Frequently Asked Questions

The currently shipping XGRIDS handheld scanners are the L2 Pro, K2, and PortalCam. They differ in scan range, accuracy, storage, output type, and intended project scale.

L2 Pro is the flagship. It covers campus-scale environments (tens of thousands of square meters per battery), has a 1 TB internal SSD, and delivers 3 cm RMSE absolute accuracy with RTK. Runs on LixelStudio (point cloud) and LCC Studio (3DGS).

K2 is the second-generation handheld, replacing the K1 in current production. 100 m maximum range, 200K points per second, 360° x 59° LiDAR field of view, 512 GB internal eMMC, built-in UM980 RTK (no external module needed), and real-time true-color point cloud rendering during scanning. Runs on LixelStudio for point cloud output and on LCC Studio in Single Model mode for 3DGS.

PortalCam is the 3DGS-focused device with the highest visual fidelity. 96 LiDAR channels, 512 GB internal eMMC. Runs on LCC Studio only. Does not produce point clouds and does not support absolute georeferencing. If your project requires measured deliverables or coordinate-registered data, the PortalCam cannot fulfill that need.

K1 (legacy): The K1 is no longer in production. The K2 replaces it. Existing K1 units continue to receive firmware support, work with LixelStudio v4.0 and LCC Studio v1.13, and remain in use in many field deployments. See 10.7 Device Specifications for the full comparison.

No. All XGRIDS handheld scanners are rated IP54, which protects against light water splashes from any direction but does not support operation in active rain. Use the device only after rain has stopped.

Beyond the hardware risk, scanning in rain degrades data quality. Raindrops cause laser refraction and reflection that introduce complex noise into the scan and can corrupt SLAM tracking. Data from a rainy session is rarely recoverable to a usable standard. Any malfunction caused by water ingress is not covered under warranty.

L2 Pro, K2, and K1: -4°F to 122°F (-20°C to 50°C). PortalCam: -4°F to 113°F (-20°C to 45°C). Sustained temperatures above the rated maximum may affect reliability.

Cold weather reduces battery runtime by approximately 20% below 41°F (5°C). Add one extra battery to any cold-weather kit. Do not attempt to power on the device when the battery is below 5%: this can damage the mainboard and cause a constant blue LED flash with no successful startup. From firmware version V3.0 onward, the device automatically prevents startup under low-battery conditions.

Runtime: L2 Pro and K2 approximately 90 minutes per charge. K1 (legacy) approximately 90 minutes. PortalCam approximately 60 minutes. Cold weather reduces runtime by approximately 20%.

Lifespan: Rated 300 to 500 charge cycles before capacity drops to 70 to 80% of original. Batteries remain functional below that threshold but runtime is reduced.

Storage rules:

• Fully charge after each day of use.
• If fully charged but unused for an extended period, recharge within 3 months.
• If critically low or fully depleted, recharge within 3 days. Failure to do so causes irreversible damage not covered under warranty.
• Store in a cool, dry environment.

Yes, through Map Fusion. Scan in segments of up to 20 minutes each, swap batteries between segments, and stitch the segments together in post-processing using Map Fusion in LixelStudio or LCC Studio.

Map Fusion supports up to 10 segments with a combined maximum of 200 minutes of scan data. Segments must overlap by 50 to 100 ft (15 to 30 m) at their boundaries. All segments must be from the same device type. Plan the segment break points before scanning, not after.

LCC Studio Map Fusion compatibility note: LCC Studio v1.13 Map Fusion supports the L2 Pro and K1 only. K2 is excluded from LCC Studio Map Fusion. K2 in LCC Studio is limited to Single Model reconstruction and Spatial Recognition, with a 90-minute single-scene cap. LixelStudio v4.0 Map Fusion supports L2 Pro, K2 (with firmware v2.4.1 or later), and K1.

Keep individual scan segments under 20 minutes. This applies to all scanning, not only projects intended for Map Fusion. The 20-minute guideline is the best practice for reliable processing and manageable file sizes.

Longer scans (up to approximately 35 minutes) can be processed as standalone segments, but they increase RAM requirements proportionally (approximately 2 GB per minute), take significantly longer to process, and carry a higher risk of processing failure due to hardware limitations. A 35-minute scan requires approximately 70 GB of RAM and pushes most workstations to their limits. The result is a negative experience with long processing times and uncertain outcomes.

Target 12 to 15 minutes per segment when planning for Map Fusion. This gives room for unexpected coverage needs without bumping against the 20-minute ceiling. See 6.2 Scan Splitting for the full segmentation strategy.

This applies primarily to the K1, which uses a swappable 256 GB TF card. The L2 Pro (1 TB internal SSD), K2 (512 GB internal eMMC), and PortalCam (512 GB internal eMMC) provide more headroom and are not field-swappable.

For the K1: stop the scan cleanly using the stop button in LixelGO. Do not power off while "Project saving..." is displayed. Once the device returns to idle, you have two options.

Swap the card: Power off the K1 completely. Hot plugging is not supported. Remove the full TF card and insert a formatted spare. Power on, create a new project, and continue. Plan the new segment to overlap the end of the previous one by at least 50 ft (15 m). Use Map Fusion to stitch the segments in processing.

Transfer and reuse: Remove the card, connect it to your workstation via a card reader, transfer the project folder, and reformat the card in LixelGO before reinserting. This takes longer but works if you have no spare card.

The 256 GB TF card holds approximately 3 to 4 hours of raw scan data at 60 to 80 GB per hour. For full-day projects, carry at least one labeled spare TF card. SanDisk 1 TB extended storage is also supported on the K1 for projects requiring more capacity.

LixelGO (L2 Pro, K2, and K1): Android with 8 GB RAM minimum, Snapdragon 8 series or above preferred. iOS with A12 Bionic or later.

LCC Scan (PortalCam): Android 8 GB RAM minimum, iOS 17.5 or later recommended. Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 5 required.

Both apps require personal hotspot capability for RTK or NTRIP. Use simple hotspot names with no special characters or spaces to avoid connection failures. If the phone cannot create a hotspot, use Bridge Mode (phone and scanner both connect to the same existing WiFi network with internet access).

It depends entirely on your deliverable.

LixelStudio (free with hardware) produces point clouds: georeferenced, measurable, compatible with Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks, and GIS platforms. If your project requires dimensional verification, BIM modeling, or survey deliverables, you need LixelStudio.

LCC Studio (subscription-priced) produces 3D Gaussian Splat models: photorealistic, immersive, suited for client presentations, virtual tours, web sharing, and digital twins. You cannot take accurate measurements from a Gaussian Splat model. If your client needs a visual experience rather than measured data, you need LCC Studio.

On L2 Pro, K2, and K1 projects, the same raw scan data feeds both pipelines. Plan for both before you scan: the pipelines cannot be retroactively applied from raw data that was not designed for them. The PortalCam produces 3DGS output only and does not connect to LixelStudio.

No. LCC Studio requires an NVIDIA GPU with CUDA support. AMD GPUs are completely unsupported with no workaround. LixelStudio also requires NVIDIA. If you are purchasing or building a processing workstation for XGRIDS work, NVIDIA is the only supported GPU brand for both applications.

Yes, with appropriate specifications. Minimum supported laptop GPU configurations are RTX 3080Ti (16 GB VRAM) or RTX 4080Ti (16 GB VRAM). Laptops with less VRAM or lower CUDA capability will fail on medium and large scans.

Desktop workstations outperform laptops on sustained processing loads because they run at full TDP without thermal throttling. For production work on large scan projects, multi-segment fusion, or aerial-ground fusion, a desktop with an RTX 4090 is the recommended configuration. Both LixelStudio and LCC Studio are Windows-only. macOS is not supported.

Both consume significant RAM. Running both on a 64 GB machine is likely to cause one or both to fail on scans longer than 10 to 15 minutes. On a 128 GB machine, simultaneous runs on scans up to 30 minutes are generally stable if no other heavy applications are open. Monitor RAM usage in Windows Task Manager during the first few minutes to confirm available headroom before committing to an overnight run.

A timeout error means the SLAM optimization exceeded the maximum allowed processing time for a segment. This typically occurs when the scan data has high complexity: large open spaces with repetitive features, very long corridors, or difficult lighting transitions that cause the solver to run many iterations without converging.

Solutions: break the scan into shorter segments, enable Robust Mode, add control points to anchor the trajectory in problematic areas, or review scanning technique to identify areas where coverage was insufficient for reliable SLAM tracking.

Geometry drift is a SLAM tracking failure. The processed model reflects the accumulated trajectory error that the solver could not correct. Work through these in order before concluding a rescan is needed.

• Enable Robust Mode and reprocess. In LixelStudio project settings, switch from None to Robust Mode and rerun processing on the same raw data. This resolves the majority of drift artifacts without returning to site. See 10.4 Error Messages for LIO Drift specifically.
• Check for insufficient loop closures. SLAM corrects accumulated drift when the scanner passes through previously mapped areas. Long linear corridors scanned end-to-end without returns produce progressive drift that Robust Mode cannot fully correct. The underlying field technique needs to change. See Module 3.2 Route Planning.
• Check scan speed. Above 3 ft/s (1 m/s) in repetitive environments such as corridors and storage aisles, the SLAM solver loses confidence and drift increases. If the LixelGO preview showed reduced tracking confidence in specific areas, those areas are the source of the distortion.
• Add GCPs in poor-structure areas. White-on-white rooms, mirror-covered surfaces, and long featureless corridors give SLAM very little to track. Ground control points in these areas anchor the coordinate frame and prevent drift from propagating forward from the problematic zone.

If Robust Mode does not resolve the drift and field technique was correct, the segment requires a rescan. Processing cannot recover geometry that the scanner did not collect correctly.

Fusion misalignment has three documented causes. Work through them in order.

• Insufficient overlap. Segments must share at least 50 ft (15 m) of the same scanned geometry at their boundary. Less than 33 ft (10 m) causes fusion failure. Review the LixelGO preview from each segment to confirm coverage in the overlap zone. If overlap was short, the affected segments must be rescanned with corrected route planning.
• Trajectory drift in one segment. If a segment has internal SLAM drift before fusion begins, the fusion algorithm aligns two distorted trajectories and the result is distorted. Reprocess the affected segment using Robust Mode. If it does not resolve the internal drift, that segment data is not usable and must be recollected.
• Control point naming mismatch. Connection point names must match exactly between adjacent segments, including capitalization. A point entered as "CP1" in one segment and "cp1" in another will not connect. Check the control point log from each segment before processing. Naming errors are the most common cause of fusion failure on otherwise well-executed scans.

See Module 5.6 Troubleshooting Fusion Problems for the complete diagnostic process.

Color misalignment between geometry and camera imagery is usually caused by one of three things:

• Camera synchronization issue. In LixelStudio, verify that the correct video coloring option is selected and that the panoramic camera video files transferred completely from the device. A missing or corrupted video file causes incorrect timestamp mapping.
• Inconsistent lighting during the scan. Scanning through areas where lights switched on or off, or through large window areas where outdoor light shifted significantly, creates exposure changes that misalign with the LiDAR geometry.
• Walking speed too high. At speeds above 3 ft/s (1 m/s), camera frames and LiDAR points are captured at slightly different moments. The temporal offset creates color bleed at fast-moving transitions between surfaces.

K2 note: real-time true-color rendering happens during scanning rather than during post-processing. K2 color misalignment is typically a scan-time issue (lighting transitions, walking speed) rather than a video-file or processing issue.

Accuracy depends on the device, positioning method, and scan execution quality. See 10.8 Accuracy Reference for the full breakdown.

No, not from a standard reconstruction. The LCC Studio measurement tool provides approximate distances but these are not survey-grade and should not be used for construction, permitting, or dimensional verification.

The Gaussian Splat model is a visual representation. The underlying ellipsoids represent appearance, not precise geometric surface positions. For measured deliverables, process the same scan data through LixelStudio to obtain the point cloud, which is the appropriate source for dimensional measurement.

Ask the client what software they use before you scan. The format choice affects how you configure processing.

• Autodesk Revit (BIM modeling from point cloud): RCP from LixelStudio, or E57 via Recap.
• Navisworks or AutoCAD: RCP or E57.
• ArcGIS, QGIS, or GIS delivery: LAZ with georeferenced coordinates.
• 3DGS visualization or web sharing: LCC (smallest, XGRIDS ecosystem) or PLY (broadest compatibility).
• Unreal Engine or Unity: LCC via XGRIDS SDK, or PLY via community plugins.
• Cesium or WebGIS digital twin: 3D Tiles (requires absolute coordinates and model under 4 million Gaussian points).
• NVIDIA Omniverse: USDZ (requires firmware 3.0+, single-scene, Portability Off).

See 10.6 Platform Compatibility for the full decision reference.

LiDAR cover: Use the included cloth, wipe gently in one direction. Small amounts of dust generally do not affect LiDAR performance significantly. Small amounts of isopropyl alcohol are acceptable on the LiDAR cover.

Camera lenses: Camera cleaning is essential. Clean before and after each use. A dirty camera lens directly degrades both point cloud color quality and 3DGS visual quality. This applies to all onboard cameras on L2 Pro, K2, and K1 (and to the PortalCam camera system).

Device body: Do not use alcohol on the aluminum body. It causes paint damage and discoloration. Wipe with a dry or lightly damp cloth only.

Firmware updates for L2 Pro, K2, and K1 are delivered through LixelGO. For PortalCam, through LCC Scan. Connect the scanner, navigate to device settings, and check for available updates.

Check for updates before every major project. Keep LixelStudio and device firmware versions matched: using an outdated LixelStudio version with newer firmware causes processing failures. Never interrupt a firmware update by powering off the device. See 10.5 Firmware Updates for step-by-step procedures.

Format through LixelGO (L2 Pro, K2, K1) or LCC Scan (PortalCam). Do not format using Windows or macOS disk utilities. Formatting via the app ensures the correct file system structure is maintained for the scanner firmware.

For hardware issues, firmware problems, or processing errors not covered in this guide, contact XGRIDS Technical Support through xgrids.com/intl/technical-support or your authorized XGRIDS reseller. When reporting a hardware issue, have the device serial number ready and prepare a video of intermittent faults if possible.

For Alpine Reality Capture clients, contact support through alpinerealitycapture.com.