Cyclone scanning software question

Cyclone Core- Incredibly difficult software to learn and use, massive learning curve. I would advise in-depth training, a few hours crash course will not cover enough. I lost so many hours/weeks/months trying to figure this software out.

Cyclone Register 360- I recently moved to this and find it quite good, excellent registration from Field 360. I am able to register and get point clouds exported much easier. As I had Core figured out it made the transition easy. Again I would highly recommend in-depth training from someone that uses it particularly if you are not using a tablet and Field 360.

Your Register license should allow you to use either Core or Register 360. Feel free to ask any questions.

@totalsurv thank you. I kinda figured it was not a quick learning curve. Thank you. I am sure once I figure out which one and how they are collecting data I will have questions. The boss wants me to write a step by step after today’s training. I didn’t think it was that easy lol.

It is my understanding that Cyclone (core as it is now referred to) is on its way out.  Register 360 is way easier to use.  As Total said, Cyclone requires real training, not a couple of hours from your dealer.  When I purchased our C10, I spent several days training at Leica's HDS office and still felt like a novice when I started using Cyclone in production. 

@john-putnam yeah i have done enough scanning in the past that I figured this was going to a be a tough turnaround so quickly.  It has been 5 years now and i use to process scans daily then with a different software and i would be worried to jump in now without at-least a good refresher course.  That is one thing i have never understood is how survey companies not all will drop a $100k on equipment and then wonder why they are not making more money on latest and greatest but are not willing to spend a few thousand on training to get them truly productive quicker on hardware and software. Back when i was a trainer every company that paid for training always had hardly no complaints. Yes here and there but for most part they were tickled with whatever purchase. The ones that had the one day drop of equipment were the ones who were always calling for support.

If they collected targets from each scan then Cyclone is fairly quick and easy, if you know how to navigate the weird Cyclone workflow. If there are mistakes in their inputs then it gets very weird and difficult. I used to say take extra effort in the field to make sure point names and target heights are correct. I’m using an RTC360 and Register360 now which is different, I wouldn’t say it’s easier but a lot of it is automatic. Register360 does not know what a target height is, you give it the 3D coordinates of the target. Because of this I always use the same target height, my Trimble pole all the way down with a Leica paddle is 1.5 meters so that’s what I use.

@dave-karoly Your statement on extra care in field is 100% correct.  And that pertains to any survey not just scanning. If correct field procedures are done every thing just comes easy. Planning ahead and doing it correctly the first time is what it all boils down to. We get in a hurry way to often and end up causing more issues than just doing it correctly the first time.  When I scanned i didn’t have to really care about target heights i set elevation when needed on items to get that correct. So spheres and other targets were for relative between scan sessions I would often use other methods to get hz and vt control around the site for orientation and vertical when needed.  But most of my scanning was not for surveying mut metrology and engineering type needs. So those engineers didn’t care about datums like we as surveyors do. They just needed x y z orthogonal coordinates. Not north east elevation like we as surveyors are concerned with.  I however alway did place each site on a datum for other reasons after the fact.  One of the things i have to re learn is the accuracy statements for a p50 and what the software is actually given me for this job i am about to do. Been a while.

@dave-karoly Your statement on extra care in field is 100% correct.  And that pertains to any survey not just scanning. If correct field procedures are done every thing just comes easy. Planning ahead and doing it correctly the first time is what it all boils down to. We get in a hurry way to often and end up causing more issues than just doing it correctly the first time.  When I scanned i didn’t have to really care about target heights i set elevation when needed on items to get that correct. So spheres and other targets were for relative between scan sessions I would often use other methods to get hz and vt control around the site for orientation and vertical when needed.  But most of my scanning was not for surveying mut metrology and engineering type needs. So those engineers didn’t care about datums like we as surveyors do. They just needed x y z orthogonal coordinates. Not north east elevation like we as surveyors are concerned with.  I however alway did place each site on a datum for other reasons after the fact.  One of the things i have to re learn is the accuracy statements for a p50 and what the software is actually given me for this job i am about to do. Been a while.

if an entry error is made on a Trimble controller then it’s pretty easy to fix either right away or easier in TBC because it will automatically identify all pointings in the set and ask if you want to change those too.

But in Cyclone it’s painful, way better to try not to make mistakes in the field.