| From law enforcement offices to engineering | | | | have a good idea about what scanners are right |
| firms, laser scanning services benefit any | | | | for your scanning project and feel confident about |
| organization that relies on the timely, accurate | | | | moving forward. |
| collection of physical data. In the absence of laser | | | | Does a Company Have the Right Experience? |
| scanning services, organizations that need to | | | | When choosing among scanning companies, |
| capture the data of objects and environments | | | | always go with a company that has experience |
| are left with two options: they can rely on | | | | with your type of scanning project. For example, |
| traditional analogue and GPS scanning methods or | | | | if one scanning service has 20 years of |
| they can purchase their own laser scanning | | | | experience but no experience in scanning for |
| equipment. The problems with traditional scanning | | | | brownfield projects, if you have a brownfield |
| methods are three: they aren't as accurate as | | | | project, it's better to go with a service that has |
| laser scanning; they take longer to produce | | | | less cumulative experience but experience with |
| results; and they cost more than laser scanning. | | | | brownfield projects. Laser scanning involves more |
| The drawback to purchasing scanning equipment | | | | than just pressing a button, and you want to hire |
| is obvious: depending on the equipment, a single | | | | a service whose experience will translate to your |
| laser scanner can cost hundreds of thousands of | | | | specific project. |
| dollars. To avoid the inaccuracy and expense of | | | | Does a Company Offer 2D Drawings? |
| traditional scanning methods and the expense of | | | | It might sound strange that a laser surveying |
| purchasing scanning equipment, most organizations | | | | client would be interested in 2D drawings. After all, |
| rely on laser scanning services. But before you | | | | computerized scanning models provide the same |
| hire a scanning service, it pays to make to make | | | | data as 2D drawings and allow you to view it in |
| some critical considerations, three of which we list | | | | the form of polygon mesh models, surface |
| below. | | | | models and solid CAD models. Nevertheless, |
| Does a Company Have the Right Equipment? | | | | receiving 2D drawings of your data is important |
| If you don't have expertise in 3D laser surveying, | | | | for a variety of reasons, including: they serve as |
| then you probably don't know what scanning | | | | a hard copy in the event of computerized data |
| equipment is right for your scanning project. To | | | | loss; they can prove valuable for presenting |
| find out, you can either perform an Internet | | | | product ideas to potential partner companies; and |
| search or contact several scanning companies for | | | | they allow you the perceptual experience of |
| a free appraisal of your scanning needs. Although | | | | seeing object data in the form of geometrical |
| most scanning companies own a variety of | | | | drawings. If a scanning service doesn't offer 2D |
| scanning equipment, you shouldn't risk the quality | | | | drawings, it doesn't mean that they don't offer |
| of your project by contacting only one company. | | | | quality scanning. But if you anticipate receiving 2D |
| After performing a thorough Internet search or | | | | drawings, it's best to ask upfront if a scanning |
| contacting multiple scanning services, you should | | | | service employs a draftsman. |