Often, companies change their strategy, rewrite posts, or take down material unpredictably. So I try to keep my work here so you can always take a look. This blog post on how to share point clouds was for JP Global Digital.
Well-done point cloud data can be revolutionary when it comes to making projects go smoothly and get done on time and under budget. Accurate 3D representations of builds as they exist can reduce travel, make changes easier, and keep crucial information all in one place.
The one challenge with point clouds is their size. Point cloud data is massive; it can’t be simply emailed as an attachment like you would a spreadsheet or Word document. So, the main obstacle to making efficient use of point clouds is getting the data to every stakeholder. Sometimes, there’s confusion about how to share point clouds, but there are three main ways – one of which comes out on top.
1. Physical Media
In one sense, the simplest, most traditional way to share large datasets like point clouds is to use physical media. This could be a hard drive, USB stick, DVD set, or memory card, however, some point clouds are so large that the only real option is a removable or portable hard drive. This method certainly works, but it presents several problems.
First off, sharing point clouds on physical media means making separate copies for every team member involved. This adds cost and time, as several drives need to be purchased, and copies need to be made. Next, drives need to be shipped to various stakeholders, presenting a second problem: risk. Transporting physical media via any carrier involves some chance the media itself will be lost or damaged, and even if it arrives in one piece, it could have been corrupted by rough handling.
In addition, sharing several copies of a point cloud via physical media means everyone is working with their own copy – meaning no one is on the same page. This data gets out of sync quickly as each party makes their own notes or changes – and worse yet, team members may be viewing the data on entirely different platforms, which could lead to entirely different interpretations.
2. File Transfer
File transfer over the internet solves some of the issues involved in copying and shipping physical media, and it’s not a new solution. File transfer protocol (FTP) has been used for decades for this very purpose, and now, any number of file transfer services like WeTransfer, Dropbox, or even Google Drive can be used to share files between multiple project stakeholders.
Still, while some problems like shipping costs and risk of loss are solved, others are not. Since point cloud data is so big, uploads and downloads can take a long time – depending on internet access speeds, sometimes prohibitively long, and there’s still the problem of totally separate copies of data floating around. Stakeholders still work on data in their own bubble, and still must have their own copy of expensive software to view it.
Not to mention, file uploads and downloads are subject to some security risks, even when using modern file transfer services. Finally, some services have file size limits, and this can be a non-starter for many point clouds which simply can’t be reduced to fit. In fact, this limitation is why point cloud sharing is traditionally most often done with physical media.
3. Shared Access in the Cloud
Modern cloud technology is the solution to all these problems. Surveyors or their AEC clients who need to know how to share point clouds need to look no further than the obvious, out-of-the-box solution: don’t copy and send the data.
Instead, maintain one point cloud source, in the cloud, accessible to everyone approved to view it. This eliminates the delays involved in sending large point cloud data back and forth, the need for multiple iterations of this copy/send process, and the inevitable mistakes that come from working with multiple, divergent sources of truth.
With one source, everyone works on the same point cloud, viewing the same interpretation, which allows all crucial job data to be kept in one place. Shared cloud access is by far the best solution for sharing point cloud data – if you have the right package to do it.
Make the Best Use of Your Point Clouds
JP Interactive Viewer is the solution that makes shared access to point clouds possible, and lets you make the best use of your point clouds. By centralizing these assets in one easy-to-access, digital platform, you can give everyone on your team the peace of mind that comes with knowing everything they’re viewing is up-to-date and accurate.
Plus, you can keep everything about a project and resulting facility in one place, connected to an accurate 3D model of the build as it is – right now. JPIV keeps all data in one place – as-is documentation, change logs, maintenance records, asset history, project documentation, operational KPIs, CAD models, BIMs – everything your team needs to access.
If you’re ready to be done struggling with how to share point clouds, contact us today and request your free trial of JP Interactive Viewer.