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Colorization Quick Start Guide

This guide explains how to generate, view, and use colorized point clouds and textured meshes captured with Elios 3 using Inspector and Inspector Online. It provides a streamlined workflow, practical tips, and a clear overview of the algorithm’s capabilities and limitations.

1. Overview

Colorization enhances Elios 3 LiDAR data using video frames captured during flight. The process produces two outputs:

Colorized Point Cloud

A point cloud where each point is assigned a color from video imagery. Ideal for contextual inspection and navigation.

Textured Mesh

A 3D surface model where high‑resolution textures are projected onto a mesh. Useful for measurements and visual analysis.

Workflow Summary

1

Upload flight data from Inspector to Inspector Online

2

Generate the colorized point cloud and textured mesh

3

Visualize and use the results in the Inspector Online or Inspector

4

(Optional) Download or sync results back to Inspector for offline use

2. Prerequisites

3. End-to-End Workflow

Step 1 - Upload Data from Inspector to Inspector Online

  1. In Inspector, navigate to the Asset or Inspection containing the flight.

  2. Click the three‑dots menu and select Upload to Cloud.

  3. Wait for the upload to complete.

Step 2 - Generate the Colorized Point Cloud and Textured Mesh

Before starting colorization, the Cloud must finish preparing your dataset. When you open the inspection shortly after an upload, you may see ongoing tasks such as Video Conversion and Inspection Map Generation. These operations are part of the upload process itself.

Colorization cannot begin until they are complete because the dataset needs to be fully processed and available — including the point cloud, video frames, and mapping information — for the algorithm to run correctly.

What to do:

  1. In Inspector Online, wait for both Video Conversion and Inspection Map Generation to finish.

If you just uploaded the dataset, these tasks will appear automatically in the Background Tasks panel.

  1. Once all upload‑related tasks are complete, open the Flights tab.

  2. Click the Colorize button next to the flight you want to process.

  3. Wait for the following tasks to complete:

    • Las Colorization

    • 3D Viewer Data Generation

A notification will appear when the process is complete, and you can monitor each stage in Background Tasks.

4. Visualizing Results in Inspector Online

4.1 Viewing Colorized Point Clouds

  1. Open the 3D Viewer.

  2. In Settings:

    • Set Color to Original to display colorized points.

    • Set Shading to Original for improved visibility.

  3. Hide non‑colorized point clouds (including the default Inspection Map) in the Flights tab to avoid clutter.

4.2 Viewing Textured Meshes

  1. In the Flights tab, expand the desired flight.

  2. Hide all unnecessary point clouds.

  3. Enable the Mesh layer.

Only one textured mesh can be displayed at a time. This ensures rendering consistency and prevents overlapping mesh artifacts.

5. Measuring Using the Mesh

The textured mesh provides clear visual surfaces that help guide accurate point‑to‑point measurements.

  1. Display both the textured mesh and point cloud simultaneously.

  2. Activate the Measurement Tool.

  3. Click on the surface elements you want to measure between.

6. Downloading Colorized Outputs

You can download the results from the Inspector Online to your computer:

  • Colorized point cloud: colorized.las

  • Textured mesh: mesh.glb

To download:

  1. Open the Flights tab.

  2. Click the Download icon next to the desired output.

7. Syncing Results Back to Inspector

To make results available offline or for local analysis:

  1. In Inspector, open the Asset or Inspection.

  2. Open the three‑dots menu.

  3. If Sync with Cloud is already enabled, disable it.

  4. Re‑enable Sync with Cloud.

  5. Wait for both Up Sync and Down Sync phases to complete.

8. Visualizing Results in Inspector

The visualization workflow is identical to the one in Inspector Online, adapted to Inspector’s interface.

8.1 Colorized Point Clouds

  1. Open the 3D Viewer.

  2. Set Color to Original.

  3. Set Shading to Original.

  4. Hide non‑colorized point clouds (including the Inspection Map).

8.2 Textured Meshes

  1. Open the Flights tab.

  2. Expand a colorized flight.

  3. Enable the Mesh layer.

  4. Hide unnecessary point clouds.

9. Locating Colorized Files on Your Computer

To access the .las or .glb files locally:

  1. In Inspector, open the Flights tab.

  2. Expand the desired flight.

  3. Click the three‑dots menu next to the mesh or point cloud.

  4. Select Locate Map File.

  5. In the file explorer window, locate:

    • colorized.las

    • Mesh.glb

10. Algorithm Characteristics and Limitations

Our colorization algorithm does not use photogrammetry. Instead, it:

  • Creates a mesh from the point cloud (10 cm voxels)

  • Projects camera images onto the mesh at the drone’s estimated poses

This approach is fast and does not require image overlap, but comes with some limitations.

10.1 Small Objects and Busy Environments

Objects smaller than ~20 cm (pipes, thin structures, people, stair edges) may:

  • Have insufficient volume to be represented in 3D in the mesh

  • Be projected onto nearby surfaces

10.2 Cage Appearing in the Texture

Frames where the cage enters the camera’s field of view are discarded during texturing.

  • Avoid tilting the camera fully upward (~90°)

  • Excessive cage visibility may cause holes in the mesh

10.3 UT Probe in the Texture

Unlike the cage, UT probe images are not automatically discarded. If the probe is visible, it may be projected onto asset surfaces.

10.4 Drift in Textures

Mesh texture alignment depends on:

  • SLAM accuracy (FlyAware)

  • Camera pitch estimation

Drift can cause misaligned textures. Mitigate by:

  • Flying shorter, smoother flights

  • Reducing up/down camera movements

10.5 “What You See Is What You Get”

The colorization algorithm uses the video frames exactly as they were recorded during the flight. As a result, the quality of the colorized point cloud and textured mesh directly reflects the quality of the onboard footage.

To get good results:

  • Ensure proper exposure. Overexposed or underexposed areas will appear washed out or too dark in the final textures.

  • Avoid flying too fast. Quick rotations or rapid movements can introduce motion blur that reduces texture sharpness.

  • Keep a reasonable distance from surfaces. If the drone is too far, textures lose detail; too close, and only partial surfaces are captured.

In short: if the video looks good during the flight, the colorization will look good too.

11. Data Capture Best Practices

To achieve the best colorization and mesh results:

Capture Strategy

  • Dedicate one flight specifically to generating a high-quality textured mesh.

  • Follow surfaces using an up‑and‑down scanning pattern.

Camera Handling

  • Keep the cage out of the field of view.

  • Limit camera tilting.

Equipment Setup

  • Do not carry the UT probe when capturing a mesh.

General Advice

  • Spend time hovering in front of key areas.

  • Ensure proper lighting and exposure.

  • Remember: What you see in the video is what you get in the final model.

12. Summary

This guide walks you through the complete colorization workflow, from data upload to final visualization. By following best practices and understanding the algorithm's constraints, you can produce high‑quality colorized point clouds and textured meshes that enhance inspection accuracy and efficiency.

If you need additional assistance, please reach out to Flyability Support.

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