Indoor spatial mapping company NavVis has just released a platform that can convert point cloud scans into immersive 3D room walk-throughs.
Previously, NavVis IndoorViewer supported most external third-party point cloud scans, but couldn't create walk-throughs from them. In the latest version of IndoorViewer, structured E57 files (one of the more common vendor-neutral formats for storing data from laser scanners) are automatically turned into 360° panoramas. The new feature is called the E57 panorama extractor.
These new panoramas aren't just for show: the fact that they're created by point cloud means that users can move around structures as though they're in the building itself and take accurate measurements inside of the model. They can also add geotags anywhere on the model, to flag the location as a point of interest, and then easily search through the various points. For users needing to navigate the site, IndoorViewer automatically creates an AI map of the whole plan, and also provides the ability to create customized apps made in photo editing software.
Perhaps most importantly, IndoorViewer scans can be viewed online, without the need to download or buy any software. The format lets multiple stakeholders perform walk-throughs of a building, even if they don't have building information modeling software.
“IndoorViewer was originally developed to display the data captured by our indoor mobile mapping system in a way that is accessible to every user," said NavVis CEO Felix Reinshagen in a company press release. "In recent years, we have seen that making scan data available to every building stakeholder is fulfilling an unmet need. Many of our partners using a NavVis indoor mobile mapping system for conventional scanning projects are offering IndoorViewer as an additional deliverable to increase the number of stakeholders who can make use of this data."
For IndoorViewer subscribers, the upgrade is available as part of a free software upgrade.