About the road survey: Is it possible to use the same controller for gps capturing whilst scanning? would you say you need to measure extra points TS-style for accuracy or completeness ? I saw nails, this probably needs to be measured with TS and rod, no?
Total Station measurements are always going to be preferred for accuracy, however, it is possible to measure GNSS points via integrated survey whilst scanning. I have used this function numerous times on road surveys especially when there is medium to tall height grass. I use the GNSS shots for my ground surface in those areas since the scanning cannot penetrate through grass to extract true ground elevation. Also remember the SX10 is a 1'' total station w/ scanning capabilities. It's always good to shoot extra TS points for accuracy QA/QC and completeness.
@@TheBlueDreamTeam Thanks for your reaction. I use S6+R8+TSC7 for my projects. These are primarely architectural surveys and boundary surveys. I want to expand my services with 3D-scanning and hesitating to exchange my S6 for a SX10. I think the scanning capability could really come handy for a lot of projects, even when a pointcloud is not expected. However the SX10 feels overkill for boundary surveys. What do you think?
@@thovdb I think the SX10 is an excellent decision for architectural surveys. The telephoto camera with DR is insane! I absolutely love it. On top of that the Virtual DR in TBC is quite handy as well. As for boundary surveys, I have spoken to a lot of SX10 users and they say that it's the most accurate total station they've ever used. They love using it on control and boundary surveys just as a total station.
@@TheBlueDreamTeam Do you have any experience with other scanning machines? How does it compare with scanning-dedicated machines? Is it too slow in comparison with those? is accuracy however better? Or is that less important when you've got that amount of points. Thanks for your input, I really value this alot.
@@thovdb Yes I have experience with other scanners solely dedicated to scanning. The biggest difference you'll notice is in the speed, range, photos, workflow and cost. Hope my breakdown makes sense-- Speed: The SX10 is noticeably slower and does not capture nearly as much density for the amount of scanning time. To give you an idea - a full dome 360 scan takes about 12 minutes whereas a scanning-dedicated machine takes only 2-5 minutes typically. However I think the SX10 hits a sweet-spot for # of points vs. scanning time for most survey projects. If I had an indoor project that required dozens if not hundreds of scans, then I would definitely want a dedicated scanner. Scanning-only machines can capture millions of points per second allowing you to perform sometimes 2-3 scanning setups before the SX10 is finished with one. Most of that has to do with the workflow which I'll get to in a bit. In the end, you are more than likely going to decimate the point cloud anyways, so the density of the SX10 isn't as big of a deal when it comes down to most survey applications. Plus I can shoot GPS or another survey related task while the SX10 is scanning. Range: The SX10 is going to provide higher accuracy at longer ranges compared to most scanning-only machines. This has to do with the EDM and laser spot size. In my opinion, the SX10 might not be as clean at shorter ranges compared to some scanning-only machines; however, we are splitting hairs when talking about this - one or two millimeters of difference. Again, for survey work it performs well within tolerance for me. Photos: The SX10 has the best cameras on an instrument that I have seen on the market. You can perform panoramas at two different zoom levels - one for a quick overview pano (similar quality to other scanning-only machines), and then there's a higher zoom level pano that gives much better detail on things which is great for architectural work, bridges, etc. The point cloud colorization looks great in TBC by the way. On top of panoramas, you can use the Telephoto lens to capture extremely high detailed images or for use with Direct Reflex measurements. I was uncertain about not having an eyepiece to sight through at first, but I have totally gotten over that due to the video functionality and the zoom capabilities. Workflow: Traditional scanning-only machines will normally require some sort of targeting system to register and georeference the final point cloud to. These are normally white spheres or checkerboard targets. There are some scanners that have the ability to backsight and foresight, giving you a familiar survey-type workflow. The SX10 can do both. You can either setup the instrument in an unknown location and start scanning without needing survey points. Later you would register the stations via scan-to-scan registration in TBC or Realworks. (It cannot register via spheres or checkerboard targets at this time.) Georeferencing the SX10 cloud would simply require that you have some distinguishable features in the cloud with survey coordinates. The georeferencing in TBC is quite simple. The other workflow with the SX10 is to use it as a total station via one of the station setup or resection routines. It runs right within a familiar software (Trimble Access) so training is minimal. Survey workflow is what most people I know are doing, and it's what I prefer to do. That way, you can see the scans register together in the field on your map. When finished in the field, you can do a simple import of the job file into TBC or Realworks. No additional registration or georeferencing is needed. You're ready to start analyzing your point cloud. In summary, there is a trade-off to consider when it comes to the workflow. Do you want to spend more time in the field or more time in the office. Cost: The big one for me, and i'm sure yourself, is cost. Compared to some of the top end Scanning-only machines, the SX10 is almost half the cost. You already have the data collector, and you already have Trimble Access knowledge. (Not sure about TBC). Scanners will save a ton of time on specific applications such as indoor stuff, but you will want to have a good deal of scanning-only work lined up to see an ROI on such an expensive tool. I know I don't take my scanner out everyday... Sometimes it sits on a shelf for weeks at a time. Think of the SX10 as a hybrid instrument. It's a super accurate robotic total station with great scanning capabilities. You can use your robotic total station almost every day. You're getting a return on the SX10 even without scanning projects lined up. For me, the cost is just right and it makes sense for someone who is just starting to get into the scanning side of surveying and mapping. Let me know if you have other questions.
Awesome tech talk, Dylan! The Trimble Clarity Viewer seems like an excellent colab tool to utilize.
About the road survey: Is it possible to use the same controller for gps capturing whilst scanning? would you say you need to measure extra points TS-style for accuracy or completeness ? I saw nails, this probably needs to be measured with TS and rod, no?
Total Station measurements are always going to be preferred for accuracy, however, it is possible to measure GNSS points via integrated survey whilst scanning. I have used this function numerous times on road surveys especially when there is medium to tall height grass. I use the GNSS shots for my ground surface in those areas since the scanning cannot penetrate through grass to extract true ground elevation. Also remember the SX10 is a 1'' total station w/ scanning capabilities. It's always good to shoot extra TS points for accuracy QA/QC and completeness.
@@TheBlueDreamTeam Thanks for your reaction. I use S6+R8+TSC7 for my projects. These are primarely architectural surveys and boundary surveys. I want to expand my services with 3D-scanning and hesitating to exchange my S6 for a SX10. I think the scanning capability could really come handy for a lot of projects, even when a pointcloud is not expected. However the SX10 feels overkill for boundary surveys. What do you think?
@@thovdb I think the SX10 is an excellent decision for architectural surveys. The telephoto camera with DR is insane! I absolutely love it. On top of that the Virtual DR in TBC is quite handy as well. As for boundary surveys, I have spoken to a lot of SX10 users and they say that it's the most accurate total station they've ever used. They love using it on control and boundary surveys just as a total station.
@@TheBlueDreamTeam Do you have any experience with other scanning machines? How does it compare with scanning-dedicated machines? Is it too slow in comparison with those? is accuracy however better? Or is that less important when you've got that amount of points. Thanks for your input, I really value this alot.
@@thovdb Yes I have experience with other scanners solely dedicated to scanning. The biggest difference you'll notice is in the speed, range, photos, workflow and cost. Hope my breakdown makes sense--
Speed: The SX10 is noticeably slower and does not capture nearly as much density for the amount of scanning time. To give you an idea - a full dome 360 scan takes about 12 minutes whereas a scanning-dedicated machine takes only 2-5 minutes typically. However I think the SX10 hits a sweet-spot for # of points vs. scanning time for most survey projects. If I had an indoor project that required dozens if not hundreds of scans, then I would definitely want a dedicated scanner. Scanning-only machines can capture millions of points per second allowing you to perform sometimes 2-3 scanning setups before the SX10 is finished with one. Most of that has to do with the workflow which I'll get to in a bit. In the end, you are more than likely going to decimate the point cloud anyways, so the density of the SX10 isn't as big of a deal when it comes down to most survey applications. Plus I can shoot GPS or another survey related task while the SX10 is scanning.
Range: The SX10 is going to provide higher accuracy at longer ranges compared to most scanning-only machines. This has to do with the EDM and laser spot size. In my opinion, the SX10 might not be as clean at shorter ranges compared to some scanning-only machines; however, we are splitting hairs when talking about this - one or two millimeters of difference. Again, for survey work it performs well within tolerance for me.
Photos: The SX10 has the best cameras on an instrument that I have seen on the market. You can perform panoramas at two different zoom levels - one for a quick overview pano (similar quality to other scanning-only machines), and then there's a higher zoom level pano that gives much better detail on things which is great for architectural work, bridges, etc. The point cloud colorization looks great in TBC by the way. On top of panoramas, you can use the Telephoto lens to capture extremely high detailed images or for use with Direct Reflex measurements. I was uncertain about not having an eyepiece to sight through at first, but I have totally gotten over that due to the video functionality and the zoom capabilities.
Workflow: Traditional scanning-only machines will normally require some sort of targeting system to register and georeference the final point cloud to. These are normally white spheres or checkerboard targets. There are some scanners that have the ability to backsight and foresight, giving you a familiar survey-type workflow. The SX10 can do both. You can either setup the instrument in an unknown location and start scanning without needing survey points. Later you would register the stations via scan-to-scan registration in TBC or Realworks. (It cannot register via spheres or checkerboard targets at this time.) Georeferencing the SX10 cloud would simply require that you have some distinguishable features in the cloud with survey coordinates. The georeferencing in TBC is quite simple. The other workflow with the SX10 is to use it as a total station via one of the station setup or resection routines. It runs right within a familiar software (Trimble Access) so training is minimal. Survey workflow is what most people I know are doing, and it's what I prefer to do. That way, you can see the scans register together in the field on your map. When finished in the field, you can do a simple import of the job file into TBC or Realworks. No additional registration or georeferencing is needed. You're ready to start analyzing your point cloud. In summary, there is a trade-off to consider when it comes to the workflow. Do you want to spend more time in the field or more time in the office.
Cost: The big one for me, and i'm sure yourself, is cost. Compared to some of the top end Scanning-only machines, the SX10 is almost half the cost. You already have the data collector, and you already have Trimble Access knowledge. (Not sure about TBC). Scanners will save a ton of time on specific applications such as indoor stuff, but you will want to have a good deal of scanning-only work lined up to see an ROI on such an expensive tool. I know I don't take my scanner out everyday... Sometimes it sits on a shelf for weeks at a time. Think of the SX10 as a hybrid instrument. It's a super accurate robotic total station with great scanning capabilities. You can use your robotic total station almost every day. You're getting a return on the SX10 even without scanning projects lined up. For me, the cost is just right and it makes sense for someone who is just starting to get into the scanning side of surveying and mapping.
Let me know if you have other questions.