8.4 Quality Assessment and Point Cloud Editing
How to verify point cloud density, coverage, accuracy, and control point residuals in LixelStudio, and how to use clipping, noise filtering, and measurement tools before export.
Quality Assessment
Quality review in LixelStudio happens before export. Time spent verifying the point cloud catches problems that would otherwise surface during downstream modeling, typically hours into a Revit or AutoCAD workflow where fixing them requires returning to the source data.
- Check point density across the full model. Areas with insufficient density appear sparse or holey. These correspond to zones where scanning speed was too high, loop closure was incomplete, or the device was held at an angle that missed geometry.
- Verify coverage at all required areas. Walk the point cloud against the scanning route plan. Rooms or zones that were skipped in the field are missing entirely, and there is no processing fix for uncollected data.
- Measure a known dimension. Pick a wall-to-wall or floor-to-ceiling distance you measured or know from drawings. A 5-meter corridor reading as 8 meters in LixelStudio indicates trajectory drift, not a measurement tolerance issue. The scan has a fundamental accuracy problem and may need to be rescanned.
- Review control point residuals in the processing report. Residuals describe the difference between where GCPs were measured in the field and where the processed model places them. High residuals (typically over 3 to 5 cm depending on project accuracy requirements) indicate a control point placement or naming issue.
- Check for noise artifacts. Moving objects scanned during acquisition (people, vehicles, equipment) appear as smeared or ghosted geometry. These must be removed before export if the deliverable requires clean geometry.
- For Map Fusion projects, inspect every segment boundary. Discontinuities at join zones indicate connection point tolerance was exceeded. The affected segment must be rescanned with corrected connection point positioning.
Point Cloud Editing Tools
LixelStudio includes a set of editing tools for preparing the point cloud for delivery. These tools are non-destructive, the original processed data remains intact, and edits are applied to the export layer.
Clipping and Cropping
Use clipping to isolate a specific area before export. A full-facility scan delivered to a contractor who needs only the mechanical room is not useful delivery regardless of data quality. Clip to the required area before exporting rather than sending the entire dataset.
Noise Filtering
The noise filter removes statistical outliers, points that are geometrically inconsistent with their neighbors. Apply noise filtering after reviewing the full model and before final export. Aggressive filtering removes real edge geometry along with noise. Start with the default filter threshold and adjust based on visual results.
Measurement Tools
The measurement tools in LixelStudio allow point-to-point distance checks and area measurements directly in the processed point cloud. Use these for QA verification against known dimensions before export. Do not use LixelStudio measurements as survey-grade deliverables, they are for quality verification, not formal output.
Slice and Cross-Section Views
Slice views display a horizontal or vertical cut through the point cloud. Use slice views to verify floor-plan coverage and to check that walls, columns, and structural elements are captured cleanly. Slice views are also useful for identifying multipath noise near glass or reflective surfaces, which appears as a halo of points around the true surface location.
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