---
title: "Pausing the NavVis VLX Scan"
slug: "pausing-the-scan"
description: "Tap the pause button to temporarily stop the scan and auto-triggering of cameras. Use pause mode when people enter view, during battery swaps, or to halt data capture without affecting localization."
updated: 2026-09-18T13:06:27Z
published: 2026-09-18T13:06:27Z
canonical: "knowledge.navvis.com/pausing-the-scan"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.navvis.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Pausing the Scan

Tap the pause button ![A white line on a gray background Description automatically generated](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/pausing-the-scan-image-xel98md2.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-14T07%3A09%3A17Z&se=2026-10-14T08%3A09%3A17Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=in3hRVbQrOAXt7UKPYISElMCcBh0WppO6MCsHq9Hhuo%3D) from the right menu to pause and resume 3D scanning and the automatic triggering of cameras.

When you pause the NavVis VLX, the **PAUSED** label in the top bar blinks until the user resumes the scan. Also, a **Paused** notification appears on some of the screens for a few seconds.

![Battery and storage indicators showing 37% and 7% respectively, with paused status displayed.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/scanning paused taskbar.jpg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-14T07%3A09%3A17Z&se=2026-10-14T08%3A09%3A17Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=in3hRVbQrOAXt7UKPYISElMCcBh0WppO6MCsHq9Hhuo%3D)

In pause mode, no images are taken (auto-triggering is disabled) and no points are added to the Point cloud. Pause mode is useful in the following scenarios:

- People are coming into view of the device (they should not appear in the point cloud or in panorama images).
- The device is being used in an area where the user does not want to capture panorama images or a point cloud but still wants to continue capturing in the same Dataset.
- You are hot swapping batteries.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** In pause mode, only the 3D scan process is paused. Localization is always running. To avoid impairing the quality of the recorded map, **do not** move faster or less carefully than normal.

When you pause the NavVis VLX you can set it on the ground like this:

![The VLX 4 in rest mode](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/rest_on_ground.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-14T07%3A09%3A17Z&se=2026-10-14T08%3A09%3A17Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=in3hRVbQrOAXt7UKPYISElMCcBh0WppO6MCsHq9Hhuo%3D)

---

### FAQ

#### How do I pause the 3D scanning process on the NavVis VLX?

Tap the pause button from the right menu to pause and resume 3D scanning and the automatic triggering of cameras.

#### What happens when I pause the NavVis VLX?

When you pause the NavVis VLX, the PAUSED label in the top bar blinks, and a Paused notification appears on some screens for a few seconds. No images are taken, and no points are added to the Point cloud.

#### In what scenarios is it useful to pause the scanning?

Pause mode is useful when people come into view of the device, when you want to avoid capturing images in a specific area, or when you are hot swapping batteries.

#### Does localization continue to run while the scan is paused?

Yes, localization is always running even when the 3D scan process is paused.

#### Can I move the device quickly while in pause mode?

No, to avoid impairing the quality of the recorded map, do not move faster or less carefully than normal while in pause mode.

A Point Cloud is as a collection of data points in space that typically represent the external surface of an object or environment. Point clouds are used in various applications, including 3D scanning and mapping, and can be visualized and manipulated using Navvis IVION. You can perform actions such as panning, orbiting, cleaning up noise, cropping, and downloading data in formats like .e57 or .ply. The resolution of point clouds processed with NavVis Software achieves a minimum detail of 5mm, indicating the precision of the spatial data points.

A dataset is a piece of a site, the result of a continuous recording with a NavVis mapping device or the result of an imported point cloud. Datasets can contain panoramic images and point clouds.