IMAGINiT Civil Solutions Blog

If it’s not broke, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be fixed

Kevin Breslin | ISD/RCS Services

Obviously, I’m playing off of the idiom “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it”, because often it seems that’s where a lot of organizations are with regard to their design technology and its related productivity. 

The truth is, while “it” may not be (completely) broken, “it” very likely would benefit from refinements, adjustments and/or changes.  In case you weren’t able to read through the idiom, the “it” in this case is your organization.

What I’m specifically talking about is how organizations are very often hobbling their own potential abilities and productivity, simply because there is no glaring problem alerting them to the need to do something.  There’s no red light flashing, or horn blaring that tells them that their processes, workflows, standards, etc. are not running at its full potential, and as a result, the organization is not seeing the full potential of what is possible.

The conversation we have with organizations on the subject of productivity and efficiency very often goes something like this:

“How are things going with your design processes, standards, productivity, etc.?”

“We’re getting our work done and haven’t lost a customer yet due to a problem so. . . everything is fine”

What they’re really saying is, “If it’s not broke, why fix it?”

What typically happens is, an organization will gauge their perceived status based on their initial implementation of their latest design technology (5-7 years ago in some cases) –vs- the way they used to do things (back in the day). Often this process will have involved some training, the installation of new software and the tweaking of processes necessitated by the software itself.  After things get up and running though, barring a flashing red light or blaring alarm, they’re on a roll and not much changes.

The question is: Are you getting all of the productivity and innovation potential from your design technology that is available to you?   The answer we’ve found more often than not is: No, not really.

Once in a position where things seem to be working, it is difficult to have a clear perspective on whether or not things are being done in the best possible way or not.  Sans an occasional tweak, most organizations continue on the path initially set until the next major software/technology adoption necessitates it.  The end result is, there’s likely a great deal of productivity advantages and efficiencies sitting on the proverbial table going unrecognized.  These lost productivity and efficiencies translate into lost potential profits and lost opportunities with a wider range and incremental services avenues being unexplored. 

Example: You may be surprised how many Infraworks users don’t know how to round trip design data with Civil 3D or, how to import Revit models into their designs.

Understanding that it’s difficult to “see the forest through the trees” from the inside of a seemingly functioning organization, IMAGINiT has developed over the years, assessment services specifically designed to target these unknowns, and to help organizations identity where deficiencies in process, workflow, education, etc. may exists, and more importantly, we make recommendations on how to address found issues and make necessary changes in order to realize the true potential of the sophisticated design tools they already have.

By leveraging the aggregate of our vast and numerous experiences working with organizations of all sizes across North America with their technology implementation needs, we have gained a unique perspective allowing us to assist others to get the most from the design technologies we represent, and to help them to be as successful and productive as possible. 

Our assessment & recommendations services cover a broad range, from the high-level and cost effective Civil BIM Readiness Check which is designed to help organizations prepare for an efficient and successful adoption of BIM for infrastructure technologies, to our Civil 3D Health Check service, which is aimed at assisting those that are currently using AutoCAD Civil 3D, to identify where specific refinements can be made to improve efficiencies and productivity, all the way to our comprehensive and in-depth Strategic Process Review service, which consists of a holistic assessment and detailed prescribed recommendations targeting an organizations processes and workflow, (including software, hardware, networking, data management, etc.).   

For over 20 years, helping organizations to be successful with design technologies is what we have done.

For more information about how IMAGINiT Technologies can help your organization see through trees, and realize the true potential of the latest, powerful BIM and design technologies, contact us. 

Winning More Business and Saving Money with Photogrammetry

Get inspired and experiment with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and photogrammetry at your firm. There are a lot of ways to use photogrammetry to build new business and improve operations. Here’s a few examples we’ve seen of how organizations are using drones and aerial photogrammetry:

• Architecture. Using drones to fly around and capture images of proposed subdivisions. Some companies leverage photogrammetry for building expansion feasibility studies. For instance, when a hospital wanted to expand its facility, one of the architecture firms bidding on the project used a drone and photogrammetry to create a rudimentary 3D model of the existing structure. They then created a visual representation of what a new addition might look like. Visuals like this can help you win more work.

• Construction. Many construction firms now use drones in weekly “flyovers” at project sites. Documenting project progress is useful for owners and stakeholders and it can also be valuable for monitoring subcontractor activity. One construction company reviewed weekly project images and found that a subcontractor had been on site for only four weeks, but billed for eight weeks of work. Another firm uses UAVs to gather data that supports frequent sampling of earthwork volumes at work sites.

• Aerial Videographers and Photographers. Photogrammetry provides an opportunity for these specialists to expand their business by offering services like construction observation and other forms of image capture to construction, architecture, and civil engineering firms.

As you consider ways your firm could take advantage of photogrammetry, you may want to conduct a business process audit to evaluate different options. Key questions to answer include: How will you receive photogrammetry data? Will the data be adequate for your needs? Does your team know how to work with reality capture data? Sometimes it can be helpful to get outside guidance on what the right solution is for your situation. Remember, we are here to help and our goal is to match the right technology to your needs.

Three Tips for Deriving Value from Drones and Photogrammetry

Unmanned aerial vehicles (known as UAVs or drones) equipped with cameras capture images of buildings, projects and more. Architecture, engineering and construction teams leverage the power of photogrammetry – geolocated point clouds, topo surfaces, and up to date orthomosiac aerial imagery made from the simple photos.

While photogrammetry isn’t as precise as 3D laser scanning, it provides considerable value at a lower price point and is easier to deploy. Many clients ask us about using photogrammetry, so we put our top three recommendations together.

1. Match technology to the level of detail required. Photogrammetry is a useful tool when high levels of provable accuracy aren’t required, such as estimating stockpiles, grading, and rough 3D models. Keep in mind that when capturing data for large scale projects, such as subdivisions or buildings, the number of variables in play increases. This decreases the accuracy that can be derived from resulting models.

2. The equipment used affects the quality of deliverables. Be sure to use a camera that generates usable images for your project. While a cell phone camera might be adequate to create a 3D model of a water bottle, it wouldn’t be suitable for generating usable images of a watershed. For large-scale civil projects, it’s also important to consider the quality of the GPS on the drone. If having accurate GPS coordinates is an important factor for your project, you may also want to consider the additional use of Ground Control Points integrated into the UAV dataset.

3. The way photos are taken affects the output. To create a 3D model from photos, there must be significant overlap between images. This is important to remember when flying a drone and taking pictures. An even ‘gridded’ pattern can easily be created by flight automation practices available with most UAV platforms.

If you’re unsure whether photogrammetry is the right solution for you, feel free to ask us. Our goal is to match the right technology to the situation and our team includes individuals who understand the complete building process, not just how hardware and software work.

What New FAA Operational Rules for UAVs Mean for You

by Daniel Chapek, Manager Reality Capture Services

In fields like architecture, construction, and civil engineering, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a highly efficient way to take photos for 3D models. Until recently, however, firms faced significant barriers to using drones to support their business.

In the past, the FAA required UAV operators to have a full-fledged pilot’s license. That meant that companies either needed to have a certified pilot on staff or they had to obtain legal assistance to file for an FAA exemption. In many cases, the hurdles associated with gathering images via UAV for photogrammetry were simply too costly to justify.

All of that changed in late August 2016, when new FAA operational rules related to the use of drones came into effect. These new regulations balance safety with common sense. Their goal is to minimize the risks to people and property when performing remote flight operations in commercial and professional capacities. Instead of requiring UAV operators to have a full-fledged pilot’s license, the FAA has developed a remote pilot certificate with a small unmanned aircraft system rating. This can be obtained by passing an online exam.

Now that the barriers to using drones in business are lower, reality capture and photogrammetry are more realistic options for many firms. Before diving into this new technology, however, you should take a few factors into consideration:

1. Equipment quality. Be sure to equip your drone with a camera that will generate usable images for your project. A cell phone camera, for example, will not be suitable for creating 3D models of buildings or geographic features. For large scale, civil projects, the quality of the GPS on the drone should also be considered.

2. Pilot education. Not only do UAV pilots need to have the FAA mandated remote pilot certificate, it’s also important to train them on the flight patterns required for effective photogrammetry. Specific types of flight patterns generate higher quality photo output. This has a direct effect on model extraction.

3. Business requirements. Drones are now far more accessible to firms. Regulations are more flexible and the equipment on the market is affordable and easy to use. It’s important to remember, however, that ease of use doesn’t automatically mean that a technology is the right one for your needs. Take time to identify the right tool for your business requirements. If you need guidance, we're happy to help.

Reality Capture Use Case: Ehresmann Engineering

Capturing the real world in digital format sounds great, but knowing the right type of capturing technology to use and then turning the raw data into models can be tricky. 

Ehresmann Engineering provides consulting and steel fabrication services to meet the specific needs of communications organizations. Their main offering is creating and inspecting cell phone towers. Sending climbers up the towers to visually inspect all the towers was time consuming, so they began using UAVs, but found they still had areas that required visual inspection. 

By comparing UAVs with aerial photogrammetry to high definition laser scanning, Ehresmann Engineering found which was best suited to what they needed to accomplish. IMAGINiT worked with them to compare the technologies and provide workflow assistance. Find out how Ehresmann Engineering is doing now.

Are you considering reality capture? Whether you need to do the scanning or work with the point cloud data, our reality capture professionals can help.

Is it worth it?

Kevin Breslin | Services Manager

Is it worth it . . . ?

The question is asked either out loud or to one’s self when deciding whether or not to invest in an upgrade. At one time, I was on the other side of the fence in the engineering world where that question was literally asked many times. Now that I’ve seen this from both the customer’s side as well as the services provider’s side, I have a better and deeper understanding of what this really means and what the considerations and implications are.

So, what is the answer?

Let’s start by defining what the “Upgrade” is.

In the case of working in the land development/civil engineering/survey (infrastructure) industry, the process of an upgrade in most people’s minds involves purchasing and installing new software and acquiring training. This is what owners or managers (a.k.a. decision makers) usually think of when they ask the question. And while this may be the first thing people think of, you’ll see that there are other equally important factors we need to consider as well.

With regard to software upgrades, most simply gravitate to the next numbered version of the software they’re using today. It seems logical that the latest and greatest is the version of the software with the highest number, right? Well, not always. While the latest version of the software you use now in most cases is the most sophisticated, it may not be the only choice or even the right choice.

Because the tools, technologies and services associated to the land development industry evolve over time, the need for different and sometimes unknown tools may be the necessary key to success. Using the Survey industry as an example, in just the last 20 years both the tools used as well as the services provided have expanded considerably.   Simply using the latest version total station and its proprietary desktop software (as you may have used 10 years ago) will likely not allow you to engage in many new technologies and services. Today, surveyors are using robotic totals stations, GPS, ground-based HDS 3D scanners, UAV for photogrammetry, etc. . . . Simply having the latest desktop software for your total station will not be sufficient if you intend to provide 3D laser scan clouds as a deliverable.

With training in mind, the answer in most cases is “yes” there is absolutely value in technical training for designers and engineers. As with any technology, knowledge of how to use the tools of the trade to perform your work is crucial. There are few things more distressing in our industry than seeing designers/engineers using modern, state of the art BIM technology such as AutoCAD Civil 3D, in the same way they were using AutoCAD to draft (i.e. electric pencil) 15 years ago! It’s like putting a Yugo engine in a Ferrari.

So, how do you really get the most value (ROI/bang for the buck) return on your upgrade investments?

First we need to identify and understand a few other important aspects:

What type of design product(s) does the organization need to create?

This is not as simple as it sounds. If for example it’s a multi-discipline consulting engineering organization, this could range from plan sets of conventional engineering and construction documents printed on paper or exported to an electronic document (DWF, PDF). Or, it could be intelligent BIM models of site designs ready for integration with other BIM technologies such as Revit. Or even design surface models which are going to be used for automated machine grading systems.

Knowing what your actual organization needs are is key. You can’t set a path to a destination if you don’t know where the destination is. You need to ensure you’re using the right tools for the job before you jump into an out-of-the-box training class or simply install the latest version of your favorite CAD software. Also, while identifying what your deliverable needs are for today is important, it’s also important to consider what your future needs may be. This is obviously more difficult to do. However you can take steps to “future proof” your business by staying plugged in to evolving industry trends. In many cases the software and hardware technology leaders will show their hand well in advance of new technologies gaining footing in a given industry.

What do your designers/engineers actually know now, and how are they using design technology today?

To quantify this in a measurable way, you need to assess the user’s knowledge of the software they’re using today, as well as with the tools you’ve determined are needed to ultimately achieve your intended goals as an organization for the near future.

Do you have the necessary infrastructure (workstations, network, etc.) to use the needed software?

This question is easy to understand, however it’s often a question that CFO’s, owners (i.e. holders of the purse strings) would like to avoid dealing with. Who can blame them? It’s never cheap and always involves a degree of disruption when being implemented. That said, at some point it is unavoidable.

Even technology neophytes understand that a 7-year-old PC is not state of the art. If the determination is made that your organization needs to use powerful, modern design technology software to be successful, it’s inevitable that the subject of hardware, workstations, servers, WAN, etc., is addressed and that it meets the needs of your design software. This includes the network environment where users can effectively collaborate on projects.

Now that we’ve dug in a bit deeper, the question has evolved beyond just technical education and installing the latest version of your current design software, and has grown substantially. This is usually the point where many get overwhelmed and shelve the idea until it becomes an urgent problem, at which point they often scramble and make rash decisions that usually fail to prepare them for success.

Sadly over the years, I’ve seen many times where organizations have put off upgrading (training, updated software, hardware, etc.) until it becomes an absolutely necessity that they must deal with to continue to win business. At this point, most have not planned or budgeted for the time and expense needed to do things properly, and end up cutting a lot of important corners in the process. The end result is often frustration and, many times, a lesser degree of productivity than they had before the upgrades. This brings me to the last point which is the need for planning.

Taking into account all of the variables and factors involved in investing in upgrading, a plan to do so is a critical factor to ensure a successful implementation with minimal productivity disruptions, and the ability to quickly and efficiently achieve your intended goals.

Side note: At IMAGINiT, this whole process (in part or in whole) is one of the fastest growing services we provide to our customers and is a big part of our daily lives. We have the benefit of the aggregate of the acquired experiences of not only our technical team from all over the US and Canada, but also the lessons learned by our customers who have experienced failed and successful implementations. We know what works, and equally important, we know what doesn’t work. I’ll save the services pitch for another post but suffice it to say if you’re contemplating this process, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We can help. Back to the subject at hand. . .

We all know the saying “Failing to plan, is planning to fail”. And while it’s a cliché, it is for the most part accurate.

Once you’ve gone through the other steps noted and have identified everything that needs to be done, putting a plan, budget and schedule together is the best way to start the journey.

In summary, when you ask the question “Is it worth it” . .
. . to upgrade
. . to train your team
. . to update hardware
. . to evaluate and refine your standards and workflows. . . .
the short answer is, it depends.

It depends if your organization has the necessary tools, knowledge and environment to deliver the product(s) needed to be successful and competitive within your market. If the answer is “no”, you need to get started sooner than later. You don’t want to be one of the “failure case studies” cited as the justification that another organization should plan to do it right.

 

Demo or Proof of Concept: What's the Difference?

We demonstrate software. A lot. And it's fun. Showing someone the 'what could be' if they were using a different technology or even helping someone by offering up a tip or new feature is great. Demonstrations are intended to give a lot of information in a short period of time. To give a general idea of what can be done with a new technology or process.

Proof-of-concepts are different. They are intended to provide proof that a given system would work effectively. They are detailed and customized. 

When it comes to Reality Capture, we do a lot of both - demos and POCs. We often get asked just what is the difference between the two. So we took the time to write up a new whitepaper: Five Frequently Asked Questions about Proof-of-Concepts. 

If you still have questions after that, just let us know.

A UAV Where You Might Not Expect It

OK, so we’ve all been touched by the drone explosion.  They’re everywhere and they can be fascinating, but sometimes the technology gets a little spooky.  This UAV, called CRACUNS, developed at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland takes spooky to a new level.

You can watch the Johns Hopkins video of CRACUNS here.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the beach. . .

Targets? We Don't Need Targets!

Last year when Leica introduced Cyclone 9.0, they created what I believe to be an amazing feature that allows users to quickly and accurately register their point clouds.  In the past, registering point clouds accurately without the use of targets proved to be long and difficult process.  Often the time spent during the registration process became a task that would have to be repeated over and over because the registration was out of the allowable tolerances.  Leica introduced Visual Registration in the 9.0 version and I believe this is still a ground breaking feature that no other scanning software has been able to match.  

Let's take a look deeper inside this feature to see how it works.  We start by importing our scans from the scanner in the usual manner.  The process for creating a registration is also no different than it was in past versions.  However, when creating constraints, instead of using the targets or the old cloud to cloud method with the wizard, we can create constraints by placing the clouds on top of each other.  Using the registration window, users need to select two ScanWorlds by clicking and holding the CTRL key on each.

 

After the ScanWorlds are created, select Visual Registration from the menu at the top of the screen.  We then select Visual Alignment to see the following picture.

 

The default tool in this window permits us to align the two different clouds in a plan or XY view.  We are able to move and rotate the cloud as necessary.  After they are aligned in plan view, simply use the vertical alignment tool to align the vertical.

Plan View Aligned

Elevation View Aligned

Notice the top right corners of each view.  They show the tools used to align the clouds.  Once the clouds are aligned, select the tools menu and select Constrain.  After the clouds are registered we can look at possible error across the cloud.  In this case, we are outdoors with lots of trees (which are blowing around) so the max allowable error will be a bit higher (showing as 1.2").  

  

The next time you go to the field, scan a project and don't realize until your return to the office that you forgot to acquire your targets, don't plan a return trip to do so. Visual registration is a reliable and accurate tool available.

ReCap 360 and UAV Imagery

Autodesk, Inc. has announced new features for ReCap 360 which are specific for UAV users.  These enhancements deliver an easy, cost-effective  solution to process UAV photos.  These enhancements address the growing demand from the UAV industry to turn aerial photos into meaningful 2D and 3D data.

UAV technology is rapidly transforming the way people gather information, and high resolution aerial images can now easily be captured to provide valuable insights in infrastructure and building projects.  With the new enhanced updates, ReCap 360 offers a simple solution to process this UAV data.

New UAV Features for ReCap 360

• Easy setting of Ground Control Points, with support of XYZ, ECEF & LLA – WGS84 formats
• Alignment of laser scans and photo-based models
• Full support of GPS information embedded in the photo Exifs
• Full support of nadir/vertical images
• Auto-cropping mode
• Automatic creation of orthographic views and depth maps in GeoTIFF format.
• Automatic creation of photo-based point clouds in RCS format, and high quality photo-textured meshes in RCM (Autodesk Memento format), OBJ or FBX formats

ReCap 360 is part of the Autodesk family of reality capture applications that includes ReCap and ReCap 360 Ultimate products.  Utilizing digital captures of physical environments, ReCap solutions enable the creation of 3D models that can be the starting point for new designs.

Key Features for ReCap 360 Include:

• Cloud-based with limited IT infrastructure to deploy
• Cost effective with both subscription and consumption-based options available
• 25 GB of storage
• Integrated within the ReCap family of products

To learn more about the new features visit recap.autodesk.com/flypromo