This tutorial describes, end-to-end, the steps to obtain exploitable data. Parameters can be changed by advanced users with specific needs. It assumes that the software is already installed and the working directory is set.
Double click on the icon on your desktop to open PPIMMS.
PPIMMS will open.
Click on “File” -> “New environment”.
Click on the right icon.
Type a name. Do not change the location or the format. Click “Save”.
Then click “Add”.
Give a name to the project, then click “Add”.
Click on “Import AAR”.
Click on “Browse” to look for an .aar file that you exported from the system.
Select the AAR file and click “Open”.
Click on “OK”.
The import will start. This AAR file will be unzipped and added to the acquisition folder of the software working directory.
Left click to select the acquisition and then click “Add Acquisition To Project”
From PPIMMS 2.27.27, this step is called preprocessing as it allows to help for future computations (SLAM and loop algorithms in particular).
A pop-up window opens up, asking you to synchronize/preprocess the acquisition. Click “OK” to confirm and launch the synchronization/preprocessing.
The synchronization/preprocessing will run.
Once the Synchronization is done, the environment will open.
Right-click on the project name and click on “Set as active”.
The project will open.
Open Qinertia.
Click on “New Project”.
In “Project name”, give a name to your project.
In “Organization” write the name of your company.
Under “Save Project”, choose (if not already done) the working directory of the software. We recommend having one folder called Qinertia on your main SSD drive and never changing this parameter.
Under “Import Files”, left-click on “browser” to open an explorer. Navigate to the session folder exported from your MS-96 aside the .aar. Then click “Select Folder”.
Then click “Next”.
Activate “Geodetic Configuration” by clicking on the toggle icon.
Then under “Project Coordinate System” click the search icon.
A window opens. In the top field, look for the EPSG / CRS name that you want to use to reference the GNSS data. Then click “Select” on the bottom right.
Back on the first window with the motion profile, click “Next”.
On the “Data sources” page, click “Next”.
On the “Trajectory preview” page, click “Next”. If a warning appears, click “Yes”.
On the “Base stations” page, wait for Qinertia to find a base station (visible at the bottom left under “Processing details”). If Qinertia creates a Virtual Base Stations out of a network, you will need to validate the network. Simply accept and move on. Click “Next”.
On the “IMU Model” page, click “Next”.
On the “IMU Installation” page, click “Next”.
On the “IMU Lever Arms”, click “Next”.
On the “GNSS Setup” page, in “Antenna type” (middle right of the page), look for the [VMTRS_MS96_1 NONE] antenna. Then click “Next”.
Your project is now configured. Click “Finish”.
Click on the double-arrows icon to open the processing functions.
Then click on “Tight Coupling PPK” and wait for the computation to be completed. Icons at the bottom right of your screen indicating the processing status.
When the “Processing summary” appears, the processing is over.
Click on “File”, then “Exports”.
Select the “PPIMMS_TightCoupling_Geodesy” (also called [xxx]_Proj) profile. Then click “Launch export” on the bottom right.
The export may take a few seconds. Once finished, a right icon with a blue stripe looping around it will be present.
You can now close Qinertia.
If you click on it, you will see a folder icon pointing to the location of the exported file.
You can now close Qinertia.
The exported file is available in the export folder of the Qinertia project.
From the post-process menu click on “Odometric Trajectory Computation”.
Select the line then click on “Settings”.
Click the icon next to “External data file path”.
Browse to the exported file from Qinertia.
The settings that should be used.
Click “OK” twice to launch the computation.
In the “Post Process” menu, click on “Navigation Constraints Computation”.
Select the line, then click on “Settings”.
Click on the icon at the end of the line “External File Name”.
Browse to the exported file from Qinertia (same file as for the previous step) select it and click on “Open”.
For both the External File EPSG Code and Projection (EPSG Code), type in the code of your chosen projected coordinates system (the one chosen in the “Geodetic Configuration” in Qinertia).
Click “OK” to validate your settings and “OK” to launch the computation.
Once the computation is done, it is normal that the point clouds disappear from the viewer. It has just shifted to the new coordinate system. To reach it, unfold the “Trajectories” items in the tree structure, right-click on the “Minimized Trajectory” and choose “Center View On”.
From the post-processing menu, click on “Loop constraints”.
Click “OK” to launch the computation with the default settings.
Default settings.
The computation will start. From PPIMMS 2.27.27, there are no more vertical filtering and the computation time has been drastically improved.
This step only applies if you have GCPs to add. Discard if not.
From the post-processing menu, click on “Add Block Constraints”. It will open a window on the right side of the screen.
Select the “GCP” mode.
Choose the EPSG of the coordinates reference system your GCPs are expressed in.
Click as accurately as possible on the point of the point cloud that should have the GCP coordinates.
Write the coordinates in the XYZ fields available.
Set the confidence level to:
Click “Add” then “Validate”.
Click “OK” to confirm the change of ESPG code of the project.
Repeat the operation if you have other GCPs to add.
From the post-processing menu, click on “Global Optimization”.
Click “OK” to launch the computation.
From the post-processing menu, click on “Create Result”. Click “OK” to launch the result creation.
A new item called “Result” will appear in the tree view on the left.
Unfold the Result item and “Media Data”. Right-click on “MultiCams” and then on “Edit Mask/Color”.
You can increase the window size and increase the camera stream viewer by zooming using the wheel.
Go to the “Color/Tonal” tab, select “Gamma correction” and increase the “Gamma” value to 2 if needed or leave at 1.5 if the images are bright enough.
Go to the “Mask Editor” tab. Using the right-click, draw a contour around the operator head and shoulder.
Then click “Apply”.
Repeat the operation for the “FrontLeft” and “BackRight” cameras, not forgetting about contouring as well the lidar.
When finished close the window.
For all users of PPIMMS 2.27.27, we recommend the use of the unified point cloud export. This functionality is a all-in-one process that embeds point cloud colorization, filtering, combination of side and top lidar, spatial decimation and RGB layer homogenization. It will provide higher quality results than the previous historical workflow (colorization -> filtering -> export).
In the Result menu, select Export PointCloud (Unified) and then the result.
Double click or select the line and click on Settings.
Choose your format or leave by default.
Type the output file name or leave by default.
Choose the environment type:
For car-based scans we recommend using “Hybrid”, or potentially “Long range” for specific projects where a longer range is needed.
Choose your resolution to homogenize the point cloud:
Please note that these values only give an approximation of the point cloud density. There will be points closer to each other than the expected values.
When satisfied with the settings, press OK twice.
The process will start, finishing with a link in the console to the exported finalized point cloud in the chosen format.
From the menu “Result”, click on “Colorize Point Cloud” and choose the result to colorize.
Select the line then click “Settings”.
Choose the following settings. Click “OK” to launch the computation.
The colorization process will start.
From the menu “Result”, click on “Filter Point Cloud” and choose the result to filter.
Select the line and click “Settings”.
Choose the following settings.
The filtering process will start.
From the menu “Result”, click on “Export point cloud” and then the result to export.
Select the line then click “Settings”.
Choose the following settings.
Click “OK” twice to launch the export.
The export will start running.
The colorized and referenced point cloud is now available and can be used in third party software.
From the menu “Result”, click on “Export Images” and then the result to export.
Select the line then click “Settings”.
Choose the following settings.
Please note that you can choose another format for the camera trajectory depending on the third party software that you will be using.
Confirm and launch the export.
The panoramic images are then available and can be used in third party software.
