Actual terrain model from Faro Scene to Autodesk Revit

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zoltan
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Actual terrain model from Faro Scene to Autodesk Revit

Post by zoltan »

Using the new Project Point Cloud homogenization tool in Scene 5.2, you can easily export an evenly decimated set of points to be used to create a terrain model in Autodesk Revit. You just have to do a little registry hacking.

1. Existing Exterior Scans
ExteriorScans.png
2. Remove all points other then the ground terrain.
AfterCleanUp.png
3. Edit the Windows Registry and find the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\FARO\SCENE5\Settings and edit the PointCloudHomogenizationCellSize value. This is in meters and defaults to 1.5mm. Set this to 1 or 10 to create topo points on an even grid of a given size.

4. Create a Point Cloud with the Homogenize option.
ProjectPointCloud.png
5. Export the point clout to .XYZ format and edit it in Excel to remove all but the X, Y, and Z columns and save it to CSV format.

6. In Autodesk Revit, create a Toposurface and choose Create from Import -> Specify Point File. Make sure that the import units match the export units in Scene.
TopoPoints.png
You may have to delete some stray points that create spikes.

Finished model:
Model.png
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Re: Actual terrain model from Faro Scene to Autodesk Revit

Post by jcoco3 »

Awesome! Thanks for sharing this. I always like using the spatial filter when exporting .pod from Scene, but it is not available for other formats. Looks like you found a great work around.

again thanks for sharing :D
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Re: Actual terrain model from Faro Scene to Autodesk Revit

Post by 3DForensics »

Geez, I totally missed this post. Great tip!

Don't you think this should be a user entered setting when processing your point cloud?

Eugene
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Re: Actual terrain model from Faro Scene to Autodesk Revit

Post by Scott »

Yes, an interesting tip.
Revit users are looking for the ability to import terrain data from 3D scans, something I'm asked about all of the time. Terrain modeling has been a weak part of Revit and other 3D modeling platforms, so it's great to see another way to accomplish it. I'm sure other solutions will follow. The lines will continued be blurred between surveyors, architects, and engineers, but a smoother integration of information will benefit everyone. Thanks for the clear, step by step presentation.
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Re: Actual terrain model from Faro Scene to Autodesk Revit

Post by 3DForensics »

Could you not just do this in CloudCompare? Crop and subsample the point cloud. (You can mesh too). Then just export the smaller mesh.

Does Revit create the maps based only on point clouds or can it also do meshes?

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Re: Actual terrain model from Faro Scene to Autodesk Revit

Post by zoltan »

Eugene,

You could import a mesh into Revit as a terrain, but it won't work as well as the built-in toposurface. You either create the toposurface from a CSV file containing XYZ points, or from an imported dwg, where it just get's the points from the endpoints of lines and vertices of polylines. From these points, it generates a TIN automatically and displays contour lines.

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Re: Actual terrain model from Faro Scene to Autodesk Revit

Post by 3DForensics »

I am not a Revit user but good to know regardless. Do you know if AutoCAD has similar capabilities?
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Re: Actual terrain model from Faro Scene to Autodesk Revit

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3DForensics wrote:I am not a Revit user but good to know regardless. Do you know if AutoCAD has similar capabilities?
Not vanilla AutoCAD, but you can do something similar in Civil3D.
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Re: Actual terrain model from Faro Scene to Autodesk Revit

Post by 3DForensics »

Ok, cheers!


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Re: Actual terrain model from Faro Scene to Autodesk Revit

Post by Jana-at-kubit »

Thank you Zoltan,
For sharing this.

Would be great if FARO would just add such an option without having to hack the registry.
Hope Oliver is reading this ;)
Jana Siebenbrodt
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