
PointFuse
Win64, EnglishGeneral Usage Instructions
PointFuse quickly and accurately converts point clouds into intelligent mesh models with selectable surfaces for classification. You can directly upload models to Autodesk® Construction Cloud, Autodesk® BIM 360® or export to multiple formats for the next stage of your workflow in other applications.
PointFuse runs on a physical PC; you cannot run it on a Mac. The trial is not available on a virtual machine.
You can use PointFuse on a remote machine, but Remote Desktop is not supported. TeamViewer is the suggested alternative.
Instructions for Adding PointFuse to a Autodesk® Construction Cloud or BIM 360 Account:
BIM 360 Admins can find the PointFuse BIM 360 Integration in Account Administration under the “Apps” tab. Select to add to your BIM 360 Account. Your PointFuseBIM 360 Integration is now active in BIM 360.
Load a Point Cloud
1. Download and open PointFuse.
2. On the initial dialog, select Create New Project.
Optional: Specify a custom Project Name, Directory, and Description.
3. Click Next and navigate to a point cloud file, click > to add it, and click Finish.
Optional: If you want an intelligent mesh model created from only part of the point cloud:
a. In the Project Explorer on the left of the main Pointfuse window, double click the point cloud file.
It will be displayed in the main workspace.
b. Use the Crop tool to create a new, smaller point cloud.
c. Select the new, cropped point cloud in the Project Explorer (no need to display it).
Convert to an Intelligent Mesh Model
4. Press Z or click Create Mesh Model (Desktop).
Optional:
· Specify a custom Output Name.
· Select a Processing Profile with different Resolution and Tolerances.
· If the point cloud has RGB or intensity data, select Generate Textures to include that data in the mesh model.
This may increase processing time.
5. Click OK to create the mesh model.
6. In the Project Explorer, double click the mesh model’s name to display it in the main workspace.
7. You can zoom and pan the model, crop, and generate floor plans, ortho images, and high resolution snapshots.
You can also make measurements.
Select Surfaces for Classification
8. Either press and hold Ctrl or click Selection Mode and choose Append.
Each surface you click, or that is fully contained in a drag select, is added to the selection.
9. Deselect by clicking again.
Alternatively, switch to Replace or Remove from the Selection Mode dropdown, or by pressing Alt or Shift respectively.
10. Right click and select either Move Geometries or Merge Geometries.
· Move puts them in a folder together, but keeps them as individually selectable surfaces.
· Merge permanently combines them to a single surface: clicking on any part selects all of it.
11. Select a parent folder, then Add Group to add a new destination folder.
12. Select that folder, then Add Geometry to move or merge the surfaces into it.
13. Select the surfaces in the folder, click OK to close the dialog, then Save on the toolbar.
14. Show and hide groups by ticking and unticking in the Scene Tree at the bottom right.
15. In the Properties window, you can color-code each group of surfaces.
This creates a clearer visualization of your data, without losing RGB or intensity data.
Export Selected Surfaces of Mesh Model
It is quick and easy to export whole models or selected surfaces for the next stage of your workflow.
Note: The PointFuse trial limits you to three exports, whether to Autodesk BIM 360 or your PC.
After that, you need to buy a license to use Pointfuse.
Export to Autodesk Construction Cloud or BIM 360
16. To upload the whole model, or selected surfaces, to Autodesk, select Autodesk Export.
a. Sign in to an Autodesk account with admin rights.
b. When prompted, give PointFuse access to your account to see your files.
c. Select the folder you want to upload to. Click Next, which opens the upload wizard.
d. You can change the File name, choose whether to include a Texture, and select the Export file type.
e. By default, all surface geometries are ticked for inclusion in the export.
f. Click Next to upload the model.
g. When done, select Show file in Autodesk.
h. In the browser, functions include: preview (including markup), download, move, copy, rename, lock, share, and delete.
Export to File
17. To use the model in other applications, select Export in PointFuse.
You can convert the whole model or selected surfaces to: DAE, DXF, FBX, IFC, NWC, OBJ, SKP, STL or X3D.
Commands
Ribbon/Toolbar Icon | Command | Command Description |
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Add Scan |
Creates a new scan folder and imports point cloud data into it. Compatible formats are CL3, CLR, DP, E57, FLS, LAS, LAZ, PTS, PTX RCP, RCS, VPC, XYZ and ZFS files. |
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Create Mesh Model |
Converts one or more point clouds into a mesh model, using either desktop or cloud processing (not available in trial version). Select one of 12 processing profiles, tailored for different scanner types and quality, or create custom processing profiles. Parameters you can set in custom profiles are: 1. Resolution - how fine or coarse the mesh will be. 2. Planar fitting tolerance – the extent to which Pointfuse will optimise surfaces. 3. Surface Angle Tolerance - the threshold, in degrees, for creating an edge and new surface. 4. Surface Area Tolerance - the threshold, in square metres, for creating a new surface. 5. Generate Textures - whether to include RGB or intensity textures (if present in the source point data). 6. Maximum Texture Resolution - limit the size of your texture file in order to reduce file size. |
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Select Geometries |
Select and group surfaces to include or exclude them from view and from exports, without changing the mesh model itself. For example, you can classify surfaces that make a group of pipes, with subfolders for each pipe. You can also tidy the model by deleting features, such as floors or people. This is a useful alternative to cropping. Select surfaces by holding Ctrl, and then either single left clicking on individual surfaces or drag selecting. The selection box will select any surfaces which fall entirely within its bounds. To deselect, hold Shift and click surfaces. You can view and manage the groups from the context menu of the viewport and also from the Scene Tree window at the bottom right. |
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Move Geometries |
After selecting surfaces, classify them into layers, using the right click context menu. Select Move Geometries to put them in a folder together, but keeping them as individually selectable surfaces. Add or select a destination folder, then Add Geometries to it. Click OK in the dialog and Save on the toolbar. |
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Merge Geometries |
After selecting surfaces, classify them into layers, using the right click context menu. Select Merge Geometries to combine them to a single surface, so when you click anywhere on it, you select it all. Add or select a destination folder, then Add Geometries to it. Click OK in the dialog and Save on the toolbar. CAUTION: Merging cannot be undone. After two discrete surfaces have been merged, they will permanently remain so. |
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Delete Selected Geometries |
You can delete selected surfaces from the mesh model, using the right click context menu. CAUTION: Deleting surfaces cannot be undone. After deletion, the surfaces will be removed from the model permanently, even if you leave classification mode without saving. |
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Crop Model |
Crop one or more point clouds or mesh models to create a single 3D model that is a subset, but in the same format as the source. This reduces file size and removes unwanted clutter. Cropping point clouds has the additional advantage that a smaller point cloud will convert to a mesh model more quickly. If you are viewing a mixture of point clouds and mesh models, you have to choose one format at a time to crop. Conversion options include the location of the created crop, whether to include textures, visible items or invert the selection. The resulting crop will be a new file, and will maintain any classification that has already been performed and saved. |
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Create Floor Plan |
Create 2D plans and sections from a 3D mesh model. You can create sections at regular intervals, e.g. at different heights so there is one for each floor of a building. The size and position of the selection plane and the other settings in the tool dialog are remembered for the current tab. This makes it easier if you create multiple sections, look at the results, and want to tweak the settings before creating new sections. The resulting 2D floor plan will be viewable within Pointfuse, and can be exported as DXF or IFC for use in the next stage of your workflow. |
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Create Ortho Images |
Create 2D orthographic images of each face of a selection cuboid. Each image includes details of scale. They are raster (not vector) images, so cannot be edited in Pointfuse, though you can display them, one per tab. You can add a custom prefix to the name, and images are saved as PNGs, ready to use in the next stage of your workflow without needing to export. |
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Measurement Tool |
You can measure models directly in Pointfuse: single lines, polylines or polygons. You can make multiple measurements and export the results as a CSV file. |
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Snapshot |
Create a high-resolution 2D image of the 3D point cloud or mesh model displayed in the current viewport tab, i.e. without the toolbar, menus and windows. Specular highlights and textures are included, if present. Each snapshot is added to the project’s Snapshots folder. Double click to open it in a new tab, or right click and select Open Externally, to open in the default application for that file type. You can specify the name, output format and size of the image. |
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BIM 360 Export |
You can upload mesh models directly into a project folder within your BIM 360 account, for easy project collaboration. If you have previously classified surfaces, then this classification is uploaded with the model. |
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Export |
Save mesh models in industry-standard formats to use in the next stage of your workflow. If you have previously classified surfaces, you can selectively export them. For example, you can export a building, without the floor, or just the pipework. Export formats are DAE, DXF (the default), FBX, IFC, NWC, OBJ, SKP, STL and X3D. Exporting to FBX or IFC formats will maintain any surface classification that you have saved. You can also choose whether to export your mesh with no texture or with RGB texture or Intensity texture (if the file format supports these). A texture is exported as a separate PNG file. |
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Create BIM Mesh Model Wizard |
Convert Pointfuse mesh models to BIM mesh models, with stories and classification templates for each level of the building. The "Create BIM Mesh models" tool can be used to apply IFC Classifications to surfaces contained within the mesh model. Create and edit templates and map custom fields to IFC to ensure interoperability in downstream BIM software. |
Installation/Uninstallation
By default PointFuse will be installed to:
C:\Program Files\Pointfuse Ltd\Pointfuse
Prerequisites are installed with PointFuse: Faro and various Microsoft redistributables. Users are advised not to uninstall any of these.
Uninstall PointFuse using "Programs and Features" on the Windows Control Panel.
Additional Information
Known Issues
Contact
Author/Company Information
Support Information
Version History
Version Number | Version Description |
---|---|
2023.0.3 |
Publish to Unity Reflect, Revit Plugin, ACC Integration Export enhancements. Team licences. |
2022.1 |
Publish to Unity Reflect, Revit Plugin, ACC Integration |
4.3 |
Desktop multi-core processing BIM Classification Updates and enhancements |
4.2 |
Desktop multi-core processing BIM Classification |
4.0 |
Automatic classification of planar surfaces. |
3.4 |
BIM 360 Export is introduced. |