We are currently in the process of purchasing a Trimble TX8 scanner to use with our GEDO CE trolley system.?ÿ When the scanner is used with the trolley, there is dedicated field and office software to process the scan data.?ÿ The scanner will be primarily used on the trolley, but I am looking for a software solution if we decide to scan something off of the trolley.?ÿ Does anyone use the Scanning module for TBC to process scan data? I believe it is used to process SX10 data, but that comes in georeferenced.?ÿ From what I've been able to gather, TBC will auto-register the scans, then you import control points and pick those points in the scan to georeference the scan.?ÿ I did not see an option to use targets or a station set up type of registration. Is this correct?
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Also,?ÿ is there anyone out there that uses the Aerial Photogrammetry module to process drone data??ÿ How does it compare to Pix4D?
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Thanks in advance!
Adam: we use Realworks to register/process the TX8 data, and (usually) TBC for SX10 data. The main reason, as you said, is that the SX10 is already georeferenced (at least the way we work with it). I am not sure that TBC could handle the georeferencing of a bunch of TX8 scans. Todd is the one who does that work, feel free to call and talk to him about it. Let me know if you need his number.?ÿ
I watched a bunch of YouTube videos on the TBC Scanning module specifically geared toward processing scan data. The issue I see with using TBC is that I would have to locate control points, either with GNSS or an instrument to get the scans referenced. The control points they use in the videos are things like the corner of a stop bar, the corner of a letter on a sign, etc... So these would be needed in addition to standard survey control. For the price of TBC Advanced, which we do not use currently, and the Scanning module, there may be a version of Realworks that lets you use the station set up feature. I am currently looking into that as well.
From the TBC "Help" file below.?ÿ It looks like you have pretty much the same options as other packages, but with a bit less automation.?ÿ Pairwise registration lets you manually pick the points to register scans, so I don't see why that couldn't be targets, but it doesn't appear to automatically recognize targets.?ÿ TBC is also less automated at figuring out geometry, e.g. automatically adding a linestring along top of curb, etc...
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The Scan Registration command supports two major registration workflows:
??Pairwise registration - If your raw scan data was imported in a format other than Trimble TZF (.tzf) or Faro FLS (.fls), or if it includes both
is there anyone out there that uses the Aerial Photogrammetry module to process drone data??ÿ How does it compare to Pix4D?
I'm in the process of buying a Trimble TS. In my communications with the local dealer I've also initiated discussions about a drone purchase. I can hardly get them to even discuss the photogrammetry module of TBC. They keep directing the discussion back to Pix4D by the end of the first sentence. I guess that says a lot, doesn't it!?ÿ?ÿ
I spoke to our local dealer's tech guy and he basically said the same thing. He said that he's played around with it, but they don't have any customers that use it. At about $7200 plus the cost of TBC Advanced, you could buy Pix4D and a decent drone and still have some money left over.
As with everything in laser scanning, it's all about the software.?ÿ
The problem is, there are a TON of softwares and they are very "task specific".?ÿ
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For example, if you scanned 10 miles of highway and want to extract data I find the best software is TopoDOT.
Or let's say you want to extract floor flatness models. I think the best is Rithm - https://rithm.io/product/inspector/
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So, my question would be what are you looking to do? Then others might be able to recommend a software for you.?ÿ
For a TX8 you want Real Works, it has much more robust tools for registration. The only drawback to Real Works - at least as of the last time I used it - was that that it's "flat earth" software and doesn't support real world coordinate systems. But it does an amazing job of registering to spherical targets; you give it the diameter of the spheres and it auto detects them in the scans. But what really impressed me was the fact that even if a sphere is partially obstructed and the software doesn't "see" it, you can pick it out manually and even if only a sliver of it is visible the software will model it. Using spheres I commonly saw registrations that were accurate to the thousandths.
If you want to use TBC for feature extraction, linework, etc. you can always bring the scans into is after they've been registered.
Regarding the UAS side, supposedly Info makes some of the best photogrammetry software in the world but UAS Master, which is basically what Trimble is pushing, is not user friendly or intuitive. I have yet to see where it does so much better than Pix4D that it justifies using it. I'd like to get something better than Pix4D but I have yet to identify what that would be.
Lee,
Have you looked at Photoscan? We've generally found that it gives better results and is more intuitive than Pix4D.
... UAS Master, which is basically what Trimble is pushing ..
Trimble Corporate may be offering it, but their dealers - at least my dealer - are definitely not pushing it. And my dealer covers several northern states.
@ Norman - The dealers aren't pushing it because they don't know how to run it, can't support it, and don't want to deal with it. I know who your dealer is and they're one of the best.
@ Chris - No, I haven't looked at that one. But I'm about to 😆 ?ÿ
