Creating a Mesh Feature

The 3D Mesh is the preferred method and typically results in a better mesh. The design of the Grid Mesh method is for you to use it when the scan of the original COP used the Pointcloud Mesh Display option. When you use the Grid Mesh method with a COP, and you did not scan using the Mesh Display option, the result may be an incomplete or poorly-defined mesh. Creating a mesh is a time-consuming operation.

For details on the Pointcloud Display options, see "Pointcloud Display Area" in this documentation.

Select Insert | Mesh | Feature from the main menu to display the Mesh Command dialog box. You can also access this option from the Mesh button () on the Mesh toolbar (View | Toolbars | Mesh). PC-DMIS displays the Mesh Command dialog box.

Mesh Command dialog box - 3D Mesh Creation Method

Select the features and pointclouds to be meshed together from the list.
Select the 3D Mesh option from the Creation Method section.
Update the options in the Mesh parameters section as needed:

Keep all points - When you select this option, PC-DMIS uses all the points in the pointcloud to create the mesh.

When you select the Keep all points option, PC-DMIS requires more processing time to mesh the pointcloud.

Point distance - This value defines the minimum distance between neighboring points that the software uses to create the vertices of each triangle in the mesh.

The Point distance option is the default and preferred setting. When you select this option, PC-DMIS projects a "grid" of this size onto the mesh and takes ONLY the best points in each grid element.

Hole detection check box - When you select this check box, PC-DMIS determines when to exclude points based on the Edge Size value.

Hole size - This setting defines the minimum hole or gap size during a scan. For details on this option, see the "Data Filtering Area" topic in this documentation.

Refine mesh check box - When this check box is selected, the following parameters refine the mesh being created:

Deviation error - The value entered determines how far points can deviate from the mesh construction and still be included in the mesh.
Min triangle size - The value entered determines the minimum size a triangle can be based on the points being evaluated.

Click Apply to apply any changes made in the Mesh Command dialog box. Click Create to generate the new Mesh command.

Select Insert | Mesh | Feature from the main menu to display the Mesh Command dialog box. You can also access this option from the Mesh button () on the Mesh toolbar (View | Toolbars | Mesh). PC-DMIS displays the Mesh Command dialog box.

Mesh Command dialog box - Grid Mesh Creation Method

The Size section details the number of triangle and vertices defined in your Mesh feature.

The Creation Method section allows you to select between the Grid Mesh and 3D Mesh creation methods.

Select the features and pointclouds to be meshed together from the list.
Select the Grid Mesh option from the Creation Method section.
Select the Finalize Mode option from the list. The option you select defines the amount PC-DMIS reduces and smooths the mesh display. The available options are:

Precise (least amount of smoothing)
Normal
Smooth (most amount of smoothing).

For details on this option, see the "Pointcloud Display Area" topic in this documentation.

Enter the Grid Size value. This defines the size of each triangle in the mesh display grid. For details on this option, see the "Pointcloud Display Area" topic in this documentation.
Enter the Hole Size value. This setting defines the minimum hole or gap size during a scan. For details on this option, see the "Data Filtering Area" topic in this documentation.
Click Apply to apply any changes made in the Mesh Command dialog box. Click Create to generate the new Grid Mesh command.