Tab Project management

Owned by Former user (Deleted)
Last updated: Sept. 06, 2021
12 min read

In this TAB are all functions for the administration of projects and scans summarized. The highlighted blue, top row indicates the current position in the project list. In the center is the project list followed by the tab structure. On the left hand side are the most important functions aligned.

Import sample projects

In the main menu under [File > Import samples] there is a command to import three pre-installed examples. The command automatically creates a project entitled “Examples”, in the current year, and imports the examples with the scan data and the 3D models.

The examples can be edited, deleted and imported again as needed.

Project list

 The project list consist of an hiearchic structure with 8 levels

Stage 1:          year

The current year will be automatically set when a new project is created. All new projects will be assigned to this structure

Stage 2:          project

The project´s name. A project can consist s of several buildings.

Stage 3:           buildings

Name of the building

Stage 4:           level

Level of the building. The description of the level consists of a number and a model. The number is used for the order of the data system and assignment:


200 and downward for attic

500 and downward for upper floor

600 for ground floor

700 and upward for cellar

The abbreviations are:

RF- roof floor

UF upper floor

GF- ground floor

CF- cellar floor

 

Stage 5:           Group of rooms

This is the description for rooms which are related to a certain group. E.g. departments, appartmens, houses….

Stage 6:           Rooms

This description for individual rooms such as office, kitchen, bathroom or living room. Nevertheless a room can consist of several scans. If this is the case the symbol color will be changed

Stage 7:           Scan with additionall details

Scan XXX JJJJ-MM-TT HH-MM ---- --- -

  • XXX three-digit number
  • JJJJ-MM-TT date formatted in year-month-day
  • HH-MM  time formatted in hours-minutes
  • ---- placeholder for structure data
    • 1 = building assigned
    • 2 = stage assigned
    • 3 = group of rooms assigned
    • 4 = room assigned
  •  
  • --- placeholder for 3D-Modell
    • 3D =  the room contains the 3D Data
    • Indicator about modelling process
    • 100 = A floor, ceiling and three walls existsEs existiert ein Boden, eine Decke und mindestens 3 Wände
    • – open edges appear
    • + all edges are closed

100% modelled scans are highlighted with . All other status are marked with


    • - Placeholder for calculated panorama
    • P = Panorama exists

Stage 8:          files of Scans

At this stage all  files are stored which are related to a scan

PanoramaProject.xml – project file with all scan information and modelling process.

ImageXXXX.jpg – images with progressive number which have been captured during scan process

Image_JJJJMMTT-HHMMSS.jpg – individual images which have been captured with the remoter control for documentation purpose.

SphericalPanorama-4096x2048.jpg, SphericalPanorama-8192x4096.jpg, SphericalPanorama-16384x8192.jpg – Panoramas which have been calculated by the function [create panorama]. Minimum one panorama is required to initiate the modelling process.

The calculation of the max. resolution of 16384 pixels is disabled by default.This resolution can be activated in the settings. This resulation is not available for modelling purposes.

SphericalPanorama-Preview.jpg – For a general preview a low resolution panorama is displayed in the project administration.


A double-click on a file opens the related application. A double-click on a JPG file opens a viewer tool which is installed in the operating system.

A context menue appears with the most frequent used commands when a right click in the project management is executed.

New project button

Enter the project name in this field. The file name may contains letters and numbers but no special characters such as:

<         less than

>         greater than

:           colon

“”         quotation marks

|           vertical line

?          question mark

*          asterisk

.           full stop or space at the end of a file or folder name

 The project name may not exceed 260 characters including the storage path. A project name could contain the customer, the property address and the type of building.

Example

Company - 16 Xample Street - LONDON SW1E 6LB - Office

Press [OK] to add the new project to the list.

Note: the project list is arranged in reverse alphabetical order. To create your own sequence, place consecutive numbers such as 001... 002... 003... at the start of your project names.

Import scans button

Read the room scans in here.

First click on […] to select the path for the scan to be read.


When selecting the storage location, the basic path of the scan is sufficient. The HS-1 scanner automatically saves scans, sorted by date, to a USB stick. To import, you can select all of the scans on the USB stick or only those from a certain date.

Note: When importing the data, HottScan creates a copy of the data on the USB stick. The data on the USB stick remains in its entirety. 

Before continuing to use the USB stick for scanning, ensure that you have made space on it by deleting files or formatting the USB stick.

We recommend that you also copy the files from the USB stick to a secure storage medium.


Once the storage location has been selected, all of the scans found are displayed in a list. Press the [All] button to select all of the scans displayed and press the [None] button to remove all of the scans from the list. Click on the line of the scan or on the option box to either select or remove individual scans. Press the [Reverse selection] button to reverse the selection status of the entire list.

The number of selected imports is displayed with the [Import selected projects] button. Click on the button to start the import process. How long this process takes depends on the number of scans. The transfer speed is increased considerably when the USB stick is connected to a USB 3.0 interface. Press the [Cancel] button to close the window without any action.

Important information: The data recorded and processed by the scanner contains important information. If data is lost, so too is that information. Recovering that information, if even possible, requires a great deal of logistical expertise and a huge financial investment. For this reason, be sure to always save your data. The storage path can be found in the program settings under the program tab, e.g. “C:\Users\ ...\Document\HottScan\Data”.This path can be a central drive integrated into the existing data backup.


The manufacturer assumes no liability for loss of data.

Always make a backup copy before deleting data from a USB stick.

Create panorama button

All of the scans in the active branch “Import date...” are displayed in one list in the following window. Press the [All] button to select all of the scans displayed and press the [None] button to remove all of the scans from the list. Click on the line of the scan or on the option box to either select or remove individual scans. Press the [Invert selection] button to reverse the selection status of the entire list.

Select the option “Overwrite existing panoramas” to recalculate existing panoramas. When this option is not selected, panoramas will not be recalculated.

Selecting the “Brightness balance” option can improve the brightness distribution in panoramas if, for example, there are extreme differences in brightness in the room such as bright windows and dark corners. Selecting this option results in a significantly longer calculation time.

Selecting the “Optimal cut edges” option can improve the panoramas if better cut edges between the individual images are found. Selecting this option results in a longer calculation time.

Selecting the “Contrast enhancement” option can improve the panoramas when the contrast between different components such as walls and ceilings is minimal. Selecting this option slows down the calculation time slightly and results in somewhat “dirty” looking panoramas.

 

Click on [Start panorama calculation] to start calculating the selected scan. This process is known as “stitching”. The calculation progress is displayed.

 

Note: The time needed to calculate the panoramas depends on the number of panoramas, the power of the computer, the operating system and the main memory expansion. Panorama calculation requires a 64-bit operating system. The more main memory available, the shorter the calculation time.

 

The [Cancel] button stops the panorama calculation upon completion of the current calculation. If there is no active panorama calculation, press [Close] to close the window.

Create room button

Click on the [Create room] button to load the scan and the previously modelled 3D components. Once loaded, the program automatically switches to the “Model room” tab described below.


Insert Structure

A new structure can be added using the [Insert structure] button or the entry in the context menu (right-click). The dialog or the structure to be created depends on the selected node: With a selected project, a building can be created, with a selected building a floor, with a selected floor a room group and with a selected room group a room. Click on [OK] to insert the new structure under the structure node. When creating floors, only the specified identifiers can be selected from the list.

Projects are created using the [New] button and are always assigned to the current year (see "New button").

Scans and files cannot be inserted, but only imported as described above using the [Import scans] button.


Rename structure

A structure in the project management can be renamed using the [Rename structure] button. Depending on the structure selected, either an entry can be selected from the list or a new identifier can be entered in the field. As with inserting, the selection of identifiers for floors is limited to the specified values. The year folder, scans and files cannot be renamed.

After confirming with [Apply], the structure appears in the project list with the new name.

Delete entry

A structure node and all of the structures it contains can be removed using the [Delete structure] button. The following security question appears:

If the corresponding folders in the storage location are empty, they will now be deleted. If the folder contains files, another security question appears, which shows the number of scans and files contained and must be confirmed:


ATTENTION: The delete function can delete a lot of data with one command. If the data is saved on a local drive, you can undo the deletion from the recycle bin. If the data is stored on a network drive, you can only reconstruct it from a data backup.


Note: Do not delete any pictures (* .JPG) or project files (* .XML) from the folders. The system would then no longer work correctly.

Move structure (Drag & Drop)

In addition to the [Insert structure] and [Rename structure] buttons, almost all structures can be moved using "Drag & Drop" with the left mouse button. For example, a scan of a project can be dragged onto another project. The missing structures (in this case building, floor, room group and room) are taken from the scan and inserted automatically. Annual folders and files of the scans cannot be moved.

Copy structure (Drag & Drop)

Another option for editing is to copy a structure using "drag & drop" with the right mouse button. Just like when moving, missing structures are inserted. After the copying process, the copied structure is available at the destination and the original location. Annual folders and files of the scans cannot be copied.

  

Additional functions

Split scans

Using the [Split scans] function in the context menu, a room containing several scans can be divided into individual rooms. Each scan is automatically assigned to a new room.


Remove empty folders

The function [Remove empty folders] deletes all structures below the selected structure node. No files are deleted here. The function is only used to simply "clean up" the project structure.


Open in File Explorer

The selected file or structure can be displayed via [Open in File Explorer] in Windows Explorer.

Hinweis

No changes should be made to the folder structure via the Explorer! Missing or renamed files and structures can lead to faulty projects.

Zip Scans 

Scans can be exported as a zip [Save "+zip"... ] .

Quantity analytics button

Click on the [Quantity analytics] button to display a form with a calculation of the dimensions.

The dimension calculation displays all of the planes, surfaces and openings in a room and their measurements. The surface areas of the surfaces and openings are calculated mathematically for each plane (Boolean surfaces).

The quantity analytics can be configured in the program settings. In can be defined which Elements should be mentioned in the quantity analytics and how detailed the summary should be displayed .

All rooms that belong to the selected node in the project management are evaluated. If, for example, a floor is selected, all rooms on this floor are determined.

You can select the desired printer, page format, orientation, print resolution, margins and colour or black and white in the print window.

Click [Print] to print out the dimension calculation.

Click [Create excel file] to export the dimension calculation as an excel file.


Data model export button


The following window appears when you click on the [Data model export] button


Press the [All] button to select all of the rooms displayed and press the [None] button to remove all of the rooms from the list. Click on the line of the room or on the option box to either select or remove individual rooms. Press the [Invert selection] button to reverse the selection status of the entire list.

Press the [Export the selected projects()] button to create a database in central project management with the project name, date and time of export. In the Quotation program (starting with Version 5.0.22.17) of the HSETU software, the exported project can be selected and loaded from a list under the tab [Advanced > Dimension calculation].


Export to existing project

If [Export in bestehendes Projekt]  is checked a list of exported Hottscan-projects will be displayed. 

The selected project can be enriched with the other projects.



Once loaded, the structural data and dimensions of the modelled 3D elements saved to the HottScan are available for further use, such as the quotation.


DWG/DXF - Export - main menu


  

Press the [All] button to select all of the rooms displayed and press the [None] button to remove all of the rooms from the list. Click on the line of the room or on the option box to either select or remove individual rooms. Press the [Invert selection] button to reverse the selection status of the entire list. Each of the exported rooms forms a block, which makes handling the rooms in CAD much easier. In addition, the exported elements are organised into layers:

 

 

 

 

Switching the layers on and off makes it possible to effectively control a variety of images:


Structure tab

The [Structure] tab is located underneath the project list.



This tab displays the structural data associated with the scan selected from the project list. The structural data can be added to or changed. Structural data is important basic information and improves the allocation of scans to buildings, floors and areas. The following structural data is available:

 

  • Building Input field for the building
  • Floor             Selection field for the floor
  • Room group Selection field for the room group
  • Room Selection field for the room name
  • Number Input field for the room number
  • Comments Input field for free text

The building structure in the HottScan modelling software is divided into 5 levels. The top level is the project. A project can include several buildings. Each building includes floors. Purpose groups are groupings of rooms including flats, departments, companies etc. Purpose groups are important because in practice any information about them must be calculated separately. The lowest level is the room itself, with a separate room number.

The field on the right is reserved for comments about the scan. Click on the [Save] button to save all changes to the current scan.

Click on the [Adjust...] button to edit the lists for the floor, purpose group and room name fields:

Select the desired structure, floor – room group – room at the top left. You can [Add], [Remove], [Delete] and [Reset] elements in each structure.

Click on [Reset] to restore the factory settings.

Click on [New element] to add new elements:

 

 

The goal is to create the structural data so that instead of complicated entries, there is a quick and easy selection available for use.