What is Sphere XG?
With Sphere XG, you don't have to rely anymore on scans, documents, photoss and emails coming from different sources and applications. Instead, Sphere XG helps you organize and manage your reality capture in one cloud-based app. Scans, 360° photos, 3D models and layout plans can be combined to create a detailed project that allows evaluating data from different perspectives. As a result, you can answer questions about a site, verify progress, and resolve issues without having to look for information in numerous places.
This getting started guide will enable you to set up your first project, add data and use it to review site conditions, measure distances, and add annotations where additional information is needed.
If you want more information on a topic described in this getting started guide, you can use the search bar at the top of this article.
Where Do I Start?
Once you are invited to a workspace, you need to set up access to Sphere XG. If you need information on setting up your account, see Create Sphere XG Account and Log in.
Create a Project in Sphere XG
Create a Project in Sphere XG
A project in Sphere XG is the central space where all data is collected, processed and aligned in a way that the different types of data complement each other. Based on a project, you can also decide, how data is shared across the team. In the Sphere XG Viewer, you can open your project to review, measure and annotate the project data.
Let's get started!
1. Open Sphere XG in your browser.
2. Optional: If you have access to more than one workspace, click on the tile of the workspace you want to open.
3. On the Projects page, click the New project button.
4. Enter the project details.
Apart from the project name, you must also select a project manager and assign the project to a group.
NOTE: Groups in Sphere XG are used to organize projects and project access, not users.
5. Click Next to open the second page of the New project dialog.
On this page, you can enter additional, optional project details.
6. Click Create to confirm your entries and create the new project.
Your project is now all set up for reality capture data and you can open it in the Sphere XG Viewer.
Add Data to your Project
Add Data to your Project
Your project is now ready for reality capture data. In this getting started guide, you will learn how you can add Orbis and Blink scans or 360° photos to your project. Note that you can also add different types of data and that you can always add more data later.
For more detailed information on adding data to your project, check out the articles in the Import Data Sets collection.
Add Scans
Add Scans
1. Click Open in Sphere XG.
2. Click the Scans tile.
The file system opens and you must select a folder containing Blink or Orbis scans.
The project draft view is opened.
3. Follow the instructions on this page.
If you select Automatic, the project will be uploaded, processed and published automatically. (You can still make changes later). If you select Manual review, the process stops before publishing and allows you to review the project.
Add 360° Photos
Add 360° Photos
1. Click Open in Sphere XG.
2. Click the Sheet tile.
A sheet is a 2D image or document that can be used to get an overview of a capture, for example a building.
3. Follow the instructions on this page to import a sheet.
If you don't have a sheet, you can also use Sphere XG's inbuilt grid.
After you have clicked the Import button, the project will be opened in the Sphere XG Viewer. The landing page is the 2D view, showing the sheet on the right side.
You can now start adding 360° photos to your project.
4. Right-click the position in the sheet where you want to add a 360° photo.
5. Select entry Import 360° photos.
6. Select the photos you want from the file system and confirm.
A so-called waypoint will be created on the sheet. This waypoint is also displayed as 
in the project structure view (tree view) on the left side.
Make Measurements in Scans and 360° Photos
Make Measurements in Scans and 360° Photos
Measuring lengths, distances and perimeters is essential for planning a project. Sphere XG allows making measurements in point clouds and 360° photos (with or without depth information.
For more detailed information on measurements, check out the articles under Make Measurements in Your Project.
Measure in the 2D, the 3D View and in 360° Photos with Depth Information
Measure in the 2D, the 3D View and in 360° Photos with Depth Information
1. Click the 
icon in the toolbar on the right side.
2. Click the point in the view where you want to start the measurement.
3. Drag the mouse to the next measurement point and click.
4. Repeat the above step if you need more than one measurement point.
5. To finish the measurement, double-click the end measurement point or press the ESC key.
To finish a perimeter measurement, click the first measurement point.
To undo the last measurement(s), press the backspace key.
The figure below shows a perimeter measurement in the 2D view.
Clicking the 
icon allows you to convert the measurement into an annotation.
Measure in 360° Photos without Depth Information
Measure in 360° Photos without Depth Information
The approach described below works for 360° photos without depth information. If your 360° photos have depth information, you can simply start measuring.
1. Go to the walkmode view of your project and navigate to the location where you want to make a measurement.
2. Click the 
icon in the toolbar on the right side.
3.Enter the Camera height from the ground to the center point of the camera lens as accurately as possible.
4. Click Next.
5. In the next three steps, pick points at both bottom corners of a wall and then at the top of the wall.
You should select 360° photos which are as vertical as possible.
You can now measure distances on this wall or between this wall and other walls. To add new walls, click Add wall in the panel.
Add Annotations to Points of Interest in Your Project
Add Annotations to Points of Interest in Your Project
Annotations are information markers that you can add to a specific point in your project. By adding a due date, and a status as well as an assignee, you can use annotations as tasks in your project. You can also attach files to annotations.
You can create annotations in the 2D view, 3D view, walk mode view and in the 3D model.
1. Go to the view in which you want to create an annotation.
2. Click icon 
in the toolbar on the right side.
3. For a point annotation, click the point in the view where you want to place the annotation.
4. For an area annotation on a panoramic image without depth information (in the walk mode view), click and drag to place the annotation.
5. Fill in the annotation form.
6. Click Create to create the annotation.
By default, FARO Sphere XG is selected as Annotation type. If your project is enabled for Autodesk or Procore and if you have an account on Autodesk or Procore, you can also create annotations for these platforms.
For more information on integrations, see Connect to Third-party Integrations.