be limited; in the quick view and
the planar view, you can only assume the position of the scanner, i.e. you cannot
move freely in the room as an observer. This is only possible in the 3D view. Line
of sight and scale are freely adjustable in all types of view. For more information,
see 3D View on page 93.
When you open the view of a scan, at first you are in the position of the scanner
when it recorded the scan. You will see the scan points of the scanned area all
around you. To change the scale, use the scroll wheel of your mouse. If you turn
the wheel towards you, you increase the scale; the displayed area becomes
smaller. This is similar to using a telephoto lens on a camera. If you turn the
wheel away from you, you decrease the scale. The displayed area becomes larger,
similar to using a wide-angle lens.
Change the line of sight by pressing the left mouse button and moving the mouse.
In the toolbar you can select from two different ways of putting this mouse
movement into action:
Observer-based navigation
- When navigating, it seems as though you are
moving. For example, by turning the mouse to the right, you seem to turn to the
right and objects from the right margin move into the center of the image.
Object-based navigation
- When navigating, it seems as though the
objects move while you stand still. For example, by turning the mouse to the
right, your entire surroundings seem to turn right and objects from the center of
the image move to the right margin.
If there are several interesting areas in a scan which you would like to view again
alternately, you could open several views of the same scan and then set the line of
sight and scale to the interesting areas. However, you can also work with one
single view, set the line of sight and scale to an interesting area and then save this
setting. Use the
button on the toolbar to save the view orientation. If you
have saved several view orientations, you can switch between these orientations
by selecting the required orientation from the list of orientations available. You
can see the list by pressing the
button in the toolbar. You can also switch
from one orientation to the next by using the function key F2. By using shift +
F2, you switch back to the preceding orientation.
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If you have set the visibility of the scan positions accordingly, you can use the
displayed scan positions to quickly switch from the current position to the
position of a neighboring scan. For this, double click on the scan position. For
more information, see Visibility Settings on page 15.
Visibility Settings
The views can also show objects other than the scan points, such as:
The positions of the other scans in the workspace.
The simple objects assigned to a scan that were created by a fit, for example
spheres, and 3D points.
CAD models.
Not all views can display all these objects. For more information, see Quick
View on page 27, Planar View on page 29, and Color on page 85 for more
detailed description of views.
You can decide whether or not to display the objects using the visibility settings,
which are arranged in three levels:
1.
The visibility of the layer to which the object is assigned.
2.
The visibility according to the prominence of the object.
3.
The distance of the object from the observer.
An object is only visible if the visibility on the first two levels is set accordingly
and it is located in the set range.
Press the
button to get the dialog box for the visibility settings. For more
information, see 3D View on page 190.
The visibility settings are maintained separately for each view. It is therefore
possible that an object is visible in one view and not in another. When you open a
new view, this view initially takes over the default values of the visibility
settings. You can also change these default values. In the context menu of the
Workspace, select Planar View Visibility Settings for the default visibility
settings of the planar view, or 3D Visibility Settings for the default visibility
settings of the quick view and the 3D view.
Locating Objects in the Views
Objects can be visible in both the structure view and scan views. To find objects
in the scan views, use the command Locate in the context menu of the objects. If,
for example, you have an object in the structure view in front of you and now
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want to see its embedding within the scan points in another view, first activate
this other view and then call the command Locate in the structure view in the
context menu of the object. The field of view and scale of the other views are
then set so that you can view the object required.
In the same way, you can also select an object in a different view than the
structure view and call the command Locate in the context menu of the object.
The field of view and scale are then reset in this view and the object is also
selected in the structure view.
Unloading Scans
If the scan points of a scan are no longer required for what you are currently
working on, you should remove them from the memory. To do this, open the
context menu of the scan and select Scan Loaded. The check marks by the entry
and by the cloud symbol will disappear. All planar views of the scan are closed
and the scan points of the scan are removed from the 3D views. Quick views are
not affected.
Please note that closing a view of the scan does not remove it from the memory!
Single Scan Points
Figure 3-4 Scan point data in the status ba
If you open the planar view of a scan, you can view the data of single scan points.
To do this, move the mouse pointer over the planar view. In the status bar, you
will find the following details for the scan point that is currently under the mouse
pointer:
Row, Column - The row and column within the planar view.
Polar Coordinates - Horizontal angle from 0 to 360, the vertical angle from
+90 to -90, and distance from the scanner. Polar coordinates have their origin
in the scanner position.
Cartesian Coordinates - Coordinates along the three axes x, y, an z. Cartesian
coordinates take into account the placement of the scanner within the
coordinate system.
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Reflection or Color Value - For a scan point with color, the red, green, and
blue values are displayed. Otherwise the reflection value is displayed. Dark
scan points have a small reflection value, bright scan points a high one. The
reflection value of scanners from different manufacturers is not necessarily
comparable. There are for example scanners with a brightness range from 0 to
255, and there are scanners with a range from 0 to 2047.
File Structure
The workspace is saved in the file system as a file with the extension .fws. In the
folder where the workspace file is saved, SCENE maintains another folder called
Scans. This folder contains all the scan files that are part of the workspace. A
workspace can, of course, contain scans from different manufacturers; however,
they are uniformly filed in the much-compressed FARO Laser Scan format, to
use the capacity of the data medium efficiently.
Figure 3-5 Workspace in the file system
The hierarchical structure of the scan within the workspace is not, however,
mirrored in the file system. There, all scan files are located in the Scans folder
without any hierarchy.
Figure 3-6 Scans in the file system
The separation between the workspace and the scans was introduced because,
despite their compressed format, the scans take up a great deal of space on the
data medium. It is therefore possible to create several workspaces that contain the
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same scans without the space requirement on the data medium increasing too
greatly. You can use this, for example, if you have made changes in the
workspace. You can save the different versions as separate files without
duplicating all scan files.
Since the assignment between a scan in the workspace and the scan files that go
with it is done by name, it is possible that a scan file can turn up in several
workspaces; therefore, you cannot rename scans!
If you save a workspace with the command FILE < SAVE AS, you have the
following options:
1 The workspace is saved under a new name in the same folder of the file
system as before. The new workspace then uses the same scan files as the old
workspace.
2 The workspace is saved in a different folder of the file system than before.
Then SCENE also copies all the scans in the workspace to the new location,
which can take a very long time! If there are already scan files with the same
name in the new location, you will be asked whether you want to write over
the existing scan files.
In the folder with the workspace and the scans, there may be another folder called
Thumbnails. This folder contains images of the scans and is used by the webbased project portal FARO Works. This is not required for SCENE.
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SCENE comes with an easy-to-use visual tool for managing and accessing scan
projects: The Project Selector.
An internal database is maintained by SCENE to provide a quick and convenient
access to all your scan projects and project workspaces. The Project Selector
shares look-and-feel and a lot of its features with SCENE WebShare. For more
information, see WebShare on page 97.
Working with the Project Selector

The Project Selector is a very convenient way to access all of your scan projects.
Starting SCENE will bring up the Project Selector window, presenting to you all
the scan projects known to SCENE at that time.
Figure 4-1 The Project Selector window
Default Project Location

On the first start of SCENE the Project Selector will ask you to set up a default
project location. If you already have existing scan projects in a dedicated spot on
your hard disk drive, you would typically pick this directory as your default
project location. You can add more default project locations later under Tools Options - Directories - Project Locations.
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SCENE will scan the directory and subdirectories for existing scan projects and
immediately show up the results in the Project Selector window. Projects are
identified by their 'ScanProject.dat' file which is created when a workspace is
saved. It is not recommended to manually change or delete these files except
when deleting the whole project.
SCENE will verify all known projects at startup and show only existing projects
in the Project Selector view.
Opening Projects
To open a project, you can either double-click on the project's preview image
(this will open the last opened workspace for this project) or simply click on the
preview image to bring up a selection of available workspaces.
Figure 4-2 Available Workspaces / WebShare Data
If SCENE WebShare data is available for the selected project, an option for
SCENE WebShare is added to the available workspaces. Select this option to
open a SCENE WebShare view for this project to learn more about SCENE
WebShare please refer to chapter 14).
Filtering, Sorting, Searching

The Project Selector allows you to apply several filters and sorting mechanisms.
Projects can be filtered to show projects with SCENE WebShare data only,
projects without SCENE WebShare data only, your favorite projects or ignored
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projects. Both methods can be combined to reduce or increase the number of

projects shown by the project selector.
Figure 4-3 Sorting and Filtering Projects
The search field can be used to search for specific scan projects or key words and
will refine the search results on-the-fly while you type.
Managing Your Projects

The features of the Project Selector provide powerful tools for quick and easy
project administration.
Adding Existing Projects

You can add existing projects to the Project Selector by clicking the Add Existing
Project button in the top left corner of the Project Selector view.
Figure 4-4 Adding an Existing Project

Add
Existing Project - This will bring up a directory selection dialog, asking

for the project location. Pick the desired directory and confirm your selection.
The project Selector will update itself and show up the new project immediately,
if valid project data was obtained from the given directory.
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Creating New Projects

New projects can be created by clicking the Create New Project button.
Figure 4-5 Creating a New Project

Create New Project - You will be asked for a unique project name and the
resulting project will be created in your default project location.
Project Previews
Each project preview offers several buttons in the top right corner. Figure 4-6
illustrates the functionality of these buttons.
Figure 4-6 Project Management Options

Open Google Earth View
Make Favorite
Edit Project Information
Ignore (hide) Project
Favorites
Favorites are your most popular projects. You can add a project to your favorites
by clicking the Make Favorite button. You can remove a project from the favorite
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list any time later. To show only favorites, simply select the Favorites option in
the Filter drop-down menu.
Ignore Projects
Ignored projects are hidden from the Project Selector. They will never show up
except you select the Ignore List option from the Filter drop-down menu. You
can remove projects from the ignore list any time and they will show up in the
Project Selector view again.
Edit Project Information

Clicking the Project Information Button will bring up the screen shown in
Figure 4-7.
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Project information such as project name and project description can be

monitored and changed here. Information like the project's location on your hard
disk drive or the project's ID cannot be changed.
Figure 4-7 Project Details View
Key Words
Key words can be defined for every project. These key words are utilized by the
search for quick access to all your data.
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Position
Add a position to your project to make the Google Earth View feature available.
The coordinates have to be entered in decimal notation. Here are some example
coordinates:
Moscow:
Latitude: 55.758032
Longitude: 37.617188
Sydney:
Latitude: -33.870416
Longitude: 151.204834
Rio de Janeiro: Latitude: -22.902743
Longitude: -43.214722
Seattle:
Latitude: 47.606163
Longitude: -122.332764
Google Earth View

If positional information is provided for a project, the Google Earth View Button
becomes available in the project's preview. Clicking this button will open a
Google Earth view of the project's location in your default web browser.
Scanner Administration
You can open a Scanner Administration view from within the Project Selector by
clicking the Scanner Administration button in the top left corner.
Figure 4-8 Open Scanner Administration View

Scanner Administration button - Opens a Scanner Administration view. For
more information on the Scanner Administration View, see FARO Focus 3D
Scanner Administration on page 149.
Remote Server Connection

Connections to remote SCENE WebShare servers can be made by entering the
server address into the Server URL text filed on the right hand side of the Project
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Selector view. By pressing the Connect button, SCENE attempts to connect to the
remote server and stores the server's address in the history list for quick access.
Figure 4-9 Remote Server Access
If the connection was successfully established, a SCENE WebShare View will be

opened showing the content of the remote server. Please refer to chapter 14 for
more information on SCENE WebShare.
Additional Settings and Information

Switch Off Project Selector
The Project Selector can be switched off in regular SCENE options at Tools Options -Scan Data.
Default Project Location

The default project location may be changed in Tools - Options - Directories.
Figure 4-10 Change Default Project Location
Multiple default project locations can be used. The first entry in the list will be
used for the creation of new Projects. All entries in the list will be scanned for
project data at SCENE startup.
Requirements
The Project Selector View requires Adobe Flash Player 10.x. If necessary, the
Flash Player will be installed during the SCENE installation process.
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Figure 5-1 Quick View
With quick view, you very rapidly get an overview of the scanned area. Unlike
other views, the scan does not have to be loaded to be displayed. Therefore, the
quick view of a scan is available within a few seconds. Once the quick view has
been opened and is displayed, the scan point data will be loaded in the
background. However, until then you can view the scan and navigate but you can
not access and thus not manipulate the scan points. You will be able to access the
scan points and get all the scan point manipulation functionality as soon as the
scan data has been fully loaded. You are then able to select and delete scan
points, process and analyze the scan points, execute object detections, and
execute object fits. The quick view is the standard view.
For more information on selecting and deleting scan points, see Selecting Scan
Points on page 31.
For more information on analyzing scan points, see Scan Analysis on
page 111.
For more information on processing and analyzing scan points, see Processing
Scans on page 39 and Scan Analysis on page 111.
For more information on executing object detections, see Registering Scans on
page 117.
For more information on executing object fits, seeObjects on page 57.
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For more information on navigation and visibility of objects, see Displaying a

Scan on page 13.
The following restrictions apply in the quick view:
You always see the scanned area from the scanner position, which means you,
cannot leave this position. However, you can of course change your line of
sight and scale.
The field of view cannot exceed 180.
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Figure 6-1 Planar View
At first glance, the planar view may appear very strange because the scanned area
seems to be distorted. Straps and supports do not run in a straight line but are
curved. For the planar view, SCENE uses the same technique as is used for
depicting the earth's surface on a map. Also on a map, the area around the poles
appears to be magnified, and the flight route between two distant cities is not
straight but bent.
The consequence of the distortion is that it only succeeds approximately in
displaying other objects congruent with the scan points. If a scanned reference
sphere already appears in the view more like an ellipsoid than a sphere, do not be
surprised that the added reference object does not cover the reference sphere
completely. For this reason no CAD models are displayed in the planar view; use
the 3D view for this instead.
The planar view is useful because of the fact that with some scanners, it is the
most natural display format of the scan points. A lot of scanners process the
horizontal and vertical angles step by step; it is therefore practical to display the
scan points in a column and row oriented manner accordingly.
The view starts at the left margin with the first column the scanner recorded. In
the local coordinate system of the scanner, this column normally has the
horizontal angle of 0. The subsequent columns then come to the right, with an
increasing horizontal angle until 360 is reached with a circumferential scan. In
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the top row, the scan points with the greatest vertical angle reached are displayed,
for example, the zenith with +90, which is directly over the scanner. From top to
bottom, the vertical angle decreases, reaching 0 at the horizontal line and then
becoming a negative value. The smallest possible vertical angle is -90.
As in the quick view, you always view the scanned area from the scanner position
- you cannot leave this position. However, you can of course change your line of
sight and scale. For more information on navigation and visibility of objects, see
Displaying a Scan on page 13.
As in all views, you can set the scale using the scroll wheel of your mouse. There
are also further buttons in the toolbar for the planar view which you can use to
change the scale. By clicking on the Zoom Out button you decrease the scale to
see a larger area. The Zoom In button
increases the scale so you can see
more details. You can see the scale set at any time as a number in the toolbar
. 100% stands for the 1:1 correlation between a scan point and a
pixel. You can also set any scale you wish by entering a number directly in this
field. Furthermore, you can also select the required scale from a list of scales
available. For this, click on the arrow next to the field with the scale and then
click on the scale you require.
You can adjust the line of sight either by using the scroll bars, or in navigation
mode, by holding the left mouse button down and moving the scan points in the
direction required. To switch into navigation mode, click on the
mouse pointer indicates it is in navigation mode
button; the
. When moving the mouse,
the pointer changes to

. The mouse movement is object-based, i.e. if you
move the mouse to the right; the objects appear to move from the center of the
image to the right margin. Moreover, you can also change the line of sight using
the keyboard, with the left arrow, right arrow, up arrow and down arrow keys.
The keyboard entries are observer-based, i.e. if you press the right arrow key;
your head seems to turn to the right and the objects from the right margin move
towards the center of the image.
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In the planar view and in the quick view, it is possible to select scan points and
then apply a command to this group. For example, you could apply a fit on this
group or export the group into a CAD system. Selected scan points are colored
yellow. There can only be one selection simultaneously in all views, in other
words, if you make a selection in one view, the selection disappears from the
view worked on before.
To select scan points, you have to choose an appropriate selection tool from the
toolbar:
Rectangular selection
- Select a rectangular area by first defining a corner
of the rectangle by clicking the left mouse button and holding it down. Then drag
the mouse to define the opposite corner of the rectangle. You can then release the
mouse button.
Linear selection
- Select an arbitrarily shaped line of scan points by first
defining the starting point of the line with the left mouse button. If you now
release the mouse button, you can move the mouse to the next point of the line
and click to fix the point. A straight connection is drawn automatically between
these two points. You can also hold the mouse button down - then all the scan
points that you move over with the mouse are selected. Lock the selection by
double-clicking with the left mouse button. The linear selection has a thickness
of one point.
Polygonal selection
- Select an arbitrarily shaped area of scan points using
the same technique as for linear selection. However, when completing the
selection, the line will be closed; in other words, the last fixed point is connected
to the starting point. The selection comprises all the scan points that are enclosed
within the outline.
Circular selection
- Select a circular area of scan points. Start the selection
process by clicking with the left mouse button; a circle with the radius just set is
displayed. You can change the radius by turning the scroll wheel on the mouse.
Click with the left mouse button again to place the selection in the chosen
location and to end the selection process.
Polygonal edge selection
- Select an arbitrarily shaped area of scan points,
with the polygon following the visible edge in the scan points. The selection
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behaves like the polygonal selection. If you reach an edge, i.e. an area in which
there is a noticeable difference in the reflection value, the selection will
automatically follow this edge. If there is no such edge, a straight connection is
drawn. If you are not confident with the polygon, you can undo the last part of
the polygon by backtracking it in the opposite direction. You can always
backtrack to the last fixed point. With a click on the right mouse button, you
switch edge detection on or off, and you can cancel the selection.
Elliptical selection
- Select an elliptical area of scan points. Start the
selection process by clicking with the left mouse button on the starting point of
the desired elliptical selection. An ellipse with the starting point of the major axis
just set is displayed. You can change the length of the minor axis (i.e. the
"width") by turning the scroll wheel on the mouse. Click with the left mouse
button again to select the end point of the major axis (i.e. the "length") and to end
the selection process.
If you wish to select an area that you cannot see with the set line of sight, you can
also switch into navigation mode during the selection process. Simply press the
control key.
There are different types of selection combinations, which determine what effect
the next selection to be executed has on the selection that already exists. Select
the required combination type from the toolbar.
New selection
- The next selection replaces the existing selection.
Add selection
- Combination mode whereby the next selection is added to
the existing selection.
Subtract selection
- Combination mode, whereby the next selection is
removed from the existing selection.
Intersect selection
selections is retained.
- Combination mode whereby the difference of the two
You can also store selections temporarily in region objects and reactivate them
when required. You can then use a saved selection, such as a selection just made
with the mouse; in other words, you can add to the existing selection, remove it
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or cut it. To create a region, simply select Create Objects - Region from the
context menu of the selection.
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The scan points in the planar and quick view are normally displayed so that the
reflection value of a scan point determines the brightness of the pixel. You can
also display the scan points so that the pixel assumes a different color depending
on the distance of the scan point from the scanner. You can also then choose to
either have all scan points in a range assume the same color or have the color
reflect the actual distance.
This type of visualization is appropriate, for example, when analyzing a scan, if it
must not fall below a certain level of precision. Generally, the quality of a
scanner's distance measurement is not constant across the entire range but
decreases as the distance increases. You can then highlight in color the range in
which the distance measurement is no longer satisfactory.
Figure 8-1 Far away scan points colored
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You can also do it the other way around, i.e. color the usable scan points.
Figure 8-2 Close scan points colored
Another practical use of this function is with scanners that only have a very small
ambiguity interval. With some scanners, the distance measurement is limited to a
certain range, depending on the specifications of the model. If an object is
measured and its true distance lies outside the range, the measured value is
depicted incorrectly, i.e. too close. In such a case, it is useful to color the
boundaries of the range so that the observer can identify them immediately.
Figure 8-3 Ambiguity interval boundary
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You can find the necessary settings for coloring under TOOLS < OPTIONS <
VIEW. You can switch the highlighting on or off using the Color range button
in the toolbar. For more information, see Options on page 164.
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Scans are the result of millions of measurements that have been taken and, just
like any other measurement; various grades of precision are achieved. No
physical measurement can really be taken exactly; it is therefore important to
know with what accuracy a measurement was taken and how you can then
achieve the required accuracy.
Depending on the scanner's measurement method, there are various causes that
influence the measurement and which can only sometimes be identified by the
scanner:
Analog values can never be determined accurately on any number of points;
from a certain number of points on, the measurement result will always deviate
from the true value. This deviation is normally noise.
The laser spot of the scanner is not infinitely thin but has a certain diameter.
The laser spot can therefore land partly on a support and partly on the wall
situated behind it. The scanner then also receives the reflected laser light from
two different points that are wide apart.
With some scanners the measurement results can only be within the ambiguity
interval. However, if the true distance of an object is greater than this
ambiguity interval, a too small value is displayed as the measurement result.
Depending on the cause, you can sometimes achieve more precise measurement
results by applying suitable corrective measures but unfortunately, there are
times when you cannot correct the affected scan point and you should remove it
from the scan.
Filter
With a filter, selected scan points are corrected or removed from the scans. This
is determined by the selection criteria. The filters differ according to which
method they identify an inaccurate scan point and which counter measure is then
taken. A filter examines each scan point and establishes a quality value in
accordance with its particular method. If this quality value is outside the
threshold you have set, the scan point is either corrected or removed.
Available filters are:
Stray - to remove scan points resulting from hitting two objects with the laser
spot or by hitting no object at all, for example the sky. For more information,
see Stray on page 41.
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Distance Based - to remove scan points in a certain distance range from the
scanner. For more information, see Distance Based on page 42.
Dark Scan Points - to remove scan points with too much noise. For more
information, see Dark Scan Points on page 42.
Smooth - to minimize noise on surfaces. For more information, see Smooth
on page 42.
Filters can be applied either to the entire scan or to a selected section. To apply
the filter to the entire scan, open the context menu of the scan (in either the
structure view, the planar or the quick view). Then under Filter, select the filter
you require. Use the same procedure to apply the filter to a selection: open the
context menu of the selection by clicking in the selected area with the right
mouse button.
Once the filter has run, the number of scan points that were corrected or removed
is shown in the status bar. The scan must then be saved in order to retain the filter
settings.
In order to identify an inaccurate scan point, the filters running compare the scan
point with the scan points in the surrounding area. The surrounding area is
oriented towards the scanner's recording technique, in other words, it is oriented
towards the rows and columns, as they can be seen in the planar view.
Figure 9-1 The area surrounding a scan point
In Figure 9-1, this surrounding area oriented towards the recording technique is
shown. The single scan point marked has the scan points within the surrounding
square in its near vicinity. Using filters, you can set what should be regarded as
the surrounding area. In this example, the value 5 was set, which means the edge
length of the surrounding square is 5.
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Default Filter
Upon loading a scan for the first time a predefined set of recommended filters
will be applied to the scan. You can switch off this behavior under TOOLS <
OPTIONS < DEFAULT FILTER. Nevertheless when loading a scan you will
then always be informed that using raw scan data is not recommended.
Stray
Figure 9-2 Filter for stray
The Grid Size is the size of the surrounding area used for comparison. For each
scan point of the scan or selection, the filter takes the valid scan points of this
surrounding area and counts how many of them are at a distance to the scanner
which is approximately the same as the distance of the scan point currently being
viewed. A scan point is counted if the difference in distance is smaller than the
Distance Threshold. If at least the percentage of scan points indicated by the
Allocation Threshold in the surrounding area is also within this distance
threshold, the scan point remains in the scan. Otherwise it is removed.
Figure 9-3 Filter stray
The filter for the stray is also very well suited to correcting incorrect
measurements. It also works well when applied near edges, if you leave the
required percentage below 50%. However, the filter should not be applied on
surfaces which were strongly inclined versus the scanner's laser.
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Distance Based
Figure 9-4 Filter Distance Based
The distance based filter simply removes all scan points which are outside of a
certain distance range.
Dark Scan Points
Figure 9-5 Filter for dark points
The filter for dark scan points has a very simple criterion: the selection process is
based on the reflective value of the dark points. The Reflectance Threshold
value indicates the minimum reflection value a scan point must have.
This criterion is useful because with a dark scan point only a very small amount
of light entered the scanner and therefore the measurement will have an increase
in noise.
This filter is not applicable on scan points with color.
Smooth
Figure 9-6 Smoothing Filter
The smoothing filter replaces the measured value of the scan point with the mean
value from its surrounding area. Grid Size indicates the size of the surrounding
area in which the mean value is calculated. Dist. Threshold is the threshold for
calculating the mean value. If the distance between the center scan point and a
scan point of the surrounding area is beyond the threshold, this scan point will
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not be used when calculating the mean value. The smoothing filter never
removes scan points but rather alters their respective position.
Figure 9-7 Smoothing of the floor
The smoothing filter is ideally suited for reducing the noise in the scans.
However, you should not apply the filter to edges or highly detailed objects as the
filtering will have a smoothing effect, causing some features to be blended into
the surrounding points.
Preprocess
If you want to apply a series of filters to an entire scan, you do not necessarily
have to apply the filters separately. In the dialog Preprocess Scans you can also
process the scan using a combination of filters.
You can also apply this preprocess in a scan folder. All scans in the scan folder
are then loaded one after the other, processed, saved and unloaded again, in a
batch mode. During the batch run, a log-file is created at the location of your scan
files. This log-file gives you details about the preprocessing.
Please note that the scans will be loaded and saved with the number of scan
points that has been set in the options of SCENE. For more information, see
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Options on page 164. If you do not want the scans to be saved with reduced
size you should choose unlimited in the options of SCENE.
Figure 9-8 Preprocess
The settings correspond to the settings outlined above for the current filter. For
more information on compensation, see Compensation on page 44. For more
information on object fits and object marker, see Documentation Object on
page 58. The overview images are saved into the same folder in which the scans
are located. For more information on preprocessing of scans, see Batch
Registration on page 136 and Scan Folder on page 208.
Compensation
Some scanner manufacturers allow you to take into account and eliminate
traceable deviations of the scanner, even with a scan already recorded.
Such traceable deviations could be the result of the scanner's mechanical
structure - for example, if the axes are no longer oriented precisely on top of one
another after being damaged, but someone recorded scans with the damaged
equipment that are still important. The manufacturer can then measure the axis
error and give you a compensation file you can use to correct the scan.
You can import the compensation file via Import/Export - Import
Compensation in the context menu of the scan. You will then be asked for the
location of the compensation file on the data medium. Importing a new
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compensation generally makes it necessary to load the scan points, which occurs
automatically.
If you have a large number of scans to compensate you may use the Preprocess
Scans to achieve this in a batch mode.
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In order to use scan points from the scans in other applications such as CAD
systems, SCENE exports the scan points and writes them in a file. You can then
import this file into the desired application.
To export all scan points or a selection of a scan, open the context menu of the
scan or selection and select the command Export Scan Points. The command
Direct Export will export scan points directly without opening the Export Scan
Points dialog. The scan points will be exported with prior settings. If you want to
export scan points of all the scans in a scan folder, then select the command
Import/Export - Export Scan Points from the context menu of the scan folder.
The scans are then loaded one after the other, the export is executed and the scans
are unloaded again.
Figure 10-1 Exporting scan points
Format - The following formats are available: VRML, DXF, XYZ text, XYZ
binary, IGES, PTS, PTX, PTC and POD (Pointools). Depending on the format
selected, you can set further settings on a separate tab, which are described in the
following chapters.
File name - Name and location of the file to be created.
Full scan - Export the entire scan.
Selection - Export the selection.
Since even small selections of a scan can contain a great number of scan points it
may be necessary to reduce or thin out the exported scan points. Thinning out is
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achieved by only exporting every second, third ... scan point of a row or column.
Therefore, thinning out is done according to the arrangement of the scan points in
the planar or quick view.
Rows - Reduction by thinning out the rows
Columns - Reduction by thinning out the columns
With the value 1, every column/row is exported, with 2 every second, and so on.
For example, if you enter the value 10 in both fields, you will thin out of a tenth
of the columns and a tenth of the rows, therefore in total you will have a
reduction of one hundredth of the scan points.
For further reduction you can indicate the distance threshold a scan point may be
away from the scanner.
Min. Distance - The minimum distance the exported scan points can be from the
scanner. Scan points situated closer are not exported.
Max. Distance - The maximum distance at which the exported scan points can
be from the scanner. Further away scan points are not exported.
Exporting Slices
Single Slice
If, for example, you want to very quickly create the floor plan of a building from
the scan points, it is practical to use the slice export. When exporting slices, only
those scan points are exported, which are between the top and the bottom limit
you have specified. Therefore, if you select a slice where there is hardly any
furniture or machines blocking the view, you obtain the floor plan of the building
very easily.
Figure 10-2 Slice of scan points
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You can of course also apply the threshold outlined above for reducing and
thinning out when exporting slices.
Figure 10-3 Options for export of slices
The orientation and position of the slice are defined by the reference plane
ExportRefPlane in the references folder. The default setting of the reference
plane is the ground floor, so top and bottom limits refer to the z coordinate and
are limits in height.
If you want to create vertical slices, for example, you can select the
corresponding predefined plane with the normal pointing along the x- or y-axis.
However, the export of slices is not limited to planes with normals pointing along
the axes. With the button Custom you can use arbitrary planes as reference
planes. Custom reference planes make it very easy to export scan points of
objects that are located above a flat surface (e.g. objects on the floor, on a table,
etc.) by fitting a plane to the surface and using this plane as a reference.
The Tomograph can be used with any reference plane. For more information, see
Tomograph on page 51.
Several Slices
If you want to export several slices at the same time, you can define the slices
with a set of planes. In contrast to the export of a single slice, here each plane
directly defines the location of the slice. Instead of having a plane and a top and a
bottom distance, each plane defines the center of the slice. All slices have the
same thickness which you can input into the dialog.
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Also in contrast to the export of a single plane, here only those points of a slice
are exported which are located within a given radius around the center point of
the slice.
The center point of each slice is defined by the position of the corresponding
plane. For more information, see Plane on page 202.
Figure 10-4 Options for export of several slices
You can create planes either by fitting or manually. Please observe that all planes
of the workspace will be used as reference planes - even if they are defined in
other scans or in completely different folders of the workspace. For more
information, see Plane on page 63.
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In Figure 10-5 you can see an example of an export with a set of equidistant
planes that had been defined manually. This figure shows the exported scan
points after they have been imported back into SCENE.
Figure 10-5 Slices defined by a set of equidistant planes
Tomograph
When exporting slices, of course scan points from horizontal surfaces in the slice
are also exported, which can make it difficult to define the floor plan. The
Tomograph resolves this: it brings out vertical surfaces and hides horizontal
surfaces, thereby allowing walls and supports to stand out.
Figure 10-6 Tomograph
The Tomograph works like an X-ray apparatus - the X-ray goes through the slice
from above and comes out on a photo plate below. For more information, see
Single Slice on page 48. The photo plate is covered with a fine raster and a
raster field now either turns black or it remains white. If the X-ray hits sufficient
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scan points on its way through the slice, the raster field turns black. This occurs
predominantly with vertical surfaces. If the X-ray hits only very few scan points,
as is the case with horizontal surfaces, the raster field remains white.
Important parameters are the raster size, of course, and the threshold value from
which the raster field should turn black.
Figure 10-7 Settings for tomographs
Set these parameters under TOOLS < OPTIONS < TOMOGRAPH.

Raster Size - The raster size determines the resolution your result will have.
Min. Hits - The minimum number of scan points for a raster field to turn black.
Max. Hits - The maximum number of scan points for a raster field to turn black.
If the number is exceeded, the raster field becomes white again. The specification
of -1 means an infinite number.
Export Height - Without this setting, the raster lies at height 0. With this setting,
each raster field lies at the height which results from the mean of the scan points
within the field.
The overall size of the photo plate is critical for tomographs: the longer the edge
of the photo plate and the finer the raster, the more main memory is required.
DXF
DXF is a data format developed by Autodesk for the exchange of CAD drawings.
SCENE uses DXF version 12.
The scan points in DXF are always displayed as points. Since DXF has very few
grey scales at its disposal, the visual appearance is not as good as in SCENE.
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VRML
Figure 10-8 Settings for VRML export
Export points as is - Scan points are exported as points. Note: A lot of VRML
viewer programs do not support points!
Export points as sphere - Scan points are exported as small spheres.
Export points as boxes - Scan points are exported as small boxes.
VRML2 - Export in VRML2 format. Otherwise VRML1 is used.
IGES
IGES is a multivendor-capable standard for the exchange of CAD drawings.
SCENE uses IGES version 5.3.
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The scan points are exported as grey points or color points, if color information is
available. When you import the IGES file into your CAD system, it decides how
it will represent these points in its own grey or color space.
Figure 10-9 Settings for IGES export
Part - naming the parts is a required component of an IGES file.

Author - specifying the author is a required component of an IGES file.
Organization - specifying the organization is a required component of an IGES
file.
Represent Scan Points as:
Points - Scan points are displayed in the CAD system as points.
Spheres - Scan points are displayed in the CAD system as small spheres.
Set Color to - Settings for the colors to be used
IGES default - The export file does not contain any color specifications so the
CAD system will use the default color.
Scan point color - Use the grey value or color value of the scan point.
Scan specific - If the export consists of several scans, the scan points from the
different scans will have different colors.
Set Level to - Settings for the level to be used
IGES default - The export file does not contain any level specifications so the
CAD system will use the default level.
Scan specific - If the export consists of several scans, the scan points from the
different scans will have different levels.
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Objects
Unbounded Planes - The idealized planes without border are also exported as
idealized and without border. Otherwise a square is exported.
Export Object Names - Object names are exported.
Level - Level allocation for object names.
XYZ text
With XYZ text format, the export file contains one scan point per row. Each scan
point is identified by its 3 Cartesian coordinates X, Y and Z and the reflection
value. You can also specify the row and column number of the scan point. Both
these numbers will then be next to the current scan point in the export file.
Figure 10-10 Settings for XYZ text
Include row/col - Export with row and column number.

When used without row and column number, this format can also be imported
into MicroStation. However the reflection value will not be used by
MicroStation, the scan points are uniformly created in the currently active color.
To import into MicroStation, use the Import Coordinates button via TOOLS <
ANNOTATION < XYZ TEXT.
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Chapter 11: Objects

Apart from the scans, the workspace also contains other objects that are useful
when analyzing scans. These include:
Text fields, which can point out the structural characteristics in a scan.
Documentation objects, which provide information about user defined points
of interests in the scan.
The geometric objects identified in a scan.
CAD models for comparing scanned reality with the existing plans.
Pictures taken with a digital camera.
Text Field
You can use the text field to place comments in a scan. The text field is always
assigned to a specific scan and is visible in both the structure view and the planar
view of the scan.
Figure 11-1 Text field in the planar view
To create a text field, open the planar view of a scan, right click the scan point
where the text should be positioned and select the command SCAN POINTS <
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ADD TEXT in the context menu. A dialog then opens, in which you enter the text
and give the text field a name.
Figure 11-2 Dialog of the text field
You can also set the color and font for each text field. By setting it to
Transparent, the text field is shown with no fill. Otherwise it has a white
background.
Documentation Object
You can create documentation objects for keeping records of points of interest in
a workspace respectively in a scan. A point of interest might be an existing object
in the workspace (e.g. scan, sphere or model) or a single scan point in a scan.
The Document object allows you to enrich scan data with additional information.
This may be additional comments. But also external documents or web sites may
be attached to scans by the means of hyperlink technology.
If you want to keep record of a specific object in the scene, you can attach a
documentation object to it. To create these types of documentation objects, select
the command New - Documentation in the context menu of the object of interest.
The documentation object is then stored underneath the referenced object in the
workspace. Deleting the referenced object will also delete its documentation
objects. The origin of the documentation object corresponds to the centre of the
referenced object.
Figure 11-3 Documentation object
Alternatively you can also attach documentation objects to specific scan points in
a scan. To create this type of documentation object select the documentation tool
from the 3D view tool bar, then click on the point of interest in the view.
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Documentation objects of this type are stored in the Documentation folder of the
workspace.
Figure 11-4 Documentation object in 3D View
Detailed information can be entered in the documentation object's properties

dialog:
Figure 11-5 Documentation object properties
Position - determines the position of the documentation object in the workspace.

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Description - detailed information about the documentation object.

Hyperlinks - hyperlinks to files or web sites. Add a new hyperlink by entering its
address into the lower text field, then press Add. You can change the order of the
hyperlinks with Up / Down, delete them with Remove or open them by double
clicking on the list item or by selecting the Open button. You can also open
hyperlinks by clicking on the name of the documentation object in the 3D View.
Here the first list item will be opened only.
You can enter the name for the documentation object on tab General:
Figure 11-6 Documentation object properties - tab General
Object Fit
You can create simple geometric objects in SCENE, as in a standard CAD
system, by selecting the corresponding object in the context menu of a scan or
folder, under New. You can create points, spheres and planes in the same manner.
In the active dialog, enter the geometric parameters of the object, such as the
position and location in the room, as well as the size.
Of course, such geometric objects also exist in the scans; therefore it is far more
interesting to work out the parameters of the object from the scan points. This is
also the case with object fits. Here, select an area of scan points and instruct
SCENE to determine the parameters of a selected geometric object from it by
selecting the command to fit the appropriate object in the context menu of the
selection.
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As a result, apart from the geometric object, a fit object is also created, which
describes the origin of the object more closely. So, it contains the selection,
which was used for the fit, and a set of quality criteria with which you can use to
assess the tolerance between the geometric object and the scanned reality.
Figure 11-7 Fit objects in the structure view
If you change the parameters of the geometric object after the fit, the fit object is
no longer active. If no fit object is active, the fit object that was lastly active is
identified by a check mark in a blue circle. You can reactivate an object fit by
selecting the command Active in its context menu.
If a geometric object has an active object fit, the overall quality of the fit with the
object is symbolized by a traffic light. Green means that all the quality criteria are
met. Amber shows that at least one quality criterion is somewhat compromised
and red means that at least one criterion is seriously compromised. These objects
are then displayed in the views in the appropriate color. Objects without an active
object fit are shown in blue. For more information on the individual quality
criteria of the different object fits, see Properties on page 216.
You can delete the fit object if you do not require it, without the geometric object
being deleted in the process.
Point
The point is the simplest geometric object. It is identified by its name and its
position in the room.
Figure 11-8 Point
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Mean Point
You can determine the mean point of the selected scan points using CREATE
OBJECTS < MEAN POINT. The mean point is very useful for determining a
point on a level surface. Creating a mean point guarantees that the point is
situated in the center of mass of the selection.
Figure 11-9 Fit object for a point
The only criterion for the mean point object fit is the number of scan points in the
selection.
Contrast Mean Point
When registering scans, it is important to identify and process paper targets.
These targets are normally a white circle on a dark background.
Figure 11-10 Survey point on paper
The mean point of the circle is measured and forms the basis for registering the
scan.
In order to determine this mean point in the scan, the selection should contain the
complete circle and the selection should be made on the dark background. The
shape of the selection is not important; only that it contains the complete circle.
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Then create a mean point via the command CREATE OBJECTS < CONTRAST
MEAN POINT.
Corner Point
Corner points are formed by two intersecting perpendicular lines. Additionally to
the position of the corner point it also contains a planarity that describes the
evenness of the point's environment. Corner points can be detected automatically
on a selection, a whole scan or a line container.
Intersection Point
There is still one more type of point: intersection points, formed from the
intersection between a plane and a virtual laser beam of the scanner. For more
information on intersection points within the context of planes, see Plane on
page 63.
Plane
There are two types of plane in SCENE:
1 As an idealized plane. This is infinitely large and has no edge.
2 As a plane with a defined edge.
Figure 11-11 Plane
In both cases the position and orientation are described by the position of a point
of the plane and a so-called normal. A plane is identified by the fact that it is
level, i.e. there is precisely one direction that the plane stands perpendicular to
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(actually, there are two such directions; however, they are exactly opposite one
another). This direction is called the normal of the plane.
Figure 11-12 Fit object of the plane
There are the following quality criteria for the fit:

Number of scan points - The number of scan points in the selection used for the
fit.
Transversal Normal deviation - The standard deviation of the normal, which is
determined using the interim results of the fit. A high standard deviation
indicates that the selected area is not as flat as it should be. There could be a
ripple or there might be other objects in the plane. The standard deviation is
broken down in a transversal and longitudinal deviation.
Longitudinal Normal deviation - The standard deviation of the normal in
longitudinal direction.
Scan point distance - The standard deviation of the distance of the scan points
from the plane that has been determined. This is a good measurement for noise.
Planes can be used for registering scans by using walls, floors or ceilings as a
reference. With plane objects two scans facing to the same side of a wall can be
aligned to each other by using this wall as a reference. If you want to align two
scans from opposite sides of a wall you have to use the slab object instead of the
plane object. For more information, see Slab on page 68.
Limited Plane - Expand Plane
Of course, in the real world, there are no mathematical idealized planes - every
surface is limited by a border line. Therefore, in this software there is also a type
of plane that is limited and saves its border points.
Since it would be a lot of work to define the border line yourself, a limited plane
is created in combination with an automatic plane expansion. If you apply the
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command Create Objects - Expand Plane to a selected area, the automatic plane
expansion is executed and produces a limited plane as a result.
With automatic plane expansion, a plane is created that continues to enlarge until
the adjacent scan points fail to meet the expand plane parameters. You can set
these parameters under TOOLS < OPTIONS < MATCHING < EXPAND
PLANE SETTINGS. For more information, see Options on page 164. In so
doing, not only the scan point itself is examined, but also its direct surrounding
area. For example, if the scan point is situated in a surrounding area which is
clearly not flush with the expanding plane, this point would not be added to the
plane.
In addition, the border line for the plane is also calculated. When recording, since
the scan points were not explicitly oriented to the border of the plane, it is also
not practical conversely, for the border line to follow each scan point of the
border area. You would then get a very jagged border line, the jags of which do
not represent the reality. Therefore, the calculated border line does not
compulsively follow every single scan point but is smoothed out. You can also
set the smoothing parameters via TOOLS < OPTIONS < MATCHING <
EXPAND PLANE SETTINGS.
Plane Fit With Constraints
When fitting a plane to a selection of scan points, the position and direction of the
plane is optimized in regard to the best possible representation of the selected
scan points. The optimization is only performed on the selected scan points and
additional knowledge about the relationship to other planes (e.g. that they should
be parallel) is not employed. However, this is made possible by the command
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Tools Constrained Plane Fit. A special object will be created in the folder
Constraints for performing such optimizations between planes.
Figure 11-13 Constrained plane fit
First you have to add the planes which you want to improve or which you need to
define the constraints. This is performed by choosing Add and selecting planes in
the structure view. They will be added to the Planes list of the dialog. In this list
you can mark which planes shall be improved, and which planes were just added
for defining constraints. Such planes will not be altered. Select single planes by a
simple mouse click or several planes by clicking while Shift or Control is
pressed. The selected planes can be fixed or unfixed using Fix/Unfix. Fixed
planes are excluded from the improvement.
Constraints have to be defined always between two planes. This can be done by
using Constraint after marking two planes in the list. Possible constraints are
Identical, Parallel, or a given Angle.
Figure 11-14 Possible constraints for planes
With Search, SCENE will try to automatically determine probable constraints

between the planes.
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Once the constraints are defined, the improvement can be started with Apply.
This process will result in new constrained plane fits for all the planes that were
not fixed. If possible, these new fits meet the chosen constraints.
Figure 11-15 New fit objects after performing the improvement
Intersection Point
The intersection point is formed by the intersection of a plane with the virtual
laser beam of the scanner. To create an intersection point, you first of all need a
plane. In the context menu of the plane, select the command NEW <
INTERSECTION POINT. Now go with the mouse pointer to the place in the
scan where you want the intersection point to be, and click with the left mouse
button. You therefore select the direction in which the intersection point lies from
the scanner. The distance to the scanner does not, however, come from the scan
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point now under the mouse pointer, but from the intersection of this direction
with the plane selected beforehand.
Figure 11-16 Fit object of the intersection point
The fit object of the intersection point shows with which plane the intersection
took place. If the parameters of the plane were changed, perhaps by a new fit of
the plane, the intersection point is automatically recalculated!
Slab
A slab is similar to a plane and can also be used as a reference for the scan
registration. Like planes, slabs can be created out of floors, walls or ceilings; but
in contrast to a plane, the slab object will be used to align two scans recorded
from the opposite sides of the slab. For this purpose you have to specify the slab's
thickness and the side of view in its properties dialog.
There are various ways for fitting a slab:
1 With
from the object marker toolbar.
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2 From a selection of scan points.
Figure 11-17 Match slab from a selection of scan points
To create a slab object from a selection of scan points use the command
CREATE OBJECTS < SLAB in the context menu of the selection.
3 From a plane object.
Figure 11-18 Create Slab By Plane
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To create a slab out of a plane you have to select the option NEW < SLAB BY
PLANE in the context menu of the plane object.
Figure 11-19 Slab propertiest
To define the slab you have to specify its name, its visible face (Face A or Face
B) and its thickness either in its properties dialog or in the slab fit dialog.
Figure 11-20 Slab Fit
The quality criteria for the slab fit are exactly the same as the criteria for the
plane fit. For more information, see Plane on page 63.
When registering scans, which were recorded from the opposite sides of the same
wall, you can use this wall as a reference by defining it as a slab object. In these
scans the corresponding slab objects must then have the same Name, the same
Thickness but a different value for the Face.
Sphere
When registering scans, another geometric object is of particular importance: the
sphere. This is determined by its position and size, in other words, the radius.
There are two types of fit:
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1 Fit with a free radius. Apart from the position, the radius of the sphere is also
calculated from the scan points. Use the command CREATE OBJECTS <
SPHERE.
2 Fit with preset radius. This type is particularly well suited to fitting survey
spheres because their radius is known in advance. Use the command
CREATE OBJECTS < SPHERE RADIUS. You can predefine sphere
radiuses under TOOLS < OPTIONS < MATCHING < MATCH SPHERE
SETTINGS. For more information, see Match Sphere Settings on
page 172.
Spheres can also be created using the object marker tool or the automatic search
for sphere references.
Pipe
The Pipe represents a cylindrical object. It is specified by its outside diameter and
length.
To create a pipe, go to TOOLS < PIPE FIT.
First, you have to draw a line along the pipe's axis, and then draw a line to
indicate the pipe's circumference. SCENE will then automatically match a pipe
object into your scan.
Figure 11-21 Pipe creation
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Figure 11-22 Pipe in 3D View
Another way to crate a pipe is from a selection of scan points. To create a pipe
object from a selection of scan points use the command CREATE OBJECTS <
PIPE in the context menu of the selection.
Figure 11-23 Pipe Properties
If necessary you can adjust the pipe's diameter and length in its properties dialog.
For more information, see Pipe on page 198 and Pipe Fit on page 198.
Pipes can be used as references for registering scans.
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Line
Line detection is based on a combination of reflectance contrast and distance
discontinuity. Lines are in particular a useful visualization for main structures of
the scan and can help to orient oneself in unloaded scans.
Figure 11-24 Automatic Line Detection (lines enlarged for printing)
Rectangle
Rectangle detection is based on line detection and searches for rectangular
structures in the line detection's result. A rectangle consists of its midpoint
(position), the normal and a major- and minor axis that define the extent of the
rectangle. Rectangles can be detected automatically on a selection, a whole scan
or on a line container.
Mesh
When an object is scanned, the scan points represent individual spots on the
surface of the object. If you want to reconstruct the surface itself, you can create
a mesh which takes the scan points as a basis and approximates the surfaces
within certain limits. This approximation is done with a set of triangles.
Depending on the curvature of the real surface and the required approximation
quality, the number of triangles can vary between a few and a huge number.
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The approximation quality can be controlled by a set of parameters, which you

can enter when you create a mesh:
Figure 11-25 Mesh generation parameters
2nd level simplification - Activate 2nd level simplification based on the distance
between scan point and nearest triangle.
Distance threshold - A triangle approximates all scan points within this
distance threshold. The smaller the value, the more triangles you'll get.
Activate triangle removal - If an object is in front of a different object,
neighboring scan points shouldn't be connected by triangles. Here you can
activate the removal of triangles which match both following requirements.
Angle below - The angle between the triangle and the scanner. The larger the
value, the more triangles will be removed.
Edge length above - The edge length of the triangle. The smaller the value, the
more triangles will be removed.
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Although the resulting mesh may be a relatively small collection of triangles, its
appearance can show more details. This is done by a texture, which is similar to a
photo glued onto the triangles. By default the display is with textures.
Figure 11-26 Mesh with and without texture
Region
The region is used to save a selection. For example, you can save a particular
area of scan points in the workspace in order to examine it more closely later.
Object Marker Tools

Figure 11-27 Object Market Toolbar
With the object marker tools you can quickly fit different types of objects in a
scan. Predefined types are:
Sphere
CircularFlatTarget
Plane
CheckerboardTarget
Slab
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Choose the object you want to create from the object marker tool bar and mark an
according scan point in the planar or quick view of the scan.
The object (in this example a sphere) will then automatically be fitted and the
properties dialog will appear.
Figure 11-28 Object Marker
On tab General you can enter the name of the object marker and the fitted object.
The drop down menu of the name field contains the last 10 fitted objects of the
same object type in other scans. This accelerates and simplifies the choice of the
right object name for the registration.
Layer - Select the representation layer on which the object is situated.
Figure 11-29 Object Marker Properties
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On tab Object Marker Properties you can change the object type and insert
further information.
For the predefined types, a selection is created that starts from the scan point
marked by the object marker and extends into the surrounding scan points. The
algorithm used to create the selection depends on the type of the object marker.
If you do not want to create a certain object with the object marker leave the type
field empty.
All scan points marked by object markers can be exported together using the
context menu of the scan or the scan folder. For more information, see Scan on
page 205 and Scan Folder on page 208.
Export
In order to use points, planes, pipes and spheres in CAD systems, with SCENE
you can export these objects in different formats as a file and then import this file
into your CAD system.
Export the points, planes, pipes and spheres of a scan by opening the context
menu of the scan and selecting the command Import/Export - Export Objects. If
you want to export the objects of all scans in a scan folder, open the context menu
of the scan folder and select this command from there.
Figure 11-30 Exporting objects
Format - The following formats are available: DXF, IGES, and VRML.
Depending on the format selected, you can set further settings on a separate tab.
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File name - Name and location of the file to be created.

DXF
SCENE uses DXF 12. Textures of meshes are not supported.
IGES
SCENE uses IGES version 5.3.
For more information on the meanings of the settings, see IGES on page 53
and IGES on page 263.
IGES doesn't support the textures of meshes.
VRML
SCENE uses VRML 2. When exporting meshes, the textures are stored in
separate files.
Import
To compare the scanned reality with the models from the CAD system, you can
import the model into SCENE. For this, the model must be in the multivendorcapable VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) data format. A lot of CAD
systems give you the option of exporting the models in this format. For this,
please read the instructions for your CAD system. The way exporting in the CAD
system MicroStation works is described at the end of this chapter.
Import the model via the command FILE < IMPORT.... In the dialog, select file
type VRML, which has the file extension .wrl.
After entering the file name, the VRML Import dialog opens:
Figure 11-31 Settings for VRML import
Although the VRML standard recommends a specific coordinate system and a

specific unit of length, not all VRML files are modeled that way. The standard

November 2010
defines the unit of measure of the world coordinate system to be meters, and a
coordinate system in which the y axis points upwards. Because many VRML
files are modeled differently, you can select different settings.
When importing a VRML model, you can ask SCENE to combine any meshes in
the model into a single one. This will increase the performance.
SCENE does not support all objects or object properties that are available in
VRML. The following parameters are not transferred:
Light sources
Textures with 8 or 16 bit per pixel (use 24 bit per pixel instead)
The Inline node
In these cases, when importing the data, you will get a warning that the VRML
model was not transferred completely.
After importing, in the structure view under the Models folder, you will see a
new folder which contains your imported model. The model can only be viewed
in 3D view and quick view; planar view will not display CAD models.
NOTE: How to export CAD models from MicroStation in VRML format: select
the command File Export VRML World... and then click in the view you want to
export. The Export VRML World file dialog appears. In the dialog, set the
version number to 2 and select Export Linear Geometry and Export Higher Order
Surfaces. Select Y Axis Up if you want to achieve a standard conformant file.
Please make sure that Drop Cells To Components and Drop Text To Components
are not selected; this would cause the data volume to increase considerably.
Figure 11-32 VRML Export in MicroStation
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Object Visualization
The appearance of objects is determined by their shape, color, the composition of
their surfaces and the basic material characteristics. For example, glass has the
basic material characteristic of being transparent. Independent of that, it can be
clear or colored, smooth ground or abraded. In SCENE, all these characteristics
are included in the term material, so in this example, material does not simply
mean glass, but a particular abraded green glass.
Objects that are created from a fit have a material that reflects the quality of the
fit in its color. Of course, imported objects have the material that is preset in the
VRML model. The objects created directly by you initially have a material with a
neutral grey as the color.
You can change the material of an object. To do this, open the Material dialog of
the object. For more information, see Frequently Used Commands on
page 188.
It is possible that several objects can share the same material definition. For
example, imagine the model of a car. Here it makes sense for all tires to have the
same material definition so that they all have the same color.
You can also make use of the hierarchical structure and change the material
characteristics of several objects at the same time. To do this, open the Material
dialog for the appropriate folder. For more information, see Frequently Used
Commands on page 188.
Layers
Layers are used to group objects independently of their hierarchy and to control
the visibility of these object groups. For example, in a CAD model, you can put
buildings and machines on different layers. If you then make the layer with the
machines invisible, you can view the cleared building.
In its basic state, the workspace contains the following layers:
MatchedObjects - The layer for objects that were created by a fit.
Measurements - The layer for measurements.
Models - The layer for CAD models.
ObjectMarker - The layer for object markers.
References - The layer for reference objects.
Scans - The layer for the scan points of a scan.
Text - The layer for text fields.
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Trajectories - The layer for trajectories

InternalObjects - The layer for internal objects
You can set the visibility of the layers in the views, rename layers, create more
layers and delete layers that are no longer required. To do this, start the command
Layer Manager in the context menu of the Workspace.
Figure 11-33 Layer Manager
In the first column you will see the existing layers. To rename a layer, click on
the name of the layer and enter the new name. Names must be unique; two layers
may not have the same name. You can create a new layer by entering a new name
in an empty field of the first column. You can delete a layer by selecting the
command Delete in its context menu. If there are still objects in these layers, they
automatically move to the layer that is currently active. The active layer cannot
be deleted.
You can change the active layer by putting an entry in the second column. When
importing CAD models, the objects are automatically placed in the active layer.
The layer assignment of an object can be changed in its General tab.
Figure 11-34 Layer assignment
By using the Select active layer button, the object is assigned to the currently
active layer.
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You can also set the layer assignment for a folder and can then choose whether
this layer assignment should apply to all objects from the hierarchy of the folder.
Generally, the hierarchy and the layer assignment are independent of each other,
which means an object does not have to be assigned to the same layer as the
folder it is in.
Figure 11-35 Layer assignment for a folder
Pictures
You can add pictures to the workspace to get a comprehensive view of the whole
scanned environment. These pictures have their own type of planar view.
You can either Import or drag&drop a picture. In order to add it as a picture to the
workspace, select not to import into a virtual scan.
Figure 11-36 Import picture
In the structure view, you will find the 2D-pictures in the dedicated workspace
folder named Pictures.
Figure 11-37 Pictures folder
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As pictures don't contain any 3D information, no measurements or similar

operations are possible in a picture's planar view.
Figure 11-38 Picture view
If you had chosen to import the picture into a virtual scan, the picture's pixels
would have been interpreted as a scan of a plane. For more information, see
WebShare on page 97.
Pictures can also be used to add color information to the scans. For more
information, see Color on page 85.
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Chapter 12: Color

Besides the distance information, the scan may also contain information about
the reflectance or even the color of the individual scan points.
By default, SCENE loads the color information whenever it is available. But
sometimes it is useful to load the scan with its original grey value. You can
achieve this when you change the corresponding setting under TOOLS <
OPTIONS < SCAN DATA. For more information, see Options on
page 164.
Color information can be added to a scan after the scan has been taken. If you
have a scan taken by a scanner with the color option, this scan will also contain
the digital pictures which the scanner took automatically during the scanning. If
you don't have such a scan, you can still add color information if you have taken
digital pictures of the scanned environment.
In order to add the color information of digital pictures to the scan, some
prerequisites have to be matched:
The digital picture has to be free of any distortions caused by the lens.
Especially wide-angle lenses tend to cause so called barrel or pin-cushion
distortions. In a picture with such distortions, a straight line doesn't appear
straight but bend.
Position, orientation, and zoom factor of the camera have to be known or have
to be computable. For more information, see Colorizing Using Scanner
Based Pictures on page 85.
Colorizing Using Scanner Based Pictures

The scanner based pictures are stored within the scan and can be seen in the
structure view.
Figure 12-1 Scan with pictures
As these pictures were done with the well known camera of the scanner, and they
were taken under control of the scanner, all above mentioned prerequisites are
met.
Select the command Operations - Color/Pictures - Apply Pictures in the context
menu of the scan. This will first load the scan and all its pictures. Then it will
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remove any distortions from the pictures. Finally it will add the color information
to the scan points. Please don't forget to check the setting of Save modified scan
points in the options and to save the scan afterwards, this is not done
automatically. For more information, see Options on page 164.
If you want to treat every scan in your scan folder that way, you can select the
command OPERATIONS < COLOR/PICTURES < APPLY PICTURES in the
context menu of the scan folder. In this case, the scans are saved automatically
afterwards if you have the correct setting of Save modified scan points in the
options. For more information, see Options on page 164.
If you want to manipulate the taken pictures with a professional graphics editing
program before applying them to the scan, you can export them to your hard
drive. For this, select the command OPERATIONS < COLOR/PICTURES <
EXPORT ALL PICTURES in the context menu of the scan. This will open a
dialog to select the storage location and to select the export format of the
pictures.
Figure 12-2 Export all Pictures
"Original format" will export the pictures without changing their format; "JPG"
will export them in JPEG-format.
You can import the manipulated pictures again by selecting the command
OPERATIONS < COLOR/PICTURES < IMPORT ALL PICTURES in the
context menu of the scan. This will open a dialog to select the storage location of
the pictures to be imported. They must have the same file name as the
corresponding pictures within the scan, which will then be replaced by the
imported ones. You can import pictures in JPEG-, PNG- or Bitmap-format.
NOTE: to get usable results, the size of the manipulated pictures should be equal
to the original pictures.
Compensating Horizontal Shift

With FARO Laser Scanner LS or Photon scanners, it sometimes happens that
between taking the scan and taking the pictures, the scanner is accidentally
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slightly turned around its horizontal axis. This can very easily occur if the center
column of the tripod allows a horizontal twist.
Figure 12-3 Tripod
In this case the horizontal angles associated with the pictures have to be corrected
to compensate the horizontal shift.
SCENE offers an automatic adjustment option which can compensate this shift
between pictures and the scan automatically. You can turn this feature on or off
under TOOLS < OPTIONS < MATCHING < AUTO ADJUST. When applying
the pictures to the scan, SCENE tries to compensate the shift automatically and
adds the color information to the scan points accordingly.
If the automatic adjustment does not lead to an acceptable result you can also try
to compensate the horizontal shift manually. This can be done with the command
OPERATIONS < COLOR/PICTURES < ADJUST PICTURES ANGLES in the
context menu of a scan.
Figure 12-4 Adjust picture angles
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You should choose a picture in which a prominent feature is visible which is

easily identifiable both in the picture and the scan. Then click on this feature in
the scan and the picture. If there is a horizontal shift between them, you will see
that the numbers in the dialog differ. When you press Apply, the horizontal
angles of all pictures of this scan are adjust accordingly (not only the one you
worked with).
Now you can select the command Apply Pictures as described above.
Please note if you want to compensate the horizontal shift manually, the
automatic adjustment has to be turned off before applying the pictures; else the
manual adjustment will not be applied.
Colorizing Using Additional Pictures

As mentioned above, you can also use your own additional pictures, but then you
have to perform additional tasks to meet the prerequisites.
The most important requirement is, that the picture is free of distortions. It is not
recommended to use pictures with visible distortions, as these will be mapped
onto the scan and will result in a confusing visual impression. You can avoid
these distortions if you use high quality lenses.
The position, orientation, and zoom factor of the camera can be calculated by the
software. All it needs are at least 6 pairs of matching points in the scan and in the
picture. You can select these pairs of matching points when you start the
command OPERATIONS < COLOR/PICTURES < COLORIZE SCAN on a
scan or a picture within a scan.
Figure 12-5 Colorize scan
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When you start Colorize Scan on a scan, first you have to select the picture to be
used. Use the Browse button to look for the picture in the file system and then
press Add to add it to the scan.
Figure 12-6 Colorize scan with known picture
When you start Colorize Scan on a picture within a scan, you don't have to look
for the picture again.
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Open a planar view of the scan and then press View to open a view of the picture.
Then press Select to find the pairs of matching points.
Figure 12-7 Selecting pairs of matching points
You can select the points in any order you want. You can first select all points in
the planar view of the scan, then in the picture view, or vice versa. Or you can
select the points pair-by-pair, changing back-and-forth between planar view and
picture view.
If you want to modify the selection, you can change the sequence of the points,
re-assign it, or delete a pair. Simply right click on the point in the corresponding
table of the Colorize Scan dialog, and select the appropriate command.
When selecting the pairs of matching points, make sure to cover all 3
dimensions! The points shouldn't lay more or less on a plane, but should span a
box with reasonable length, width, and depth.
It's always good to have some redundancy and to select more than 6 pairs.
When you're done with selecting press Apply or OK. Now the software will
calculate the position, orientation, and zoom factor and will then add the color
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information to each scan point. The already open planar view of the scan will not
change. You have to open a new view to see the scan in color.
The Colorize Scan dialog will display information about the quality of the
projection by calculating the mean distance between the 2D projection of the
selected 3D points and the corresponding points that have been selected in the
picture. This distance is called Projective deviation (2D) and is measured in
pixels.
If you are not satisfied with the results, you can adjust some of the selected points
and try again. You can also export the list of selected points to a file and continue
the work the next day.
Please don't forget to check the setting of Save modified scan points in the
options and to save the scan. For more information, see Options on
page 164.
Color Contrast Filter

With the command Color Contrast Filter under Operations - Color/Pictures in the
context menu of a scan or scan folder, you can enhance the dynamic range of the
color pictures.
Figure 12-8 Colorized Scan Points Without Color Contrast Filter
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Figure 12-9 Colorized Scan Points With Color Contrast Filter
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Chapter 13: 3D View
Figure 13-1 View of a scan
With the 3D view, you can achieve the most easily comprehensible view of the
scan points and CAD models. The 3D view is normally set up with the field of
view corrected, so that you get an impression which is close to reality.
The 3D view is used just like the other views. For more information, see
Displaying a Scan on page 13. In addition, in the 3D view you can position
yourself at arbitrary positions in space and have a look at the scan points and
CAD models. The mouse is used to define the turning movements you want to
perform, and with the keyboard you define the actual movement in space. When
you have selected observer-based navigation
the cursor keys left, right, up,
and down move you to the left, the right, forward, and downwards. The keys
page-up and page-down move you up and down. In addition, you can press the
shift key to accelerate movements. When you have selected object-based
navigation
, the cursor keys define how the objects move, whereas it appears
you stand still. You can adjust the speed of the movement and the behavior of the
mouse wheel under TOOLS < OPTIONS < NAVIGATION. For more
information, see Options on page 164. By default the rotation of the 3D
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view is stabilized by a locked Z-axis. On the Navigation tab in the options by

deselecting Snap to Z-axis you can turn this behavior off which results in an
unlocked Z-axis and thus in a completely free rotation of the 3D view.
If Snap to Z-axis is turned off, you have the option to rotate the 3D view around
its line of sight. To do this, click near to the left or right border of the open 3D
view and drag the mouse in any direction. A circle will appear in the middle of
the view indicating the rotation angle.
Figure 13-2 Rotation around the line of sight
Objects in the 3D View

The view is not necessarily coupled to a scan. You can open it exactly like any
other view in the context menu of a scans with VIEW < 3D VIEW, but this is not
the only way: the 3D view is usable even without scan points if you want to view
CAD models. The most interesting view is the combination of CAD model and
scan points. With this you can very easily compare the CAD model with the
scanned reality.
There are several ways to start a 3D view:
With a scan.
With a selection.
With a CAD model.
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On the complete workspace. You start the overall 3D view with the command
View - 3D View in the context menu of the workspace or with the
button.
All objects in the Models folder will be displayed as well as the scan points of
all currently loaded scans. No scan is loaded automatically.
If desired, selected scan points may be compared with each other or with the
CAD model. Start with 3D view of your CAD model or a selected area of the
scan points. Then arbitrarily select other scan points. This selection may also
belong to a different scan! Add the selected scan points to the 3D view with the
command Add Scan Points in the context menu.
With observer-based navigation, you are always the center of rotation. With
object-based navigation it is different: When you start a 3D view on a scan, the
scanner position itself is the initial center of rotation. When you start the 3D view
on a CAD model or a selection of scan points, their center will be the initial
center of rotation. You can select a different center of rotation by simply selecting
a visible CAD object and using the command Set Rotation Point in its context
menu.
Very often, CAD objects are hierarchically structured. For example a robot may
consist of a platform, an arm, and a tool. When you now click with the mouse on
the platform, it isn't evident whether you want to select the whole robot or just the
platform. In SCENE, you'll start on the highest level of the hierarchy, in this case
the whole robot. If you want to select an object at a lower level of the hierarchy,
simply click again without moving the mouse in between. By this you can
descend the hierarchy step-by-step until you have reached the part of the object
you are interested in. You can also ascend in the hierarchy when you press the
shift-key while clicking.
Figure 13-3 Context menu of a CAD object in the 3D view
In the context menu you can also set individual objects to be visible or invisible.
To do this, place a check mark by the entry Visible. This setting works in
combination with the visibility of the layer and the visibility of the object type.
This means an object is only visible if it is set to visible on all three levels.
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With SCENE WebShare, panoramic scan images can be put on the Internet, thus
enabling you to share scan information with other parties, like far-off company
sites, customers, suppliers or partners without the need of additional software.
All they need to view the scan data is an Internet browser with the Adobe Flash
player plug-in installed.
The SCENE WebShare functionality is also natively built into SCENE and
requires no extra software to publish the scan data on the web. It allows for a
secure collaboration and easy sharing of scan data via the Internet. This will help
you to improve the efficiency of your projects without additional investment.
NOTE: Viewing WebShare projects will not work with the 64-bit version of
SCENE or with 64-bit Internet browsers. To view your WebShare projects please
use the 32-bit versions of these software products.
Creating a Web Project

In order to share panoramic scans images over the web, the scan project's
workspace and its scans have to be exported to a WebShare project database. You
can achieve this via the command IMPORT/EXPORT < EXPORT FOR
WEBSHARE in the workspace's context menu in SCENE.
WebShare export can be performed for individual scans, scan folders and for the
complete workspace. Depending on the amount of scans and their size this export
may take some time.
After the WebShare export, the project is ready for publishing. All WebShare
related files are automatically exported to a sub-directory of your Workspace
named "WebShare".
You can copy your WebShare projects to one central location on your local hard
disk. Under TOOLS < OPTIONS < DIRECTORIES you can specify the path to
this location. When started the built in SCENE WebShare viewer will then
automatically search for projects in this folder as well as in the folder of the
current Workspace. For more information, see Viewing WebShare Projects on
page 98.
Adding Meta Information To Your WebShare Project

You can provide Meta information with your project that will be displayed in the
WebShare start screen. For more information, see Viewing WebShare Projects
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on page 98. This extra information includes project description, project georeference and a preview image. In your project's folder simply create files named
@description.txt containing project description
@georeference.txt containing comma separated GPS coordinates
@preview.jpg
If no preview image is provided, WebShare will automatically choose one of the
project's scan images to be displayed.
Viewing WebShare Projects

Once you have exported your workspace as a WebShare project you can view it
from any place by using the WebShare functionality within SCENE or by using
any Internet browser.
Please note: The Adobe Shockwave player plug-in needs to be installed in order
to use the WebShare viewing functionality. Please install the latest version with
your Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Using SCENE
To view a SCENE WebShare project, go to the projects selector. Here you can
open a local WebShare project from the list of available local projects or you can
connect to a remote WebShare server and open a project that is located on this
server. For more information about the projects selector and how to open local
WebShare projects or connect to a remote WebShare server, refer to chapter 4.
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If you have connected to a remote server, it's start screen will appear:
Figure 14-1 Remote Start Screen

Control Panel
Login Button
List of Available Remote Projects
First you see a list with all available public projects. You can login with your user
account by clicking the Login button on top of this screen. Once you are logged
in, this list will be extended with all the non-public projects that are unlocked for
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your user account. Open a project by double clicking on it or by selecting it from

the drop down menu in the control panel.
Figure 14-2 Project Preview with Google Earth link available

Google Earth link button
If geo reference data is provided with a project, a Google Earth link button
becomes available in the bottom right corner of the project's preview image. It
will open a new browser window or tab showing a Google Earth view of the
location when clicked.
Using an Internet Browser

You can also view SCENE WebShare projects with a standard Internet browser.
To do this, connect your PC or notebook to the Internet, open your Internet
browser and enter the URL of the remote server into the address bar. The browser
will then load the start screen of your SCENE WebShare server (see Figure 142).
There is a separate doument that explains how to publish WebShare projects on
the Internet and on how to setup a WebShare web server.
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Examining a SCENE WebShare Project
Figure 14-3 Project View

Project contents
Overview Map
Control panel
Panoramic
Scan view
A list of all the project's scans will be displayed in the contents area. The
overview map provides an overview of the complete project and helps orient by
showing the complete scan project scene in top view as well as by displaying the
single scan positions as circles on the map. In the main window you can examine
the single scans in a panoramic view.
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Control Panel
Figure 14-4 Control Panel

Home
Button - Opens the SCENE Web Share start screen.
Download Button - downloads the current workspace (not its scans) to your
local hard drive. To download individual scans to your local hard disk, open the
downloaded workspace in SCENE, right-click the scan or a scan folder in the
structure view of SCENE and use the "download" command in its context menu.
Print
Button - Prints the content of the view.
Help
Button - Open the help and further information about the software
product.
Project Selector - Contains all available SCENE Web Share projects. Select a
project to open it.
Toggle
Button - Shows / hides the control panel.
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Details
Area - Shows detailed information about a scan.
Share Bar - Share the currently loaded Project on popular social media sites or
via e-mail.
Project Contents
Figure 14-5 Project Contents

Select the listing mode
Zoom bar
Maximize or minimize the area
Scan
preview picture
The project contents area contains the list of the project's scans. The scans can be
displayed as text or as preview pictures in different sizes. Button
displays
the scans list in text format,

displays the scans with small and button
displays them with large thumbnails. You can also adjust the displayed size of the
thumbnails manually with the zoom bar.
Double-clicking onto one list item will open its panoramic view in the main
window; moving the mouse over an item will show its details in the control
panel.
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Overview Map
Figure 14-6 Overview Map

Zoom
bar
Scan
position
Field
of view of current panoramic view
Height
indicator
Scale
Visible
area of a scan
Show/Hide
Navigator Map
The zoom bar allows you to adjust the zoom level. For a very quick navigation in
the scene you can open the Navigator Map at the lower right edge.
The scan positions are visualized as colored circles where the color indicates the
difference in height in relation to the reference scan of the project's reference
cluster. The relation between the colors and their indicated difference in height is
illustrated by the scale on the right.
Moving the mouse over a scan symbol highlights the scan points covered by this
scan. Double clicking on a scan symbol will open the panoramic view of the
correlated scan. The blue highlighted triangle starting from the currently opened
scan illustrates the field of view and the viewing direction in the panoramic scan
view.
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Panoramic Scan View
Figure 14-7 Panoramic Scan View

Navigation
Next
Full
tool
scan position
screen
Zoom
bar
The main window provides the 360 panoramic view of the scans. You can
navigate manually with the mouse or by using the arrows of the navigation tool
on the upper left corner. You can navigate with the mouse by holding down the
left mouse button and by moving the mouse in the view. The closer the mouse
pointer is to the edge of the window, the faster you move the panorama in that
direction; the nearer the pointer is to the center, the slower the animation.
Releasing the mouse button again stops the animation. You can zoom in or out by
scrolling the mouse wheel or by using the zoom bar. You can also let the view
turn automatically like a slowly moving camera by pressing the
the navigation tool.
Clicking the
button of
button loads the panoramic image in a higher resolution.
Nearby scans are visualized with the FARO Logo surrounded by a white circle;
the diameters indicate the distance to the currently examined scan: The bigger the
circle's diameter the nearer is the position of the nearby scan. Like in the
overview map, moving the mouse over these circles displays a preview image
and additional scan information, double clicking will open the panoramic view of
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the correlated scan. You can show / hide these symbols in the panoramic view by
clicking the
Button
disk.
button.
downloads the .fls scan from the remote server to your local hard
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So far, two ways to employ pictures in SCENE have been presented:
Pictures can be added with their original resolution to the workspace and thus
provide additional information about the scan environment. For more
information, see Pictures on page 82.
Pictures can be used to add color information to already existing scan points.
For more information, see Color on page 85.
The third method allows including high resolution pictures (e.g. digital photos of
small details of the scan environment) into the 3D world by importing them with
their full resolution into virtual scans. Such pictures will be interpreted like a
high resolution scan of a plane surface and can be placed on arbitrary positions in
the 3D world.
When importing pictures, SCENE will offer to import the picture into a virtual
scan.
Figure 15-1 Importing picture into a virtual scan
If you choose to create a virtual scan, the picture will be placed in the scan folder
of the structure view and be marked with a special icon (
a picture with 3D information.
), signifying that it is
Figure 15-2 Virtual Scan in the structure view
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Initially, the virtual scan is scaled in such a way that the longest side of the
picture is equal to 1 meter. The initial position in the 3D world is in the origin of
the coordinate system.
Figure 15-3 Virtual Scan in 3D view
The main application for virtual scans is to complement existing 3D scans with
detailed information from high resolution photos of flat surfaces. In this case,
size and location of the virtual scan are fixed and can be determined by using the
Place on Surface command under Operations - Registration in the virtual scan's
context menu.
The command Place on Surfaces scales and places the virtual scan in the 3D
world using a plane and corresponding points in the virtual scan and a scan in the
3D world. The command Place in 3D places the virtual scan upright in the 3D
world.
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The technique to place and scale virtual scans is similar to the one used to
colorize existing scan points. This time, however, new points are created from the
pixels of the picture and added at the proper position in the 3D world.
Figure 15-4 Place and Scale dialog
The position of the virtual scan is defined by a plane that has to be created in one
of the scans at the approximate position where the virtual scan should be placed.
The exact position and size on this plane is then determined by selecting
matching points in the virtual and in a real scan.
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After selecting both, the plane and the scan that is being used to associate points,
at least 4 pairs of matching points have to be marked.
Figure 15-5 Associate points
When you are done with selecting points, click on Done to place and scale the
virtual scan.
Figure 15-6 Placed and scaled virtual scan in 3D view
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You can use the scan for many different purposes. For one, scans document the
geometric reality completely in three dimensions. In SCENE, there is an efficient
technique for using this documentation characteristic with the views. For another,
because they are three dimensional, scans also enable you to copy the reality
faithfully to the computer and to easily analyze them there. At the same time,
SCENE provides you with both visual and mathematical based procedures.
Inspection
You can use the 3D view to compare scanned reality with existing CAD models.
When doing this, we recommend that you start from the CAD model and open a
3D view from there. Then add the selected scan points from the scan one by one
and compare whether the CAD model matches the reality.
Figure 16-1 Discrepancy between scanned reality and CAD

model
In the example shown, you can see that the pipe from the CAD model does not
match the reality. When carrying out renovations which rely on the correct
position of the pipe, this could lead to unpleasant surprises.
With the 3D view, you can also compare new construction proposals to the
current project environment. This overlaying comparison gives you the ability to
identify problems such as collisions and poor optimization of space.
Measuring Distances
With renovations, you are often confronted with the question of whether there is
still enough space in the building for the intended machinery. Since you can only
rely on the CAD model of the building to a certain extent, you will probably have
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to examine and take measurements of the critical places on site. Using scanned
reality, you can easily address queries at your computer, such as: What is the
clearance height of this gate? How great is the distance between these supports?
The simplest method of measuring is by directly entering the coordinates of the
scan points. After registration, the scan is oriented horizontally; therefore, if you
move the mouse pointer over the scan points of the floor, you will see the height
of the floor above the zero point in the status bar of SCENE. If you then move
over the scan points at the bottom edge of the gate, you will see the height of the
bottom edge above the zero point. You could very easily determine the clearance
height from the difference.
This procedure is so simple that unfortunately it has a few small imperfections.
Not just that you have to calculate the difference yourself. By using single scan
points, you also achieve a result that has a lot of uncertainty from the noise of the
measurement.
For this reason, measurements should not be taken between single scan points but
always between objects. You can use the fit to obtain the connection to the scan
points. So, from the scan points, first set the mean points, intersection points,
spheres or planes, as described in chapter 10.2. You can then measure between
these objects by activating the measuring tool for objects
in the toolbar and
then clicking on the two objects you want to measure between. You can click on
the objects in the structure view and in the planar or quick view.
Figure 16-2 Straight-line measurement
When you measure the distance between two points, be always cautious when
using such results! Sometimes it is more useful to have a horizontal or vertical
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measurement. In this case you can split the measurement into its horizontal and
vertical components.
Figure 16-3 Horizontal and vertical measurement
Probably you frequently have to measure distances to level surfaces, for example
to the wall, the floor or the ceiling. In this case you should fit a plane through the
wall and measure from the plane to the point you are interested in. When using a
plane, the measurement is automatically taken perpendicular to this plane.
Figure 16-4 Orthogonal measurement
Measurements are stored as measurement records in the Measurements folder of

the workspace. If you save the workspace after you have done the measurements,
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you can then later still see which objects were used and what the results looked
like.
Figure 16-5 Measurement
If the position or location of the objects used for the measurement change, for
example, by a new fit or by updating the registration, the measurement is
automatically taken again.
If you want to measure between individual scan points, select the appropriate tool
from the tool bar. With it you can also click on a series of scan points. To
complete the measurement double click on the left mouse button. The resulting
distance is the sum of all point-to-point measurements.
Surface Analysis
When fitting scan points to a plane, as a result, you also obtain the quality criteria
of the fit which tells you how well the scan points actually converge through a
plane. Using the quality criteria, you can see a color representation of the
evenness of a surface in relation to a proposed plane.
Color representation of a surface area can be achieved by firstly identifying
which plane you want to use to compare the scan points. Then select an area of
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scan points and in the context menu of the plane, start the command View Point
Distance. The selected scan points are then colored in.
Figure 16-6 Surface analysis
Using the settings in TOOLS < OPTIONS < VIEW, you can set the upper and
lower threshold for the color range. Under the column Plane Distance
Visualization, enter the range that should be colored in. A scan point that lies
below the plane by this distance is colored in blue. A scan point that lies above
the plane by this distance is colored in red. Scan points that lie in between assume
a color between blue and red accordingly, while the scan points that lie very close
to the plane are colored green. Scan points lying outside this range are not
colored in.
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Scan points are recorded and saved in a coordinate system which is relative to the
scanner. The point of origin for this scan coordinate system is the position where
the laser meets the mirror. The coordinates of this point are x = 0, y = 0, z = 0. If
you have two or more scans taken at different locations in a room, right after
scanning they will only know their own scan coordinate systems. But of course in
reality the origins of these scan coordinate systems have been at different
positions in the room, and therefore it is necessary to determine the spatial
relationship between them. This is called registering the scan, and the step from
the scan coordinate system into the overall coordinate system is called
transformation.
The basic principle behind scan registration is very simple: so called reference
objects are identified for which not only the scan based coordinates can be
determined, but for which also their coordinates in a more general overall
coordinate system are known. If there are at least 3 reference objects in a scan, it
is mathematically sufficient to calculate the transformation, i.e. the exact position
and orientation of the scan. Then not only the selected reference objects, but all
scan points get their coordinates in the overall coordinate system.
In SCENE several types of reference objects can be used for the registration.
Common references are natural references, such as planes, slabs, pipes, corner
points, or rectangles, and manually placed references, such as spheres, paper
references (circular flat or checkerboard references). In addition, the inclinometer
can be used as a reference.
3 is the mathematical minimum, but there are also some important rules which
should be obeyed when selecting the reference objects, as they influence how
accurately the calculated position and orientation of the scan really matches the
true values. For a list of useful hints on using reference objects, see Automatic
Creation of Correspondences on page 121.
And also this overall coordinate system can be very simple: It might be sufficient
that all the scans have their correct spatial relationship to each other, but it is not
really important where the origin of the overall coordinate system is. Then
simply one of the scans is selected as a reference, and its scan coordinate system
will be the base for the overall coordinate system.
It is also possible let a surveyor establish an overall coordinate system, and to put
the scans into it. For example it is possible to put the scans into the same plant
wide coordinate system which is also used by the facility management.
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As the same reference object may appear in more than one scan, it is usefull to
use their combined information for scan registration. This is the default behavior
in SCENE, and called cluster registration with bundle adjustment.
If you like, you may also switch to a pure pair wise assignment of scan reference
objects to their external equivalent. Then the appearance of this reference in other
scans will not influence the registration result of this scan. For more information,
see Free Registration - Bundle Adjustment on page 126.
Creating Scan Reference Objects

Scan reference objects can be extracted from the scan data either automatically
by SCENE, or manually by selecting the relevant scan points and performing an
object fit.
Before scanning, you should make sure that there will be enough reference
objects in the scans so that there will be no problems during registration.
Although registration can be done purely on the basis of natural targets, we
recommend to enhance the scanned environment with additional reference
objects like spheres or checkerboard targets. Usually you will achieve more
precise registration results when you have manually placed such targets.
Automatic Detection and Creation

The automatic detection is available for checkerboards, spheres, planes, corner
points and rectangles. This feature saves the time and effort for the manual search
for and creation of these reference types and considerably accelerates the
complete registration process.
To automatically search for references in an entire scan, right-click into the
planar or the quick view of this scan and choose Find Objects and then the
object type in the upcoming context menu. This menu can also be accessed by
right-clicking on the scan's entry in the structure view and choosing Operations
> Find Objects in the upcoming context menu. The search algorithms will then
search for these reference types in the complete scan and, if some were found, the
reference objects will be created automatically. After performing a findoperation, a folder named "AutoFeatures" will appear under the scan. This folder
will contain a subfolder for each searched object type, in which the detected
objects could be found.
If you do not want to search for references in an entire scan but in a defined area
of the scan, select the area of interest in the planar or the quick view and choose
Find Objects and then the desired object type in the context menu of this
selection.
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To automatically search across several scans, you can use the Preprocess Scans
option under Operations in the context menu of a scan folder. See Scan
Folder on page 208.
For best possible automatic detection of references you should take care of the
following:
Checkerboard references:
The angle of incidence between the laser beam and the checkerboard
reference should not be smaller than 45.
Depending on the chosen scanning resolution, the automatic detection of
checkerboard references gets unreliable beyond a certain distance to the
scanner. E.g. when using A4 checkerboard references and scanning with a
resolution of 1/4, the distance to the scanner should not be greater than 15m.
The distance between the scanner and the references should not be smaller
than 1m.
The checkerboard target should not be rotated by 45 in relation to the
scanner's axis.
The checkerboard reference should not be attached to a curved surface.
Print paper references with laser printers only.
Spheres:
The spheres should be completely visible in the scan. Make sure that they are
not partly covered by other objects.
The radius of fit operations in the "Match Sphere Settings" (Tools > Options
> Matching > Match Sphere Settings) should be set according to the radius
of the used spheres in the scan. See Match Sphere Settings on page 172.
Depending on the chosen scanning resolution, the automatic detection of
sphere references gets unreliable beyond a certain distance to the scanner.
E.g. when scanning with a resolution of 1/4, the distance to the scanner
should not be greater than 18m. The sphere should have at least 10-15 pixels
in the scan.
Please make sure that SCENE is set to use the correct diameter for your set
of spheres. For more information, see Match Sphere Settings on
page 172.
Manual Creation
In addition to the automatic detection, SCENE also offers the possibility of
manual fitting of references within scans.
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Sphere references are recognized manually by a fit or by using the object

marker tool. For more information, see Sphere on page 70 and Object
Marker Tools on page 75.
Circular flat paper references are recognized by a fit using the Create contrast
mean point or by using the object marker tool. For more information, see
Contrast Mean Point on page 62 and Object Marker Tools on page 75.
Checkerboard paper references are recognized by using the object marker tool
or the automatic search for checkerboard references. For more information, see
Object Marker Tools on page 75 and Automatic Detection and Creation on
page 118.
Creating External Reference Objects

Usually external reference objects are measured with survey equipment like total
stations. For sphere references, the survey point lies in the center point of the
sphere. For circular flat paper references, the survey point lies in the middle of
the light circle, which stands out clearly from the surrounding darker border.
Finally, for checkerboard paper references, the survey point lies in the center
point of the four quadrants.
Survey data can be imported in .csv file format into SCENE with File Import.
SCENE will ask for which scans folder this data shall be used, or whether it
should be used on the workspace level.
In the selected location, you'll get a folder called References, which contains a
separate object for each survey point with the name and coordinates from the
survey file.
For more information on the file format, see File Formats on page 261. It is
easy to create with the customary surveying applications.
Under rare circumstances you might want to derive an external reference from an
existing scan reference. This can be done by a command in the context menu of
the object. Again it is possible to derive a reference for the References folder of
the encompassing scans folder, or the References folder of the workspace.
Finding Corresponding Reference Objects

As already mentioned, in order to execute the registration SCENE has to find in
each scan at least 3 scan reference objects which also appear as reference object
in other scans (cluster registration), or as reference in the References folder of the
encompassing scans folder (pair wise registration). Such objects correspond to
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each other, and one major burden in the registration process is to find the
corresponding objects.
Correspondences can be set up automatically by SCENE, or manually by the
user. The automatic search is the default behavior in SCENE, and saves a lot of
time compared to the manual approach. It is recommended to always use this
behavior, and not to switch it off.
PLEASE NOTE: In former versions, SCENE used the name of the objects to
identify correspondences. This means, objects with identical names were treated
as being corresponding to each other. Objects with different names did never
correspond to each other. This has changed now.
Automatic Creation of Correspondences

The automatic correspondence search looks for similar geometric constellations
in the scans and identifies corresponding scan and external reference objects and,
if correspondences have been found, tries to name these objects accordingly.
SCENE treats two reference objects as corresponding to each other, if this
assumption will lead to a good registration result. The names of the objects do
not matter! If two objects have the same name, this doesn't necessarily imply that
the registration process tries to match them to each other.
If the objects allow automatic naming, SCENE gives all corresponding objects
the same name. If an object doesn't allow automatic naming, renaming might fail,
so one or several objects might keep their old name. But still they are treated as
corresponding!
There are two types of the automatic correspondence search:
Online correspondence search:
The automatic search for and naming of corresponding reference objects will
be done during the creation of reference objects or after the "automatic
naming" option of an individual object has been switched on. Once a new
reference has been created (manually or with the automatic sphere and
checkerboard detection) or the "automatic naming"option of an existing
reference has been switched on, the algorithm will search for corresponding
scan and external references and will give these references the name of its
corresponding scan or external reference objects. Each time the online
correspondence search has been processed, a fast (and raw) scan registration
will be executed, but no Scan Manager or Scan Fit will be created. This
registration is useful for quickly checking the result of the online
correspondence search. For this, you can open the 3D View of the workspace
and have a look at the alignment of the scans.
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Please beware: only a raw fit is done, therefore these intermediate positions
might look not as good as they could be. Always perform a full registration at
the end.
Correspondence search during registration:
The search for and the automatic naming of corresponding objects will be done
during the registration process. Here, in comparison to the online
correspondence search, the search for correspondences will be more intense
and more precise but as a consequence more time consuming.
Both types of the correspondence search can be switched on or off globally in the
Place Scan Settings under Tools > Options > Matching.
Figure 17-1 Place Scan Settings
Online correspondence search may lead to a small time lag when new objects are
cerated. If such cases, it might be better to switch it off.
If correspondence search during registration is switched off, only the manually
created correspondences will be used for the registration.
If you want to make use of the automatic correspondence search, but an
individual reference object should be excluded from it or not named
automatically, you can switch off this feature for this single object in its
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properties on tab General. Here, you also have the possibility to exclude
individual objects from the registration.
Figure 17-2 Object Properties
Use for Place Scans, Correspondence Search and Automatic Name - The
object will be used for the registration, correspondence relationships to this
object are enabled and its name will automatically be changed if corresponding
objects have been found or the name of a corresponding object has been changed.
Objects will have this option activated by default if their name has not been
changed by the user manually.
Use for Place Scans and Correspondence Search - The object will be used for
registering scans, correspondence relationships to this object are enabled but its
name will not be changed automatically. This means that the name of this object
is fixed and corresponding reference objects in other scans will be renamed
accordingly.
External reference objects and scan references which have been (re-)named
manually will have this option activated by default.
Use for Place Scans - The reference object will only be used for registering
scans but excluded from any correspondence search. Its name will not be
changed automatically.
Ignore for Place Scans - The object will not be used for registering scans and is
excluded from any correspondence search. Its name will not be changed
automatically. Reference objects with this option enabled will have a special icon
in the structure view. They will have a crossed R in their icon, e.g.
If you change the name of an object manually, then all the other corresponding
reference objects will automatically be renamed accordingly, if the automatic
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naming option is switched on. If you change the name of an object manually and
at least one of its corresponding objects has the automatic naming switched off ,
renaming will fail but the objects are nevertheless treated as beeing
corresponding to each other.
Reference objects with correspondence relationships to other references will be
marked with a green C in their icon in the structure view. E.g.
In order to get best possible results from the correspondence search you should
take care of the following:
Use clusters to group scans. Build clusters of clusters. The correspondence
search algorithm tries to find unambiguous constellations in the scans. Using
smaller clusters and many references enhances the finding of these
constellations.
Try to avoid large cluster sizes. The more scans are members of a cluster, the
higher the probability of false positive matches of the correspondence search /
automatic renaming. If you keep clusters to a decent size, mismatches between
scans are easier to detect.
You should have at least four or five corresponding references in a scan. But a
higher number of object matches per scan may improve the results of the
correspondence search and will make registration easier and less error prone.
Targets, for which you have validated the correspondence, should be excluded
from further correspondence search. From each group of corresponding
targets, set one member to "Use for place scans and correspondence search".
Set the remaining members to "Use for place scan".
Spheres or checkerboard targets provide more registration information than
planes or pipes. Avoid automatic correspondence search for planes or pipes.
Once you have good results for at least a part of the scans of your scan project,
you should group these scans into one or more clusters before you add new
scans and reference objects to the workspace. Group the new scans with the
new references into cluster too before you apply the correspondence search.
Targets should not be positioned symmetrically.
The distance between references should not be smaller than 1m.
You should make use of the inclinometer and point references should then be
positioned in different heights.
In general, the identification of correspondence relationships between point
references is more reliable than between planes, slabs or pipes.
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To identify problematic correspondences you can also have a look at the Scan
Manager or Correspondence View. For more information, see Scan
Manager on page 131 and Correspondence View on page 140.
If the automatic correspondence search erroneously thinks that two objects
correspond to each other, which they in reality don't, you may correct this by two
means:
You may exclude these objects from correspondence search, but this has the
disadvantage that they will also not be used other valid correspondences.
The better way is to use the Scan Manager and to explicetely mark this
correspondence to be wrong. Such a marked correspondence is called an anticorrespondence.
Manual Creation of Correspondences

Correspondences can also be created manually by use of the correspondence
view (see Correspondence View on page 140) or by a command in the context
menu of scans. Manually created correspondences are never broken up by the
automatic search. Therefore they are also called user forced correspondences.
Deleting Correspondences
In order to delete the current correspondences of an object, select the command
Operations ' Correspondences ' Delete Correspondences in the context menu of
the object.
Correspondences are grouped into 3 categories:

User Forced: Correspondences created by the user
System Found: Correspondences which were found automatically
Anti Correspondences: Correspondences which are marked to be wrong
Each group can be deleted separately.
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Free Registration - Bundle Adjustment

In the default registration process, the scans will be aligned relatively to each
other and external references are not mandatory. This method to calculate all
scanner positions and orientations simultaneously is also known as bundle
adjustment.
Registering Scans Within a Cluster

A cluster usually consists of scans that somehow belong together, e.g. scans
which were recorded on the same floor of a building or scans which were taken
in the same room.
Clusters are marked with the icon
in the structure view.
To place the scans within a cluster, use the Place Scans command in its context
menu. When registering scans within a cluster, external references are not
mandatory. Nevertheless, external references - when existent - will be used and
will have a higher weighting in the registration algorithm than scan references.
Only those external references are used which are defined in the References
folder of this cluster. The references from other clusters or the References folder
on the Workspace level is not used to place the scans within the cluster!
Place Scans will only affect the scans within the cluster, it does not register the
cluster itself. If you want to register the cluster as a whole in respect to its
environment, you may either use the Place Scans command of the super ordinate
cluster, or the Place Cluster command of this cluster.
When registering without or with an insufficient number of external references, a
reference scan has to be determined. This reference scan will then define the
coordinate system. You can mark a scan as a reference scan by enabling the
"Reference Scan" attribute in its context menu under Operations - Registration or
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in its properties dialog on tab Scan. If you do not set a reference scan manually,
SCENE will automatically determines one of the scans as a reference scan.
Figure 17-3 Scan Properties
Reference scans are marked with a special icon
If you have sufficient corresponding external references, setting a reference scan

is not required. The coordinate system will then be defined by the external
references.
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The following figures illustrate possible resulting cases:
Figure 17-4 Registration of Scans Without External References
Figure 17-5 Registration of Scans With Scan References and External References
Registration of Multiple Clusters to Eachother

Working with several clusters may be useful when
you have several subsets of scans,
the registration of the scans within these subsets has to have a high accuracy
an accurate registration of the subsets to each other is less important or not
possible.
A case in point could be a building with different floors; on each floor several
scans were recorded:
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In this case you should create a cluster for each floor (e.g. "FirstFloor",
"SecondFloor", "ThirdFloor"). Each cluster should then obviously contain those
scans which were recorded on this particular floor. To align the scans of the first
floor to each other, use the command Place Scans in the context menu of the
cluster "FirstFloor". Repeat this for the other floors. To align the different
clusters respectively floors to each other, these clusters have to have
corresponding references and have to be part of one super ordinate cluster (e.g.
"OfficeBuilding"). The Place Scans command in the context menu of this super
ordinate cluster will then align the different sub clusters ("FirstFloor",
"SecondFloor" etc.) to each other. If there are no or insufficient external
references, you have to specify a reference cluster. You can do this on tab Folder
in the cluster's properties.
Reference clusters are marked with a special icon
The following figures illustrate possible resulting cases.
Figure 17-6 Registration of Clusters Without External References
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Figure 17-7 Registration of Clusters With Scan References and External References
Using Strict Pair-Wise Registration

If you want to restrict the registration in a way that each scan is only registered
according to external references, and not to neighboring scans, you have to
switch off the cluster property of the scans folder.
Figure 17-8 Scan Folder Properties
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Scan Manager
If there are a lot of scans in the workspace, it is sometimes difficult to maintain
an overview of which scans have already been registered and what quality was
achieved. The scan manager can help with this; it clearly displays the current
status of the registration and indicates the placement results.
When placing scans within a scan folder or a cluster, a scan manager will
automatically be created. You can also create a scan manager manually with the
command New > Scan Manager in the context menu of each scan folder or
cluster.
Figure 17-9 Scan Manager
Name - The name of the scan manager.

Managed by - Name of the super ordinate scan manager.
Inclinometer - If checked, the inclinometer data will be used for the registration.
If there is at least one scan without inclinometer data, the box will be grayed out.
Sub Manager - List of the subordinate scan managers.
The scan manager also informs whether external references were used for the
registration or not.
The traffic lights next to the scan managers indicate whether they contain good or
failed scan fits. If a traffic light next to a scan manager is red, this means that this
scan manager contains bad scan fits. Green means that all the quality criteria are
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met. Amber shows that at least one quality criterion is somewhat compromised.
If there is a
symbol next to a scan manger or a scan fit, this means that
registration could not be executed because of e.g. missing references.
If you want to see the critical fits of a subordinate scan manager, double click
onto this scan manager (in this example the scan manager of cluster "floor1") to
open it. Switch to the tab Scan Results.
Figure 17-10 Scan Results
The tab Scan Results gives you a list of all scan fits managed by the scan
manager and shows the overall quality of each registration. See Scan Fit on
page 207. This is symbolized by a traffic light too. Double-clicking on a fit
object in the list opens its properties dialog.
The average tension of each registration is calculated in the second column of
this table: the lower the value, the better the registration result. Here you can
easily see which registrations failed or which registration results are bad (in this
example the first two scan fits have a amber traffic light, so they seem not to be
optimal). To identify the critical reference pairs which are responsible for the bad
fit, you can switch to tab Ref. Tensions.
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If the registration failed or the scan results are unsatisfactory, you can open a
correspondence view by clicking the button Correspondence View and correct
the correspondences on your own. See Correspondence View on page 140.
Figure 17-11 Target Tensions
Tab Ref. Tensions shows all reference pairs used for the scan placement, sorted
by their tension. The value Tension describes the discrepancy in the overall
coordinate system between the position and the orientation of the two
corresponding reference objects in Scan 1 and Scan 2. With reference points the
distance between the positions of the two reference points serves as input for the
calculation of the tension. With planes, slabs or pipes the position and the
direction of the objects serve as input for the calculation of this value.
Values close to zero indicate a good registration result. Here you can easily
identify reference pairs which are causing problems in the registration (in this
example the reference "Pipe1" in the scans FARO_LS096_016 and
FARO_LS096_017 seems to cause the problem). Clicking on the scan name
selects the corresponding reference in this scan, double clicking opens the
reference's properties.
Weighted Tensions - External references and inclinometer data have higher
weightings in the registration algorithm. When you activate this option, these
different weightings will be considered in the calculation of the tensions.
Full Hierarchy - When activated, the reference pairs of all scan managers will
be displayed.
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Weighted Statistics
Mean - Mean value over all tensions.
Deviation - Deviation over all tensions.
Min. - Minimum tension
Max. - Maximum tension
Please note that the use of Weighted Tensions also implies that the shown
tension cannot be interpreted as a distance in common units of length! As
external references are weighted differently from scan references, their tensions
are much higher.
The Scan Manager can also be used to mark certain correspondences as invalid.
Simply right-click on the offending entry and select Set Anti Correspondence in
the context menu. These two objects are now no longer considered as beeing
corresponding to each other, and the next registration will achieve a different
result.
You can re-execute the registration of scans with the command Update in the
context menu of the scan manager. This update will not refresh the values in
opened scan manager windows. To see the updated values you have to open a
new scan manager window.
Advanced Registration Features

Overall Alignment
When you don't have any externally surveyed reference objects for registration,
the orientation of the overall coordinate system is directly derived from your
reference scan in the reference cluster. With the use of the inclinometer it will at
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least be leveled, but if you did not pay special attention to the orientation of your
reference scan, your workspace will have an arbitrary orientation.
Figure 17-12 Registered, But Not Aligned
The alignment feature is available from the context menu of plane and slab
objects and is called Alignment . It can be used to modify the overall
orientation of the entire workspace according to the desired alignment of a plane
or slab to a cardinal direction (north, south, east, west). Using this feature, you
can define which cardinal direction lies behind a plane or slab when viewed from
the scanner perspective. Note that using this feature, it makes a difference,
whether the scan was performed inside or outside of a building: when scanned
from the inside, the northern wall of a building is north of the scanner. When
scanned from the outside, it is in the south!
The cardinal directions are defined by the principal axes of the global coordinate
system: the positive Y axis is north, the positive X axis is east.
Figure 17-13 Registered and Aligned
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If the inclinometer failed, you can also use the alignment feature to correct the tilt
of a workspace by defining a plane to be the ground or the ceiling.
Furthermore, you can gain more control by defining a custom alignment of a
plane or slab.
A dialog will open in which you can select a principal alignment and define two
subsequent rotations, first around the Z axis and then around the rotated X' axis.
A negative Z axis angle rotates to the east, a negative X' axis angle tilts
downwards. For example, you can realize a north-east alignment by selecting a
principal north alignment and by additionally defining a Z axis rotation of -45.
Batch Registration
Among other processing steps which already have been covered elsewhere in the
manual, you can run the automatic detection of sphere and checkerboard
references, the correspondence search (if "Find correspondences when placing
scans" has been activated in the place scans settings) and an overall registration
in a batch mode with the command Preprocess Scans. For more information, see
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Scan Folder on page 208. With this feature SCENE may dramatically reduce
the manual time effort for the pre-processing phase of a scan project.
Figure 17-14 Preprocess Scans
After the successful batch processing of a whole project, which can take place
over night, the result of the registration can be analyzed in the scan manager that
are described in the next two chapters.
When detecting spheres or checker board targets in the preprocess scans
operation, if correspondence search is enabled, SCENE starts to find
correspondences between the newly found targets. This might take a while,
depending on the number of scans. If you want to preprocess a large number of
scans, you should consider switching correspondence search off before running
the process. You may do so either by switching it off under Tools > Options >
Matching > Place Scans or by collecting the scans in an ordinary scans folder,
instead of a cluster.
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Free Registration
With free registration, both the orientation and position of the scan are initially
unknown. A location and a position are now determined with which the scan
reference objects are made to match corresponding references in other scans or
the external reference objects as closely as possible. The standard deviation of
the distances between the scan reference objects and their corresponding
reference objects is considered a measure for the quality.
Once you have created reference objects, you can execute the registration. To do
this, select the command Operations > Registration > Place Scans in the
context menu of the scan or the scan folder. After a short computation, the
registration dialog ScanFit opens, which displays the results and quality criteria
of the registration.
You can also execute the registration with the Preprocess Scans command from
the context menu of a scan or a scan folder.
Registration requires at least three corresponding reference objects. One
reference object can be represented by the inclinometer data of the scanner. In
general it is better to use more than this minimum number of reference objects.
You will then get better results because then single imprecise measurements will
have less effect on the registration quality.
Registration With Known Position

Unlike free registration, when registering with a known position, the position of a
scan is known, therefore, you only have to calculate its orientation.
In order to execute registration with a known position of a scan, a scan has to
have a reference point or reference sphere that represents the position of the
scanner (center of the scanner mirror) in another scan. This reference must then
have the same name as the scan with the known position. The correspondence
search will try to identify this scan automatically and name the reference
accordingly. You can then execute the registration using Place Scan as usual.
Registration Without Inclinometer

Normally inclinometer data is available, and this is used by default to level the
scans during registration.
Leveling ensures that the z-axis of the registered scan corresponds to the z-axis
defined by the inclinometer. By this technique one reference can be replaced
during registration.
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When registering with inclinometer data, this will be used as fully trusted
information and all other registration objects will be used with lower priority.
You can change this behavior in Tools > Options > Matching > Place Scan
Settings. This setting will not apply on already existing registrations; in these
cases the properties of the scan fit objects determine the behavior.
If a scan has already been registered, you can change for this scan individually
that the registration should be without the use of the inclinometer. To do this,
open the properties dialog of the scan fit object and switch the use of the
inclinometer off. For more information, see Scan Fit on page 233. Make the
change effective by pressing OK.
To get best results with a FARO Laser Scanner Photon, the inclinometer should
be calibrated after every start up of the scanner (see the FARO Photon or FARO
LS manual for more information). This is not required for a FARO Laser Scanner
Focus3D.
Manual Registration
If all means fail and a scan cannot be automatically registered in a good way, you
may also place the scan manually and exclude it from any further automatic
registration attempts.
The best tool for manual placement is the correspondence view with its
manipulators for scan position and orientation. For more information, see
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Correspondence View on page 140. When you are satisifed with your manual
registration, open the properties of the scan and checkmark it as fixed.
Figure 17-16 Manual Registration
Correspondence View
The correspondence view is a tool that enables registering scans in an easy way.
This view is designed to allow manual placement of scans if automatic
registration fails. To open the view either right-click on a scan folder and select
View > Correspondence View or click the correspondence view button in the
scan results tab of the scan manager.
Figure 17-17 Correspondence View
Within the correspondence view, only direct children (scans and scan folders) of
this folder can be selected and manipulated. A direct manipulation of
grandchildren is not possible. However the elements of a subfolder can be
manipulated indirectly by moving the whole subfolder. To directly manipulate
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these objects, you need to open a correspondence view on their direct parent.
This design keeps the internal placement of subfolders and avoids mixing up
properly registrated subclusters when placing the cluster to the parent system.
In correspondence view, scanpoints are displayed in unique colors to distinguish
between different scans. Scans in a common subfolder are displayed in equal
color, as they can only be manipulated in common.
Figure 17-18 Scan Labels
Scan labels allow easy identification of individual scans. Clicking the label will
select the related scan or cluster. When clicking the symbol on the right of the
label, the scan gets excluded (invisible) or included (visible). For more
information, see Exclude All, Include All and Include Next on page 144.
Manipulators
Manipulators are the main tool of the correspondence view. They allow to move
and rotate scans and scan folders in an easy way. To create a manipulator for a
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scan or scan folder simply select it either in tree view or in the correspondence
view.
Figure 17-19 A Manipulator With Rotate Handles (Red, Green, Blue) and MoveHandles (White)
The manipulator consists of move- and rotate-handles. Clicking on a move

handle (white arrows) and dragging it will move the scan within two dimensions.
The two dimensions depend on which move handle was clicked. Clicking and
dragging a rotate-handle (red, green or blue circle lines) will rotate the scan
around the corresponding axis.
The number of available rotate-handles depends on whether inclinometer is used
or not. If the inclinometer is available and used, only one rotate-handle is
available, as there is only one rotational degree of freedom left. With
inclinometer disabled, three rotate-handles are visible to allow rotating around all
three axes.
There are two ways to disable inclinometer usage for manipulators:
Disable for a single scan by deselecting the inclinometer checkbox in the
properties dialog of the scan's scan fit.
Disable for all scans by turning off inclinometer usage in Tools > Options >
Matching > Place Scans
Hint: Manipulators of scan folders will also have three rotate-handles if none of
the subscans uses inclinometer.
For a more comfortable scan placement, there are three buttons that allow
correction of wrong manipulations. The restore previous transformation
button
can be used to move the scan back to the previous location. The
reapply transformation change button

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November 2010
which was reverted. The restore initial tranformation button

finally
restores the initial transformation the scan had when the manipulator was created.
The three buttons are available in the correspondence view toolbar and also in a
flying toolbar that appears after every manipulation. Please note that deselecting
a scan will cause the manipulator to disappear and clear all previous
transformations.
Hint: It is easier to use the manipulators while looking at the scene from the top,
right or back, using the buttons in the toolbar.
Hint: Don't forget to manipulate the level of the scan, too. This is done best when
looking on the scene from the side.
Correspondence Lines
In correspondence view all corresponding objects are visualized by colored lines.
Ordinary correspondences and forced correspondences are visualized by green
lines, while anti-correspondences are visualized by purple lines. To visualize
these correspondences you can drag a scan away from the others using the
manipulator. If the scan has correspondences to other scans, several lines will be
shown, marking the corresponding objects. To move the scan back in place,
simply use the restore previous transformation button.
Update
After moving scans manually using the manipulator, the user can confirm the
placement. This is done with the update button
. Confirming the placement
will start a special correspondence search between near references. All of the
scan's old correspondences will be removed in this step. The newly detected
correspondences will get forced afterwards. Please note that the update button
only confirms the correspondences to near references, not the scan placement
itself. Therefore the registration may mix up the scan placement again if not
enough correspondences are found.
As the update reevaluates the correspondences, it can also be used to break up
correspondences. To do so, simply move a scan away from the others and click
the update button again. As no other references will be near, all correspondences
will be removed and no new ones will be added.
The update button will search correspondences for all selected scans. Using
update with no scan selected will use all included (visible) scans for
correspondence search. Excluded (invisible) scans are always ignored in this type
of correspondence search.
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Hint: When using the update button to evaluate correspondences, control the
results afterwards by checking the correspondence lines. The number of found
correspondences is also displayed in the statusbar after each click of the update
button.
If no or not enough correspondences are found, check these common errors:
Scans aren't placed properly by level. This can be checked by using a
viewpoint from the side.
Scan placement wasn't precise enough. Try placing the scans more precisely.
Scans don't have enough references in the overlapping area. Open a planar or a
quick view and identify additional references.
Scans don't have an overlapping area. Use additional scans to fill the missing
gaps between the scans.
Exclude All, Include All and Include Next

When all scans are visualized at the same time, it is hard to get an overview of
which scans are properly placed. By using the exclude all button
all
currently selected scans are hidden, which allows to temporarily clean up the
workspace from wrong placed scans. The button has a small triangle that opens a
popup menu where a second mode is available: include all
all will make all hidden scans and folders visible again.
. Using include
Using the include next button

will select any of the hidden scans and set it
to visible. Sequently clicking this button will hide the previous scan again and set
the next one visible. This enables fast circulating through all hidden scans until
the desired scan is found. To keep the currently selected scan visible, simply
deselect it before proceeding with circulating.
To directly include or exclude a scan or cluster, use the icon in the scan label of
the regarded scan (see Figure 17-18).
All invisible scans are marked by grey names in the tree view and by grey and
transparent scan labels. This helps to get an overview of which scans are visible
and which are not. The position of scans is always visualized by the scanner
symbol, no matter if the scan is invisible or not.
Hint: Start the work in correspondence view by excluding all scans. Successively
use include next and place the scans, until all scans are placed properly.
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Group and Ungroup

After performing registration it may happen that a bunch of scans is placed
correctly, while other scans still are misplaced. To keep the good registration
results of the scans you can select all properly registrated scans and use the
group button
. All selected scans then will be moved into a newly created
folder. All scans inside this folder will have forced correspondences and fixed
placement to each other. The scans itself won't be manipulatable inidvidually
anymore, but the whole folder will be manipulatable instead.
Using the ungroup button
dissolves this fixation again. It will take the
whole content of the selected folder and move it to its parent folder. The selected
folder will be deleted afterwards. After using ungroup, the scans will be
individually manipulatable again.
Place Scans
After manipulating the scans the registration will make the fine placement. To
start the registration, you can either use the place scans button
or
Operations > Registration > Place Scan(s) in the context menu of the scan
folder. After registration finished, the scan manager dialog will open and show
the registration results.
It is strongly recommended to use the update button before starting registration
to confirm and force correspondences with the current scan placement. Without
using update, the registration will completely ignore the current positions of the
scans and may mix up the manually placed scans.
When closing correspondence view after at least one registration was performed,
a message box may appear and ask whether to force all correspondences. Answer
with Yes if the result of the registation was satisfying to fix the correspondences
inside this cluster.
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Adding Scans
There are various ways of adding scans to the workspace:
By double clicking on a scan file in FARO Laser Scan format, SCENE starts
with a new workspace, which contains only this scan.
By importing a scan file in FARO Laser Scan format or other formats into an
existing workspace.
By copying scans or sections of scans that are already in the workspace.
Importing
Start the import of a scan file either with the command FILE < IMPORT or by
Drag & Drop. SCENE can import scan files from different scanner
manufacturers. You can import the scan files in FARO Laser Scan format, Z+F
ZFC, Leica PTZ, PTX format or as an XYZ text file. With the last two formats
listed, however, you have to make sure that the scan points in the scan file are
arranged so that they correspond to the row or column-oriented recording process
of the scanner. You also have to make sure that the scan was not registered.
Scans are always saved in FARO Laser Scan format. Therefore, if the scan does
not originate from a scan file in FARO Laser Scan format, a new file is created in
this format when saving the workspace.
Copying
You can also copy scans or sections of scans and then treat them as independent
scans. You can therefore reduce scans to the important sections without losing the
original data.
To do this, open the planar or the quick view of the scan and select an area that
you want to copy. In the context menu of the selected area, click on Scan Points Create Scan. A dialog opens where you can select a noise compression rate.
Figure 18-1 New scan
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With a noise compression rate of 2:1 or 4:1, the number of rows and columns will
be reduced accordingly. So with a rate of 4:1, the resulting scan will only have 1/
16 as many scan points as the original selection.
It is recommended to use the integrated smoothing filter when reducing the noise
in a ratio of 2:1 or 4:1. Dist. Threshold is the threshold for calculating the mean
value. If the distance between the center scan point and a scan point of the
surrounding area is beyond the threshold, this scan point will not be used when
calculating the mean value. The smoothing filter never removes scan points but
rather alters their respective position.
A new independent scan is created and you will be prompted to give the new
scan a name. When assigning a name, please make sure that no other scan has
this name. The scan initially only exists in the workspace; no scan file exists in
the file system at this stage. When you save the workspace, the corresponding
scan file is also created.
Merging Workspaces
If you work in a team and the processing of the scan has been shared between
several team members, each person initially works in their own workspace. In
order to obtain a comprehensive workspace which contains all the work done so
far, you can merge the workspaces.
When merging workspaces, another workspace is added to the workspace just
loaded. To do this, use the command FILE < IMPORT, select FARO Workspaces
with the file extension .fws and then select the workspace to be added.
When merging, all objects from the workspace to be added that do not yet exist in
the workspace just loaded are copied into the workspace. If the object already
exists in the workspace, it is replaced by the object from the workspace to be
added.
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Chapter 19: FARO Focus 3D Scanner

Administration
The built-in FARO Focus3D scanner adminstration functionality of SCENE
allows you to manage your Focus3D SD cards, system snapshots and your scan
projects.
You can open the scanner adminstration under View > Administration View or
in the projects selector by clicking on the Scanner Administration button (see
chapter 4).
Figure 19-1 Scanner Administration
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November 2010
Tree View
Each time you start a scan with your FARO Focus3D scanner, the scanner
automatically saves all of its settings to its currently inserted SD card, which
means that a Focus3D SD card not only contains the captured scans but also a
complete backup of all system settings, scanning parameters, scan profiles,
scanner operators and scan projects that are currently available on your scanner.
A SD card can thus be described as a system snapshot of your scanner. When you
insert a Focus3D SD card into your computer, it will automatically be recognized
by SCENE and you will be asked whether to start an automatic data transfer or
not. Clicking yes will import new scans from the SD card (see also chapter 3.2)
and create a local copy of the card's automatic scanner snaphot. This snapshot
can be found in the folder Scanners in the structure view of the scanner
adminsitration and bears the name of your scanner's serial number.
With the scanner administration in SCENE you can also set up new scanner
snapshots from scratch. These 'virtual' scanner snapshots can e.g. be configured
according to the needs of your scan projects, which means that you can create
several virtual snapshots with differing settings, profiles, operators and projects
according to the needs of different scan projects and transfer their configurations
to your FARO Focus3D scanner(s) whenever needed. You can find the 'virtual'
scanner snapshots in the folder Scanners, too. The folder SD-Cards contains the
FARO Focus3D SD cards that are currently inserted to your PC.
The folder Projects contains the scan projects that were prepared and created with
SCENE (see 19.4).
The tree view also shows the complete file structre of the snapshots. You can
perform delete commands on the folders and files via their context menu.
Adminstration View
In the administration view you can view and modify the scanner settings, scan
profiles, scanning parameters, projects and scanner operators of all available
scanner snapshots. If a SD card is inserted to your PC, the administration view of
its scanner snapshot is initially shown. To open the administration view of
another snapshot, double-click the respective item in the Scanners or in the SDCards folder or select administrate in its context menu.
The design and functionality of the administration view in SCENE is the same as
of the user interface that runs on the touch screen of the FARO Focus3D scanner.
Please refer to the FARO Laser Scanner Focus3D manual for details about how to
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change the scanner settings, create and edit scan profiles, scanner operators and
projects.
Managing Snapshots
Editing the System Snapshot of the Inserted SD Card
To change the scanner settings, scan profiles or scanner operators of the snapshot
of the currently inserted SD card, open its administration view as described
above and make your changes. Please refer to the scanner manual for details
about how to change the scanner settings and how to create new and edit existing
scan profiles, scanner operators or projects.
When finished, remove the SD card from your PC and insert it into your scanner.
Proceed further as described in chapter 19.3.4.
Creating a Virtual Scanner Snapshot

To create a virtual scanner snapshot, right click the Scanners folder in the tree
view and select New > Virtual Scanner in its context menu. SCENE will create
a new virtual scanner and open its administration view. Configure the scanner
settings and create profiles, projects and scanner operators according to your
needs. You can rename the virtual snapshot by selecting Rename in its context
menu.
You can also create a virtual snapshot based on the content of the SD card
snapshot, another already existing virtual snapshot or the automatic scanner
snapshot. To do this, create a new virtual scanner snapshot, then select the base
snapshot and drag it onto your newly created virtual snapshot. Now you have a
dulpicate copy of your original snapshot which you can modify according to your
needs.
To transfer a virtual snapshot to your scanner, select it in the tree view and drag it
to the SD card item under the folder SD-Cards. Please note: This will replace the
data of your SD card snapshot with the data of your virtual snapshot. The scans
on the SD card remain unaffected by this operation.
When finished, remove the SD card from your PC and insert it into your scanner.
Proceed further as described in chapter 19.3.4.
Restoring the Local Copy of the Automatic Scanner
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Snapshot
To restore the local copy of your automatic scanner snapshot on your scanner,
select it in the tree view. You can find it under the folder Scanners. Then drag it
to the SD card under the folder SD-Cards. The data on the SD card will be
replaced by the data of the snaphot, its scans remain uneffected. When finished,
transfer the data to your scanner as described in chapter 19.3.4.
Transferring a Modified Snapshot to Your Scanner

As soon as you have inserted the SD card with the new or changed snapshot into
your scanner, the scanner will recognize the card and the changed snapshot
automatically. You will then be asked by the scanner software whether to update
the scanner with the new snapshot or to keep the current scanner settings.
Clicking yes will transfer the settings from your SD card to the scanner.
PLEASE NOTE: this will override all current scanner settings, scan profiles and
scanner operators with the data of the new scanner snapshot.
You can also transfer your changed scanner snapshot later using the restore
functionality in the scanner's operating software. To do this, go to Manage >
Service > Restore in the scanner's operating software. Select the list item
_SCENE_BACKUP, and then select the data that you want to restore and press
the Restore button. For more information please refer to the scanner manual.
If you own several scanners and if you want to assume that they all have the same
configuration, you can transfer the same snapshot to several scanners. These
scanners will then have duplicate configurations.
Managing Scan Projects

Projects in the scanner administration represent the structure of your real scan
projects. A scan project usually consists of a main project that has several
subprojects. SCENE allows you to reproduce the complete structure of your scan
project and transfer it to your scanner. In the scanner operating software, when
carrying out the scan project, you can then assign the scans to appropriate
projects or subprojects. This information is very helpful for the later scans
registration and will be used to automatically combine the scans to scan clusters
(see chapter 17).
To create a new project, right click the Projects folder in the tree view and select
New > Project. To add subprojects, double click the project or select Load in its
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context menu. SCENE will then open a new workspace with a cluster that is
named according to your project.
Figure 19-2 Workspace With Project as Cluster
To create subprojects, add new scan folders or clusters to your main cluster by
selecting New > Scan Folder in its context menu.
Figure 19-3 Workspace With Project Structure
When finished, save the workspace and return to the scanner administration view.
Select your project in the tree view and drag it onto a snapshot or a SD card. This
will add the new project to the respective snapshot. Already existing projects will
not be deleted. If the added project already exists on the snapshot, it will be
updated with the changes you have made. Transfer the snapshot with the added
project to your scanner as described in 19.3.4.
Transferring Firmware Updates To Your Scanner

To transfer firmware updates onto your scanner, drag the firmware update file
from the windows explorer to the SD card item in the tree view of the scanner
administration. SCENE will then copy the file to your SD card into the folder
Updates. If this folder does not exist, it will automatically be created. Remove the
SD card from your PC and insert it into your scanner. To install the firmware
update to your scanner, go to Manage - Service - Firmware in the operating
software of the scanner and press the Update button. For more inormation please
refer to the scanner manual.
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Restoring Manually Created Scanner Backups

The FARO Focus3D scanner allows you to manually create backups of your
scanner data. You can modifiy those backups with SCENE and transfer the
modified data back to your scanner.
If you have a scanner snapshot that contains manual backups, open the
administration view of this snapshot, go to Manage > Service > Restore. You
will then get a list with the backups and scanner snapshots that are available in
the currently administrated snapshot.
Figure 19-4 Restore Manual Backup
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Click on the backup or snapshot that you want to restore. _AUTO_BACKUP is

the automatically created scanner snapshot, _SCENE_BACKUP the snapshot
that is generated by SCENE. A new screen will appear.
Figure 19-5 Select Restore Data
Select the data you want to restore from the backup or snapshot and press the
Restore button. Please note that the restored data will override existing data
on the snapshot. E.g. if you want to restore or import scan profiles, all the
existing scan profiles on the scanner will be overridden by the new profiles. The
scanner's default profiles remain unaffected from this operation.
You can now modify the scanner snapshot as usual and transfer it back to your
scanner.
Scanner Service Request

If you have a problem with your scanner, you can send the scanner snapshot to
the FARO Customer Service who can then analyze the snapshot to find the cause
of error. To do this, select Scanner Service Request in the context menu of the
respective scanner snapshot. Your default email client should start automatically
with an open email window that has the respective snapshot attached. Please send
this E-Mail with a detailed description of your scanner failure to the FARO
Customer Service.
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Menu Bar
Figure 20-1 Menu bar
File
Figure 20-2 File Menu
New
Creates a new workspace. If the loaded workspace has been changed, you will be
asked to save the changes.
A new workspace is initially empty and you have to fill it.
Open...
Opens an existing workspace or an existing scan. The windows file selection
dialog appears.
Close
Closes the loaded workspace. If the workspace has been changed, you will be
asked whether you want to save the changes.
After closing, a new empty workspace is automatically created.
Save
Saves the workspace. If the workspace has not been saved yet, you will be asked
to specify a location to save it to.
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When saving, the scan data is saved separate from the other workspace data. The
scan data is saved in files with the extension .fls in a folder called Scans. The
remaining data of the workspace is saved in a file with the extension .fws.
Saving can fail if the files are write-protected by Windows. Also, changed scan
data is not saved if the appropriate setting was set under TOOLS < OPTIONS <
SCAN DATA. For more information, see Options on page 164.
Save As
Saves the workspace under a different name and possibly in a different location.
The file selection dialog appears to enter the name and location.
If the scans in the workspace do not exist in the selected location, they are created
from scratch. This may need some time.
Import
Adding additional data, and expanding the current workspace.
The following data can be imported:
Scans - Scans can be imported in FARO Laser Scan format, SCENE can
import scans in Leica's PTZ, in Z+F's ZFC format as well as in other formats:
.ptx, .xyz. For more information on file formats, see File Formats on
page 261.
Survey data - The coordinates of the scan points that are extracted for
registering the scan. If a scan point with the same name already exists in the
workspace, its values are overwritten.
CAD Models - Can be imported in the multivendor-capable format VRML.
For more information, see Import on page 78.
Workspaces - Expands the current workspace by all the elements from the
imported workspace. If the imported workspace and the current workspace
have an object with the same name, it is replaced by the object from the
imported workspace.
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Export
The scan points of one or more scans can be exported as a file in various formats.
Figure 20-3 Export Scan Points dialog
Format - The following formats are available: VRML, DXF, XYZ text, XYZ
binary, IGES, PTS, PTX, PTC, POD (Pointools). For more information on file
formats, see File Formats on page 261.
File name - Name and location of the file to be created
For more information on the settings for the Area tab, seeOptions on
page 164.
Depending on the format selected, you can set further settings on a separate tab.
See IGES on page 53 and XYZ text on page 55.
Print
SCENE can print the current planar view, quick view or 3D view.
For the planar view, three print pages are created:
3 A circumferential view in one piece
4 A circumferential view divided into two sections
5 The visible area in the planar view.
For the quick or 3D view a single print page is created.
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With this command, the print dialog is opened, where you can select the printer
and the page required and set the printer properties.
Figure 20-4 Print dialog
Print Preview
Opens the print preview.
Figure 20-5 Print Preview
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Print Setup
Opens the dialog for the print setup.
Figure 20-6 Print Setup dialog
Recently Loaded Workspaces

A list of the workspaces loaded recently, which can be loaded directly.
Exit
Exits SCENE.
Edit
Figure 20-7 Edit Menu
Clear Selection - Clears a scan point selection.

Select All - Selects all scan points of the scan in the active planar or quick view.
Delete Object - Deletes the selected object.
Delete Scan Points - Deletes the selected scan points of a scan.
Properties - Opens the properties dialog of the selected object.
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View
Figure 20-8 View menu
Mirror - Mirrors the planar view by 90 degrees in left or right direction.

Contrast - Choose between low, medium or high contrast adjustments for the
planar view.
Tabbed Documents - Multiple views are contained in a single window. Use the
tabs to navigate between them. If you uncheck this option every view will be
displayed in its own window.
Presentation Mode - Displays SCENE in full screen mode. SCENE is
minimizing all menus and toolbars to provide maximum space on the screen for
scan data.
Show Workspace - Hides or reveals the structure view of the workspace.
Show Statusbar - Status bar along the bottom edge of the screen which displays
scan point data, command details or responses of the command last executed.
Toolbars - Hide or reveal the different toolbars.
View - Open workspace in 3D or layout view. Open the FARO Focus3D scanner
administration.
Tools
Figure 20-9 Tools menu
Manipulator - Commands for the correspondence view.
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Restore previous transformation - Restores the previous transformation of

the manipulator
Reapply transformation changes - Reapplies the transformation after the
transformation was reverted by using the restore previous transformation
button.
Restore initial transformation - Restores the initial transformation the scan
had when the manipulator was created.
Select - Select scan points.
Rectangle - Rectangular selection.

Line - Linear selection.
Polygon - Polygonal selection.
Circle - Circular selection.
Ellipse - Elliptical selection.
Measure Scan Points - Take measurements between scan points.
Mark Objects - Use the currently selected object marker tool.
New Point - Creates a new point in the 3D view.
Pipe Fit - Offers an alternative algorithm to fit a pipe.
Constrained Plane Fit - Improves plane fits by applying constraints.
Forensic Wizard - Wizard to guide you through the different steps of a crime
scene analysis. This function will only be available if you have bought the
forensic package.
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Options
Export Area
Figure 20-10 Export Area dialog
Full Scan - Export the entire scan.

Selection - Export the selected area of a scan.
Min. Distance - The minimum distance the exported scan points can be from the
scanner. Scan points situated closer are not exported.
Max. Distance - The maximum distance the exported scan points can be from
the scanner. Scan points situated further away are not exported.
Subsample - To reduce the amount of exported data, you can impose a restriction
on the export so that only every second, third, ... scan point is exported.
Rows - Reduction by thinning out the rows
Columns - Reduction by thinning out the columns
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Units
Figure 20-11 Units dialog
Display - Settings for the units in the display.

Length - Display unit for lengths.
Small Sizes - Display unit for small lengths, such as the quality criteria of the
fit objects.
Angle - Display unit for the angle.
Import - Settings for the units when importing.
Length - Import unit for lengths.
Export - Settings for the units when exporting.
Length - Export unit for lengths.
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Tomograph
Figure 20-12 Tomograph dialog
Raster Size - The length of the raster edge.

Min. Hits - The minimum number of scan points with which a raster field turns
black.
Max. Hits - The maximum number of scan points with which a raster field still
turns black. If the number is exceeded, the raster field is rated as blank. The
specification of -1 means an infinite number.
Export Height - Setting for whether the raster fields should lie at the height of 0
or on the mean value of the scan points that are in them.
VRML
Figure 20-13 VRML dialog
Scan points as is - Points are exported as points. Note: a lot of VRML viewer
programs do not support points!
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Scan points as sphere - Scan points are exported as small spheres.

Scan points as boxes - Points are exported as small boxes.
VRML2 - Export in VRML2 format. Otherwise VRML1 is used.
Import
Figure 20-14 Import dialog
Import Length Unit - Import unit for lengths.

XYZ-Import - Specifications for importing scans in XYZ text format.
Explicit limits - Explicit specifications of the scan size.
Rows - Number of rows.
Columns - Number of columns.
Max. Reflection - Maximum reflection value.
Deduce limits from import file - SCENE calculates the number of rows and
columns from the apportionment of scan points in the import file.
Increase size to compensate angular inhomogeneities - Large variations in
angle values are balanced out by doubling the row and column number.
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Scan Data
Settings for loading and saving scans.
Figure 20-15 Scan Data dialog
Scan maximal size

Auto adjustment - A scan may only take up half of the main memory and is
loaded with reduced resolution if necessary.
Mio points - When loading, a scan is reduced to this maximum number of scan
points (specified in millions, so 2 correspond to 2,000,000 scan points).
unlimited - The number of scan points is unlimited.
Scan color
Use grey - If grey values of the scan points exist, load them and ignore any
color values.
Use color - If color values of the scan points exist, load them and ignore any
grey values.
Save modified scan points - Modified scan points of a scan are also saved again
in its file. Scan points are changed by applying filters, for example.
Colorize all scan points - The parallax between camera and scanner may lead to
objects which are visible in the scan but not visible in the picture, because an
object in front of them hides it from the camera, but not from the scanner.
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Normally these objects wouldn't get colorized. When you set the checkmark
here, these objects will get the same color as the object in front of them.
Use Project Selector - Use the project selector as the start screen of SCENE.
Directories
Figure 20-16 Scan Data dialog
WebShare Local Projects Folder - Path to a local folder that contains WebShare
projects. When started, WebShare will search in this folder for projects. Existing
projects will then be displayed in the projects list of SCENE WebShare. Specify
the folder manually or check Deduce from last export to use the folder of the last
WebShare export.
Project Locations - Specify the paths to the folders that contain your scan
projects. The projects in these folders will be listed in the project selector.
Separate mutliple folders by semicolon.
Import Folder - SCENE will transfer Focus3D scan projects from SD cards to
this folder. The data of your Focus3D scanner snapshots will also be saved to this
folder.
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View
Figure 20-17 View dialog
Mark Distance Range - Certain ranges of a scan can be emphasized in color in

the planar view.
Activate at Startup Time - The emphasis is always automatically used when
starting a planar view of a scan.
Invalid Points - If checked, invalid points are also displayed.
Color Coded Distances - The emphasis should not be one color but should
assume various colors depending on the distance. Close scan points are colored
red and far away scan points are colored blue.
Min. Distance - The minimum distance at which the emphasis should start.
Max. Distance - The maximum distance at which the emphasis should end.
Plane Distance Visualization
Max. Dist. - Sets the boundaries within which you can color in the scan points
around a plane. For more information, see Surface Analysis on page 114.
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Matching
Figure 20-18 Matching dialog
Place Scan Settings
Level scans according to inclinometer - A scan fit will take the values of the
inclinometer into account.
Find correspondences when placing scans - The automatic correspondence
search will be applied during the registration process.
Find online correspondences - The online correspondence search will be
applied.
For more information, see Scan Analysis on page 111.
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Expand Plane Settings
Figure 20-20 Expand Plane Settings
Max. Distance - The maximum distance a scan point may be from the plane.
Max. Normal Diff. - The maximum deviation of the normal in the area
surrounding a scan point from the normal of the plane to be expanded.
Max. Local Normal Diff. - The maximum standard deviation of the normal in
the surrounding area of a scan point.
Planar Test Size - The size of the surrounding area.
Min. Border Split [m] - Smoothing parameter for the border line in the 3dimensional space.
Min Border Split [px] - Smoothing parameter for the border line in the planar
view.
You can set the defaults using the Defaults button.
Match Sphere Settings
Figure 20-21 Match Sphere Settings
Scan Registration - If checked, will use the radius given for sphere fits with
fixed radius. Here you can set your preferred radius for scan registration. You can
preset more than one preferred sphere radius by seperating the values with a
space character.
Forensic Analysis - If checked, will use the radius given for sphere fits with
fixed radius. Here you can set your preferred radius for forensic analyses.
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You can set the defaults using the Defaults button.

Colorize Settings
Figure 20-22 Colorize Settings
Auto Adjust - this applies the automatic adjustment of pictures which corrects
the shift between pictures and scans when applying pictures to a scan. For more
information, see Compensating Horizontal Shift on page 86.
Language
Figure 20-23 Language Settings
Automatic language selection - SCENE determines the language according to

the regional settings of Windows.
Manual language selection - Select one of the available languages. Please note
that you may have to install additional fonts.
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Default Filter
Figure 20-24 Default Filter
Upon loading a scan for the first time a set of filters will be applied to the scan by
default. If you switch this behavior off you will then always be informed that
using raw scan data is not recommended.
With a filter, selected scan points are corrected or removed from the scans. This
is determined by the selection criteria. The filters differ according to which
method they identify an inaccurate scan point and which counter measure is then
taken. A filter examines each scan point and establishes a quality value in
accordance with its particular method. If this quality value is outside the
threshold you have set, the scan point is either corrected or removed.
In order to identify an inaccurate scan point, the filters running compare the scan
point with the scan points in the surrounding area. The surrounding area is
oriented towards the scanner's recording technique, in other words, it is oriented
towards the rows and columns, as they can be seen in the planar view.
Figure 20-25 The area surrounding a scan point
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In Figure 20-25, this surrounding area oriented towards the recording technique
is shown. The single scan point marked has the scan points within the
surrounding square in its near vicinity. Using filters, you can set what should be
regarded as the surrounding area. In this example, the value 5 was set, which
means the edge length of the surrounding square is 5.
The Grid Size is the size of the surrounding area used for comparison. For each
scan point of the scan or selection, the filter takes the valid scan points of this
surrounding area and counts how many of them are at a distance to the scanner
which is approximately the same as the distance of the scan point currently being
viewed. A scan point is counted if the difference in distance is smaller than the
Distance Threshold. If at least the percentage of scan points indicated by the
Allocation Threshold in the surrounding area is also within this distance
threshold, the scan point remains in the scan. Otherwise it is removed.
Navigation
Figure 20-26 Navigation
Here 3D navigation and movement behavior can be adjusted.

With Default Speed you are able to change the speed of the left, right, forward
and backwards movement triggered by pressing the different cursor keys.
Accelerated Speed - determines the speed of the accelerated left, right, forward
and backwards movement triggered by pressing the different cursor keys in
combination with the shift key.
Invert Mouse Wheel - changes the forward and backwards movement by the
mouse wheel. The default behavior of the mouse wheel is: spinning it forward
will move you backwards in space and vice versa. Ticking the check box will
invert this behaviour.
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Snap to Z-Axis (checked by default) - stabilizes the rotation of the 3D view by

locking the z-axis. Deactivating this option will unlock the z-axis an allow you to
rotate the 3D view completely free.
DrawToCAD
See DrawToCAD on page 251.
Window
New Window - Open another view.

Cascade - Arrange windows so they overlap.
Tile Horizontally / Vertically - Arrange windows horizontally or vertically so
that they do not overlap.
Arrange Icons - The minimized views are lined up in the bottom edge of the
view area.
List of views - A list of all the existing views, including the visible and
minimized views.
Help
Contents
Opens the table of contents of the online documentation.
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About SCENE
Gives details of the version number and copyright.
Figure 20-27 About SCENE
License Manager
Used to display and modify installed licenses.
Figure 20-28 License Manager
When you press the Send button, an e-mail is automatically created and
displayed. FARO Technologies cares about your privacy, therefore the e-mail is
not automatically send, but you can first have a look at its content. It contains
simply the information which is also visible left from the Send button:
Application name, version number, and system-ID. It also contains empty fields
where you can input additional contact information. This information will help us
to create the correct license for you.
When you have received a license, please enter the license code in the field left of
the Add button. Press Add and the license is added. Please don't forget to press
Apply or OK afterwards. If you press Cancel, the license is not added
permanently.
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You can delete an old license when you right click on its entry and select the
command Delete.
Scanner
Please note: All functions described in this chapter are only available when you
are connected to a FARO Laser Scanner LS or Photon. They do not apply to
Focus3D scanners.
Scanning
Start Scan - Starts a new scan, if a connection to the scanner has been
established and the scanner is ready.
Start Scan with color - Starts a color scan.
Stop Scan - Stops the scanner during a scan. There might be a short delay till the
scanner stops scanning.
Scan Parameter - see FARO Photon or FARO LS scanner manual.
Scanner Administration
This scanner administration is for FARO Laser Scanner LS and Photon only.
NOTE: All Scanner Administration functions should only be used by qualified
service personnel or after consulting the FARO Customer Service.
Prepaid Manager
Opens the Prepaid Manager dialog (see FARO Photon or FARO LS manual for
details).
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Reset to Factory Settings

Resets the scanner's settings to the factory settings.
NOTE: This function should only be used by qualified service personnel or after
consulting the FARO Customer Service.
Install
Installs a setup file on the scanner.
Inclinometer
Opens the inclinometer calibration dialog. (see FARO Photon or FARO LS
manual).
Parameter Exchange
Parameter From Scanner - Retrieves all the parameters from the scanner.
Parameter To Scanner - Sets the parameters of the scanner according to a
parameter file.
Log Messages
Log Messages From Scanner - Retrieves the log file from the scanner.
Clear Scanner Log Messages - Clears the scanner's log file.
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Advanced
Testing
Self Test - Runs the scanner's self test.

Motor Test - Start a movement sequence to check motors.
Data Transfer
Figure 20-29 Data Transfer
Tests the data transfer by retrieving raw data from the scanner and storing it to a
file.
Automatic Scans
Figure 20-30 Automatic Scans
Performs scans with all the resolutions that are checked.

Benchmark Sensor Data - Benchmark to measure the sensor data rate.
Benchmark Data Storage - Benchmark to measure the disk data storage.
Compensation
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Clear - Clear the scanner's compensation data. New scans will be without
compensation
Load - Load a compensation file, transfer it to the scanner. Compensation will
be applied for new scans.
Save - Gets the compensation file from the scanner and saves it.
Inclinometer
Home Position - Run scanner to home position.
Data Viewer
For service use only. Used by the manufacturer to perform the distance
calibration.
Port Control
For service use only. Allows sending commands to the mirror unit, motor unit
and sensor unit.
Figure 20-31 Port Control
NOTE: All Advanced Administration functions should only be used by qualified

service personnel or after consulting the FARO Customer Service.
Shutdown Scanner
Starts the shutdown process of the scanner.
Figure 20-32 Shutdown of the scanner
Select Scanner
Open this item to connect to a scanner.
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About FARO ScanPlugin

Displays version information about the FARO ScanPlugin and the firmware of
the scanner.
Figure 20-33 About ScanPlugin
Toolbars
Standard Toolbar
Figure 20-34 Standard Toolbar
New
Open
Save
- Creates new workspace. See New on page 157.

- Opens existing workspace. See Open... on page 157.
- Saves Workspace. See Save on page 157.
Print
- Opens the dialog box to select printing options. See Print on
page 159.
Help
Layout
models.
- Opens the table of contents of the online documentation.

- Opens a layout view of the entire workspace, i.e. a top view of all
3D View
- Opens a 3D view of the entire workspace, i.e. all models and
loaded scans.
Visibility Settings
- Used to display the visibility settings of the currently
active view. See 3D View on page 190.
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Project Selector
- Opens the Project Selector.
Planar View Toolbar

Figure 20-35 Planar View Toolbar
Coloring the range

- Emphasize certain ranges of a scan in color. For more
information on the settings applied, see Options on page 164.
Navigation mode
Set scale 100%
- Set navigation mode.

- Set the scale to 100%.
Select scale
- Select the scale from a list of available scales or by
directly entering any scale.
Zoom out
Zoom in
- Reduce the scale to see a larger area.

- Increase the scale to see more details.
Point Selection Toolbar

Figure 20-36 Point Selection Toolbar
Rectangular selection
- Select a rectangular area of scan points.
Linear selection
- Select an arbitrarily shaped line of scan points. The
selection has a thickness of one point.
Polygonal selection
- Select an arbitrarily shaped area of scan points. The
selection consists of the area that is enclosed by the border line.
Circular selection
- Select a circular area of scan points.
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Polygonal edge selection

- Select an arbitrarily shaped area of scan points,
with the polygon following the visible edge in the scan points.
Elliptical selection
- Select a elliptical area of scan points.
New selection
- The next selection replaces the existing selection.
Add selection
- The next selection is added to the existing selection.
Subtract selection
selection.
- The next selection is removed from the existing
Intersect selection
- The new selection results from the intersection of the
existing selection and the next selection.
Measurement Toolbar
Figure 20-37 Measurement Toolbar
Measurement between objects
- Take measurements between objects.
Measurement between scan points

points.
Shot direction
- Take measurements between scan
- Create trajectory by selecting objects on the trajectory.
Object Marker Toolbar

Figure 20-38 Object Marker Toolbar
Circular Flat Target

Checkerboard Target
- Create a circular flat target.

- create a checkerboard target.
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Sphere
Plane
Slab
- Create a sphere.
- Create a plane.
- Create a slab.
3D View Toolbar
Figure 20-39 3D View Toolbar
Observer-based navigation
- When navigating, it seems as though you are
moving. For example, turning to the right has the effect that you seem to turn to
the right and objects from the right margin move into the center of the image.
Object-based navigation (Examine)
- When navigating, it seems as
though the objects move while you stand still. For example, turning to the right
has the effect that your entire surroundings seem to turn right and objects from
the center of the image move to the right margin.
Pan
- There is no turning available in this navigation mode. Mouse
movements are interpreted as observer movements (Not available in the quick
view).
Standard viewing directions
- Sets the viewing direction along
one of the coordinate axes. When using the shift-key, the opposite direction is set.
Standard view points
- Changes the position and viewing direction
in such a way, that a top, right, or back view is achieved. When using the shiftkey, a bottom, left, or front view is achieved, respectively. (Not available in the
quick view)
View all
- Changes the position of the observer in such a way, that a view on
all the objects is achieved. (Not available in the quick view)
Set rotation point
- Sets the center of rotation into the next object you'll
click on. (Not available in the quick view)
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- Create a documentation object.
Save view orientation

- Save the current position and line of sight, so that
you can return to this view orientation later. When starting a 3D view, two view
orientations are automatically generated which go from the scanner position and
from the origin of the coordinate system.
Select view orientation
view orientations.
- Select the view orientation from the list of saved
Measurement between objects

Shot direction
- Take measurements between objects.
- Create trajectory by selecting objects on the trajectory.
Polygonal selection
- Select an arbitrarily shaped area of scan points. The
selection consists of the area that is enclosed by the border line.
Correspondence View Toolbar

Figure 20-40 Correspondence View Toolbar
Update correspondences
- Clears and reevaluates the correspondence of
selected scans by near references. Found correspondences are getting forced.
Excluded (invisible) scans are ignored in this correspondence search mode.
Exclude all
- Hides all scans.
Include next
- Unhides one of the hidden scans. Sequently use will hide the
last unhidden scan again. This allows to circulate through the hidden scans.
Group
- Groups selected scans or folders by moving them under a newly
created folder.
Ungroup
- Ungroups objects under selected folder by moving the objects
to the folder's parent and deleting the folder itself.
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Place Scans
- Places all visible scans and opens a ScanManager.
Restore previous transformation

of the manipulator
- Restores the previous transformation
Reapply transformation changes

- Reapplies the transformation after the
transformation was reverted by using the restore previous transformation button.
Restore initial transformation
- Restores the initial transformation the
scan had when the manipulator was created.
Scan Toolbar
Figure 20-41 Scan Toolbar
Start Scan
- Starts a new scan, if a connection to the scanner has been
established and the scanner is ready.
Start Scan with color
- Starts a color scan if the color option is installed.
The scanner will first take an ordinary scan followed by taking a series of color
pictures with the camera. For more information, see Scanning on page 7.
Stop Scan
- Stops the scanner during a scan. There might be a short delay till
the scanner stops scanning.
Scanner Parameter
scanner information.
Settings
- Adjustment of scanner parameters and display of
- Opens a dialog box for visualization and memory parameters.
Select Scanner
scanner.
- Opens a dialog box for setting the connection with the
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Context Menus
Frequently Used Commands
Visible - Make the selected object visible or invisible.
Center - Display the selected object in the center and enlarged in the active view
and use it as the center of rotation.
Locate - Display the selected object in the center and enlarged in the active view.
Set Rotation Point - In the 3D view, the selected object is used as the center of
rotation.
New > Reference on Folder Level - Place a copy of the selected object in the
reference objects folder of the current scan. The copy does not have any link to a
fit object that may exist.
New > Reference on Workspace Level - Place a copy of the selected object in
the reference objects folder of the workspace. The copy does not have any link to
a fit object that may exist.
Delete - Deletes the selected object.
Rename - Renames the selected object.
Properties - Opens the properties dialog.
Material - Opens the dialog for the material setting.
Figure 20-42 Material Settings
Create local material - using this dialog, you can set it so that the object has its
own material definition and changes made to it apply to this object only.
Auto apply - The effects of the new settings are applied and displayed
immediately. Otherwise you have to use the button Apply so that your changes
become visible.
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Base Color - The base color of objects.

Emissive Color - The color that the object radiates independently. This is only
practical for objects that can radiate their own light.
Specular Color - The color for the reflected highlights of the object.
Shininess - A measure for the shininess of an object. The higher the value, the
clearer and more differentiated the reflected highlights appear.
Transparency - The transparency of an object. The higher the value, the better
you can see through the object.
Ambient Intensity - A measurement for how strongly the undirected ambient
light is reflected.
Using the Initial button you can go back to the initial values if you had changed
the settings using Apply or Auto Apply.
Commands For Fit Objects

Select - The selection that was used to create the fit object is reactivated. The
selection combination mode determines how the new selection results from the
existing selection and the reactivated selection.
Active - A black check mark indicates whether this fit object is the active fit
object of the corresponding object, i.e. whether it is the one that determined the
properties of the corresponding object. An object can have several fit objects, of
which one at the most can be active.
Update - Recalculates the object parameters. The basis for this is again the
selection that was also used to create the fit object.
Delete - Deletes the fit object.
3D Picture Fit (Fit of a virtual scan)

See Commands For Fit Objects on page 189.
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3D View
Add Scan Points - Add the scan points of the current selection.
Export
Scan Points - Export scan points.

Objects - Export objects.
Show All Objects - All objects, which have been set to invisible, are reset to
visible.
View All - Changes the observer position and viewing direction in a way that the
view displays all objects and scan points.
Camera
Normally, the 3D view displays the scan points and objects with the correct field
of view, in other words, objects of the same size appear smaller with increasing
distance (Perspective View). You can also change the view to orthographic
representation. Then objects of the same size always appear the same size,
regardless of how far away they are. This type of representation is common in a
lot of CAD systems.
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Properties
Figure 20-43 Camera Properties dialog
See Transformation on page 218.

Clear View Mode - Turns clear view mode on or off (For a description of the
clear view mode see visibility settings in this chapter).
Scan Point Size Adjustment - The scan points are normally displayed so that
you don't see the background between two neighboring scan points. Here you can
change this behavior.
Visibility Settings - Open and edit visibility settings of this view.
Figure 20-44 Visibility Settings - View
Camera
Perspective - Objects of the same size appear smaller with increasing distance.
Orthographic - Objects of the same size always appear the same size,
regardless of how far away they are.
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Frustum culling - Only objects that are within the view frustum are drawn.
Back Face culling - The back face of objects is not drawn.
Navigation Hint
Coordinate System - Display a small coordinate system.
Gap Filling - Fills gaps in the point cloud visible in the 3D view. This effect
analyses the rendered image, finds the gaps between the points and tries to fill
them. The used algorithm fills gaps between points that are physically close to
each other. The gap filling option Quality means that the gap filler will process a
surface reconstruction using depth information. Speed fills the gaps without the
depth information.
The following screenshots show the same scan in 3D view without (top image)
and with gap filling being applied (bottom image).
Figure 20-45 Gap Filling Turned Off
Figure 20-46 Gap Filling Turned On
Render Mode
Wireframe - Show objects as wire frames.
Smooth Shading - Perform smooth shading on surfaces.
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Background Settings
Select either a single or gradient background color.
If you want a single-colored background deselect the Gradient Background
option. In this case the chosen top color will be used.
If you want a gradient background select the Gradient Background option. The
gradient starts with the selected top color and transitions linearly to the selected
bottom color.
Figure 20-47 Gradient Background Color
Statistics
FPS - Displays the number of frames per second
Figure 20-48 Visibility Settings - Scan Points
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November 2010
Auto Apply - New settings are visible immediately; you do not need to click on
the Apply button.
Large - Large points.
Small - Small points.
Manual - Set the scan point size manually on the scroll bar.
Color - Setting for the scan point color to be used.
Measured Value - Grey value according to the measured value.
White - White points.
Black - Black points.
Unique - The scan points you added with Add Scan Points are displayed in
unique colors.
Subsample Settings - Reduction of the point density during navigation in 3D
view. A value of e.g. 30 means that at least every thirtieth point will be displayed
when moving the point cloud. Lower values mean that more scan points will be
displayed, which could, depending on the performance of your computer system,
result in a slower animation of the point cloud. When you turn this function off
all points will be displayed during navigation.
Clear View Settings
The clear view mode gives an improved and high-quality presentation of scans in
3D view. It adds transparency to the otherwise completely opaque point cloud
rendering. This allows for viewing through walls or ceilings and may give a
much better impression of the spatial structure of the underlying point cloud.
Points in areas with low point density will be displayed more transparently and
points in areas with a high point density will be displayed more brightly. By
changing the settings with the scroll bar you can intensify or weaken this effect.
The clear view mode is useful for e.g. the top view to walls.
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The clear view mode is only available if 32 bit color depth has been selected in
the display properties of Windows.
Figure 20-49 Clear View Mode
Figure 20-50 Visibility Settings - Layer
Layer - Name of the layer.

Visible - Visibility of objects in this layer.
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Names - Visibility of object names in this layer.
Figure 20-51 Visibility Settings - Extra
Models Folder - Display CAD models.

References Folder - Display reference objects.
Scan positions - Display scan positions.
Cameras - Display the camera positions of other views.
Scan objects - Displays objects which are assigned to the scans.
When loaded only - Only when the corresponding scan is loaded.
Max. Distance - The maximum distance at which objects are still shown.
Min. Distance - The minimum distance at which objects are shown.
Documentation Objects Max. Distance - The maximum distance at which
documentation objects are shown.
3D View - Selected Area
Delete Inside Selection - Delete all scan points inside the selected area.
Delete Outside Selection - Delete all scan points outside the selected area.
Remove Selection - Remove the selection.
Constraints Object
See Frequently Used Commands on page 188.
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Constrained Plane Fit

Line Fit
Picture
Loaded - Here a check mark shows whether the data of the picture is loaded.
View - Open a new planar view of the picture.
Import/Export
Export Objects - Exports all objects under the picture.

Export Image - Export the picture in its original format or in JPEG format.
Exchange Image - Replaces the picture with an imported one.
Apply - Apply the color information of the picture onto the scan. Position,
orientation, and zoom factor of the camera are already known. This command is
only available if the pictures reside inside a scan.
Colorize Scan - Use the color information of the picture onto the scan. Position,
orientation, and zoom factor of the camera are not yet known and have to be
calculated with pairs of matching points. This command is only available if the
pictures reside inside a scan.
Undistort - Remove any so-called barrel or pin-cushion distortions from the
picture. The distortion parameters have to reside inside the picture.
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Pipe
See Frequently Used Commands on page 188.
Pipe Fit
Planar View and Quick View
View - Open the scan in a new view; either as 3D view, 3D Clear view, quick
view (available in planar view) or in planar view (available in quick view).
Scan Points - Apply filters to the scan, create a new scan out the scan or add a
text object to the scans.
Find Objects - automatically detect checkerboards, spheres, planes or lines in

the scan.
Export
Direct Export - Export the selected scan points using the previous export
settings.
Export Scan Points - Export of scan points. See Exporting Scan Points on
page 47.
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Visibility Settings (Planar View) - Visibility settings of this view
Figure 20-52 Visibility Settings - Layer

Visible - Visibility of objects in this layer.
Names - Visibility of object names in this layer.
Figure 20-53 Visibility Settings - Extra
Models Folder - Display CAD models.

References Folder - Display reference objects.
Scan positions - Display scan positions.
Cameras - Display the camera positions of other views.
Scan objects - Displays objects which are assigned to the scans.
When loaded only - Only when the corresponding scan is loaded.
Max. Distance - The maximum distance at which objects are still shown.
Min. Distance - The minimum distance at which objects are still shown.
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Visibility Settings (Quick View) - The visibility settings of the quick view are
the same as for the 3D view. See 3D View on page 190.
Properties - Opens the properties dialog of the scan.
Scan Points Selection in Planar View or Quick View
View - opens a 3D view of the selected scan.

Scan Points
Filter - Apply filters to the selected scan points.

Delete - Delete all scan points of the current selection.
Push - Move the selected scan points 76.8 meters forward.
Pull - Move the selected scan points 76.8 meters backwards.
Create Scan - Create a new scan from the selected scan points.
Apply Pictures - Apply pictures to the selection of scan points only.
Find Objects - automatically detect checkerboards, spheres, planes or lines in
the selected scan points
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Create Objects
Sphere - Perform a sphere fit on the selected scan points. See Sphere on
page 70.
Sphere Radius - Perform a sphere fit with known radius on the selected scan
points. See Sphere on page 70.
Plane - Perform a plane fit on the selected scan points. See Plane on page 63.
Slab - Perform a slab fit on the selected scan points. See Slab on page 68.
Expand Plane - Starting with the selected scan points, perform an automatic
plane expansion. See Limited Plane - Expand Plane on page 64.
Mean Point - Determine the mean point of the selected scan points. See Mean
Point on page 62.
Contrast Mean Point - Create a contrast mean point of the selected scan points.
See Contrast Mean Point on page 62.
Line - Create lines. See Line on page 73.
Pipe - Create a pipe. See Pipe on page 71.
Mesh - Create a mesh. See Mesh on page 73.
Region - Create a region. See Region on page 75.
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Plane
New
Reference on Folder Level / Reference on Workspace Level - see Frequently

Used Commands on page 188.
Intersection Point - Creates an intersection point on the plane at the spot
determined by the mouse pointer.
Plane with Border - Creates a new plane with border lines from the selection
on which the current plane is based.
Slab By Plane - Create a slab from the plane. See Slab on page 68.
Documentation - Create a documentation object.
View - View the plane in 3D.
Operations - Delete the correspondences of the plane. You can select to delete
user forced, system found or anti-correspondences. For more information, see
Registering Scans on page 117.
View Scan Point Dist. - Deviations from a level surface in relation to a plane are
highlighted in color. See Surface Analysis on page 114.
Alignment - Modifies the overall orientation of the entire workspace according
to the desired alignment of the plane to a cardinal direction (north, south, east,
west). For more information, see Overall Alignment on page 134.
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Export - Export this object.

For more information on the remaining commands, see Frequently Used
Commands on page 188.
Expanded Plane
Set Border from Selection - The border line of the plane is replaced by the
border line of the selection.
For more information on the remaining commands, see Plane on page 202
and Frequently Used Commands on page 188.
Plane Fit
Slab
See Plane on page 202 and Frequently Used Commands on page 188.
Slab Fit
Point
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Point Fit
Sphere
Sphere Fit
Pipe
Pipe Fit
Rectangle
Rectangle Fit
Region
New - Create documentation object.

Select - The selection that was used to create the region is reactivated. The
selection combination mode determines how the new selection results from the
existing selection and the reactivated selection.
Import/Export - Export the scan points of the region or export region as object.
Delete - Delete the region object. The scan points are not deleted.
Rename - Give a new name to the region.
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Properties - shows the properties dialog of the region
Scan
Download - Only available with workspaces that were downloaded from a

SCENE WebShare server. This command downloads the scan from the
WebShare server to your local hard disk.
Loaded - Here a check mark shows whether the scan points of a scan are loaded.
New - Create a specific object, folder or duplicate the scan (without objects).
View - Open a new view of the scan.
Locate - Set the orientation of the view to the scanner position.
Operations - Apply several commands to the scan.
Registration
Place Scan - Execute scan alignment for registration.

Fixed Scan - Mark the scan alignment as fixed and exclude it from further
automatic registration attempts.
Reference Scan - Set the scan as reference scan.
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Find Objects - Detect Checker boards, spheres, planes or lines in the scan.
Filter - Apply filters to the scan. See Filter on page 39.
Processing > Preprocess Scan - Apply a compensation and\or a series of filters
and other commands to the scan points of the scan. See also Preprocess on
page 43, Batch Registration on page 136, and Scan Folder on page 208.
Correspondences > Delete Correspondences - Deletes the correspondences of
the scan and of its objects. You can select to delete user forced, system found or
anti-correspondences. For more information, see Registering Scans on
page 117.
Object Marker
Create Objects - Create the corresponding objects from the object markers.
Update Objects - Update the objects of the object markers.
Delete Inactive Fits - Deletes all inactive fit objects.
Color/Pictures .
Apply Pictures - Apply the color information of the picture onto the scan.
Position, orientation, and zoom factor of the camera are already known. This
command is only available if the pictures reside inside a scan.
Adjust Picture Angles - Adjust the picture angles.
Colorize Scan - Use the color information of the picture onto the scan.
Position, orientation, and zoom factor of the camera are not yet known and
have to be calculated with pairs of matching points. This command is only
available if the pictures reside inside a scan.
Export All Pictures - Exports all pictures of the scan (if the scan has been
recorded in color). Opens a dialog to select the storage location and the export
format of the pictures. You can select between "Original format" and "jpg".
"Original Format" will export the pictures without changing their format; "jpg"
will convert the pictures and save them as JPG.
Import All Pictures - Opens a dialog to select the storage location of the
pictures you want to import. This option is only available for scans which
already contain pictures.
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Color Contrast Filter - Enhances the dynamic range of the color pictures.
Restore Grey Image - Remove the color information and restore the original
reflectance values.
Import / Export .
Export
Objects - Export the objects of this scan.
Image - Obtains an overview image from the scan points and saves it in the file
system in the same folder as the scans.
Compensation - Write compensation data in a file.
Scan Parameters - Export the parameters of the scan.
Scan Points - Export scan points.
Scan Points of Object Marker - Export the scan points from the selections
belonging to object markers.
Export for WebShare - Exports the panorama image of the scan. If the
workspace has already been exported for WebShare only the panorama image
of the scan will be updated. If the workspace has not been exported yet,
SCENE will create a new WebShare project with the selected scan.
Import
Compensation - Import compensation file and use immediately. You may not
be able to import a compensation if the scan points were changed by a filter
beforehand and have not been saved again.
Save Objects in Scan - Save the objects of the scan in the scan file.
Delete - Deletes the scan from the workspace. The file belonging to it is not
deleted.
Scan Fit
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Scan Folder

SCENE WebShare server. This command downloads the scans within the scan
folder from the WebShare server to your local hard disk.
Load All Scans - Loads all scans, or more precisely, the scan points of the scans.
New - Create a new Documentation Object, Scan Manager, Scan Folder or a
standard folder within the scan folder.
View - open scan folder as Correspondence View, 3D or as structured view.
Operations
Registration
Cluster - set scan folder as cluster

Reference Cluster - set scan folder as reference cluster
Fixed Cluster - Mark the cluster alignment as fixed and exclude it from
further automatic registration attempts.
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Place Scans - Place the scans within this cluster (and its sub clusters), this does
not register the cluster itself.
Place Cluster - Place all scans within this cluster (and its sub clusters) and the
cluster as a whole in respect to its environment.
Correspondence View - Open the correspondence view.
Correspondences
Clear Correspondences - Clears correspondences of the scan folder, its scans

and of all objects that belong to its scans. You can select to delete user forced,
system forced, system found or anti-correspondencs. For more information,
see Registering Scans on page 117.
Force Current - Force all already existing correspondences of the scan folder.
Preprocess Scans - Apply a series of processing steps to the scans. The scans
are automatically loaded one after the other, processed, saved and unloaded
again.
Please note that the scans will be loaded and saved with the number of scan
points that has been set in the options of SCENE. For more information, see
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Options on page 164. If you do not want the scans to be saved with reduced
size you should choose unlimited in the options of SCENE.
Figure 20-54 Proprocess Scans
Compensation - Import compensation file. See Compensation on page 44.

First Load Processing - Applies the processing steps which are normally done
when loading a scan into SCENE for the first time. This function will apply the
default filter if selected. See Default Filter on page 41. The compensation
and the noise compression for scans recorded in local storage mode.
Filter Dark Points - Applies a filter based on the scan point's reflection value.
See Dark Scan Points on page 42.
Filter Stray Points - Apply filter for stray points. See Stray on page 41.
Create Objects from Marker - Creates all objects according to the object
markers of the scans.
Update Object Fits - Updates all object fits in all scans.
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Apply Pictures - Applies pictures in all scans.

Export Image - Creates an overview image for every scan and saves it in the
folder of the file system where the scan resides.
Automatically Detect Features - Searches for sphere or checkerboard
references as well as for Points of interest, Straight lines, corner points and
rectangles in all scans of the scan folder and fits the detected objects. See
Automatic Detection and Creation on page 118.
Place Scans - Executes the registration of the scans in the scan folder
Use Inclinometer - Uses inclinometer information (where available) for the
registration of the scans.
Color/Pictures - Apply the pictures to all the scans within the folder or apply the
color contrast filter.
Object Marker
Create Objects - Create the corresponding objects of the object markers. The
scans are automatically loaded and unloaded.
Update Objects - Update the objects of the object markers. The scans are
automatically loaded and unloaded.
Delete Inactive Fits - Deletes all the inactive scan fits.
Import/Export
Scan Points - Apply the export of scan points to the scans one after the other.
The scans are automatically loaded one after the other, the scan points are
exported and the scan is unloaded again. A dialog for scan point export opens.
See Export on page 159.
Objects - Export objects. Note, scans need not to be loaded and are therefore
not loaded automatically.
Images - Obtains overview images from the scan points of each scan and saves
these images in the file system in the same folder as the scans.
Scan Points of Object Marker - Export the scan points from the selections
belonging to object markers.
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Export for WebShare - Exports the panorama image of the folder's scans. If
the workspace has already been exported for WebShare only the panorama
image of these scans will be updated. If the workspace has not been exported
yet, SCENE will create a new WebShare project with the selected scans.
Unload All Scans and Pictures - Unloads all scans and pictures. Scan points and
pictures are removed from the memory. The scans are not deleted.
Save Objects in Scans - Save the objects of the scans in the corresponding scan
files.
Delete - Deletes the scan folder and all the scans in it from the workspace. The
files belonging to the scans are not deleted.
Scan Manager
Update Scans - Updates the placement of the scans managed by this scan
manager. To see the results of the update you have to open a new scan manager
window.
Update Cluster - Updates the placement of the scans managed by this scan
manager and updates the placement of the cluster as a whole in respect to its
environment.
Delete - Deletes the Scan Manager.
Delete Managed Fits - Deletes all objects maintained by this scan manager,
such as registration objects and scan managers from sub folders.
Rename - Renames the scan manager.
Properties - Opens the scan manager.
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Virtual Scan (3D Picture)
Loaded - A check mark shows whether the points of the virtual scan are loaded.
View
Planar View - Opens a planar view of the virtual scan. A virtual scan that is
not loaded will be loaded automatically.
Quick View - Opens a quick view of the virtual scan.
3D View - Opens a 3D view of the virtual scan. A virtual scan that is not
loaded will be loaded automatically.
3D Clear View - Opens 3D view in clear view mode.
Structure View - Opens a structure view of the virtual scan.
Operations - Registration
Place on Surface - Scales and places the virtual scan in the 3D world using a
plane and corresponding points in the virtual scan and a scan in the 3D world.
Place in 3D - Upright placement of the virtual scan in the 3D world.
For more information, see Scan on page 205.
Import/Export
For more information, see Scan on page 205.
Save Objects in Scan - Save the objects of the scan in the scan file.
Delete - Deletes the virtual scan from the workspace. The file belonging to it is
not deleted.
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Workspace

SCENE WebShare server. This command downloads the complete content of the
workspace from the WebShare server to your local hard disk.
New - Create a new Point, Sphere, Checkerboard, Circular Flat Target, Corner
Point, Plane, Slab, Documentation Object, Folder or Scan Folder in the
Workspace.
View - Open a 3D view, SCENE WebShare View or Structure View of the
workspace.
3D View - Opens a 3D view with all the loaded scans and CAD models.
Unloaded Scans are not loaded automatically.
WebShare view - Opens WebShare. The workspace will only be displayed in
WebShare if it already has been exported as a WebShare project.
Structure View - Opens a structure view of the workspace.
Operations
Registration - Place all scans of the workspace.

Correspondences
Delete Correspondences - Deletes all correspondences of the workspace. You
can select to delete user forced, system found or anti-correspondencs (for more
details, please refer to the registration chapter (chapter 17)).
Force Current - Force all already existing correspondences of the scan folder.
Object Marker
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Create Objects - Create the corresponding objects of the object markers. The
scans are automatically loaded and unloaded.
Update Objects - Update the objects of the object markers. The scans are
automatically loaded and unloaded.
Import/Export
Export Objects - Export objects. Note, scans need not to be loaded and are
therefore not loaded automatically.
Export Images- Obtains the overview images from all the scans in the
workspace. See File Structure on page 17. The scans are loaded one after
the other, the overview image is created and saved and then unloaded again.
Export Positions - Saves the position specifications of all scans and reference
objects.
Export Scan Points of Object Marker - Export scan points that are marked
by the object marker.
Export for WebShare - Exports the complete workspace as a WebShare
project. The project will be saved to the Workspace's folder.
Visibility
3D Visibility Settings - Opens the dialog with the default visibility settings for
quick views and 3D views.
Planar View Visibility Settings - Opens the dialog with the default visibility
settings for the planar view.
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Layer Manager - Opens the dialog box of the layer manager.
Figure 20-55 Layer Manager

Active - Set the automatic assignment of a newly created object.
Snapshot (Focus3D Scanner Adminsitration)
Administrate - Open the administration view of the snapshot.

Scanner Service Request - Send the snapshot via email to the FARO Customer
Service.
Rename - Rename the snapshot
Erase - Erase the content of the snapshot. All data of the snapshot will be deleted
but the snapshot itself will be kept.
Delete - Delete the complete snapshot.
Properties
Checkmarks
Some of the properties dialogs employ checkmarks to control the application of
changed settings and of the display of coordinates.
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Global Coordinates - If checked, coordinates are displayed in the global

coordinate system; else they are displayed in the coordinate system of the
scanner. See Coordinates on page 253.
Auto Apply - If checked, new settings are applied and visible immediately; you
do not need to click on the Apply button after changing the settings.
Frequently Used Properties

General
Figure 20-56 Properties - General
Name - The name of the object. The green traffic light right to the object name
indicates that corresponding objects have been found in other scans. If
corresponding references have not been found no traffic light will be displayed.
Use for Place Scans, Correspondence Search and Automatic Name - The
object will be used for the registration, correspondence relationships to this
object are enabled and its name will automatically be changed if corresponding
objects have been found or the name of a corresponding object has been changed.
Local reference objects will have this option activated by default if their name
has not been changed by the user manually.
Use for Place Scans and Correspondence Search - The object will be used for
registering scans, correspondence relationships to this object are enabled but its
name will not be changed automatically. This means that the name of this object
is fixed and corresponding reference objects in other scans will be named
accordingly.
Global reference objects and local references which have been (re-)named
manually will have this option activated by default.
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Use for Place Scans - The object will only be used for registering scans but
automatically.
Ignore for Place Scans - The object will not be used for registering scans and is
automatically.
These options are relevant for the automatic correspondence search and for the
registration of scans which are only available in SCENE.
Layer - The representation layer on which the object is situated.
Select active Layer - Enters the currently active representation layer.
Transformation
Figure 20-57 Properties - Transformation
Position - The translation portion of the transformation

X - To key in a transformation in the x direction.
Y - To key in a transformation in the y direction.
Z - To key in a transformation in the z direction.
Scroll bar - Set the transformation using the mouse. The direction of the
transformation will be the x, y or z coordinate that is highlighted in yellow.
Each tick increments by - Set the increment for the scroll bar.
Rotation Angle - The angle of rotation if the rotation axis is split along the
coordinate axes.
X - The angle of rotation around the x axis.
Y - The angle of rotation around the y axis.
Z - The angle of rotation around the z axis.
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Scroll bar - Set a new angle of rotation.

To change a value, you can either enter the required value directly into the
appropriate field, or you first select the field and then use the corresponding
slider to change the value step by step. You can set the increment using the dropdown box. If you hit the edge with the slider, simply reselect the field and the
slider will return to the center without you losing your previous changes.
Axis snap - If checked, you can change the rotation for the current axis
independently from the others. This is achieved by changing the order in which
the rotations are applied. For more information, see Coordinate
Transformation on page 255.
3D Picture Fit
Figure 20-58 3D Picture Fit
Plane - Plane in a scan that is used as a reference to place the virtual scan and
should be created from the surface where the picture has been taken.
Properties - Opens the properties dialog of the plane
Scan - Scan that is used to select the matching points
Properties - Opens the properties dialog of the scan
View - Opens planar views of the scan and the virtual scan and arranges the
windows if no planar view has been open before. Scans that have not been loaded
will be loaded automatically.
Associate Points - Starts the tool to mark pairs of matching points in the planar
view of the virtual scan and in the planar view of the scan
Done - Ends the selection process of matching points.
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2D projective deviation - The mean distance between the computed 2D

projection of the marked 3D points and the corresponding points marked in the
picture. The traffic light indicates the quality of this individual criterion. It is
green at values <7.5px, red at values >15px and orange between them.
3D projective deviation - The mean distance between the computed 3D
projection of the marked 2D points and the corresponding 3D points marked in
the scan. The traffic light indicates the quality of this individual criterion. It is
green at values <3mm, red at values >15mm and orange between them.
Constraints Object
Figure 20-59 Constraints Object dialog
Name - The name of the constraints object.

Scanpoint Distance - A quality parameter of a plane.
Max - The scan point distance of the plane with the highest distance. The traffic
light indicates the quality of this individual criterion. It is green at values <4mm,
red at values >20mm and orange between them.
Mean - The mean value of all managed planes. The traffic light indicates the
quality of this individual criterion. It is green at values <4mm, red at values
>20mm and orange between them.
Constraint Error - Constraints are implemented by functions that are zero if the
.constraint is met. Deviations from zero are called Constraint Error.
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Max - Highest value of all constraint functions. The traffic light indicates the
quality of this individual criterion. It is green at values <2.2e-013, red at values
>1e-005 and orange between them.
Mean - Mean value of all constraint functions. The traffic light indicates the
quality of this individual criterion. It is green at values <2.2e-013, red at values
>1e-005 and orange between them.
Planes - Planes used to define constraints.
Plane - Name and path of the plane.
Fixed - Fixed planes are only used to define the constraint but will not be
changed.
Constraints - List of pairs of planes and the constraint chosen for this pair.
Plane 1 - First plane.
Plane 2 - Second plane.
Description - The constraint chosen.
Constrained Plane Fit
Figure 20-60 Constrained Plane Fit
Plane Name - Name of the corresponding plane

Name - Name of the fit (by default named according to the constraints object that
manages this fit)
Normal - The orientation determined by the fit. The orientation is given by the
direction which stands perpendicular to the plane.
Position - The position determined by the fit.
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fit. The traffic light indicates the quality of this individual criterion. It is green at
values >80, red at values <20 and orange between them.
from the calculated plane. The traffic light indicates the quality of this individual
criterion. It is green at values <4mm, red at values >20mm and orange between
them.
Scan point drift - The average distance of the scan points from the calculated
plane. With this, the scan points above the plane can be averaged out with the
scan points below the plane. The traffic light indicates the quality of this
individual criterion. It is green at values <1mm, red at values >5mm and orange
between them.
Last Constraint - The name and path of the constraints object that has been used
last to manage this fit.
Measurement
Figure 20-61 Measurement Properties
Measurement Name - Name of the measurement.

Overall Distance - Measured distance. When measuring between two points, the
result will be point-to-point distance. When using a plane, the measurement is
automatically taken perpendicular to this plane.
Vertical Distance - Vertical part of the point-to-point distance.
Horizontal Distance - Horizontal part of the point-to-point distance.
Along X - The distance along the x axis of the point-to-point distance.
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Along Y - The distance along the y axis of the point-to-point distance.

Show Distance - Select which values shall be shown in the views.
Measure Objects - The objects used when measuring.
Object Marker
Figure 20-62 Object Marker Properties
Position - Position of the object marker in the planar view of the scan.
Type - Object type, e.g. a sphere.
Subtype - Additional values, e.g. the radius of the sphere.
Info - Comment.
Task - Select a command from the menu. When pressing the button Go, this
command is executed.
Picture
Figure 20-63 Picture Properties
Spherical - A checkmark to indicate spherical pictures.

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Pipe
Figure 20-64 Pipe Properties
Pipe Name - The name of the pipe.

Axis - The axis of the pipe.
Position - The position of the pipe.
Diameter - The diameter of the pipe.
Length - The length of the pipe.
Pipe Fit
Figure 20-65 Pipe Fit
Pipe Name - The name of the corresponding pipe. You can enter a name
manually or choose one from the drop down menu. This menu contains the
names of the last 10 fitted pipes in other scans and helps choosing the right name
for the registration and accelerates the manual naming process.
Name - The name of the fit object.
Axis - The axis determined by the fit.
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Diameter - The diameter determined by the fit.
Length - The length determined by the fit.
from the calculated pipe. The traffic light indicates the quality of this individual
them.
pipe. With this, the scan points inside the pipe can be averaged out with the scan
points outside the pipe. The traffic light indicates the quality of this individual
them.
Plane
Figure 20-66 Plane Properties
Plane Name - The name of the plane.

Normal - The orientation of the plane, given by the direction that stands
perpendicular to the plane.
Position - A point of the plane.
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Plane Fit
Figure 20-67 Plane Fit
Plane Name - The name of the corresponding plane. You can enter a name
names of the last 10 fitted planes in other scans and helps choosing the right
name for the registration and accelerates the manual naming process
Transversal normal deviation - The standard deviation of the normal, which is
broken down in a transversal and longitudinal deviation. The traffic light
indicates the quality of this individual criterion. It is green at values <1.15, red at
values >2.29 and orange between them.
Longitudinal normal deviation - The standard deviation of the normal in
longitudinal direction. The traffic light indicates the quality of this individual
criterion. I It is green at values <1.15, red at values >2.29 and orange between
them.
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The traffic light indicates the quality of this individual criterion. It is green at
values <4mm, red at values >20mm and orange between them.
For planes with a boundary:
Figure 20-68 Plane Ex Fit
Border Points - A list of all the corner points of the plane.
Slab
Figure 20-69 Slab Properties
Face - The visible face of the slab object.

Thickness - The thickness of the slab object.
Normal - The orientation of the slab, given by the direction that stands
perpendicular to the slab.
Position - A point of the slab.
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Slab Fit
Figure 20-70 Slab Fit
Slab Name - The name of the corresponding slab. You can enter a name
names of the last 10 fitted slabs in other scans and helps choosing the right name
for the registration and accelerates the manual naming process
Face - The visible face of the slab object.
Thickness - The thickness of the slab object.
Transversal Normal deviation - The standard deviation of the normal, which is
broken down in a transversal and longitudinal deviation.
Longitudinal Normal deviation - The standard deviation of the normal in
longitudinal direction.
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The traffic light indicates the quality of this individual criterion. It is green at
values <4mm, red at values >20mm and orange between them.
Point
Figure 20-71 Point Properties
Position - The position of the point.
Point Fit
Figure 20-72 Point Fit
Point Name - The name of the corresponding point. You can enter a name
names of the last 10 fitted points in other scans and helps choosing the right name
for the registration and accelerates the manual naming process
fit. The traffic light indicates the quality of this individual criterion. For (contrast)
mean points it is green at values >80, red at values <20 and orange between them.
For checkerboard reference objects it is green at values >400, red at values <100.
Only bright points - Is set for the contrast mean point of a selection.
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Dependencies - When creating an intersection point (see chapter 10.3.2.3), the fit
is depending on the properties of the corresponding plane. This dependency is
listed here. See Intersection Point on page 67.
Sphere
Figure 20-73 Sphere Properties
Radius - The radius of the sphere.

Position - The position of the sphere mean point.
Sphere Fit
Figure 20-74 Sphere Fit
Sphere Name - The name of the corresponding sphere. . You can enter a name
manually or choose one from the drop down menu which contains the names of
the last 10 fitted spheres in other scans. This drop down menu helps choosing the
right name for the registration and expedites the manual naming process.
Radius - The sphere radius determined by the fit.
Position - The position of the sphere mean point determined by the fit.
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Radius deviation - The standard deviation of the radius, which is determined
using the interim results of the fit. The traffic light indicates the quality of this
between them.
Position deviation - The standard deviation of the position of the sphere mean
point, which is determined using the interim results of the fit. The traffic light
indicates the quality of this individual criterion. It is green at values <15mm, red
at values >80mm and orange between them.
from the calculated sphere surface. The traffic light indicates the quality of this
between them.
sphere surface. Scan points outside the sphere can be averaged out with scan
point within the sphere. The traffic light indicates the quality of this individual
them.
Text
Figure 20-75 Text Properties
Text - The displayed text.

Transparent - The background of the text.
Font - Font and color of the text.
Position - Position of the text in the planar view of the scan.
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See Documentation Object on page 58.
Virtual Scan (3D Picture)
Figure 20-76 Virtual Scan
Size - The number of columns and rows.

Data loaded - Indicates whether the virtual scan is loaded.
Scanner Dist. Range - The maximum distance between the virtual scanner
(depicted as a camera in 3D) and the points of the virtual scan.
Scanner Position - The position of the virtual scanner.
Orientation Axis - Rotation axis of the virtual scan.
Orientation Angle - The virtual scan's angle of rotation.
Recording Date - The time the scan was recorded. Not available for virtual
scans.
Scan Origin Info - Additional information on the origin of the scan, for
example, where it was recorded. Not available for virtual scans.
Info - Further details which were provided when recording. Not available for
virtual scans.
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Scan Fit
Figure 20-77 Scan Fit
Scan Name - Name of the scan. Scans cannot be renamed.

Name - The name of the registration object.
Inclinometer - If checked, the scanner's inclinometer values are used to level the
scan during registration
Position - The calculated position of the scan.
Orientation Axis - The calculated rotation axis of the scan.
Angle - The calculated angle of rotation of the scan.
Point distance - The standard deviation of the distance between the local
reference points and their corresponding references. The traffic light indicates the
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quality of this individual criterion. It is green at values <10mm, red at values

>20mm and orange between them.
Point drift - The mean value of the deviations between the local reference points
and their corresponding references. In contrast to viewing purely the distance, the
direction of the deviation is also taken into account here. Deviations can
therefore cancel each other out. The traffic light indicates the quality of this
individual criterion. It is green at values <1mm, red at values >5 mm and orange
between them.
Long. mismatch - The standard deviation of the longitudinal distance between
the local reference points and their corresponding references. The longitudinal
distance is the difference between the distance values to the scanner. The traffic
light indicates the quality of this individual criterion. It is green at values
<10mm, red at values >20mm and orange between them.
Angular mismatch - The standard deviation of the angular distance between the
local reference points and the corresponding references. The angles are measured
in the local coordinate system of the scanner. The traffic light indicates the
quality of this individual criterion. It is green at values <0.08, red at values
>0.17 and orange between them.
Orthogonal mismatch - The standard deviation of the orthogonal distance
between the local reference points and the corresponding references. This is a
way to express the angular mismatch as distance mismatch.
Inclinometer mismatch - Angular difference between the calculated orientation
axis and the axis defined by the inclinometer. The traffic light indicates the
quality of this individual criterion. It is green at values <1, red at values >5 and
orange between them.
List of references used
Object - The name of the reference object. If reference object is a specific real
reference, the full path of the corresponding object will be displayed; if
referenced object is a virtual mean reference (mean reference from several
scans) only its name will be displayed.
Distance - The distance between the local reference point and the
corresponding global reference.
Long. - The longitudinal distance between local reference point and the
Angular - The angular distance between the local reference point and the
Orth. - The orthogonal distance between the local reference point and the
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The traffic light here is green if a minimum of three references (including the
inclinometer) are available; it's red if there are less than three references.
When you press the button View, a 3D view will open which gives you an
overview of the placement of the scanner and the local and global references.
Figure 20-78 Overview of References
Figure 20-79 Overview of References
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Scan Folder
Figure 20-80 Scan Folder Properties
Name - The name of the scan folder.

Layer - The representation layer in which the scan folder is located.
Select active layer - Enters the currently active representation layer.
Assign layer to all contained objects - All the scans of the scan folder take on
the representation layer of the scan folder.
Figure 20-81 Scan Folder Properties - Folder
Cluster - Determine the scan folder as a cluster.

Reference Cluster - Determine the cluster as the reference cluster
Fixed Cluster - Mark the cluster alignment as fixed and exclude it from further
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Scan Manager
Figure 20-82 Scan manager
Name - The name of the scan manager.

Managed by - Name of the super ordinate scan manager.
Inclinometer - If checked, the inclinometer data will be used for the registration.
If there is at least one scan without inclinometer data, the box will be grayed out.
Sub Manager - List of the subordinate scan managers.
The scan manager also informs whether external references were used for the
registration or not.
The traffic lights next to the scan managers indicate whether they contain good or
failed scan fits. If a traffic light next to a scan manager is red, this means that this
scan manager contains bad scan fits. Green means that all the quality criteria are
met. Amber shows that at least one quality criterion is somewhat compromised.
If there is a
symbol next to a scan manger or a scan fit, this means that
registration could not be executed because of e.g. missing references.
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If you want to see the critical fits of a subordinate scan manager, double click
onto this scan manager (in this example the scan manager of cluster "floor1") to
open it. Switch to the tab Scan Results.
Figure 20-83 Scan results
The tab Scan Results gives you a list of all scan fits managed by the scan
manager and shows the overall quality of each registration. This is symbolized by
a traffic light too. Double-clicking on a fit object in the list opens its properties
dialog. For more information, see Scan Fit on page 207.
The average tension of each registration is calculated in the second column of
this table: the lower the value, the better the registration result. Here you can
easily see which registrations failed or which registration results are bad (in this
example the first two scan fits have a amber traffic light, so they seem not to be
optimal). To identify the critical reference pairs which are responsible for the bad
fit, you can switch to tab Ref. Tensions.
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Correspondence View - opens the correspondence view with all the scans that
are managed by the scan manager.
Figure 20-84 Target tensions
Tab Ref. Tensions shows all reference pairs used for the scan placement, sorted
by their tension. The information given here is mainly the same as in the tension
table. The value Tension describes the discrepancy in the global coordinate
system between the position and the orientation of the two corresponding
reference objects in Scan 1 and Scan 2. With reference points the distance
between the positions of the two reference points serves as input for the
calculation of the tension. With planes, slabs or pipes the position and the
direction of the objects serve as input for the calculation of this value.
Values close to zero indicate a good registration result. Here you can easily
identify reference pairs which are causing problems in the registration (in this
example the reference "Pipe1" in the scans FARO_LS096_016 and
FARO_LS096_017 seems to cause the problem). Clicking on the scan name
selects the corresponding reference in this scan, double clicking opens the
reference's properties.
Weighted Tensions - Global references and inclinometer data have higher
weightings in the registration algorithm. When you activate this option, these
different weightings will be considered in the calculation of the tensions.
Full Hierarchy - When activated, the reference pairs of all scan managers will
be displayed.
Weighted Statistics
Mean - Mean value over all tensions.
Deviation - Deviation over all tensions.
Min. - Minimum tension
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Max. - Maximum tension
Pull
Figure 20-85 Pull dialog
Name - The name of the push/pull object.

Distraction - The size of the move.
Push
This object has the same properties as the pull object. See Pull on page 240.
Scanner Parameter
Depending on the used scanner type, the scan properties dialog might have
different tabs. On the following pages the scan properties dialog will be
described for scans recorded with the FARO Laser Scanner:
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Scan
Figure 20-86 Scan Properties
Size - The number of columns and rows. If a scan is loaded in reduced resolution,
the reduced number of columns and rows is displayed and, in light grey
underneath, the complete number of columns and rows.
Data loaded - Indicates whether the scan is loaded.
Reference Scan - Indicates whether the scan is used as a reference scan for
registration.
Scan Fixed - Mark the scan alignment as fixed and exclude it from further
Scanner Dist. Range - range of the scanner.
Scanner Position - The position of the scanner with the mirror being the point of
origin.
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Orientation Axis - Rotation axis of the scan.

Orientation Angle - The scan's angle of rotation.
Recording Date - The time the scan was recorded.
Scan Origin Info - Additional information on the origin of the scan, for
example, where it was recorded.
Info - Further details which were provided when recording.
General
Figure 20-87 Scan Properties - General
Name - Name of the scan. Scans cannot be renamed.

Layer - The representation layer in which the scan is located.
Select active layer - Enters the currently active representation layer.
Assign layer to all contained objects - All the objects of the scan take on the
representation layer of the scan.
Transformation
See Transformation on page 242.
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Scan Area
Figure 20-88 Scan Properties - Scan Area
Angular Area - The recorded angular area.

Vertical - The vertical angular area.
Horizontal - The horizontal angular area.
Resolution - The resolution of the scan, measured in fractions of the maximum
resolution.
X-Control - the X-Control setting that had been selected for the recording of the
scan. The X-Control setting has influence on the quality respectively on the noise
of the scan data. The corresponding measurement rate is displayed too (in 1000
points per second).
Filters
Clear Sky - checked if the Clear Sky Filter had been applied during the
recording of the scan.
Clear Contour - checked if Clear Contour Filter had been applied during the
recording of the scan
Size - Number of rows and columns.
File Size - File size of the scan.
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Operation
Figure 20-89 Scan Properties - Operation
Name - The name of the project or the order.

Company - The client's company name.
Division - The client's or order's division.
Subdivision - The client's or order's sub-division.
Area - The scanned area.
Info - Additional information.
Min. Reflection - The reflection value limit set when recording.
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November 2010
Operator
Figure 20-90 Scan Properties - Operator
Name - The name of the operator.

Company - The operator's company name.
Info - Additional information for the operator.
Scanner Info
Figure 20-91 Scan Properties - Scanner Info
Scanner - The name of the scanner.

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November 2010
Revision - The revision number which is allocated during servicing.

Scanner Type - The type of scanner.
Serial Number - The serial number of the scanner.
Range - The range of the scanner.
Compensation - The name of the compensation file.
Scanner Settings
Figure 20-92 Scan Properties - Scanner Settings
This tab contains some compensation data of the scanner.
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Status
Figure 20-93 Scan Properties - Status
Orientation Axis - Shows the up direction of the inclinometer in the scan

system. Pressing Use will reset the inclinometer axis to the global z-axis.
Orientation Angle - Shows the angle between the z-axis and the inclinometer
axis in the scan system.
Transformation mismatch - Shows the difference between the z-axis defined by
the inclinometer and the z-axis defined by the scan's transformation.
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Camera
Figure 20-94 Scan Properties - Camera
Camera Mount - Type of the camera bracket that has been used for taking a
colored scan.
Non-winding is the old, fixed type.
No parallax is the new mount with the sliding mechanism.
No parallax, with pins is the camera mount with the sliding mechanism and
pins that fit into the bushes on the side of newer FARO Laser Scanners. Please
that older models of the FARO Laser Scanner are not equipped with these
bushes.
Camera Orientation - Camera orientation
Top - The camera was fixed in the top position of the mount bracket: Therefore
the camera was pointing slightly upwards when taking pictures.
Horizontal - The camera was fixed in the lower position of the mount bracket
and therefore oriented horizontally.
Exposure
Manual - Exposure time, exposure index, and f-number is set directly at the
camera.
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November 2010
By Scanner - The scanner determined a balanced exposure setting.

Correction - Correction factor for the exposure settings that have been
determined by the scanner.
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SCENE offers a feature for modeling. With DrawToCAD it is possible to draw in
the Planar View of SCENE and the coordinates are transferred directly into
AutoCAD. For this, the software FARO Cloud for AutoCAD is necessary.
DrawToCAD will transfer the coordinates to AutoCAD according to the unit of
length for data export selected in the options of SCENE. See Options on
page 164.
Options
Figure 21-1 DrawToCAD
Installation
During the installation process of SCENE you can select to add the DrawToCAD
feature. Please note that FARO Cloud for AutoCAD and AutoCAD have to be
installed on your system in order to use this feature.
In SCENE you will get an additional menu.
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November 2010
Working with DrawToCAD

The idea behind DrawToCAD is to draw in the Planar View of SCENE. Here the
point cloud looks like a picture and the modeling is much easier as compared to
working directly on the point cloud in AutoCAD.
Open SCENE and AutoCAD.
For the overview it is helpful to open both windows side by side on the screen.
Click on Connect to AutoCAD
other buttons
and
. If the connection was successful the two
are now available.
DrawToCAD reflects the two different modes that are available in AutoCAD:
1 Work with 2D Coordinates:
Choose a draw option in AutoCAD
Then click on Transfer 2D

in DrawToCAD. Now click on the points in the
Planar View. The coordinates of the selected points are transferred directly into
AutoCAD.
2 Work with 3D Coordinates:
Choose the 3D-Ployline in AutoCAD. Now click on Transfer 3D
DrawToCAD.
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The coordinates of a point describe its exact location in relation to an agreed
reference point. This reference point is referred to as the origin of the coordinate
system. With a scan, you receive points in the three dimensional space, therefore,
for a precise description of a measured point, you need the definition of the origin
and three other values which then indicate the relative location to this origin.
Depending on the choice of origin, you can decide between local coordinates or
global coordinates. The three other values can be set to different degrees, so that
you obtain polar coordinates or Cartesian coordinates, for example.
Local Coordinates
When scanning, the position of the scanner emerges as the natural origin of the
coordinate system because when recording the scan, all position specifications of
the points are initially recorded in relation to the scanner. This coordinate system
is therefore described as the local coordinate system.
Polar Coordinates
Due to the rotation of the scanner, its natural coordinate system is the polar
coordinate system, with which two angles and a distance value are used to
determine the position.
Figure 22-1 Polar coordinates
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November 2010
For the single scan points created by the scanner, you can find the polar
coordinates in the bottom status bar:
Figure 22-2 Display the polar coordinates of a scan point
Cartesian Coordinates
In day to day use, you would generally use Cartesian coordinates, which have a
direct reference to concepts such as length, width and height, rather than polar
coordinates.
Figure 22-3 Cartesian coordinates
The conversion of polar coordinates into Cartesian coordinates occurs

automatically in SCENE. It is completely independent from the location of the
scanner or other influencing variables because it simply converts between two
types of representation at the same level. The converted coordinates are
displayed directly next to the polar coordinates in the bottom status bar:
Figure 22-4 Display of the Cartesian coordinates of a scan point
Global Coordinates
If a scan is viewed in its 3D position against another scan, local coordinates are
no longer practical. If, for example, two scans were recorded at different
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November 2010
positions, the points within each one can have the same local coordinates; they
match reality but not one another.
Therefore, you should relate the coordinates to one reference point which
remains the same for all scans. This reference point is normally selected so that it
is also possible to make a comparison using other systems, for example a CAD
system.
By doing so, you can view polar coordinates and Cartesian coordinates again.
However, since the polar coordinates do not produce a clearer representation than
the Cartesian coordinates, you will find no use for them in this environment and
they are therefore not explained in any more detail here.
Coordinate Transformation
You can calculate the global coordinates using the local coordinates of a point if
you know the relationship between the local and the global coordinate system. To
do this, you transfer the local coordinates into global coordinates by tracing the
movement which would make both coordinate systems match. You can
differentiate between two types of movement:
If the local origin does not match the global origin, all coordinate specifications
must be moved by the difference between the local and global origin. This
movement is also called Translation.
Figure 22-5 Translation
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If the orientation of the coordinate axes is different, you have to make them
match with a Rotation.
Figure 22-6 Rotation
The rotation is described by a rotation axis and the corresponding angle of

rotation. Generally, any rotation can be described with a single rotation axis; this
rotation axis, however, does not necessarily match one of the coordinate axes! It
is then sometimes difficult to make this rotation graphically clear. However, you
can also split the rotation up into three separate rotations around the coordinate
axes. In this type of representation you can imagine the result of a rotation more
easily. SCENE saves the rotation internally with a single rotation axis and a
single angle of rotation; the user interface, however, displays the more
comprehensible type of representation of the three rotations around the
coordinate axes. Please note that when splitting the rotation into three separate
rotations around the coordinate axes, it is important to have a defined sequence of
the axes. If you first rotate around x, then around y, and finally around z with
some specific angles of rotation, you get different results than you would get with
the sequence x, z, y.
Figure 22-7 Rotation of 90 around y and then 90 around z
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November 2010
Figure 22-8 Rotation of 90 around z and then 90 around y
In the user interface, SCENE uses the sequence x-y-z.

If you want to fine-tune a rotation on a per-axis basis, this default sequence may
lead to some unexpected behavior. For example if you want to place an object
interactively and you are so far satisfied with the orientation around the x axis
and the z axis. Now you want to adjust the orientation around the y axis - but
when you change the corresponding rotation angle, the object seems to move
around a totally different axis! This is simply caused by the fact that the rotation
around the y axis is applied in the middle of the two other rotations. A more
intuitive behavior is achieved when the rotation is last in the sequence. You can
enforce this more appropriate sequence, when you checkmark Axis snap in the
dialog.
Local coordinates can always be transferred into global coordinates with a simple
combination of these two basic movements: translation and rotation. This
transfer is also called Transformation. The sequence in which the basic
movements are executed is important because it makes a big difference whether
you first move and then rotate or first rotate and then move. In SCENE the
rotation takes place first and then the translation.
Coordinate Transformation of a Scan

In order to know the coordinate transformation of a scan, you have to know its
position and orientation. You can see these values if you click on the scan with
the right mouse button in the structure view and select Properties in the context
menu.
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November 2010
On the General tab, the position and orientation are displayed in compact
notation with a single angle of rotation.
Figure 22-9 Orientation displayed compactly
On the Transformation tab, you will see the same information displayed in a
more intuitive way.
Figure 22-10 Orientation displayed more intuitively
Of course, coordinate transformations can not only be applied to local

coordinates but can also be used to convert from one global coordinate system to
another. For example, you could use a hall coordinate system as the first
coordinate system, which has the origin in the corner of a hall and whose axes
run along the walls of the hall. On a greater scale, you could define a plant
coordinate system whose origin lies in the south-west corner of the plant
premises and whose axes match the four points of a compass.
Figure 22-11 Hierarchical transformations
Then you only have to describe the transformation between the hall and the plant
premises to automatically obtain all the coordinate specifications within the hall
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November 2010
in plant coordinates. SCENE proceeds hierarchically from inside to outside: first,

the local coordinates within the scan are transformed into hall coordinates and
these are then converted into plant.
The position of the scan is not only stored in the Workspace and its
corresponding file .fws, but also in the scan file itself. When using hierarchical
transformations, you should note that the scan file only stores the local
transformation, not the global. In the example above, this means that the scan file
only contains the relative position to the hall, not to the plant.
Transformation and Registration

Registration of scans is always performed in the global coordinate system. If you
have added transformations in the scan folders, these transformations will of
course also be used during the registration. The result might not be the one you
expected: the scans will be positioned on the same global coordinates as they
would have without the additional transformations! Only their local coordinates
may differ.
If you want to add a transformation because you don't want to use the coordinate
system of the surveyor, you should input it into the References folder.
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November 2010

Survey Data .csv
Each row of the file contains one single reference point with the following
specifications: name, x coordinate, y coordinate, z coordinate and measurement
quality. All four specifications have to be given and have to be separated by the
same separator, which can be a blank space, a colon, a semicolon or a tab. The
coordinates are specified in the unit that has been defined in TOOLS < OPTIONS
< UNITS.
General Scan Data Format .xyz

Each row of the file contains one scan point. There are two variants:
With the first variant, the x coordinate, y coordinate, z coordinate and the
reflection value are specified for each scan point.
With the second variant, two additional specifications are made for each scan
point: the row and the column in the planar representation.
When exporting, the coordinates are converted into the export unit selected at the
time; when importing it is assumed that the coordinates will be received in the
selected import unit.
When exporting, the reflection value that was also used for the screen
representation is taken, so it lies between 0 and 255.
Binary Scan Data Format .xyzb

The file starts with details in ASCII format.
The first line reads: # FARO XYZ binary format v1.0
The second row contains the specification ScanPosition, made up of the x
coordinate, y coordinate and z coordinate of the scan position.
The third row contains the specification Rows followed by the number of rows.
The fourth row contains the specification Cols followed by the number of
columns.
This is followed by 4 bytes with 0 displayed to mark the start of the binary data.
This is then followed by the binary data for each scan point: x, y, and z as the
double and the reflection value as the unsigned short. There is no separator
between scan points.
All scan points of the area are exported, the values are metric.
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November 2010
Scan Data Format .ptc

PTC is the data format of FARO Cloud, which is used to display point clouds in
AutoCAD.
Please note that the export first collects all the scan points before it starts writing
the file, therefore the memory demand might be very big.
Scan Data Format .ptx

This format is especially suited for exchanging scan points and their
corresponding coordinate transformation.
All values are given in ASCII and are metric. The first line states the number of
columns, the second line the number of rows. In the next line, the translation part
of the transformation is given (a 3D vector). After that, 3 lines with the rotation
part follow (a 3x3 matrix). The next 4 lines contain the full transformation (a 4x4
matrix). Finally the scan points are written, one scan point per line: x, y, z, and a
reflection value. In addition, 3 RGB values may follow. The reflection value is
between 0 and 1.
When importing a PTX file, the following dialog pops up:
Figure 23-1 PTX import dialog
Row/Column Orientation
Rows per column - The input file contains the data column-wise, i.e. it starts
with all the rows of the first column, then all rows of the second column, and
so on. Good when importing FARO PTX files.
Columns per row - The input file contains the data row-wise, i.e. it starts with
all columns of the first row, then the second row, and so on.
Intensity Mapping
Linear - A linear mapping of intensity values to grey values.
Non-linear - A non-linear mapping of intensity values to grey values. Good
when importing e.g. Leica PTX files.
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November 2010
If the PTX file contains RGB values, intensity mapping is not done. The RGB
values are used instead.
If your input looks like garbage in the planar view, but seems to be OK in the 3D
view, then try the import again with a different row/column orientation.
Scan Data Format .ptz

PTZ is the binary data format of Leica HDS scan files, which are usually created
with Leica's scan software Cyclone. SCENE can import these files.
When importing a PTZ file, the following dialog pops up:
Figure 23-2 PTZ import dialog
Intensity Mapping
Linear - A linear mapping of intensity values to grey values.
Non-linear - A non-linear mapping of intensity values to grey values. Good
when importing e.g. Leica PTZ files.
If the PTZ file contains colors, intensity mapping is not done. The colors are used
instead.
Scan Data Format .zfc

ZFC is the binary data format of processed Z+F (Zoller+Frhlich) scan files.
These file format is usually created with Z+F's scan software LFM. SCENE can
import these files.
Please note that to date .zfc import is only available on 32-bit systems.
IGES
SCENE uses IGES version 5.3 with the following objects:
Scan point: IGES type 116 (Point Entity)
Point: IGES type 116 (Point Entity)
Sphere: IGES type 158 (Sphere Entity)
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Plane (idealized): IGES type 108, form 0 (Plane Entity, unbounded);

Plane (as a square): IGES type 108, form 1 (Plane Entity, bounded); edge as
IGES type 106, form 63 (Simple Closed Planar Curve Entity)
Limited plane: IGES type 108, form 1 (Plane Entity, bounded); edge as IGES
type 106, form 63 (Simple Closed Planar Curve Entity)
Object name: IGES type 212 (General Note Entity)
Unfortunately not all CAD systems convert the IGES standard completely and
correctly.
For example, CATIA and Autodesk Mechanical Desktop do not import IGES
type 158. Therefore, you cannot display any spheres in these systems.
CATIA does not import IGES type 212 either, so the object names are also
dropped.
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The application must be started once by someone with sufficient privilege to
register controls. Otherwise several modules won't work as expected. You
should at least have "Power User" rights. - SCENE must be started at least
once by a power user or administrator to ensure all functions can be executed
smoothly.
Version of model is not supported - The workspace was saved with a later
version of SCENE and cannot be read by your version. Use a later version of
SCENE.
Version of scan is not supported - The scan was saved with a later version of
SCENE and cannot be read by your version. Use a later version of SCENE.
Failed to rename 'Scan'. Renaming scan files is not permitted! - You cannot
rename scans.
One or several objects failed to read in successfully. Please check properties
of marked objects. - The workspace contains scans that do not exist as a file.
Not all contents of 'Object' were copied successfully. One or several children
are bound to their original location. - When copying objects that were created
by a fit, it is not possible to also copy the fit object to the new location.
The move request was rejected, because either 'Object' or one of its children
is bound to its current location. - Some objects cannot be moved or copied to
different locations, for example fit objects, or unloaded pictures.
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Why can I not rename scans?
Scans in the workspace must have the same name as the corresponding scan file
on your data medium. You cannot rename the scan file at the same time as the
scan in the workspace because scans can be used in several workspaces
simultaneously.
Why can I only load a few scans even though I have a very big virtual
memory?
Apart from the physical memory and the virtual memory, Windows has yet
another parameter which limits the memory: the address space. The address
space indicates the maximum amount of memory a process like SCENE can take
up, independent of how much physical or virtual memory is available.
With Windows, the standard address space of a process is restricted to 2GB.
However, you can also configure Windows with the boot option "/3GB" in such a
way that a process is allocated 3GB of address space. Please contact your system
administrator for this.
Why do I always get the message "Load data reduced size" when loading
scans?
Please check the settings under TOOLS < OPTIONS < SCAN DATA. The
maximum scan size permitted is set there. You can lift the size restriction by
setting the setting to unlimited.
Why does my license not work any more?
The license is linked to the Ethernet address of your network card. When
checking the license, SCENE compares the Ethernet address of the network card
with the saved license. Unfortunately, a lot of network cards hide the Ethernet
address if you are not physically connected to a network.
Why is the scan loaded even when starting a quick view?
The quick view is normally saved in the scan. If this is not the case for a scan,
SCENE has to first load the scan before it can display the quick view. If the
security settings permit it, SCENE then writes the quick view in the scan, so that
next time you open the quick view, it is no longer necessary to load.
When I call the context menu, why do I sometimes get the dialog to select the
object?
If several objects are lying next to one another or objects are lying within the
selection, SCENE has to ask which object you mean.
267

November 2010
Why can I no longer load some scans?

Some virus scanners have problems with the extensive scan files. Disable the
virus scanner when working with SCENE.
268

November 2010

paintlib
SCENE contains paintlib code. paintlib is copyright (c) 1996-2000 Ulrich von
Zadow.
libtiff
Copyright (c) 1988-1997 Sam Leffler
Copyright (c) 1991-1997 Silicon Graphics, Inc.
JPEG
This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.
KissFFT
Copyright (c) 2003,4 Mark Borgerding
All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this
list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/
or other materials provided with the distribution.
Neither the author nor the names of any contributors may be used to endorse
or promote products derived from this software without specific prior
written permission.
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND
CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
269

November 2010
DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER

CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN
CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE
OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
Open Source Computer Vision Library

Copyright (C) 2000, 2001, Intel Corporation, all rights reserved.
Third party copyrights are property of their respective owners.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
Redistribution's of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this
list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
Redistribution's in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/
or other materials provided with the distribution.
The name of Intel Corporation may not be used to endorse or promote
products derived from this software without specific prior written
permission.
This software is provided by the copyright holders and contributors "as is" and
any express or implied warranties, including, but not limited to, the implied
warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed.
In no event shall the Intel Corporation or contributors be liable for any direct,
indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages (including, but
not limited to, procurement of substitute goods or services; loss of use, data, or
profits; or business interruption) however caused and on any theory of liability,
whether in contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise)
arising in any way out of the use of this software, even if advised of the
possibility of such damage.
270

November 2010

Context menu - a menu with commands that can be applied to the object
selected. It appears if you click on an object with the right mouse button.
Fit object - an auxiliary object created by the object fit, that stores the selection
used for the fit and the quality values of the fit.
Folder - an object type which stores any objects other than scans. It is similar to
the Windows file system folder. The complement to this is the Scan Folder, in
which scans are received.
Layer - is used to draw a grouping of objects in order to be able to control the
visibility of objects.
Measurements - in the structure view a visible object of the workspace. It
contains the measurement logs.
Menu bar - the top horizontal section in the SCENE screen. The menu bar
contains all the menus with commands for the general operation. Further
commands can be found in the toolbars and context menus.
Models - in the structure view a visible object of the workspace. It contains the
CAD objects.
Object fit - ascertaining the best fitting object parameters possible from the scan
points.
References - in the structure view a visible object of the workspace. It contains
the reference objects for positioning scans (for example, survey coordinates) and
should not be renamed.
Scan Folder - An object type that receives scans. It is similar to the Windows file
system folder. The complement to this is the folder, in which all other objects are
received.
Scans - a visible object of the workspace in the structure view. It is a kind of Scan
Folder and contains Scans.
Status bar - the bottom horizontal section on the SCENE screen. The status bar
displays command details or responses to the last command executed as well as
scan point data.
Structure view - shows the structure of the workspace, including subfolders and
objects.
Toolbar - a toolbar has buttons with which you can easily start commands.
SCENE has many toolbars, which you can hide or unhide where necessary.
Toolbars are mostly situated in the upper area of the screen, below the menu bar.
271

November 2010
Workspace - the combination of all data required to process and analyze scans.
This includes scans, CAD data, survey data, measurement results, text fields and
much more.
272
Technical Support
FARO Technologies, Inc. is committed to providing the best technical
support to our customers. Our Service Policy is detailed in Appendix C:
Industrial Products Service Policy of this manual. If you have any
problem using one of our products, please follow these steps before
contacting our Technical Support Team:
Be sure to read the relevant sections of the documentation to find the
help you need.
Visit the FARO Customer Care area on the Web at www.faro.com to
search our technical support database. This is available 24 hours a day
7 days a week.
Document the problem you are experiencing. Be as specific as you
can. The more information you have, the easier the problem will be to
solve.
If you still cannot resolve your problem, have your devices Serial
Number available before calling.
Support Hours (Monday through Friday)
North America:
8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Europe:
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central European Standard Time (CET).
Asia:
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Singapore Standard Time (SST).
Japan:
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Japan Standard Time (JST).
China:
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. China Standard Time (CST).
India:
9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. India Standard Time (IST).
You can also e-mail or fax any problems or questions 24 hours a day.
Phone
North America:
800 736 2771, +1 407 333 3182 (Worldwide)
Europe:
+800 3276 7378, +49 7150 9797-400 (Worldwide)
273
Asia:
1800 511 1360, +65 6511 1350 (Worldwide)
Japan:
+800 6511 1360, +81 561 63 1411 (Worldwide)
China:
+800 6511 1360, +86 21 6191 7600 (Worldwide)
India:
000800 650 1397, +91 11 4167 6330/1 (Worldwide)
Fax
North America:
+1 407 333 8056
Europe:
+800 3276 1737, +49 7150 9797-9400 (Worldwide)
Asia:
+65 6543 0111
Japan:
+81 561 63 1412
China:
+86 21 6494 8670
India:
+91 11 4167 6332
E-Mail
North America:
support@faro.com
Europe:
support@faroeurope.com
Asia:
salesap@faro.com
Japan:
support_japan@faro.com
China:
chinainfo@faro.com
India:
infoindia@faro.com
274
E-Mails or Faxes sent outside regular working hours usually are

answered before 12:00 p.m. the next working day. Should our staff be
on other calls, please leave a voice mail message; calls are always
returned within 4 hours. Please remember to leave a detailed description
of your question and your devices Serial Number. Do not forget to
include your name, fax number, telephone number and extension so we
can reach you promptly.
275
Appendix A: Software License

Agreement
This Software License Agreement is part of the Operating Manual for
the product and software System which you have purchased from FARO
TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (collectively, the Licenser) By your use of
the software you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of this
Software License Agreement. Throughout this Software License
Agreement, the term Licensee means the owner of the System.
I. The Licenser hereby grants the Licensee the non-exclusive right to
use the computer software described in this Operating Manual (the
software). The Licensee shall have no right to sell, assign, sublicense, rent or lease the software to any third party without the
Licensers prior written consent.
II. The Licenser further grants the Licensee the right to make a backup
copy of the software media. The Licensee agrees that it will not
decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, copy, transfer, or otherwise
use the software except as permitted by this section. The Licensee
further agrees not to copy any written materials accompanying the
software.
III. The Licensee is licensed to use the Software only in the manner
described in the Operating Manual. Use of the Software in a manner
other than that described in the Operating Manual or use of the software
in conjunction with any non-Licenser product which decompiles or
recompiles the software or in any other way modifies the structure,
sequence or function of the software code, is not an authorized use, and
further, such use voids the Licensers set forth below.
IV. The only warranty with respect to the software and the
accompanying written materials is the warranty, if any, set forth in the
Quotation/Purchase Order and Appendix B: Purchase Conditions
pursuant to which the software was purchased from the Licenser.
V. THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF OTHER WARRANTIES,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO
THE SOFTWARE AND WRITTEN MATERIALS. IN NO EVENT
A-1
WILL THE LICENSER BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING

ANY LOST PROFITS OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR
INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE, NOTWITHSTANDING
THAT THE LICENSER HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, THE LICENSER WILL NOT
BE LIABLE FOR ANY SUCH CLAIM BY ANY OTHER PARTY.
VI. In the event of any breach by the Licensee of this Agreement, the
license granted hereby shall immediately terminate and the Licensee
shall return the software media and all written materials, together with
any copy of such media or materials, and the Licensee shall keep no
copies of such items.
VII.The interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by the
following provisions:
A. This Agreement shall be construed pursuant to and governed by
the substantive laws of the State of Florida (and any provision of
Florida law shall not apply if the law of a state or jurisdiction other
than Florida would otherwise apply).
B. If any provision of this Agreement is determined by a court of
competent jurisdiction to be void and non-enforceable, such
determination shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement,
and the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full
force and effect. If any provision or term of this Agreement is
susceptible to two or more constructions or interpretations, one or
more of which would render the provision or term void or nonenforceable, the parties agree that a construction or interpretation
which renders the term of provision valid shall be favored.
C. This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement, and supersedes
all prior agreements and understandings, oral and written, among the
parties to this Agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof.
VIII.If a party engages the services of an attorney or any other third
party or in any way initiates legal action to enforce its rights under this
Agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover all
reasonable costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees
before trial and in appellate proceedings).
A-2
Appendix B: Purchase Conditions

All Purchase Orders (hereafter, the Order) for FARO-provided
products and services (hereafter, the Product) are subject to the
following terms and conditions, which are agreed to by the Purchaser.
All capitalized terms are defined in Section 8.00 Definitions hereafter.
1.00Payment of Purchase Price
1.01Purchaser hereby promises to pay to the order of FARO all deferred
portions of the Purchase Price, together with interest on late purchase
price payments payable at 1.5% per month (18% per annum).
1.02The Purchaser grants to FARO a security interest in the products
sold pursuant to the Order, which may be perfected by UCC-1
Financing Statements to be recorded in the applicable County of the
Purchasers business location and filed with the Secretary of States
Office, which security interest will remain in effect until payment in full
of the purchase price together with interest on late purchase price
payments payable thereon had been received by FARO.
1.03If the Purchaser fails to make full payment of the purchase price
within the period set out in the Order, FARO shall at its option have the
following remedies, which shall be cumulative and not alternative:
a) the right to cancel the Order and enter the Purchasers premises to
re-take possession of the Product, in which event the Purchaser agrees
that any down-payment or deposit shall be forfeited to FARO, as
liquidated damages and not as a penalty, and all costs incurred by
FARO in connection with the removal and subsequent transportation
of the Product shall be payable by the Purchaser upon written
demand;
b) the right to enter the Purchasers premises and remove any
Software, components of the Product or other items necessary in
order to render the Product inoperative;
c) the right to withhold all services which would otherwise be
required to be provided by FARO pursuant to the Warranties set out in
Section 4.00 Warranties and Limitation of Liability hereof;
d) terminate any existing software license agreement and
B-1
e) pursue any other available remedy, including suing to collect any

remaining balance of the purchase price (i.e., accelerate the payment
of the purchase price causing the entire balance to immediately
become due and payable in full).
f) Customer will be charged a 20% restocking fee for refusal to accept
equipment as delivered. Equipment must be returned unopened within
10 business days of receipt at customer facility.
1.04If Purchaser fails to make payment(s) in accordance with the terms
of this Order, the Purchasers Products may be rendered inoperable until
such payment terms are met.
No waiver by FARO of its rights under these conditions shall be deemed
to constitute a waiver of subsequent breaches or defaults by the
Purchaser. In the event more than one Product is being purchased
pursuant to the Order, unless otherwise set forth herein, each payment
received by FARO from Purchaser shall be applied pro rata against the
cost of each product rather than being applied to the purchase price of
any product.
2.00Delivery and Transportation
2.01Delivery dates are estimates and not guarantees, and are based upon
conditions at the time such estimate is given.
2.02FARO shall not be liable for any loss or damage, whether direct,
indirect or consequential, resulting from late delivery of the Product.
The Purchasers sole remedy, if the Product is not delivered within 90
days of the estimated delivery date, shall be to cancel the Order and to
recover from FARO without interest or penalty, the amount of the downpayment or deposit and any other part of the purchase price which has
been paid by the Purchaser. Notwithstanding the foregoing, such right of
cancellation shall not extend to situations where late delivery is
occasioned by causes beyond FAROs control, including, without
limitation, compliance with any rules, regulations, orders or instructions
of any federal, state, county, municipal or other government or any
department or agency thereof, force majuere, acts or omissions of the
Purchaser, acts of civil or military authorities, embargoes, war or
insurrection, labor interruption through strike or walkout, transportation
delays and other inability resulting from causes beyond FAROs control
to obtain necessary labor, manufacturing facilities or materials from its
usual sources. Any delays resulting from such causes shall extend
estimated delivery dates by the length of such delay.
B-2
2.03Responsibility for all costs and risks in any way connected with the
storage, transportation and installation of the Product shall be borne
entirely by the Purchaser. If any disagreement arises as to whether or not
damage to the Product was in fact caused in storage, transit or on
installation, the opinion of FAROs technical advisors, acting
reasonably, shall be conclusive.
3.00Installation and Operator Training
3.01The Purchaser shall be responsible for installation of the Product,
including, without limitation, the preparation of its premises, the
uncrating of the Product and setting up of the Product for operation.
Purchaser may elect to order contract services from FARO to perform
this service should they elect to do so.
4.00Warranties and Limitation of Liability
4.01FARO warrants that (subject to Section 4.06), the Product shall be
free from defects in workmanship or material affecting the fitness of the
Product for its usual purpose under normal conditions of use, service
and maintenance. A complete statement of FAROs maintenance/
warranty service is set forth in Appendix B: Purchase Conditions.
4.02FARO warrants that the Software shall operate according to
specifications and the System shall operate and perform in the manner
contemplated in connection with the usual purpose for which it is
designed.
4.03The maintenance/warranty set out in paragraphs 4.01 shall expire at
the end of the twelve (12) month period commencing on the date of
shipment from the FARO factory (the Maintenance/Warranty Period).
4.04Subject to the limitations contained in Section 4.06, the Warranties
shall apply to any defects found by the Purchaser in the operation of the
FARO Laser Scanner Photon and reported to FARO within the
Maintenance/Warranty Period. If the FARO Laser Scanner Photon or
the Software is found by FARO, acting reasonably, to be defective, and
if the defect is acknowledged by FARO to be the result of FAROs
faulty material or workmanship, the FARO Laser Scanner Photon will
be repaired or adjusted to the extent found by FARO to be necessary or
at the option of FARO, replaced with a new FARO Laser Scanner
Photon or parts thereof at no cost to the Purchaser.
B-3
4.05Claims under the Warranties shall be made by delivering written

notice to FARO of the defect in the System, the FARO Laser Scanner
Photon. Within a reasonable time of receipt of such notice, FARO shall
have the System and FARO Laser Scanner Photon diagnosed by its
service personnel, and maintenance/warranty service will be provided at
no cost to the Purchaser if the System and FARO Laser Scanner Photon
is found by FARO to be defective within the meaning of this Section.
(If, in the reasonable opinion of FARO after diagnosis of the system and
the FARO Laser Scanner Photon are not defective, the Purchaser shall
pay the cost of service, which shall be the amount that FARO would
otherwise charge for an evaluation under a non-warranty service
evaluation.
4.06The Warranties do not apply to:
a) Any defects in any component of a System where, if in the
reasonable opinion of FARO, the FARO Laser Scanner Photon,
Software or System has been improperly stored, installed, operated,
or maintained, or if Purchaser has permitted unauthorized
modifications, additions, adjustments and/or repair to any hard drive
structure or content, or any other part of the System, or which might
affect the System, or defects caused or repairs required as a result of
causes external to FARO workmanship or the materials used by
FARO. As used herein, unauthorized means that which has not been
approved and permitted by FARO.
b) The Warranties shall not cover replacement of expendable items,
including, but not limited to, fuses, diskettes, printer paper, printer
ink, printing heads, disk cleaning materials, or similar items.
c) The Warranties shall not cover minor preventive and corrective
maintenance, including, but not limited to, replacement of fuses, disk
drive head cleaning, fan filter cleaning and system clock battery
replacement.
d) Any equipment or its components which was sold or transferred to
any party other than the original Purchaser without the expressed
written consent of FARO.
4.07Factory Repairs
a) IF SYSTEM IS UNDER MAINTANENCE/WARRANTY: The
Purchaser agrees to ship the Product to FARO in the original packing
B-4
containers. FARO will return the repaired or replacement Product.

FARO will incur the expense of the needed part and all return
shipping charges to the Purchaser. FARO may authorize the
manufacturer of a component of the Product to perform the service.
b) IF SYSTEM IS UNDER PREMIUM SERVICE PLAN: When
practical and subject to availability, FARO will make available to the
Purchaser substitute component parts or FARO Laser Scanner
Photons (Temporary Replacements) while corresponding parts of
the Purchasers system or FARO Laser Scanner Photon are
undergoing repair at FAROs factory. Shipping charges for these
Temporary Replacement parts or FARO Laser Scanner Photons
will be the responsibility of FARO.
c) IF SYSTEM IS NOT UNDER MAINTANENCE/WARRANTY:
The Purchaser is responsible for the cost of the replacement part or
software, and all shipping charges. All charges shall be estimated and
prepaid prior to commencement of repairs.
4.08Nothing herein contained shall be construed as obligating FARO to
make service, parts, or repairs for any product available after the
expiration of the Maintenance/Warranty Period.
4.09Limitation of Liability
FARO shall not be responsible under any circumstances for special,
incidental or consequential damages, including, but not limited to,
injury to or death of any operator or other person, damage or loss
resulting from inability to use the System, increased operating costs,
loss of production, loss of anticipated profits, damage to property, or
other special, incidental or consequential damages of any nature arising
from any cause whatsoever whether based in contract, tort (including
negligence), or any other theory of law. FAROs only liability
hereunder, arising from any cause whatsoever, whether based in
contract, tort (including negligence) or any other theory of law, consists
of the obligation to repair or replace defective components in the
System or FARO Laser Scanner Photon subject to the limitations set out
above in this section.
This disclaimer of liability for consequential damage extends to any
such special, incidental or consequential damages which may be
suffered by third parties, either caused directly or indirectly resulting
from test results or data produced by the system or any component
B-5
thereof and the Purchaser agrees to indemnify and save FARO harmless
from any such claims made by third parties.
4.10The foregoing shall be FAROs sole and exclusive liability and the
Purchasers sole and exclusive remedy with respect to the system.
THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF FARO UNDER THE
WARRANTIES IS STATED HEREIN AND FARO SHALL NOT BE
LIABLE FOR CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, OR INCIDENTAL
DAMAGES, WHETHER THE CLAIM IS FOR BREACH OF
WARRANTY, NEGLIGENCE, OR OTHERWISE.
OTHER THAN THE EXPRESS WARRANTIES HEREIN STATED,
FARO DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES INCLUDING IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS.
4.11FARO does not authorize any person (whether natural or corporate)
to assume for FARO any liability in connection with or with respect to
the Products. No agent or employee of FARO has any authority to make
any representation or promise on behalf of FARO, except as expressly
set forth herein, or to modify the terms or limitations of the Warranties.
Verbal statements are not binding upon FARO.
4.12The Maintenance/Warranties extend only to the Purchaser and are
transferable, only under the following conditions:
The FARO Laser Scanner Photon is currently under maintenance/
warranty.
New owner is, or becomes, a certified user.
A FARO maintenance/warranty transfer form is completed, and
submitted to Customer Service.
All claims under the Warranties must originate with the Purchaser, or
any subsequent owner, and the Purchaser will indemnify and save
FARO harmless from any claims for breach of warranty asserted against
FARO by any third party.
4.13Oral representations of FARO or its sales representatives, officers,
employees or agents cannot be relied upon as correctly stating the
representations of FARO in connection with the system. Refer to this
B-6
purchase order, any exhibits hereto and any written materials supplied
by FARO for correct representations.
4.14PURCHASER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS PURCHASED
THE SYSTEM BASED UPON ITS OWN KNOWLEDGE OF THE
USES TO WHICH THE SYSTEM WILL BE PUT. FARO
SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY OR LIABILITY
RELATED TO THE FITNESS OF THE SYSTEM FOR ANY
PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR ARISING FROM THE INABILITY OF
THE PURCHASER TO USE THE SYSTEM FOR ANY
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
5.00Design Changes
5.01The FARO Laser Scanner Photon, the Software and the System are
subject to changes in design, manufacture and programming between
the date of order and the actual delivery date. FARO reserves the right to
implement such changes without the Purchasers consent, however,
nothing contained herein shall be construed as obligating FARO to
include such changes in the FARO Laser Scanner Photon, Software or
System provided to the Purchaser.
6.00Non-Disclosure
6.01All Software including, without limitation, the Operating System
Program and any FARO special user programs, provided to the
Purchaser as part of the system, either at the time of or subsequent to the
delivery of the FARO Laser Scanner Photon, is the intellectual property
of FARO. The Purchaser shall not reproduce or duplicate, disassemble,
decompile, reverse engineer, sell, transfer or assign, in any manner the
Software or permit access to or use thereof by any third party. The
Purchaser shall forthwith execute any further assurances in the form of
non-disclosure or licensing agreements which may reasonably be
required by FARO in connection with the software.
7.00Entire Agreement / Governing Law / Miscellaneous /
Guarantee
7.01These Purchase conditions constitute the entire agreement between
FARO and the Purchaser in respect to the Product. There are no
representations or warranties by FARO, express or implied, except for
those herein contained and these conditions supersede and replace any
prior agreements between FARO and the Purchaser.
7.02No representative of FARO has any authority to modify, alter,
delete or add to any of the terms or conditions hereof. Any such
B-7
modifications shall be absolutely void unless made by instrument in

writing properly executed by an actual authorized employee or agent of
FARO.
7.03The terms and conditions hereof shall be binding upon FARO and
the Purchaser, and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the
State of Florida, United States of America.
7.04FARO shall be entitled to recover all of its reasonable fees and costs
including, but not limited to, its reasonable attorneys fees incurred by
FARO in connection with any dispute or litigation arising thereunder or
in connection herewith, including appeals and bankruptcy or creditor
reorganization proceeds.
7.05These conditions shall not be construed more strictly against one
party than another as a result of one party having drafted said
instrument.
8.00Definitions
8.01FARO means FARO Technologies, Inc.
8.02Purchaser means the party buying the Product and who is legally
obligated hereunder.
8.03Software means all computer programs, disk drive directory
organization and content, including the computer media containing such
computer programs and disk drive directory organization and content,
sold pursuant to the Order.
8.04Product means the FARO Laser Scanner Photon, the Software,
operating manuals and any other product or merchandise sold pursuant
to the Order. If the Purchaser is buying only a FARO Laser Scanner
Photon, or the Software, Product will mean the product being purchased
by the Purchaser pursuant to the Order.
8.05System means a combination of the FARO Laser Scanner
Photon, the Software, the Computer, and optional parts and accessories
associated with the FARO Laser Scanner Photon.
8.06Certified user means any person who has completed and passed
the written exam issued by FARO. The exam is available upon request.
8.07Purchase Order means the original document issued from the
Purchaser to FARO, listing all parts and/or services to be purchased and
the agreed purchase price.
B-8
8.08Maintenance/Warranty Transfer Form means a document to be

completed for the transfer of the FARO Maintenance/Warranty. This
document is available from FARO upon request.
B-9
Appendix C: Industrial Products

Service Policy
A one-year maintenance/warranty comes with the purchase of new
FARO manufactured hardware products. Supplemental Service Plans
are also available at additional cost. See Appendix D: Industrial Service
Policy for further details.
FARO Hardware under Maintenance/

Warranty
The following is a summary of what services can be obtained under the
original warranty or Supplemental Service Plan.
1 Factory repairs on FARO-manufactured hardware products.
2 Factory repairs are targeted for completion within 7 (FaroArms) or 14
(Laser Trackers and Laser Scanners) working days of FAROs receipt
of the defective item. The customer is responsible for returning the
hardware to FARO in the original packing container or custom case.
3 FARO will return the hardware via 2-day air service to the
Continental U.S. Outside the Continental U.S., FARO will return the
hardware to the customs broker via 2-day air service. Expedited
service can be arranged at the customers expense.
4 Upon expiration of original warranty a Supplemental Service Plan
may be purchased and can be renewed annually on
FARO-manufactured hardware products.
5 All Supplemental Service Plans will be due for renewal at the end of
the month in which the Service Plan or warranty was purchased, plus
12 months.
6 The original warranty and Supplemental Service Plan are transferable
to subsequent owners under certain conditions:
The FARO Laser Scanner Photon is currently under the original
warranty and Supplemental Service Plan.
A FARO Transfer of Original Warranty or Service Plan Agreement
form is completed and submitted to Customer Service.
FARO Hardware NOT under Maintenance/

C-1
Warranty
Factory assessments and repairs on FARO-manufactured products will
follow the following procedure:
1 The customer obtains a service number from FAROs Customer
Service Department.
2 The customer sends the part to FARO with the service number on the
label along with payment or a corporate purchase order for system
testing and evaluation, which includes calibration and recertification.
3 The payment will be applied toward the total service cost beyond the
initial payment. The estimated repair cost will be given to the
customer prior to the repair. The total cost must be paid prior to
beginning the service.
4 System testing and evaluation can take up to 30 days. FAROmanufactured part repairs can take up to 60 days. However, the part
will be scheduled for service as soon as it arrives at FAROs factory.
5 The customer is responsible for all shipping charges to and from
FARO, including import and export fees for international customers.
FARO Software
All FARO Software users will receive maintenance releases until the
end of life for the version at no charge electronically or at a minimal fee
for the computer media package. All enhancement and functionality
upgrades will be available for purchase upon release.
Hardware & Software Training

FAROs training program is designed to instruct trainees in the
operation of FAROs hardware and software, which the customer has
purchased. The training classes are set up for each trainee to obtain
valuable hands on application exposure. This will help the trainees in
their everyday use of the hardware and software. FARO also feels that
once the trainee completes the training, finding solutions to problems or
applying applications will be simpler. Details are as follows:
C-2
1 The training class will prepare attendees to successfully attain an

operators certification (see Certification Requirements section for
more details).
2 The fee schedules for advanced additional training courses can be
obtained from Customer Service, or the Sales department.
Certification Requirements
The FARO Laser Scanner Photon operators inherent ability to
understand 3D concepts may be in their background training. However,
the precision with which the operator performs 3D measurements with
the FARO Laser Scanner Photon is critical in establishing the accuracy
and repeatability of the results of subsequent measurements.
In order to establish the proficiency of FARO Laser Scanner Photon
operators, FARO has instituted an Operator Certification program,
where each operators knowledge and understanding of the FARO Laser
Scanner Photon is evaluated. The successful operator is awarded a
certificate which identifies him/her as an accredited FARO Laser
Scanner Photon operator. The requirements are as follows:
1 Attend a FARO-conducted basic training course, either at a FARO
Facility or on site at your facility.
2 Certification will be awarded once the class has been completed, and
then the certified user will be registered for hardware and software
support.
To certify an operator, call FAROs Training Department, 800.736.0234
(North America), +1 407.333.9911 (Worldwide), for updated
information.
FARO Laser Scanner Photon Repair Fee

Schedule
(Out of Maintenance/Warranty Owners Only!)
System Testing and Evaluation Fee - Contact your local FARO
Service Center for pricing.
A fee is charged for any system testing and evaluation. This includes
system diagnosis, calibration and/or recertification, and applies to all
FARO Laser Scanner Photons. However, this fee does not include
disassembly/repair costs if required. An estimated cost for disassembly/
C-3
repair will be given to the customer prior to the repair. The disassembly/
repair charges must be paid in full prior to the actual disassembly/repair.
However, if no repairs are needed the fee will be applied to the cost of
system testing and evaluation. All evaluations contain a recertification.
Re-certification will be performed on an as needed basis.
Contact your local FARO Service Center for the current system testing
and evaluation fee pricing.
Repair Times
Calibration and/or Recertification Only - Can take up to 14 days to
complete.
Disassembly and Repair - Can take up to 60 days to complete. This
time is dependent on the supply of purchased components.
*Includes Calibration and Recertification
C-4
Transfer of Original Warranty or Service

Plan Agreement
_________________________________________________________
(SELLERS CORPORATE OR INDIVIDUAL NAME AS
APPLICABLE),
hereby waives all rights under the warranty service policy for
FARO Laser Scanner Photon Serial
Number______________________________
CAM2 Port Lock Number __________________
purchased originally on ______________________(DATE).
_________________________________________________________
(BUYERS CORPORATE OR INDIVIDUAL NAME AS
APPLICABLE),
hereby assumes all rights and obligations of the Hardware and/or Software
Warranty Service Policy from __________________ (DATE OF
TRANSFER).
This transfer is only valid under the following conditions.
1
The FARO Laser Scanner Photon is currently under maintenance/warranty
2
This maintenance/warranty transfer form is completed and submitted to FARO

Customer Service.
AGREED
________________________________________________________________
(PRINT SELLERS CORPORATE (PRINT SELLERS CORPORATE

OR INDIVIDUAL NAME AS
OR INDIVIDUAL NAME AS
APPLICABLE)
APPLICABLE)
BY
BY
X___________________________ X___________________________
__
__
(PRINT NAME OF SIGNATORY) (PRINT NAME OF SIGNATORY)
FARO Technologies Inc.
Approved by x
_________________________________
_________________________________
(PRINT NAME OF SIGNATORY)
Appendix D: Industrial Service Policy

This Service Plan (hereafter, the Plan) is part of the Operating Manual
for the FARO manufactured product purchased from FARO
TECHNOLOGIES INC. (hereafter, FARO). The Plan and all of the
optional additions, are subject to the conditions in Appendices A, B, &
C, and are subject to change. This appendix refers to FAROs service
plans as written in the sales advertising literature, and is meant to
provide additional details that the literature does not permit.
1.00The purchase of the Plan shall occur with the purchase of the FARO
products.
1.01The plan shall apply to systems exclusively created or authored by
FARO.
1.02The plan shall include FARO product hardware only, and can not be
extended or transferred through the sale of any part of the system to a
third party unless the entire system has been sold or transferred.
1.03The plan shall not cover Hardware or Software which has been
subjected to misuse or intentional damage. FARO reserves the right to
determine the condition of all returned Hardware and/or Software.
1.04FARO shall determine the service method and contractor to service/
repair all hardware which is not directly manufactured by FARO. All
outside contractor terms and conditions are available from FARO and
are incorporated herein by reference.
1.05FARO shall not be responsible for any non-FARO authored
software which inhibits the operation of the system. Furthermore the
plan will not cover the re-installation of any software.
1.06The Hardware and Software are subject to changes in design,
manufacture, and programming. All updates are as follows:
a) Hardware - The FARO Laser Scanner Photon and all of the
associated optional parts, and the Computer are not subject to updates.
b) Software - All computer programs, authored by FARO, which are
used in conjunction with the FARO provided Hardware, will be
updated (maintenance upgrades) for the life of the Purchasers current
version. All enhancement and functionality upgrades must be
purchased.
D-1
c) 3rd Party Software - All computer programs not authored by FARO

will not be updated under the Plan. The purchaser is responsible for
the acquisition of all 3rd party software updates and warranty service
or claims.
1.07In the event that FARO replaces any product or replacement
product, FARO retains all right, title, and interest in and to all products
or portions of products that were replaced by FARO.
2.00 Definitions
2.01FARO means FARO Technologies, Inc.
2.02Purchaser means the party buying the Product and who is legally
obligated hereunder.
2.03Software means all computer programs, disk drive directory
organization and content, including the diskettes containing such
computer programs and disk drive directory organization and content,
sold pursuant to the Order.
2.04Product means the FARO Laser Scanner Photon, the Software,
operating manuals and any other product or merchandise sold pursuant
to the Order. If the Purchaser is buying only a FARO Laser Scanner
Photon, or the Software, Product will mean the product being purchased
by the Purchaser pursuant to the Order.
2.05System means a combination of the FARO Laser Scanner
Photon, the Software, the Computer, and optional parts associated with
the FARO Laser Scanner Photon.
2.06Hardware means the FARO Laser Scanner Photon and all of the
associated optional parts, and the Computer if provided by FARO.
2.07Software means all computer programs, authored by FARO,
which are used in conjunction with the FARO provided Hardware.
The following is a laymans definition of the coverage.
Standard Service Plans

All shipping times below are to destinations within the Continental
United States. Outside the Continental U.S., FARO will ship equipment
directly to the customs broker.
Standard Service Plans are contracted at time of purchase or at any
time while a unit is covered by a FARO hardware service plan (as
described in more detail later).
D-2
The Standard Service Plan covers the FARO Laser Scanner Photon
and controller box.
Shipping costs, including insurance from the Purchaser to FARO are
the responsibility of the Purchaser. FARO will be responsible for all
return shipping costs including insurance.
All reasonable efforts will be made to keep the service repair time
within 7 (FaroArm) or 14 (Laser Tracker and Laser Scanner) working
days. The equipment will be returned via 2-Day air service, therefore,
total service repair time will vary due to return shipping location.
Since the FARO Laser Scanner Photon is designed to be used with
many other software packages not authored by FARO, this service
plan can be purchased in its entirety to cover only FARO produced or
authored products. For items not produced or authored by FARO, the
customer is responsible for securing their own separate warranty or
service plan coverage.
Hardware Coverage
FARO Laser Scanner Photon
Covered
All parts and labor for FARO Laser Scanner Photons failing under
normal use as described in Appendix B.
Annual calibration and re-certification of the FARO Laser Scanner
Photon.
Not Covered
Misuse
Intentional damage
Wear and tear of probes, ball bars, auxiliary hardware products such
as cables, wrenches, hex keys, screwdrivers, etc.
Computer
Covered
FARO contracts with 3rd party service providers for this service for
up to 3 years. The terms and conditions of FAROs contract with the
provider apply herein and are incorporated herein by reference.
Typically, these services include repair of the computer, memory
cards, and video monitors.
Not Covered
D-3
All exclusions contained in the 3rd party service providers policy

which is incorporated herein by reference.
Software operating system installation.
User intentional or unintentional removal of key software property or
files.
Software Coverage
Covered
Periodically, FARO Technologies may release maintenance updates
of its proprietary software. This will be supported through the life of
the product version. All enhancement and functionality upgrades will
be available in the next full version for a fee.
Not Covered
End users are responsible for the procurement and installation of 3rd
party authored or S/W updates as required to use with FARO authored
software products, unless FARO Technologies resold these packages
to the end user as an authorized reseller. Examples of 3rd party
authored S/W are: DOS, Windows, AutoCAD, AutoSurf, SurfCAM
and others.
Premium Service Plans

The Premium Service Plans additionally provide loaner FARO Laser
Scanner Photons and Computers when service is required. All
equipment shipping costs are paid for by FARO (both ways). FARO will
make its best effort to ship all loaner FARO Laser Scanner Photons
within 24 hours of the receipt of the purchasers request. Once the need
for a service has been verified by FARO, FARO will make its best effort
to ship all loaner computers within 72 hours of the receipt of the
purchasers request.
D-4

November 2010
Index
Numerics
3D picture fit properties 219
3D view 93
objects 94
3D view toolbar 185
A
adding scans 147
copying 147
importing 147
advanced registration features 134
B
basic service plans 2
batch registration 136
binary scan data format 261
bundle adjustment 126
multiple clusters 128
pair-wise 130
single cluster 126
C
cartesian coordinates 254
certification requirements 3
color 85
colorizing
compensating horizontal shift 86
using additional pictures 88
using scanner based pictures 85
range 35
coloring the range 35
colorizing
using additional pictures 88
using scanner based pictures 85
commands for fit objects 189
compensation 44
constrained plane fit properties 221
constraints object properties 220
context menus 188
contrast mean point

object fit 62
coordinates 253
cartesian 254
global 254
local 253
polar 253
transformation 255
scan 257
transformation and registration 259
corner point
object fit 63
correspondence lines 143
correspondence view 140
exclude and include 144
group and ungroup 145
manipulators 141
place scans 145
update 143
correspondence view toolbar 186
corresponding reference objects 120
creating
automatic 121
manual 125
deleting 125
creating a web project 97
D
dark scan points 42
displaying scans 13
distance based 42
documentation object 58
DrawToCAD 251
installation 251
working with 252
DXF 52
E
edit menu 161
error messages 265
exclude all 144
expanded plane 203
Index - 1

November 2010
export 77
object 77
exporting scan points 47
exporting slices 48
several slices 49
single slices 48
external reference objects
creating 120
glossary 271
H
hardware
training 2
hardware coverage 3
help menu 176
horizontal shift
compensation 86
F
faro hardware
not under maintenance/warranty 1
under maintenance/warranty 1
faro hardware not under maintenance/warranty 1
faro hardware under maintenance/warranty 1
faro software
under maintenance/warranty 2
faro software under maintenance/warranty 2
file formats 261
.csv 261
.ptc 262
.ptx 262
.ptz 263
.xyz 261
.xyzb 261
.zfc 263
IGES 263
file menu 157
file structure 17
filter 39
dark scan points 42
default filter 41
distance based 42
preprocess 43
smooth 42
stray 41
free registration 126, 138
pair-wise 130
single cluster 126
frequently asked questions 267
frequently used commands 188
G
general properties 217
general scan data format 261
global coordinates 254
I
IGES 53, 263
implementation notes 269
import 78
object 78
include all 144
include next 144
industrial service policy 1
install
DrawToCAD 251
installing
Scene 3
intersection point
object fit 63
introduction
Scene 1
L
layers 80
object 80
line
object fit 73
loading scans 12
local coordinates 253
locating objects in views 15
M
maintenance/warranty
faro hardware 1
faro software 2
manipulators 141
manual registration 139
mean point
object fit 62
Index - 2

November 2010
measurement properties 222
measurement toolbar 184
measuring distances 111
menu
context 188
3D view 189
commands for fit objects 189
expanded plane 203
frequently used commands 188
picture 197
planar view and quick view 198
plane 202
plane fit 203
pull 240
push 240
region 204
scan 205
scan fit 233
scan folder 208, 236
scan manager 212, 237
scan points selection 200
scanner parameter 240
camera 248
general 242
operation 244
operator 245
scan 241
scan area 243
scanner info 245
scanner settings 246
status 247
transformation 242
snapshot 216
virtual scan 213
workspace 214
edit 161
file 157
help 176
properties
3D picture fit 219
constrained plane fit 221
constraints object 220
general 217
measurement 222
object marker 223
picture 223
pipe 224
pipe fit 224
plane 225
plane fit 226
point 229
point fit 229
slab 227
slab fit 228
sphere 230
sphere fit 230
text 231
transformation 218
virtual scan 232
scanner 178
tools 162
view 162
window 176
menu bar 157
merging workspaces 148
mesh
object fit 73
meta information
in Web-Share project 97
N
navigating the view 14
O
object
commands for fir objects 189
export 77
import 78
layers 80
pictures 82
object fit 60
contrast mean point 62
corner point 63
intersection point 63
limited plane 64
Index - 3

November 2010
line 73
mean point 62
mesh 73
pipe 71
plane 63
plane with constraints 65
point 61
region 75
slab 68
sphere 70
object marker properties 223
object marker toolbar 184
object marker tools 75
object visualization 80
objects 57
3D view 94
documentation object 58
locating in views 15
object fit 60
contrast mean point 62
corner point 63
limited plane 64
line 73
mean point 62
mesh 73
pipe 71
plane 63
plane with constraints 65
point 61
region 75
slab 68
sphere 70
text field 57
operation
Scene 4
overall alignment 134
P
panoramic scan view 105
picture menu 197
picture properties 223
pictures 82
object 82
pipe
object fit 71
pipe fit properties 224

pipe properties 224
planar view 29
planar view menu 198
planar view toolbar 183
plane
object fit 63
plane (intersection point)
object fit 67
plane (limited)
object fit 64
plane (with constraints)
object fit 65
plane fit menu 203
plane fit properties 226
plane menu 202
plane properties 225
point
object fit 61
point fit properties 229
point properties 229
point selection toolbar 183
points
exporting 47
polar coordinates 253
premium service plans 4
preprocess 43
processing scans 39
project
create web project 97
project selector 19
Properties 216
properties
3D picture fit 219
constrained plane fit 221
constraints object 220
general 217
measurement 222
object marker 223
picture 223
pipe 224
pipe fit 224
plane 225
plane fit 226
point 229
point fit 229
slab 227
slab fit 228
sphere 230
Index - 4

November 2010
sphere fit 230
text 231
transformation 218
virtual scan 232
pull 240
purchase conditions 1
push 240
Q
quick view 27
quick view menu 198
R
reference handbook 157
reference objects
corresponding 120
creating 118
automatic 118
manual 119
region
object fit 75
region menu 204
registering scans 117
advanced features 134
free registration 138
registration with known position 138
registration without inclinometer 138
creating external reference objects 120
creating reference objects 118
pair-wise 130
single cluster 126
S
scan
adding to workspace 147
copying 147
importing 147
advanced registration features 134

analysis 111
context menu 205
exclude and include 144
group and ungroup 145
manipulators 141
place scans 145
update 143
automatic creation 121
deleting 125
manual creation 125
external reference objects 120
pair-wise 130
single cluster 126
inspection 111
menu 178
reference objects 118
automatic detection and creation 118
manual creation 119
registering 117
scan manager menu 212
surface analysis 114
scan analysis 111
inspection 111
scan data format
.ptc 262
.ptx 262
.ptz 263
.zfc 263
scan fit 233
scan folder 236
scan folder menu 208
scan manager 237
scan manager menu 212
scan points
Index - 5

November 2010
dark 42
scan points selection menu 200
scan toolbar 187
scanner administration 149
scanner info 245
scanner menu 178
scanner parameter 240
camera 248
general 242
operation 244
operator 245
scan 241
scan area 243
scanner info 245
status 247
transformation 242
scanning 7
scans 9
compensation 44
displaying scans 13
exporting points 47
file structure 17
filter 39
dark scan points 42
default filter 41
distance based 42
preprocess 43
smooth 42
stray 41
loading scans 12
locating objects in views 15
navigating in view 14
points
exporting 47
exporting to DXF 52
exporting to IGES 53
exporting to VRML 53
exporting to XYZ text 55
processing
compensation 44
processing scans 39
selecting points 31
single scan points 16
tomograph 51
unloading scans 16
view
locating objects 15
navigation 14
visibility settings 15
working with scans 12
displaying scans 13
filter 39
loading scans 12
processing scans 39
unloading scans 16
scans and workspace 9
Scene
installing 3
introduction 1
operation 4
selecting scan points 31
service policy 1
slab
object fit 68
slab fit properties 228
slab properties 227
slices
exporting 48
several 49
exporting single 48
smooth 42
snapshot menu 216
software
training 2
software coverage 4
software license agreement 1
software training 2
sphere
object fit 70
sphere fit properties 230
sphere properties 230
standard service plans 2
standard toolbar 182
status 247
stray 41
survey data 261
system requirements 3
hardware 3
software 3
Index - 6

November 2010
quick 27
view menu 162
viewing a WebShare project 98
virtual scan menu 213
virtual scan properties 232
virtual scans 107
visualization
object 80
VRML 53
technical support 273

text field 57
text properties 231
tomograph 51
toolbar
3D view 185
measurement 184
menu 157
object marker 75, 184
W
planar view 183
point selection 183
warranty. see also maintenance/warranty
scan 187
web project
standard 182
create 97
tools menu 162
Web-Share
training
control panel 102
certification requirements 3
overview map 104
hardware and software 2
panoramic scan view 105
transfer of maintenance/warranty service plan
project contents 103
agreement 5
WebShare 97
transformation
creating a project 97
coordinates 255
meta information 97
scan 257
viewing a project 98
transformation and registration
window menu 176
coordinates 259
working with DrawToCAD 252
transformation properties 218
working with scans 12
workspace 9, 147
adding scans 147
U
copying 147
unloading scans 16
importing 147
file structure 17
merging 148
V
workspace menu 214
view
3D 93
X
navigation 14
planar 29
XYZ text 55
Index - 7

November 2010
Index - 8
FARO Technologies, Inc.
250 Technology Park

Lake Mary, FL 32746
800-736-2771 U.S. / +1 407-333-3182 Worldwide
E-Mail: support@faro.com
FARO Europe GmbH & Co. KG
Lingwiesenstrasse 11/2
D-70825 Korntal-Mnchingen, Germany
FREECALL +800 3276 7378 / +49 7150/9797-400
FREEFAX +800 3276 1737 / +49 7150/9797-9400
E-Mail: support@faroeurope.com
FARO Singapore Pte. Ltd.
3 Changi South Street 2

#01-01 Xilin Districentre Building B
SINGAPORE 486548
TEL: 1800 511 1360, +65 6511.1350
FAX: +65 6543.0111
E-Mail: salesap@faro.com
FARO Japan Inc.
716 Kumada, Nagakute-Cho

Aichi-Gun, Aichi-Ken
480-1144 JAPAN
TEL: +800 6511 1360, +81 561 63 1411
FAX:+81 561 63 1412
E-Mail: support_japan@faro.com
FARO (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Floor 1, Building 29
No. 396 Guilin Road
Shanghai, 200233
CHINA
TEL: +800 6511 1360, +86 21.6191.7600
FAX: +86 21.6494.8670
E-Mail: chinainfo@faro.com
FARO Business Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.

B-1, D-5, Mohan Cooperative
Industrial Estate, Mathura Road
New Delhi - 110 044
INDIA
TEL: 000800 650 1397, +91 11.4167.6330/1
FAX: +91 11.4167.6332
E-Mail: infoindia@faro.com
FARO, FaroArm and FARO Laser ScanArm are registered trademarks and trademarks of FARO Technologies, Inc.

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08M55E00_FAROScene.

book Page 1 Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM

08M55E00_FAROScene.book Page 2 Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM

08M55E00_FAROScene.book Page 3 Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM

FARO Technologies Inc., 2010. All rights reserved.

FARO Technologies Inc. Internal Control File Locations:

08M55E00_FAROScene.book Page 4 Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM

08M55E00_FAROScene.book Page i Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM

FARO SCENE Version 4.8

Loading Scans ............................................................................... 12

File Structure ................................................................... 17

Chapter 4: Project Selector

Default Project Location............................................................... 19

Adding Existing Projects ................................................................ 21

08M55E00_FAROScene.book Page ii Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM

FARO SCENE Version 4.8

Switch Off Project Selector........................................................... 26

Chapter 5: Quick View

Default Filter ................................................................................... 41

Chapter 10: Exporting Scan Points

08M55E00_FAROScene.book Page iii Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM

FARO SCENE Version 4.8

Chapter 11: Objects

Chapter 12: Color

Compensating Horizontal Shift..................................................... 86

Colorizing Using Additional Pictures ............................ 88

Chapter 13: 3D View

08M55E00_FAROScene.book Page iv Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM

FARO SCENE Version 4.8

Chapter 14: WebShare

Adding Meta Information To Your WebShare Project............... 97

Viewing WebShare Projects ......................................... 98

Chapter 15: Virtual Scans

Chapter 17: Registering Scans

Automatic Detection and Creation ......................................... 118

Creating External Reference Objects....................... 120

Automatic Creation of Correspondences ............................... 121

Free Registration - Bundle Adjustment ...................... 126

Registering Scans Within a Cluster............................................. 126

Scan Manager............................................................. 131

Overall Alignment........................................................................ 134

08M55E00_FAROScene.book Page v Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM

FARO SCENE Version 4.8

Registration Without Inclinometer ............................................. 138

Correspondence View ............................................... 140

Manipulators ................................................................................ 141

Chapter 18: Workspace

Importing ...................................................................................... 147

Merging Workspaces .................................................. 148

Chapter 19: FARO Focus 3D Scanner

Editing the System Snapshot of the Inserted SD Card............. 151

Managing Scan Projects ............................................

Chapter 20: Reference Handbook

File ................................................................................................. 157

08M55E00_FAROScene.book Page vi Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM

FARO SCENE Version 4.8

Standard Toolbar......................................................................... 182

Context Menus ............................................................ 188

Frequently Used Commands...................................................... 188

08M55E00_FAROScene.book Page vii Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:11 PM

FARO SCENE Version 4.8

Line Fit ........................................................................................... 197