Landair Surveying News

Going to SPAR International?

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We are getting ready for the SPAR Point Group’s 10th annual conference “End to End 3D: Capture, Process, Deliver” in Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 15-18. This is the main event of the year for people in the 3D laser scanning business.

For starters, every manufacturer and software developer in the 3D laser scanning world is sponsoring the event and will be in attendance. We can expect to be dazzled by live demonstrations of the latest and greatest scanners, software, and technology. If you haven’t heard, many announcements have been made in the past few months about breakthroughs, innovations, and technological advancements.

The conference will also be a comprehensive educational opportunity with lots of classes and workshops. Just about every aspect of 3D laser scanning will be presented and discussed.

Attendees can also choose to concentrate on one of the offered tracks: Industrial Facilities, New Technologies, Civil Infrastructure, and Forensic & Security. We will try to check out some of them all. Please let us know if there is a specific topic you would like us to look into. After all, if you need it, we need to know about it!

The topics listed on the website include 3D laser scanning, structured light, LiDAR, photogrammetry, reverse engineering, 3D/4D GIS, Kinect, indoor/portable mapping, autonomous vehicles, mobile survey, point cloud processing, airborne LiDAR /terrestrial integration, open source, web sharing, VIM, augmented reality, 3D printing, simulation, and visualization.

Did I mention that one of the keynote speakers will be Michael Jones, chief technology advocate for Google? That one will certainly be well attended.

With all of these events, we just hope to be able to enjoy a little of Colorado Springs and the stunning Broadmoor Resort that is hosting the conference. Hopefully, we’ll get some better Spring weather!

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David Headrick has over 20 years of experience in the surveying, engineering and legal industries, both as a project manager for LandAir Surveying and as a lawyer in private practice. He has represented numerous land surveyors, designers, architects, contractors and other industry professionals throughout his career. Today, David serves as an executive and project manager for LandAir, focused on developing and managing the company’s 3D Laser Scanning department. Contact him at dheadrick@lasurveying.com.

How 3D laser scanning keeps us safe…

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All of the hype over 3D laser scanning often glosses over another critical advantage it has over traditional land surveying: safety.

When asked to go out and procure data, we land surveyors must go where the data is and some of these places can be very dangerous. With 3D laser scanning, data can be collected faster and less intrusively than ever before, keeping our field crews out of harm’s way.

Think about it: where do you typically see land surveyors? On the side of the road!

Roads are frequently included in all manners of land surveying. They can be boundaries for property or serve as access to new commercial developments. For surveyors who work for the Department of Transportation, their whole job could be comprised of roads.

We all know that pedestrians have the right-of-way, but anyone who has crossed a busy highway can vouch for the fact that cars and trucks rule the road. Anything that limits the amount of time our field crews stand on roads ultimately makes our jobs safer.

3D laser scanning improves safety in two ways. First, it significantly decreases the amount of time surveyors have to be out in the field. When fieldwork can be completed with less instrument set-ups, field crews spend less time standing on bridges, highway abutments and railroad tracks.

Second, since 3D laser scanning uses light to collect data without the requirement of a reflective mirror held by a rodman, field crews do not have to physically occupy every point that they collect. These points can be located after the data goes back to the office.

This keeps field crews from having to locate such features as road striping, small medians between busy roads, concrete highway barriers and railroad trestles.

There are plenty of other less common examples. For instance, if a building is unstable, such as after a fire or structural failure, 3D laser scanning allows the data to be collected from a distance.

Similarly, when it is necessary to locate rough geography like a steep slope or cliff face, 3D laser scanning can negate the need for fall protection equipment. This is even more true when it is necessary to locate unstable slopes and landslides.

So, while it’s great to talk about the fact that 3D laser scanning brings home more data at a higher quality than ever before, we also truly value that it’s keeping our people safe.

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David Headrick has over 20 years of experience in the surveying, engineering and legal industries, both as a project manager for LandAir Surveying and as a lawyer in private practice. He has represented numerous land surveyors, designers, architects, contractors and other industry professionals throughout his career. Today, David serves as an executive and project manager for LandAir, focused on developing and managing the company’s 3D Laser Scanning department. Contact him at dheadrick@lasurveying.com.

 

A Hidden Place Where Laser Scanning Provides High Value

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If you think laser scanning provides a substantial amount of value for aerial and terrestrial projects, just wait until you hear about the benefits of taking it here. Click here to check out Tate’s featured blog on GeoDataPoint.com…

Hotel and Casino Markets Bring Big Opportunities for 3D Laser Surveys

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It looks like 2013 will be a banner year for the hospitality industry.

In 2012, U.S. hoteliers collectively sold more than 1.1 billion rooms. Las Vegas welcomed a record 40 million visitors last year and nationwide commercial gambling revenues surpassed the $35.6 billion mark in 2011, up from $34.6 billion in 2010.

A recent study released by the American Gaming Association (AGA) reports that the commercial casino industry supported approximately $125 billion in spending and nearly 820,000 jobs in the U.S. economy in 2010, based on direct, indirect and induced impacts.

Though development, funding, business travel, convention participation and disposable income were almost non-existent over the last five years, the hospitality industry is making a comeback.

So, what does all of this mean to the construction industry? How can the AEC community, which has struggled for years, take advantage of this opportunity?

It already is. The number of projects in the pipeline has already greatly increased during the first two months of 2013 over the first two months of 2012. The AIA reports that the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) is reflecting its strongest growth since November 2007.

Not only is the number of new ground-up projects increasing, but renovations and expansions are also happening at a record pace.

Hotels and resorts are expanding, updating rooms, adding new restaurants, providing more services and implementing property improvement plans (PIP) that have been on hold.

As a result of all of this construction, we have seen a tremendous surge in the need for accurate as-built documentation from owners, designers, engineers and contractors.

They need to know what they have and they need to know fast – and 3D laser scanning and measuring services are in high demand.

In just the past few months, our firm has completed a wide variety of projects and requests including field measuring and verification of rooms, hallways and common areas; documentation of exterior elevations and connect points for building expansions, theatres, meeting spaces and parking decks; and complete renovations of old hotels or buildings being transformed into new facilities.

Here are just a few examples of some of our recent projects:

Hotel Renovation

We provided as-built documentation for common areas, hallways and over 100 interior rooms in a major hotel renovation project using laser scanning and laser measuring to produce AutoCAD documents and 3D models.

Rather than measuring each space then returning to the office to create documents, we utilized our laser data capture techniques to wirelessly import to a BIM workstation. This allowed us to measure and create 3D models and AutoCAD files on site and in real time.

We were able to generate floor plans, reflected ceiling plans and interior elevations in the field, which led to increased accuracy, reduced collection and drafting time, and eliminated the need for return visits.

The architect was able to begin work on floor plans immediately while we continued to measure additional floors.

Mechanical Room Boiler/Chiller Replacement

We generated a 3D laser scan of a 20,000 square foot mechanical room, providing a level of accuracy and detail that would have been unattainable with traditional measuring techniques due to the amount of heavy piping and ductwork required.

This enabled designers to drop their prospective model into the point cloud and determine clash issues and tie-in points. The laser scan saved field rework time, material costs and allowed enhanced coordination amongst the project team.

Casino Theater Addition

Because there was insufficient data on the existing condition of the space targeted for the design of a theater, we provided a point cloud and TruView to the contractor and design team via a 3D laser scan. The point cloud allowed for existing mechanical systems and structural elements to be measured and inventoried.

The results increased the speed of design, reduced cost of materials and field rework, assisted with developing a safety plan, and increased collaboration efforts between team members.

As the hospitality industry continues to expand, the demand for 3D laser surveying will increase as clients search for ways to save time and money on their construction and renovation projects. You can bet on it!

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Mitch Dorsett has over 15 years in the building and construction industry and serves as director of business development for LandAir Surveying. Mitch is rapidly becoming an expert in 3D data capture and virtual design and construction, having attended and represented LandAir’s laser scanning capabilities at SPAR, RTC and Autodesk University in 2012. Contact him at mdorsett@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurveying.com

BIM: Breakfast of Champions

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Whenever my travel and work schedules allow, I try to attend the BIM Breakfasts at Georgia Tech.

Held once a month on the Georgia Tech campus, the breakfast brings together some of the best and brightest minds in the Atlanta area.

The February event featured speaker James Barrett, the national director of integrated building solutions for Turner Construction. Jim specializes in virtual design and construction/Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies, lean processes, and integrated project delivery.

Put in layman’s terms, he is pushing BIM and virtual design tools to the limit. Under his leadership, Turner Construction has become one of the top BIM users in the world.

Jim does not push BIM just because it’s BIM. His idea is that his designers and contractors need to use the best tools available to help their company succeed and their clients get the best results. The BIM process and virtual design flows naturally from that core idea.

Turner also does not push one specific type of software, but instead teaches as many as 10 or 12 different packages that their best and brightest have become familiar with. As with any tool, Jim explains, no one tool will do everything.

Another point he made was this: when you roll out a new technology, don’t try to convince the world that it’s the best way to go. Instead, show it to the early adopters and let them prove that it works and that it’s the most efficient option. It will naturally make its way to other potential users.

For me, this point really hit home.

In 2005, we began using terrestrial lidar and 3D scanning technology. I have traveled to many firms in the southeast and tried to sell the benefits to the whole AEC community.

Initially, I had minimum success. It was early in the process and few of the established firms were interested at that time. However, I did find a few and slowly built a successful 3D laser scanning division that still thrives today.

These firms were the early adopters. Ironically, it was not always the young guys that were the most open to new ideas. Sometimes it was an older person who could see like I did where this technology was headed.

Now this technology is almost mainstream and is an integral part of the BIM process.

In his presentation, Jim pointed out that in New York City they have “view protection” and laser scans are used to document the view of the construction site.

In the BIM toolbox, when you identify a complicated project, laser scanning is a tool that you should certainly consider. The benefits and uses of laser scanning data are numerous and the risk of not using one and incurring additional costs down the road can be significant.

Another really good idea that Jim presented was that every year, they take a small percentage of their new hires and immerse them into what they call BIM University.

These people then become experts that the rest of the company can learn from. This gives every group in the company and geographic area internal experts that they can lean on to best implement the technologies of BIM. What a great idea!

They even started an intra-company communication site on their intranet so that users anywhere in the company can post a question. In minutes, experts throughout the company can provide insights and answers and have a forum to share their knowledge.

I believe this practice will continue to grow as companies see the value of tapping into the knowledge base they already have with their employees. What a great tool for a leader to build in their own company.

Jim’s presentation also touched on the other tools that help to automate the construction and design process like the ability to view augmented reality on iPads with the use of QR codes. At his firm, they work with public inspectors to load iPads with plans and drawings to make their process quicker and more efficient.

He also addressed the effect that 3D printing will have on the construction industry. Though it will not likely take the place of massive building material needs, it will fill a unique need when a limited number of items are needed in a quantity that can be met with industrial 3D printers, he said.

There will always be people who question whether we need BIM and virtual design and construction. I cannot completely understand why anyone in the AEC industry would still be asking this question, but I do understand that in some subsets, there is much more low-hanging fruit than in others and for these, early adoption is a no brainer.

The push for BIM and virtual design use and innovation is coming out of the construction industry as the large GC firms have pushed it further and further into their processes.

If you are in the Atlanta area and want to see and meet some of the best minds in BIM, I do recommend the Georgia Tech BIM Breakfast forum. Every time I go, I learn something.

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Tate Jones has over 40 years of experience in land and aerial surveying and was one of the country’s earliest adopters of 3D laser scanning technology. A nationally recognized expert in the field of 3D data capture, he has worked with hundreds of clients in the engineering, architectural and construction industries. Contact him at tjones@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurveying.com.

3D Laser Scanning gives law enforcement the upper hand in crime scene investigation and recreation

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In October 2011, police responded to a grisly double-murder in Rocky Face, Georgia.

An elderly gentleman and a teenage girl were found dead from gunshot wounds to the head. The scene was even more revolting because the murderer had tried to cover his tracks by setting the house on fire.

What did the Georgia Bureau of Investigation use to document this complicated crime scene? They used 3D laser scanning. According to GBI Special Agent Jerry Scott, “It’s now the best technology available for documenting and recording crime scenes.”

Collecting evidence

3D Laser Scanning is quicker than other types of crime scene documentation and the technology provides much more useful data, making crime scene reconstruction more accurate, reliable, and easier to explain to a jury.

Police generally use the Leica C-10 as their scanner of choice. This instrument can take 84 pictures in about six minutes and measure from up to 200 feet away. With this capability, crime scene documentation can take up to 80% less time.

What does is record? Well, everything.

“Where the cars were, where the debris ended up, where the body was, where the weapon was – anything seen by the scanner, we will have,” said Sgt. Jeff Davis from the Arlington, Texas Police Department to WFAA in Dallas.

3D laser scanning is increasingly finding its home in other police forces across the country.

“It has become a standard part of our initial investigation process,” said Chattanooga Police Sgt. Darrell Whitfield, who was the first Chattanooga police investigator to train with the equipment.

Lieutenant Matt Magro of the Carlsbad, California Police Department told the news in San Diego, “It allows us to recreate the scene very quickly and very accurately. You can click on the bullet hole on the wall and then go to the shell casing and it will tell you what the distance between those objects is and the elevation in just the click of a mouse.”

During the investigation

Once the site is cleaned up or altered in any way, the evidence is spoiled. However, 3D laser scanning allows investigators to return to the site at any time to retrieve missed or forgotten details. Investigators can view vivid color 3D data and extract any measurement they need long after the scene has been released.

At the crime scene, investigators take photographs, make measurements and sketches, and interview witnesses. However, even the most seasoned investigator can miss critical details due to time constraints, site access, or simple knowledge of the facts.

Sgt. Davis noted that having access to the scene as it was days, months, or even years after is extremely valuable. “If something comes up later, then we are able to go back to the scan and extract that information.”

As a case develops, investigators can use the 3D scan to determine which “witnesses” could really see what happened. When a gun is involved, for example, built-in shooting reconstruction tools can zero in on probable shooter locations.

Using the data at trial

3D laser scanning has also become a game-changer in court.

“It gives juries a virtual tour of the crime scene,” said Iredell County, North Carolina Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Rick Dowdle in the Moorsville Tribune.

Traditionally, the jury is shown a series of photographs and two dimensional diagrams of the scene. This requires a great deal of explanation and imagination on the part of the jury.

It is also an answer to what Hamilton County District Attorney Bill Cox calls the “‘CSI effect” among modern jurors, many of whom consume a steady diet of crime and courtroom dramas.

“People watch television and they expect a lot of high-tech video and audio evidence,” Cox said in a recent interview.

As noted by Lt. Warren Hamlin of the Knox County Tennessee Police Department in an interview related to a murder trial in Tennessee, “It’s almost like taking the jury right to the crime scene. We can show pictures all day long, but when you’ve got a panoramic view that shows exactly how it looked and where everything was, that’s a much better depiction than a photograph. So, if a guy says, ‘I was standing in that corner,’ you can create a viewpoint exactly where his head would be and look around the model and tell whether yes, he could see that, or, no, he’s lying.”

The truth is that law enforcement is developing a tool to cut its investigation time and dramatically improve its effectiveness both during the investigation and in court. Defense attorneys had better start catching up.

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David Headrick has over 20 years of experience in the surveying, engineering and legal industries, both as a project manager for LandAir Surveying and as a lawyer in private practice. He has represented numerous land surveyors, designers, architects, contractors and other industry professionals throughout his career. Today, David serves as an executive and project manager for LandAir, focused on developing and managing the company’s 3D Laser Scanning department. Contact him at dheadrick@lasurveying.com.

Sources:

Double murder victims shot in the head before suspect set house on fire (located at http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/15499351/north-georgia-double-murder-victims-shot-in-the-head-before?clienttype=printable)

Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents train with 3-D laser scanners in Dalton (located at http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jan/22/crime-scene-science-gbi-agents-train-with-3-d/)

High-tech scanning system keeps record of scenes for Arlington PD (located at http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/High-Tech-System–Scanning-Incidents-in-Arlington–171642511.html)

Laser scanning system enables CPD to reproduce 3D crime scene (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/06/laser-scanning-system-enables-jurors-reproduce-3d-/)

Revolutionizing Crime Documenting Tool (located at http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/Revolutionizing-Crime-Documenting-Tool-183033771.html)

Five reasons to consider laser scanning in 2013…

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Blog 5 photo c10 scannerI hope you are off to a wonderful New Year! In the theme of the New Year, I continue to be amazed at all of the new applications for laser scanning that our clients are coming up with or projects they inquire about measuring.

Hopefully this blog will inspire you to think of opportunities to utilize our services in 2013 to make your next project even better.

As-built data capture has always been a challenge for the AEC community and owners of assets. The outdated methods of gathering data are time consuming and lack accuracy and utilizing these record drawings can be inexact.

LandAir Surveying uses the latest technologies to help our clients. Whether you are looking for accurate as-built floor plans, historic preservation of a structure or MEP surveys in the plenum of a ceiling, we have an accurate and cost-effective solution for you.

Over eight years ago, we began utilizing the revolutionary technology of laser scanning. Our first laser scans were for the transportation industry, performing bridge surveys. Through these and other projects, we found laser scanning to be superior to traditional methods of data capture for a number of reasons:

#1: They are more precise.

A laser scan takes multiple scans to collect millions of data points. These scans are then registered together to generate a single three-dimensional “point cloud” that can be measured accurately and provides distances and elevations between points on X, Y & Z coordinates.

#2: They are versatile.

Laser scans can produce (when used with digital color photos) survey quality files, fly-through videos, BIM Models and CAD drawings.

#3: They are fast.

A single laser scan can be collected in around six to eight minutes. This enables crews to take many more scans and capture more detailed data than ever before. It also allows for accurate surveys to be done with minimal interruption to building occupants.

#4: They are safe.

Laser scanning provides a safer environment and allows crews to measure in places that would have previously been impossible.

#5: They save you money!

Finally, laser scanning almost always pays for itself. Here are a few examples of ways laser scans can save you money on your next project. Here are a few examples of ways laser scans can save you money on your next project:

  • You can always revisit the original scan multiple times from your computer desktop without the time and expense of traveling to the site again and again. With a laser scan, you can even revisit the site from your desktop years after the initial scan.
  • The quality of data collected can minimize or eliminate the need for construction reworks and field retrofitting.
  • The number of change orders due to erroneous design and unknowns in the field are dramatically reduced.
  • Material waste is reduced and the amount of production in the shop is increased.
  • Coordination between design and construction teams is greatly improved by providing visual documentation for discussion.
  • The speed of design is increased by providing accurate as-built conditions and clash detection.
  • Bid documents can be created from as-built data, resulting in lower-priced bids and a quicker schedule.

As you can see, the reasons for laser scanning are compelling. But what types of projects are best suited for this technology? In our experience, we have seen the greatest return on investment for laser scanning on projects that are complex and difficult to measure. Those projects with precise measurement requirements and a required speed of data gathering typically yield the greatest return on investment.

We have scanned miles of tunnels, airport conveyor systems, MEP structures that look like pipe “spaghetti,” hotel and casino atriums, and theaters and stadium grandstands with thousands of different sized structural beams. Laser scanning was by far the best solution for these projects.

While complex projects are great opportunities to utilize laser scanning technology, other advances in virtual design and construction solutions have allowed us to provide results for less complex environments.

New software and measuring solutions allow us to provide detailed as-built drawings and 3D models for hotel rooms, retail spaces, classrooms and offices with amazing speed and at a greatly reduced cost-per-square-foot over traditional architectural surveys. Field measurements to productions of floor plans and even Revit models can now be delivered in days.

From the industrial, manufacturing and energy sectors to hotels, hospitals and retail spaces – LandAir can provide solutions to make your next project more efficient and affordable.

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Mitch Dorsett has over 15 years in the building and construction industry and serves as director of business development for LandAir Surveying. Mitch is rapidly becoming an expert in 3D data capture and virtual design and construction, having attended and represented LandAir’s laser scanning capabilities at SPAR, RTC and Autodesk University in 2012. Contact him at mdorsett@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurveying.com.

3D Laser Scanning

Advances in 3D data capture are changing faster than ever. How can we help you in 2013?

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First, let me say Happy New Year to all of our clients who have supported us for the past 25 years. We appreciate you and are honored that you choose LandAir Surveying to team with you on many interesting projects across America.

Over the past seven years of traveling down the road of 3D data capture and using multiple platforms for LiDAR data collection, we have seen this technology expand into almost every field of design, construction and manufacturing.

It has been fascinating to watch the world change from 2D plans to 3D data sets and models. And in the process, modeling is becoming cheaper, faster and easier.

Having attended international conferences and through speaking to groups across the country, we have seen and studied with interest what is going on in the U.S., Europe, Japan, India and Asia. The whole world of design and construction is making this shift!

Daily, we talk with firms both domestically and internationally about the diverse issues of 3D design and construction to equip us with the knowledge we need to be your trusted resource for new approaches to surveying projects.

For example, we have been producing surveys for the transportation industry since 1998. I can remember when we had to actually put our surveyors out in traffic (with approved safety measures, of course). Now, with our scanners, we can stay off the shoulder of the road and capture all the required data without putting anyone in harm’s way. This is standard practice now and, as an owner of a surveying company, very important to me personally.

Approaches to projects are changing not only in transportation, but across all industries.

Last year, we produced a 400-acre topographic map with 1-inch contours in very, very dense foliage. Just two years ago, we would have had to field survey this project. But by using a combination of aerial LiDAR and strategic surveying techniques, we were able to produce the job at 1/3 the cost of a traditional field run survey.

In 2013, we plan to expand our technology, using drones to capture data on specific projects. This is already being done across the country and the technology is moving from military grade and unaffordable to civilian grade and absolutely affordable.

So, how can we help you this year? For one, we can show you how surveying tools are changing and getting better. We can discuss with you when to use airborne LiDAR to document and produce data over a city, county or state.

We can show you when the conditions are right to use mobile LiDAR and put together a team to make your project successful.

We know when to use helicopter platforms for LiDAR over fixed wing aircraft, and we can show you how to model the inside of an existing building faster and more cost effectively than ever before.

We look forward to being a valuable resource for your firm and hope to continue working with you in 2013 and beyond. The design world is changing very fast and we are committed to changing right along with it.

Have a great and profitable 2013!

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Tate Jones has over 40 years of experience in land and aerial surveying and was one of the country’s earliest adopters of 3D laser scanning technology. A nationally recognized expert in the field of 3D data capture, he has worked with hundreds of clients in the engineering, architectural and construction industries. Contact him at tjones@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurveying.com.

Autodesk University 2012: watching an industry grow up!

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Attending and exhibiting at shows like Hexagon, Spar, and Autodesk University is always fascinating because you get to interact with clients all over the country and see what’s new in the industry.

This was our first time exhibiting at Autodesk University, but having been to three conferences in Las Vegas in one year, I was quite familiar with the surroundings. At this year’s show – which was attended by over 8,000 people from 102 countries – what I saw was an industry that has grown up and is beginning to make a real impact on design and construction.

I remember in 1986 when a new drafting program named AutoCad came out and everybody was debating if it would become the standard…it did. And it brought with it – along with the digital age and computers – the plotters and all that went with the introduction of this new paradigm.

Most of us waited to see how it would be received in the industry, but then – as now – it proved to be a very valuable tool.

And just a few years ago, we were all still discussing the advances in AutoCAD and Civil 3D.  Though we knew these programs would remain relevant, it was evident from all of the different software that interacted inside of Revit and enhanced the user experience that the world of 3D design was here to stay. (As a friend of mine said not long ago, “If you are not designing and interacting in 3D and models, you are quickly going to be obsolete.”)

Autodesk University 2012 showed us how design is being done today and where it is going in the future. One of the more interesting observations was that besides the architects, engineers and designers, there were contracting companies, retail companies and owners all talking about the new Autodesk programs that were being used in the workplace.

There was lots of talk in these groups about building “Revit families” specific to their business types, as well as discussions around how to mix the contractors (who have the knowledge about how a building is built in the actual world) with the BIM modelers so that the models are also constructible.

This will be a big challenge. Contractors and superintendents who know how to pour a slab and build 20-story buildings have knowledge and insight that is absolutely critical to building a proper BIM model.

As any techno geek, I am always very interested in the new products on the exhibition floor and the showcase included hundreds of third-party vendors developing exciting products that work alongside Autodesk.

There were lots of new software and hardware lines in the 3D laser scanning industry, as well as new software offerings for BIM models, Revit technologies and GIS products. But for me, the most intriguing products were related to 3D printing applications.

These fabrication and modeling solutions enable products to be created directly from their computer models.

Almost anything you could imagine – from cars to motors to guitars – was printed and on display. Though 3D printing has been a popular topic in recent years, it was there, it was real, and it will definitely change how items are built in America and around the world.

At the conference in Vegas, there were actual printers producing objects out of wood, metal and polymers. The only difference was whether the printer was loaded with plywood or metal.

BIM is an acronym for Build Information Models, meaning to build computer models that have built-in intelligence. What I observed was BIM in the context above – building models and objects with just the information in a computer.

My, how we have grown.

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Tate Jones has over 40 years of experience in land and aerial surveying and was one of the country’s earliest adopters of 3D laser scanning technology. A nationally recognized expert in the field of 3D data capture, he has worked with hundreds of clients in the engineering, architectural and construction industries. Contact him at tjones@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurveying.com.

Where we are now…and where we’re going.

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As 2012 winds down and we get ready to head to Las Vegas for the Autodesk University conference, I look back at the strides that have been made in the 3D world and all of the associated hardware and software in our industry.

Not only is there new technology being used and accepted, but the demand for more BIM products, users, and technologists has grown faster than ever. I have also watched with great interest the wave of corporate acceptance that was not there even three years ago.

There is still much ground to be broken, but wow – what a year!

New Software

Take software, for example. As I travel around America and talk to user groups and clients, the one thing I am always asked is when will it be easier to model point clouds into usable entities?

There is much research going on to solve this challenge. Though I have no commercial interest in this firm, I believe one of the ones to watch in this space is ClearEdge 3D. Their EdgeWise Plant software is pushing the barriers away for modeling point clouds.

Personally, I believe that within the next three years, this major barrier we face now will be a minor issue and point cloud use will continue to grow and expand.

The other great leap in technology is that most of the major software packages have updated their products to accept point clouds as a layer. This means that most of our clients in the architectural and MEP worlds can now import our point clouds into their design software and greatly enhance their designs.

Just three or four years ago, using point cloud data required modeling and this limited the market to mechanical and structural engineers and various contractors with specialty software.

Today, because all Revit users can import point cloud data, the need to model everything in a scan project has been greatly decreased. This is a big deal! Now, instead of having to pay for an expensive model, end users get all of the benefits of point cloud precision without the associated costs of modeling.

Not to be overlooked, there are still issues that will need to be ironed out in inserting point clouds into design software, but they will be overcome with time.

For example, if you are working in Inventor to model plant process data, it is best if the project is modeled from start to finish in Inventor. Similarly, if it is to be modeled in Revit, it is best that it be modeled from start to finish in Revit. There are no readily available universal translators to move from a model that was created in Cyclone to a model in Revit while keeping the full integrity of the original model.

Though the data itself is globally transferrable, the structure of the models, entities, families and libraries requires more work to be done in this area.

New Hardware

Last year, I predicted that the hardware in our industry was set and that most of the changes would come in the form of software. On this point, I was wrong.

Several changes have occurred that continue to advance the hardware. For example, The Faro Focus 3D has broken the price barrier. Prior to its release, most scanners started around $80,000 and went up to $200,000. The Focus was released at about $50,000 and has caused price adjustments throughout the industry.

I believe this trend will continue and prices will continue to go down. This is both a good and bad thing for the industry. As prices go down, more people with marginal training and experience will begin to use scanners and bad point clouds will become more of a problem.

There is a saying in our industry that “one bad point cloud kills a lot of clients.” Indeed, this is true. I have talked to clients who tried laser scanning nine years ago, had a bad experience, and will not use it again to this day. The problem is not that scanners are getting more affordable, but that there are still no national standards in the industry.

The upside is that with a lower cost competitor, vendors must consider what value their laser scanners bring that others do not.

Cool New Technology

Two things I am really interested in and know will change the playing field moving forward are   aerial drones and augmented reality.

These two technologies are growing fast and have many great uses. A traditional helicopter used to map utilities and large areas generally costs about $25,000 per day. A one-meter drone quadripod, on the other hand, costs about $2,000 per day.

Though there are unique tasks that the smaller one-meter drones can do that the helicopter is currently doing, there are other tasks that the smaller drones can perform that traditional helicopters cannot do. For example, smaller drones can more effectively and safely map underground pipes, mines and tunnels.

Currently, to send two scanner technicians into a tunnel requires about six surface and sub-surface support staff. An unmanned drone with avoidance technology would be a great solution.

Augmented reality and the ability to project 3D images easily and to large groups is available and is changing the whole world of education. A small but growing company, ViziTech USA, is doing very creative and trendsetting work in this area.

This is where the science of 3D technology is repackaged so that the average person can use and understand it. This is a powerful tool and will lead to great changes in many industries and educational processes. For more on augmented reality, read our recent blog post here.

The design and construction of future projects will still require the same basic processes that are required today. But the use of precision data before, during and after construction – and the visual way the data can be viewed – will greatly reduce errors and downtime events.

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Tate Jones has over 40 years of experience in land and aerial surveying and was one of the country’s earliest adopters of 3D laser scanning technology. A nationally recognized expert in the field of 3D data capture, he has worked with hundreds of clients in the engineering, architectural and construction industries. Contact him at tjones@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurveying.com.