PortalCam
A spatial capture camera that turns real spaces into navigable, photorealistic 3D environments. Walk through a building, then send anyone a link to walk through it themselves.
What the PortalCam Is Built For
The PortalCam is a visualization-driven mobile capture system. Its LiDAR and four-camera array build a textured, photorealistic 3D model of everything around it as you walk through a space. The output is a 3D Gaussian Splat (3DGS) model that anyone can navigate in a browser without specialized software.
The PortalCam is built for visual fidelity, not for measurement. It does not produce point clouds in any configuration. If your work requires measured deliverables for BIM or survey, the L3, L2 Pro, or K2 is the right tool, and any of them can be paired with LCC Studio to produce visual walkthroughs from the same scan data.
Where It Performs Best
Building interiors, mixed interior environments with shaded outdoor transitions, and projects where the deliverable is a visual walkthrough rather than measured data. Real estate interior tours, architectural design context, construction interior progress documentation, facilities walkthroughs, and any project where stakeholders need to understand a space without being on site.
Outdoors, the PortalCam performs well in shaded areas, on overcast days, and during early morning or late afternoon when sun position is predictable. The device is rated for operation in indirect sunlight only. See Field Use Notes below for working approaches.
The PortalCam works exclusively with LCC Studio. The Basic tier is included with every PortalCam and covers a complete single-session workflow from reconstruction through web publishing. Premium adds multi-segment and drone capabilities and is sold as an annual subscription or a perpetual license. The PortalCam Advanced package includes the first year of the annual subscription; renewal applies to the annual plan only.
Understanding PortalCam Accuracy
XGRIDS publishes no accuracy specification for the PortalCam. It is built for visual fidelity rather than measurement: XGRIDS describes its models as photorealistic and explorable with practical spatial accuracy, and recommends its Lixel scanners for as-built documentation and any project that depends on measurement precision.
The PortalCam does not output absolute coordinates. Control points are used to connect scan segments during Map Fusion, not to place the model in a survey coordinate system. The output is a visual model intended for spatial understanding and presentation, not engineering measurement. For projects requiring dimensional accuracy, BIM source data, or coordinate-system registration, the L3 or L2 Pro (indoor and outdoor), or the K2 (indoor and short-range outdoor), is the appropriate tool.
LiDAR, Camera Array, and Field Performance
LiDAR
Camera Array
Field Readiness
LCC Scan and LCC Studio
The PortalCam uses LCC Scan as its mobile field app and LCC Studio as the desktop processing software. LCC Scan controls scanning, manages connection, marks control points, and provides real-time preview on iOS and Android. LCC Studio runs on Windows and processes raw scan data into 3D Gaussian Splat models for visualization, editing, and web sharing.
LCC Studio ships in two tiers from a single installer. Basic is included with every scanner purchase and is activated with a registered XGRIDS account. Premium is sold as an annual subscription or a perpetual license; the PortalCam Advanced package includes the first year of the annual subscription. The two tiers share the same viewer, editor, publishing, and cloud tools. Premium adds five processing capabilities and three export formats.
There is no dataset size limit tied to the license tier. Basic is not capped at a smaller scan or a simpler project. Premium is required for two reasons only: when a capture spans multiple battery sessions, because Map Fusion is the only way to combine segments into one model, and when the deliverable has to leave the XGRIDS ecosystem as a PLY, USD, or 3D Tiles file. A single-session capture delivered as a web link or an LCC2 file needs no subscription at all.
Field Use Notes
Full field technique guidance for the PortalCam is in the PortalCam Field Guide within the XGRIDS Pro Guide. Includes route planning, control point procedure, lighting handling, and connection troubleshooting.
Package Options
Both packages include the PortalCam camera, the same accessories, and a one-year warranty. Because LCC Studio Basic is included with every scanner, the LCC Studio Premium subscription is the difference between them, and Map Fusion is what that subscription buys.
PortalCam Standard
Single-session capture with LCC Studio Basic
- PortalCam camera
- 2 batteries
- Charger
- Tripod
- Protective cover
- Backpack with protective insert
- LCC Studio Basic
- 1-year warranty
Best for: Single-property real estate, interior documentation, and capture sessions that fit within a single recording.
PortalCam Advanced Popular
Multi-segment capture with Premium LCC Studio
Everything in PortalCam Standard plus a one-year LCC Studio Premium subscription. Unlocks Map Fusion for projects that exceed a single battery session, Aerial-Ground Map Fusion, Aerial Reconstruction, HD Enhancement, Spatial Recognition, and export to PLY, USD, and 3D Tiles.
- Everything in PortalCam Standard
- 1-year subscription to LCC Studio Premium
Best for: Multi-floor buildings, large commercial properties, floor plan deliverables, and any workflow that needs Map Fusion or an open export format.
If your projects regularly exceed a single battery session, or if clients need a floor plan or a file in an open format, the Advanced package is the right choice from day one. If every job is one continuous scan delivered as a shared link, the Standard package with LCC Studio Basic covers it, and you can add a Premium subscription later if the work changes.
Choosing Between the Four Scanners
The four XGRIDS scanners serve different deliverable types.
Lixel L3
Choose when the deliverable is survey-grade measured data. GNSS RTK is built in at 0.8 cm + 1 ppm horizontal, 1.5 cm + 1 ppm vertical, with PPK post-processing. Two LiDAR configurations, 16-channel and 32-channel, both reaching 394 ft (120 m), with a true-color point cloud in real time.
Software: LixelStudio for point cloud work, and LCC Studio for 3DGS.
PortalCam
Choose when the deliverable is a visual walkthrough rather than measured data. Best for interior environments and shaded outdoor work. Output is photorealistic 3D Gaussian Splat models for browser-based exploration.
Software: LCC Studio only. No point cloud output.
Lixel K2
Choose when you need point cloud output and your work is primarily indoor with short-range outdoor (131 ft / 40 m at 10% reflectivity; 328 ft / 100 m maximum). Same dual-software pipeline as the L2 Pro, lighter and more compact at approximately 2.65 lbs (1.2 kg). Built-in RTK for georeferenced output with no external module required. Real-time colorized point cloud during capture.
Lixel L2 Pro
Choose for full outdoor capability, large-scale projects, mixed indoor and outdoor sites, or any work requiring measured point clouds with georeferenced accuracy. Range up to 984 ft (300 m) on the 32/300 model. Supports RTK and ground control workflows.
The L3, L2 Pro, and K2 can all feed LCC Studio as well as LixelStudio. If your work requires both measurement-grade point clouds and visual walkthroughs from the same site visit, any of them produces both outputs from one capture session.
What Your Processing Workstation Needs
LCC Studio runs on Windows only and requires an NVIDIA GPU with CUDA support. AMD graphics cards are not supported.
Full LCC Studio specifications, the complete Basic versus Premium feature comparison, processing time estimates, and laptop guidance are in the LCC Studio Buying Guide.