Getting Started With Sphere XG

There are two options for setting up a Sphere XG account.

A workspace in Sphere XG organizes all projects, groups, and user permissions in a single environment. Workspaces can be structured in different ways, for example, by department, project category, or client. To work in Sphere XG, you must be invited to one or more workspaces by a Workspace Admin.

Click the link in the invitation email.

You can sign in with a password or via Single Sign-on if this option has been established for your company.

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 help are used to you 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.

7. Click Open in Sphere XG.

8. Add data to your project as explained below.

You can either add a first sheet or scans from a Blink or Orbis scanner. You can also add data to your project later. (A sheet in Sphere XG is a 2D image or document containing a layout, a floor plan or similar. )

If you click the Sheet tile:

If you click the Scans tile:

You can make:

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.

To snap measurement to edges or corners: While moving the measurement to the point you want to place the next measurement point, press the CTRL key. When the mouse pointer is nearing an edge or corner, it will automatically snap to this point.

To snap measurements to horizontal or vertical lines: While moving the measurement along a horizontal or vertical distance, press the SHIFT key. You do not need to worry if you are actually following the straight line because the measurement will automatically snap to the horizontal or vertical line.

You can also alternate between pressing the CTRL and the SHIFT key.

The approach described below works for 360° photos without depth information. If your 360° 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 take 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 lense 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.

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.

For a point annotation, click the point in the view where you want to place the annotation.
For an area annotation on a panoramic image without depth information (in the walk mode view), click and drag to place the annotation.

3. Fill in the annotation form, see below.

4. Click Create to create the annotation.
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By default, type 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.