Dot3D Tips of the Month

Dot3D Tips of the Month

  1. August 2025: Mind your Default Settings! As more advanced options continue to be made available in Dot3D, it's important to remember that the defaults are chosen for a reason, and in most cases should be left alone. For those of you who do choose to tinker, remember you always have the option to "Reset to Defaults" anytime.

  2. July 2025: Safety first! Always mind your footing and surroundings while scanning with Dot3D. While it can be easy to get sucked into your screen at times, it's important to also remain cautious and aware of what's around you.

  3. May 2025: For the fastest optimization times, keep your Dot3D window open for the full process. This applies even to Windows devices running Dot3D Edit.

  4. April 2025: Never bring two of the same AprilTag to a job site! It's very important to always make sure there are no duplicate AprilTags in a scene.

  5. March 2025: Don't overscan! While strategic loop closure(s) are very important, the key word here is strategic. You should only scan over the same area multiple times when you specifically want/need to (i.e. to start/finish a scan/segment and/or to re-capture an AprilTag). Otherwise, it is recommended that you avoid re-scanning areas as much as possible. Excessive re-scanning can result in larger files sizes, post-processing delays, and potential optimization issues.

  6. November 2024: NEW WITH DOT3D 6.0: You now have the option to automatically reference your scans to approximate real-world coordinates right from your phone/tablet GPS/GNSS. You may access this capability from Settings > GNSS & Geo Settings.

  7. September 2024: Make use of the scan-time annotation feature in Dot3D. This unique capability allows you to mark precise point of interest during scanning, and then prompts you to simply fill in the details after capture. This feature can be accessed by holding on the camera icon during scanning, and then, without releasing, moving you finger over to the crosshair icon.

  8. July 2024: Remember to make use of your Autosave backup folder when necessary. These date/time stamped backups can be extremely helpful when needed most. And if you keep them in their local Autosave folder, they cannot be overwritten by Dot3D.
  1. June 2024: Make use of the high res photo feature! Whether you need more legibility on text / equipment tags, more 2D details on particularly important areas, or just high res perspectives from particular viewpoints, make use of that camera button during scanning.
  1. May 2024: Scanning a staircase, residence, or other interior space with floors/walls you trust as flat and parallel to each other? Remember to make use of the planarity constraints feature during scanning (hold on camera button, without releasing move finger to plane button, release while pointing at a flat floor/wall).
  1. March 2024: Make use of the Dot3D Web Store! Utilize this new resource to research your ideal kits and source new accessories anytime
  1. July 2023: Subscribe to our YouTube channel! This is a core resource for the majority of our best customers.  P.S. Let's hit 1K subscribers today! šŸ˜Ž
  1. June 2023: Use the "Save As" button frequently! We recommend you also add markers to your file names depending on what you've done to the data. For example, you might add "-o" for optimized or "-oc" for optimized and coordinates set.
  1. February 2023: Join the Dot3D User Group! Our growing community of Dot3D users on Facebook is a great resource to get involved in. This community is there for your assistance (and inspiration!) as you set out to achieve all your Dot3D goals.

  2. January 2023: Looking to attain the highest levels of accuracy and confidence in your data? Consider referencing some known measurements via scale bar targeting (a.k.a. reference distances). These can be applied as added constraints before you optimize your data to guarantee the most accurate and trustworthy results.

  3. December 2022: Struggling to add more frames of data to a challenging area? Try using the manual frame trigger by tapping anywhere on the screen (that isn't otherwise a button) during scanning! This capability is available in Dot3D 5.0 and up.

  4. November 2022: Close background apps while running Dot3D. Especially if doing large scans. While this may not always be necessary, it certainly won't hurt! You never know what's going on behind the scenes.

  5. September 2022: Scanning in a dark or dimly lit area with your iPhone or iPad? Turn on your built-in flashlight! This feature is available right from the live scanning screen in Dot3D version 5.0.2 and up.

  6. August 2022: Utilize the DotProduct Knowledge Base! And in particular the search bar. This dynamically updated resource is available to all customers and is the best way to quickly and easily get the answers you need when you need them.

  7. July 2022: Slow down! While Dot3D is designed to operate at a very natural pace (don't go too slow!), it is possible to go too fast. Slowing down your scanning motion will result in more consistent tracking and higher visual fidelity in your data.

  8. June 2022: Utilize Dot3D Edit for off-tablet (or off-phone) post-processing! This add-on license starts at only $12.50/month (or $120/year) and enables all the same functionality as your capture license (except scanning). Save time and headaches in the field by taking care of all your Dot3D post-processing needs (optimization, editing, export, etc.) from the comfort of your desktop or laptop machine. You may add Dot3D Edit licenses at any time here.

  9. May 2022: There are two ways to measure surface area in Dot3D:
    1. Annotate > Add/Detect > Plane (then click on annotation to reveal the area)
    2. Measure > Fill Volume (measures volume of hole AND surface area on top)
    Option #2 can be helpful for measuring the surface area of a custom set shape. Although this feature is primarily designed for hole volume calculation, there doesn't actually have to be a hole to leverage the built-in surface area function.

  10. April 2022: Need to measure the clearance distance between a wall/surface and another part of a scene? You can use the perpendicular measurement feature for clearance calculations right in Dot3D! To do this, add a surface annotation to the wall/surface you want to measure from, then go back to the Measure tab to pull perpendicular measurements right out of the recognized plane automatically.

  11. March 2022: When registering multiple scans, make sure to crop out stray data between overlapping scans. Areas of overlap are typically captured with much higher accuracy and detail in one scan vs. the other, and therefore it is very important to remove the lower accuracy points for a clean and accurate final merged data set. This cropping can be achieved in Dot3D or in third party multi-scan tools.

  12. February 2022: Pay attention to the scene fitness bar! This circular green indicator around the start/stop button in Dot3D gives you an idea of how well Dot3D is tracking through the scene / if you are at risk of losing tracking. A full green circle means Dot3D is tracking well (good distance to target, recognized geometry in scene). An emptier circle means Dot3D is struggling to maintain tracking and you should be careful, slow down, and/or readjust your distance/trajectory.

  13. January 2022: Take a practice scan (or multiple) on the job site. A quick dry run through a scene can be very helpful with preparing for the real thing. Take this opportunity to analyze where you might want to place some targets, where you'll be starting and finishing your scan, which areas will be more challenging, and how many scans will be required in total. You can even take practice scans while your kit is warming up (for DPI Kits with recommended warmup requirements).

  14. December 2021: Never leave home without Dot3D! Add an iPhone Pro or iPad Pro to your 3D scanning toolkit for the most convenient Dot3D point cloud capture to date.

  15. November 2021:  Need to scan outdoors with a DPI kit? Consider the following options:
         1. Early morning scanning (sun low on horizon)
         2. Late evening scanning (sun low on horizon)
         3. Introduce shade (i.e. canopy, tent, tarp, etc.)
         4. Take advantage of overcast conditions when possible
         5. Add a RealSense D455 Kit for full sunlight capability!

  16. October 2021: Utilize background geometry! It's recommended to take advantage of any and all geometry in your scene to assist with tracking, even areas you don't necessarily care about and/or will be cropping out later. For example, if you're scanning an object, it may make more sense to place it closer to the corner of a room, vs. right in the center of an empty space.

  17. September 2021: Need to scan a hard to reach area? Above ceiling or below ground? The smaller DPI-X / DPI-XSR combined with the DPI Extension Kit and DPI Light Kit make for an excellent solution for these needs.

  18. August  2021: Need to scan a dark area? Even in total darkness? You have 2 great options: Add the DPI Light Kit for only $225 USD or utilize the "Use LiDAR IR as 'Color' stream" option in Dot3D for the RealSenseā„¢ L515.

  19. July 2021: Keep your shadow out of your 3D camera's view! Dot3D will mistake this as motion in your scene and you will struggle to maintain tracking. For situations where this is particularly challenging, we recommend the DPI Light Kit to avoid the issue entirely.

  20. June 2021: Keep your Dot3D up to date! To check your current version, please navigate to Settings>About. Here you'll see both your version number and the Check for Updates button. You should also see an Update button on top of the home screen / gallery view whenever you're due to update.

  21. May 2021: Take advantage of the orthographic and fixed viewpoint options when cropping your 3D data. By looking straight down on a floor plan view or straight across at a side angle, you can easily crop ceilings and walls, identify and remove stray points, and more.

  22. April 2021: Utilize the parallel planes feature! Whenever pointing at a large flat surface (i.e. the floor) while scanning, simply tap the "paper airplane" icon to take advantage of this feature. Then as you flag more of the same (or another) parallel plane throughout your scan, they will be locked in as parallel to each other and auto-aligned during optimization. This feature should be used particularly frequently on residential interior scans.

  23. March 2021: Close the loop! Whenever possible, make sure to start and finish each scan with your 3D camera pointed at the same area you started at. Ideally this should also involve at least a couple AprilTags at the start/finish point. Please click here for more information on this process.

  24. February 2021: Want to capture larger scenes per scan? Try expanding your Scene Size Settings from Settings > Advanced Settings in Dot3D. However, proceed with caution and be sure to run some tests first, especially on Android devices. Also be prepared for longer optimization times.

  25. January 2021: Struggling to maintain tracking across empty walls? Try placing some AprilTags in the middle of the most challenging surfaces.

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