1.4 Installing LixelStudio and LCC Studio
The two desktop applications that turn raw scan data into deliverables. Install, activate, and configure both, get the project path and storage right, and know which application processes which output.
Confirm your hardware first. Both applications fail mid-run on undersized machines rather than simply running slowly. Verify your processing computer against 1.3 Computer System Requirements before downloading either installer. This page covers installation, activation, and configuration only.
Which Application Does What
Two desktop applications, two output pipelines. They are not interchangeable, and a model processed in one cannot be converted into the other's format after the fact.
Both applications require an NVIDIA GPU with CUDA. AMD GPUs are not supported. You can install both on one machine, but do not run their processing jobs at the same time. Each consumes significant GPU, RAM, and disk I/O, and running both at once can cause failures. Process one to completion before starting the other, or use two machines.
Installing LixelStudio
Download the LixelStudio installer from xgrids.com. Do not download from third-party sources.
Run the Installer as Administrator
Right-click the installer file and select "Run as administrator." Installing without administrator rights causes activation failures on some Windows configurations.
Choose Quick Install or a Custom Path
Quick Install places the application on the C drive at the default path. Custom Install lets you select a different path and add a desktop shortcut. A shorter custom path on a non-OS drive is preferred, for example D:\LixelStudio.
Whatever path you choose, it must contain no spaces and no non-ASCII characters. D:\LixelStudio is valid. D:\My Software\Lixel Studio is not, and will cause CUDA compilation failures and processing errors.
Complete Installation and Open the Software
Installation takes 3 to 5 minutes on an SSD. Click Finish and double-click the desktop icon to open LixelStudio.
Choose Whether to Activate or Use the Free Tier
LixelStudio lets you use basic features for free without activation. To unlock the full feature set, follow the activation steps below.
LixelStudio License Activation
Basic features are free without a license code. Activation unlocks the full feature set and is tied to your device serial number. Each device serial is entitled to 3 permanent activation codes. Retrieve the full serial number through the LixelGO app, then submit it at xgrids.com/intl/activationrequest. The 3 codes are emailed to the address registered to your XGRIDS account. Each code activates 1 machine and cannot be reused.
Online Activation
Enter the license key in the activation dialog. The machine must be online with its system clock synchronized. Activation failure with a valid key is almost always an unsynchronized clock or a firewall blocking the activation server.
Offline Activation
For machines with no internet access, generate a license file at xgrids.com/licensefile using the device serial number and machine fingerprint. Copy the file to the processing machine and load it through the offline activation option.
Do not burn a second code if the first fails. You have 3 codes per device serial. If a valid, unused code is rejected, contact XGRIDS support before trying another. Common entry errors confuse "0" (zero) with "O" (letter) and "1" (one) with "l" (letter). Do not use OCR or image-to-text tools to read serial numbers from photos; they introduce errors that surface only when activation fails.
Installing LCC Studio
LCC Studio is the 3D Gaussian Splatting processor for L2 Pro, K2, and PortalCam data. It produces visualization models, not measured point clouds. The installer is distributed as an ISO full installation package; download it from xgrids.com. The Free Edition covers single-scene reconstruction, viewing, editing, publishing, and cloud model management. Premium (a paid subscription) adds Map Fusion, Aerial Reconstruction, Aerial-Ground Fusion, HD Enhancement, Spatial Recognition, and export to .lcc2, .ply, .usd, and 3D Tiles.
Mount the ISO and Run Setup as Administrator
Right-click the ISO to mount it, then run the setup executable as administrator. Follow the installation wizard. The same no-spaces, ASCII-only path rule applies as for LixelStudio.
Create an Account or Log In
LCC Studio requires an XGRIDS account. Create one during installation or log in with an existing account. The downloaded LCC Studio is the online version: it needs a network connection to create models, start processing, upload data, and create share links. Viewing previously generated models works offline.
Wait for CUDA Kernel Compilation on First Launch
The first launch compiles CUDA kernels for your specific GPU. This takes 2 to 5 minutes and happens only once. Do not close the application during this process.
Redeem a Premium Authorization Code If You Have One
If your project needs a Premium feature, go to Settings, then Account, then Authorization Code, and tap Redeem. Enter the Premium code (for PortalCam Advanced packages, this is the license card from the box). The Free Edition needs no code.
Project Path Configuration
The project path is where each application writes its processing output. The wrong location causes failures and slows processing. The same rules apply to both LixelStudio and LCC Studio. Set the path in each application's Settings before importing any data.
- Use an SSD. Both applications read and write large files continuously during processing. A spinning drive slows processing and can cause timeouts.
- Do not use the C: (OS) drive for project files. Running low on OS-drive space causes Windows to fail mid-process. Use a separate data SSD.
- Keep the project path separate from the install folder. Sharing one drive fills it faster and adds risk.
- No spaces or non-ASCII characters in the path, the same rule as the install path.
Changing the project path after projects exist does not move the existing project files.
Storage Planning
Underestimating storage is a reliable way to cause a mid-processing failure. Plan before you scan, not after you transfer data. Raw scan data from the L2 Pro or K2 runs about 60 to 80 GB per hour before processing. The processing workspace needs additional space on top of that.
For LCC Studio, reserve at least 2x the capture data size in the data directory before starting a reconstruction. For LixelStudio, the workspace scales with the workflow. The multipliers below are Alpine field estimates, not XGRIDS published figures; treat them as planning guidance and confirm against your own data.
The 465x multiplier for 1 mm enhancement is not a typo. A 10 GB map.las file needs roughly 4.65 TB of free space for the 1 mm workflow. Confirm available space before starting. The process fails mid-run if space runs out, and the partial output is not recoverable as a usable point cloud.
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