As an instance administrator, you might wish to conceal certain sections of a point cloud. The Point Cloud Cleanup tool is primarily utilized to eliminate portions of a point cloud, such as spray points or other unwanted noise that you prefer not to show.

Point cloud spray points

Shown below are spray points

Using the Point cloud cleanup tool

The following is a video from the NavVis academy describing the point cloud cleanup tool.

Where is the Point Cloud cleanup tool?

Go to Site Setup.
Go to Point Cloud Cleanup.

How do I navigate within the Point Cloud cleanup tool?

To help you with orientation and navigation within the point cloud there are the following functions:

Navigation buttons.
Orthographic projection view.
Keyboard shortcuts.

Navigation buttons

Use the navigation buttons to orient yourself around the point cloud.
If you click the Top button, the view will change to show the point cloud from above. This is useful for finding spray points which can then be hidden using the Point cloud cleanup tool.
If you click Front button, the view changes to show the point cloud from the front, in the example shown here we can see more spray points.

Orthographic projection view

Navigating around the point cloud in orthographic projection is a good way to orient yourself in large point clouds, it gives a realistic view of the surroundings, and when used with the keyboard shortcuts can be an effective method of navigation.

To turn On and Off the orthographic projection view click the Settings icon.

Point cloud cleanup interface displaying building and floor selection options.

Use the toggle switch to turn on or off Orthographic projection view.

Settings menu showing options for orthographic projection and cropping box controls.

Keyboard shortcuts

Use keyboard shortcuts for orientation and navigation within the point cloud. To view the short cuts while in the Point Cloud cleanup tool, press the ? key on your keyboard the following screen is displayed showing the shortcuts.
Keyboard shortcuts for navigation in the NAVIS application interface are displayed.

The Cropping View Box

Using the Cropping View Box is a good way to isolate specific areas for a more precise cleanup.

While in Point cloud cleanup, click the Crop view box tool icon.

The cropping box is displayed. You can then move, extend or rotate the cropping box once it is placed at the desired location.

Using the mouse, drag the coloured circles to define the cropping box.
To orientate the cropping box, drag points on the cross to the desired orientation.
Using the Point cloud cleanup tool you can then hide the whole defined area or sections within that area.

Note: If at any time you want to hide the crop marks, go to Settings and turn off the cropping box controls toggle.

Settings menu showing options for orthographic projection and cropping box controls.

Invert selection

The Invert selection button enables you to select an area in the point cloud and then clean everything outside the selected box.

Click the Add selection button and select the area that you want to keep and NOT clean.
Click the Invert selection button and everything outside the area you have selected will then be selected.
Click the Hide Selected button to remove everything selected.

How to revert back or save datasets

The data sets that you are currently working on are marked as Edited.
At this point you can click Undo and the point cloud will revert back to the last action performed.
To confirm the changes you have made using the Point cloud cleanup tool click Save.

Click Publish in the main screen.

Removing the cleanup edits

If after you have clicked on the Save button, you want to revert back to how it was before:

Place the mouse over the Building and click the Trash button.
All your changes will be reverted back to the last action performed.
If you want to revert back on a data set, click the Trash button on the respective data set.
Click Remove.

Note:
If there are any panoramas in the area you have cleaned up, this will reduce the panorama count in the dataset.

FAQ

What is the Point Cloud Cleanup tool used for?

The Point Cloud Cleanup tool is used to eliminate portions of a point cloud, such as spray points or other unwanted noise that you prefer not to show.

Where can I find the Point Cloud Cleanup tool?

You can find the Point Cloud Cleanup tool by going to Site Setup and then selecting Point Cloud Cleanup.

How can I navigate within the Point Cloud Cleanup tool?

You can navigate using navigation buttons, orthographic projection view, and keyboard shortcuts.

What is the purpose of the Cropping View Box?

The Cropping View Box is used to isolate specific areas for a more precise cleanup of the point cloud.

Can I revert changes made in the Point Cloud Cleanup tool?

Yes, you can revert changes by clicking Undo or by using the Trash button to remove edits.

Panning and Orbiting in Point Cloud Mode