MDT-PointCloud Demo Guide - ArcGeo Demo Guide.pdf · Sample files installed in folder C:\MDT-PointCloud Projects\ How to execute the application 1. Start AutoCAD 2012. 2. Execute

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Demonstration Guide

Version 1.4

MDT-PointCloud Demonstration Guide

Aplitop S.L. 2015 1

MDT-PointCloud 1.4 for AutoCAD 2012

Demonstration Guide

Requirements

32 or 64 bit Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8 operating system.

AutoCAD 2012 (commercial or evaluation license).

MDT 7.0 for AutoCAD 2012 (commercial or distributor license).

MDT-PointCloud 1.4 for MDT 7.0 (commercial or distributor license).

Sample files installed in folder C:\MDT-PointCloud Projects\

How to execute the application

1. Start AutoCAD 2012.

2. Execute MDT-PointCloud > Viewer on the AutoCAD menu bar.

3. The main window of the application will appear in a few seconds.

4. Place the AutoCAD window on one side of the screen and the MDT-PointCloud window on

the other to be able to work more comfortably.

MDT-PointCloud on the left and AutoCAD on the right


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PART ONE: LIDAR

Creating a project

5. Execute Home > Project > New on the MDT-PointCloud Ribbon.

6. Define Example 1 as the project name and path C:\MDT-PointCloud Projects as the base

folder in the dialog box and click on OK.

Selection of project name and project folder

7. An empty project will be created and the main window will be displayed. Move the toolbars

so they are fully visible.

MDT-PointCloud main window with an empty project


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Importing point clouds

8. Execute Point clouds > Points > Import on the ribbon.

9. Go to the C:\MDT-PointCloud Projects\Example 1\ folder in the file selection box and

select LiDAR File (*.las) on the file type tab. Select the Example 1.las file and click OK.

10. Check the Min height box in the import dialog box and set it to 550, then check the Max

height box and set it to 700. Click OK.

If you are using the demo version you could not import the point cloud

completely, because it has more than 2 millions points. Set the points percentage

field to 95%.

Point cloud import dialog

11. After the import operation, execute Point clouds > Representation > Color by

LAS/LiDAR Category and click OK in the dialog box that appears.

MDT-PointCloud window with loaded project shown by category


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12. Check you are able to move, rotate, zoom in and out from the point cloud using the center,

left and right buttons on the mouse.

Creating a surface

13. Execute Point clouds > Representation > Color by LAS/LiDAR Category on the ribbon.

14. Click on the None button in the dialog box, check the 2 Ground category as visible and

click on OK.

LAS/LiDAR categories configuration dialog

15. Only the points of the selected category will be displayed, and subsequent profiles created

will only take these points into account.


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MDT-PointCloud window displaying only ground points

16. Execute Tools > Surfaces > Create surface on the ribbon.

17. In the dialog box, set the parameters Min distance between points at 2 and Max side

length at 10, and click on OK.

Surface creation dialog

18. Uncheck Point clouds > Visualization > Show points and Point clouds > Visualization

> Show 3D grid on the ribbon. The side window can be minimised by clicking on the

drawing pin in the top right-hand corner.


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View of the surface created

19. Check the surface created.

Creating a mesh (optional)

20. Reactivate the viewing of points via Point clouds > Visualization > Show points and hide

the surface created via Tools > Surfaces > Show current surface.


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21. Execute Tools > Surfaces > Create grid on the ribbon.

22. Set the cell size parameter to 5 in the dialog box and click on OK.

Grid creation dialog

23. Hide points once again via Point clouds > Visualization > Show points.

View of the grid created

24. Check the grid.


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Generating contours

25. Show points via Point clouds > Visualization > Show points and hide the mesh created

via Tools > Surfaces > Show current mesh.

26. Change the height colour via Point clouds > Representation > Colour gradient by

height.

27. If the parameters in the dialog box are correct, just click on OK.

Height colour dialog

28. Execute Tools > Surfaces > Contour on the ribbon.

29. Set the minor contours interval parameter to 1 and the major contours interval

parameter to 10 in the dialog box, and click on OK.

Contour parameters dialog

30. Check the contour coincides with the height colours in the point cloud.


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View of the point cloud with color by heights and contours

Results in CAD

If you are using the demo version, you could not send to the CAD neither the Surface

nor the grid created with MDT-PointCloud. You also could not send the point cloud

top view as image .

31. Execute Tools > Send to MDT > Surface on the ribbon.

32. Set the desired heights in the MDT surface import dialog box and click on OK. The surface

created in CAD will be displayed.


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MDT dialog for surface representation

OPTIONALLY, and in the event a mesh has been created (steps 20 to 24), run steps 33

and 34.

33. Execute Tools > Send to MDT > Grid on the ribbon.

34. Set the desired heights in the MDT grid dialog box.

MDT dialog for grid drawing



PART TWO: SCANNER

Opening a project

35. Execute Home > Project > Open on the ribbon.

36. Go to the C:\MDT-PointCloud Projects\Example 2\ folder in the file selection window.

Select the Example 2.mpc file and click on OK.

Top view of the point cloud on opening the project



Viewing the point cloud

37. Points are displayed in their natural colour. To display them in accordance with intensity,

execute Point clouds > Representation > Gray gradient by intensity on the ribbon.

38. Select Back view on the toolbar, zoom in on the left-hand side of the image and rotate it to

obtain a view of an area of the dam wall featuring different intensities.

View centered on an area with different point intensities

39. Select top view on the toolbar and click on Zoom extension.

40. Move the viewer downwards using the arrow keys on the keyboard.

41. Execute Point clouds > Select > Selection dropdown button > Select using a rectangle and draw a rectangle to select the points beyond the area created.



Top view showing the selection of points

42. Execute Point clouds > Select > Hide current selection to hide the points selected.

Creating a quick profile

43. Execute Point clouds > Representation > Natural color.

44. Execute Tools > Profiles > Calculate quick profile.

45. Mark two points on the central mouth of the dam. The “Profile Editor” will start up and

show the longitudinal profile created.



Points profile editor showing quick profile

Importing a horizontal alignment

46. Execute Tools > Horizontal alginments > Import on the ribbon.

47. Select the C:\MDT-PointCloud Projects\Example 2\Ejes\Horizontal Alignment Demo

2.eje file in the Horizontal alignment file dialog box.

48. Select the C:\MDT-PointCloud Projects\Example 2\Ejes\Grade Line Demo 2.ras file in

the Grade line file dialog box.

49. On the toolbar execute zoom extension, rear view and zoom in to center on the profile.



Rear view of the point cloud of a dam with alignment

Useful horizontal alignments functions

50. List the horizontal alignment elements by clicking on Tools > Horizontal alignments > List

horizontal alignment elements. Click on OK to continue.

List of horizontal alignment with different elements



51. Analyse the horizontal alignment by clicking on Tools > Horizontal alignment > Analyse

horizontal alignment points. Mark points on the sides of the axis to see the axis station

and the distance from the point to the axis. Click on the right button of the mouse to end the

analysis.

Analysis window showing station and distance to the horizontal alignment

Obtaining profiles and cross sections

52. Execute Tools > Profiles > Calculate profile on the ribbon.

53. Set the values in the dialog box as illustrated in the example below and click on OK.

Profile parametesr dialog box

54. The “Profile Editor” will appear showing the profile.



Longitudinal profile displayed in the Point Profile Editor

55. Execute Tools > Profiles > Calculate cross sections on the ribbon.

56. Set the values in the dialog box as illustrated in the example below and click on OK.

Cross sectiosn parameters dialog box

57. The “Profile Editor” will appear showing the first cross section.



Cross section of the dam displayed in the Point Profile Editor

Drawing profiles in the CAD system

If you are using the demo version, there are some restrictions to the alignment length (1

Km max) and to the number of cross sections that will be calculated (10).

58. Execute Home > Project > Open on the ribbon.

59. Go to the C:\MDT-PointCloud Projects\Example 3\ folder in the file selection window.

Select the Example 3.mpc file and click on OK.



Top view of the point cloud and the horizontal alignment

60. Execute Point clouds > Representation > Unique color and select white in the dialog box

which appears.

61. Select “Alignment 1” in the project management window and execute Tools > Profiles >

Calculate cross sections.

Cross sections parameters dialog



62. Set the parameters in accordance with the figure above and click on OK.

Cross section of the tunnel displayed in the Point Profile Editor

63. The Point Profile Editor will appear showing the different profiles. Click on “Send to CAD”

on the application toolbar in order to to draw the profiles in CAD.

MDT scanner profile dialog box

64. Set the Scanner profiles parameters in accordance with the figure above and click OK.

Then place an insertion point in CAD for the images of the profiles.



Cross sections drawn in a CAD system with MDT command

Documents

MDT-PointCloud Demo Guide - ArcGeo Demo Guide.pdf · Sample files installed in folder C:\MDT-PointCloud Projects\ How to execute the application 1. Start AutoCAD 2012. 2. Execute