Visualize Your Point Clouds in a Whole New Way
3Dsurvey’s support for spherical images adds a powerful visual dimension to your terrestrial scanning workflows. This feature, available to users with an active Scan Module subscription, allows you to view and interact with immersive 360° images captured by scanners like Stonex, Faro, NavVis, and others.
How to Load Spherical Images
Instead of importing images through the startup page, you begin by loading your E57 point cloud file via the Pointcloud tab. Make sure to enable the External Images option before importing. Once loaded, you’ll see not only the point cloud but also white spheres representing the positions of spherical images embedded in the file.
Exploring the Spheres
You can hover over these spheres to view their names and double-click to enter a full 360° view. Inside, you can zoom, pan, and rotate, allowing you to explore the scene from the scanner’s perspective—ideal for street-level environments, interiors, or construction sites.
Built-in CAD Tools in Sphere View
What makes this feature especially powerful is that all CAD tools work directly within the spherical image viewer. You can:
Draw lines
Place and snap points
Perform precise measurements
The CAD engine snaps to the underlying point cloud, letting you work with high accuracy even in low-density or occluded areas.
Adjust Image Transparency for Better Snapping
To help identify where your cursor is snapping, you can adjust image transparency using the Shift + mouse wheel shortcut. This reveals the underlying point cloud and improves spatial awareness during CAD operations.
Easy Navigation and Workflow Integration
To exit the spherical view, simply press Escape or Ctrl + W. This feature seamlessly fits into your existing 3Dsurvey workflows, combining visual clarity with spatial data accuracy.
For further support, feel free to visit the 3Dsurvey forum or contact the support team at support@3Dsurvey.si.
