Adjusting Point Cloud Settings

The point cloud panel allows you to adjust and control the settings for all point clouds loaded in the 3D View.

Activate or De-activate the EDL Effect

Follow these steps to activate or de-activate the EDL effect.

The EDL (Eye Dome Lighting) technique is used in Trimble Connect for Windows. The EDL allows to enhance a viewer's perception of a point cloud, by adding contour and basic shading. EDL thickness, EDL strength, point size, and point density values are saved to registry so values are remembered between sessions.

Point clouds depth perception can be affected in different ways by adjusting the EDL effect. EDL is activated by default when adding a point cloud, but it can be disabled by clicking the EDL button. When disabled, EDL's thickness and strength cannot be changed anymore.

By default, the EDL effect is switched on.

  1. To de-activate the EDL effect, select the EDL button.
    The EDL button is dimmed.
  2. To activate the EDL effect, select the EDL button again.
    The EDL button turns blue.

Adjust Depth Perception

Follow these steps to adjust the thickness and strength parameters that make up depth perception.

The thickness parameter gives how big of an area around every point to include in the calculations, a bigger area resulting in a more sensitive distinction between the points. The strength parameter sets how heavy of emphasis should these distinctions be given.
  1. Open your project in Trimble Connect for Windows.
  2. Navigate to the 3D Viewer.
  3. Open the Point Clouds panel.
  4. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the Thickness slider to increase or decrease the outline thickness.
  5. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the Strength slider to increase or decrease strength of the point cloud.

Change Point Size

Follow these steps to increase or decrease the point size and density.

  1. Open your project in Trimble Connect for Windows.
  2. Navigate to the 3D Viewer.
  3. Open the Point Clouds panel.
  4. To modify the point size, hold down the left mouse button and drag the Size slider to increase or decrease the size of points.
  5. To modify the point density, hold down the left mouse button and drag the Density slider to increase or decrease the size of points.

Change Point Cloud Color

When adding a point cloud, the default coloring is used. However, this coloring can be changed to use either the points elevation or the model classifications.

Elevation values can be changed either by dragging the sliders, or by writing the wanted values in the editing fields. The range of possible values for each elevation is defined by the others elevation. Thus, the range for Middle elevation is always between the highest value of Bottom elevation and lowest value of Top elevation.

How Coloring Works:
  • Points with an elevation equal or above the defined Top value are colored in red.
  • Points with an elevation equal or under the Bottom value are colored in blue.
  • Points with an elevation included between Top and Bottom values are a blend of green and red, or green and blue, depending on the range and middle value. The closer from the Bottom value, the more blue; the closer from the maximum value, the more red.

Classifications can also be used as coloring. All points will be colored based on their classifications. Classifications colors are shown under the classifications section of the Point Clouds Tab.

  1. Open your project in Trimble Connect for Windows.
  2. Navigate to the 3D Viewer.
  3. Open the Point Clouds panel.
  4. Select a Color by option:
    • To use the default color values, select Defaults.
    • To use elevation values, select Elevation. To adjust the coloring, drag the Top, Middle, and Bottom sliders or enter values in the related boxes.
    • To use classifications for point coloring, select Classifications. To adjust the coloring, drag the Top, Middle, and Bottom sliders or enter values in the related boxes. You can also adjust the classification color that is used, or hide classifications.

Change Classification Color

Follow these steps to change the classification color.

Once the model has been added to Trimble Connect for Windows correctly, its classifications are added under the classifications section.

Parts of the point clouds can be hidden by using the visibility icons next to classifications. Points that belong to that classification will be hidden accordingly.

  1. Open your project in Trimble Connect for Windows.
  2. Navigate to the 3D Viewer.
  3. Open the Point Clouds panel.
  4. In the Classifications section, select the current classification color.
  5. In the color picker, select a new color.
  6. If necessary, change the opacity of the classification color by holding down and dragging the Transparency slider.
  7. Select OK.