Harness the power of Rock Desktop to transform raw Rock LiDAR data into precise Point Clouds. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for data processing, from the initial setup to final Point Cloud generation.
Harness the power of Rock Desktop to process raw data from your Rock LiDAR system into high-quality Point Clouds. This article guides you through the process, whether you're verifying data coverage in the field or finalizing your work in the office.
Getting Started with Rock Desktop
- Open Rock Desktop
- Begin by opening Rock Desktop and clicking on Process Rock Data on the home screen.
Important: Make sure you have an active processing license. If you need to obtain or activate a license, check the following resources:
- Select Acquisition Folder
- The Process Trajectory screen will appear, with the first option to Select Folder for your acquisition folder. This should be the master folder containing all the raw data from your mission. Do not select individual subfolders—Rock Desktop will automatically locate all the required files.
Preparing Data for Point Cloud Generation
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Select Sensor Profile
- After the data is loaded, you'll need to select the sensor profile. This acts as the calibration for your camera. You can choose a previous profile, a system default, or, if reprocessing data from an existing project, use the last good calibration from that project.
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Select a Base Station File
- Click on Select File and navigate to the base station observation file (ending in .230). Select this file to load all the necessary data for processing your trajectory.
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Agree to Terms and Conditions
- Review and agree to the terms and conditions, then click Next.
Generating Your Point Cloud
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Process Trajectory
- Rock Desktop will start to combine the raw IMU, GNSS, and base station data to calculate a highly accurate trajectory for your LiDAR mission. Once this process is completed successfully, it will generate a preview of the data.
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Select Your Strips
- You will now enter the stage of selecting your strips from where you wish to produce data, as well as selecting your angle gate and range gate.
Tip: You can perform this entire process in the field to verify your data coverage while flying.
By following these steps, you can effectively use Rock Desktop to generate a Point Cloud from raw data captured by Rock LiDAR systems. This gives you the ability to ensure complete data coverage in the field and produce final, colorized Point Clouds back in the office.