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Align a Point Cloud to a 3D Model

Learn how to align a point cloud to a 3D model to visualize both models in one view.

Stefanie Zerulla avatar
Written by Stefanie Zerulla
Updated today

You can align a point cloud to a 3D model.

Aligning a point cloud allows visualizing it along with the 3D model in the 3D overview and the walk mode view.

Those steps are only required when the point cloud has not yet been registered to the project. The two typical approaches to registering point clouds to a project are:

Open the Alignment Tool

  1. Click the three-dots icon of the point cloud to open the context menu.

  2. Select menu entry Align .
    The alignment tool is displayed.

  3. Select the 3D model to which you want to align the point cloud.

  4. Click Align in the top right corner to open the alignment tool.

For information on how to open the alignment tool, see Align Point Clouds, 3D Models and Sheets.

Set the Common Elevation in the Point Cloud and the 3D Model

You must determine and set the common elevation of the point cloud and the 3D model before you can start the alignment.

On both sides of the split view, you can click and hold anywhere in the view and rotate it to a side, front or back view, i.e., any view that provides a good sight at reference details for determining the common height.

Set the Reference Elevation in the Point Cloud

Pick a point in the cloud to set the reference elevation.

You can also click and hold any point on the green arrow and then drag to adjust the point cloud elevation.

A virtual plane illustrates the selected elevation:

Set the Reference Elevation in the 3D Model

Select the level you want from dropdown list Level if levels are available in the 3D model.

Selecting a level also fills field Elevation.

Alternatively, you can set the elevation by picking elements in the 3D model or entering a numerical value in the Elevation field.

Perform Horizontal Alignment

The horizontal alignment can be determined using either point pairs, or an overlay mode. You can also use both methods in the order described below.

For a better visibility, you can zoom in and out with the mouse wheel.

Method 1: Point Pairs in Point Cloud and 3D Model

By default, the sheet and the point cloud are displayed in a horizontal split screen. If you feel more comfortable in a vertical split screen, you can click icon on the right middle side of the screen.

  1. Click a location in the 3D model, for example a corner.

  2. Then find and click the same location in the point cloud.

You can move a marker by clicking and then dragging it.

If the point cloud is rotated with respect to the 3D model, repeat steps above a second time to lock the rotation.

To remove a marker, right-click it.

By default, the reference element is displayed with a cross section at the defined elevation. To deactivate the cross section and show the full reference element in a tomographic view, click the icon.

Method 2: Overlay Point Cloud and 3D Model

In the top right of the screen, click the Overlay button.

You can preview the result of the point-pair alignment described above using the overlay mode.

You can also refine the alignment in this mode, by following the steps below:

  1. Click the point cloud to set the anchor point.

  2. Click and drag that anchor point to move the point cloud around.

  3. Click and drag away from the anchor point to rotate the point cloud.

You can zoom in and out using the mouse wheel to check the alignment.

To remove the anchor point, right-click it.

Confirm Alignment

Once the alignment meets your expectations, click the Confirm Alignment button.

The point cloud is now aligned to the 3D model and you are redirected to the Sphere XG Viewer.

Make Point Cloud Visible in 3D Model

If you want to do an alignment check later in the Sphere XG Viewer , you can do so by decreasing the 3D model's opacity to make the point cloud visible again, see also Make Point Cloud, 3D Model or Sheet Visible in Your Project.

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