Release Notes for FARO Zone 2D

Road Tools – Sidewalks

The Road Tools have option to include a sidewalk on the outer perimeter of the roadway line, arc, and intersections. Sidewalk settings allow for width, color, texture, and thickness.

CDT (Coordinate Data Table) DXF Import

Import a DXF file into the CDT (Coordinate Data Table) to separate out all labels and geometry onto their own separate layers. This allows for point numbers, descriptions, and line work to be turned on/off and labels text size globally editable.

From the “hamburger” menu on the CDT pick “Import DWG/DXF Points”. This will bring up the file open
dialog for DXF and DWG files.

Once loaded you can use the CDT tools to make the same adjustments as you would with any other imported point data.

Start Page – Release Notes (What’s New)

An overview of the latest release notes has been added to the Start Page.

1. Click here to get the latest release (if available).
2. Close the release notes, giving more space for project thumbnails.
3. Click here to see the full set of release notes.
4. Clicking on the Release Notes icon will open the Knowledge Base page to the latest release notes if the “What’s New” dialog is showing. If the “What’s New” dialog has been turned OFF then clicking on the “Release Notes” icon will bring it back.
   

Print Dialog Rotate

A diagram can be rotated inside the print dialog tool before printing. You have the option to do a quick rotation in 90° increments or entering a specific value.

NOTE: This will not change the actual rotation of the drawing in Zone.

Area/Polygon Tool with Add Walls Option

A new polygon tool using the Measure Area tool functionality was added with the ability to convert the perimeter to our Wall Structure.

1. Select the Area/Polygon tool from the rectangle tools menu.
2. Draw the area.
3. Click on “Add Walls”
   

Zone2go Updates

Simple Annotation - Add annotations to the Zone 2go project (For example, look for “Fountain” in the Zone 2go browser).

Textures

Object fills can be converted to textures.

1. Click on “Object Fill”
   
2. Turn “Texture” ON
   

Road Intersection Median Texture

Change the Intersection Median’s color or texture.

Road Tool Median and Texture

Add a median to the Road Tool and change the Median’s color or texture.

Dimension Text Override

1. Open the “Text” options in the Dimension Line panel.
2. Turn the “Override Text” switch ON.
3. Type in the new dimension text.
   

Zone2go

The new Zone2go Logo:

Please note Zone 2go Viewer uses this logo to cover the hole under the 3D Scanner. If the drawing does not have SCENE Point Cloud, Zone 2go won’t show the logo since there is nothing to cover.

.FML file format

What is FML?

It’s a file containing geometric objects that can be imported into Floorplanner.com. Floorplanner is a lightweight online room designer for the real estate and home decorating market. This is an ideal platform for the ScanPlan and FARO Zone data.

NOTE: you can try out Floorplanner at www.floorplanner.com

Why?

There’s opportunity in real estate to use ScanPlan and Zone. Import ScanPlan projects into FZ2, clean up, add geometry (lines, walls, and areas). Export the finished drawing to the .fml format.

Overview?

Both Zone 2D/3D products can now export to .fml thru the file menu> Save/Export options. Exported objects include -

• Area object with label
• Lines, Polylines
• Poly Curves
• Rectangles
• Arcs
• Wall structures

NOTE: Wall height is applied to all non-Area objects in Floorplanner.

Workflow -

1. Scan area with ScanPlan
2. While scanning, use Room Planner to add rooms for FML export

   Screen 1	Screen 2

    

3. Import into FARO Zone
   
4. Export FML file
   
5. Go to floorplanner.com and select the FML file to create a project
   
   

Dirt Road Edge Feature

Covert a Road Tool straight and arc type to a dirt road. Use the Dirt Road Edge line type to convert any line type to a “rough” road edge.

Watch the video >>>

• Street Tool – Straight
• Street Tool – Arc
• Line Type – Properties

Use the road tools to create straight or arc roadway sections.

(1) Road Tool Straight (2) Road Tool Arc

Convert the selected straight or arc road section to a dirt road.

Select the road section and turn fill OFF.

Convert any line geometry to the dirt road edge line type.

FAQ – link to Zone 2D and 3D frequently asked questions

Click in the Search bar to open the pull-down menu. Click on FAQ to open the Zone FAQ section in FARO’s Knowledge Base.

Zone2go

Zone2go allows the user to export and share FZ projects to the storage media of your choice. The Zoone2go viewer is portable and does not require an Internet connection.

The Zone2go viewer and FZ projects are meant to be saved on a USB stick or other storage device and used on a Windows or MacOS device. You can also export to a folder and then copy the folder to a Windows or MacOS tablet or burn on a DVD.

The Zone2go Viewer will Capture and Display:

• Works with or without SCENE Point Cloud
• Automatically generates an intuitive Overview Map
• Panoramic Views are generated for each scan position
• All FARO Zone diagram geometry and annotations will be displayed
• 3D View for each scan for best understanding of spatial details
• Measurements in SCENE point cloud Panoramic View and 3D View
• No installation required. You can launch the Viewer directly from the USB stick

Basic Workflow

• Open/Create FZ3 project (with or without SCENE Point Cloud)
• Add Witness feature in the drawing (optional)
• Add annotations/File References (optional)

You can add the following Zone 2go annotations:

• Images
• Animations (using File reference)
• Report (.pdf)
• 360 Image
• 360 animation (using File reference)
• Dimension, Label and other FZ items
• Hyperlink (using File reference)

How to use:

Click on Zone2go Launchpad

What makes a Zone2go project? Here are the basics:

• With no annotations or pano views you will only generate a top down overview map of your scene.
• With no annotations or pano views, but you have a SCENE point cloud project, you will create an overview map and be able to view the point cloud from each scan position.
• To create a project that will let you view points of interest you will need to use the Total View tool to setup a 360 pano view at each position.
• You can also setup point of interest locations from the Zone2go launch pad by navigation to the desired position and clicking on the camera icon.
• You can use the Witness tool, placed at a point of interest, and that will automatically create a pano view that will appear in the Zone2go launch pad.
• All snapshots, Witness Views, and Total View snapshots are automatically converted to panoramic images when you export the project from Zone2go.

Let’s Step Through It

All snapshots and referenced files will be displayed on the Zone2go launch pad. This will include everything you already added to your diagram. All snapshots, Witness Views, and Total View snapshots are automatically converted to panoramic images when you export the project from Zone2go.

Once in the Zone2go launch pad you can continue to add file references and 360 degreee panoramic images.

1. Add a file reference.
2. Add a panoramic snapshot. Move to the position you want a new snapshot before clicking.
3. Exporet your Zone2go project.
   
4. Select Zone2go export folder.
   
5. A confirmation dialog box shows up after Zone 2go project is successfully exported
6. Click on “Launch Zone 2go” button to launch the Zone 2go Viewer, or “Open Export Folder” to open the Export folder.
   

Layer Report Tool

Use the Layer Report to create a PDF document that includes the overall diagram on the first page and then puts each layer and sub-layer on their own page. This is very useful especially with ScanPlan data. In this example the ScanPlan layers are on separate pages. All file links such as the panoramic photos in this case are listed on pages as well.

Layer Manager and Pages in Report

Line Work and File References

Vehicle Database – Expert AutoStats

We’ve added an option for Expert AutoStats data in the Vehicle Database tool. This is provided by our good friends at www.4n6Xprt.com

1. Open the Vehicle Specs database tool.
2. Choose between the CVS (Canadian Vehicle Specs) or AutoStats database.
3. If there is data missing such as “overhang” the model row will be highlighted orange.
   
4. Not enough data to calculate front and rear overhang data. When this occurs the outline of the vehicle will not include the wheel positions. Try the other database and compare.
   
   

(1) 2D top down contoured outline display

(2) Outline pull down options

Road Tools

Updates to the Road Tools.

• Easier road arm and individual lane selection
• Improved properties panel interface
• Median Length Option
  

(1) Add Median
(2) Median Length grip
(3) Median Position grip

• Turn Lane Grips
  
• Create Tangent Arc Road
  

(1) Select road arm, click to add a tangent road arc
(2) Road arc settings

• Arc road lane data in HUD
  
• Convert line or arc to road
   
  
  
• Road Markings built into road system
  

(1) Pull down list of road markings – you can place multiple markings on the same lane by placing one, deselecting the lane, reselecting, and placing another mark.
(2) Mark settings. The markers can also be moved and rotated with the selection grips.

• Road tool (Fill Mode On/OFF) – turn the road fill on or off. Change the global color of all the lines.
  

Vector Signs

Option to create and save vector (true geometry) as a sign accessible from the Signs tool.

• Draw your sign design using any of the program geometry; lines, arcs, curves, circles, fills, etc…
• Select it
• Click on “Create Sign” in the multi-select properties panel.
  

Saving the New Vector Sign to Custom Signs

1. Select the newly created sign.
2. Click on Save
3. Give the new Sign a name.
4. Open the Custom Signs menu
   
   
   
   

Rounded Rectangles

Round of the corners of a rectangle simply by drawing or selecting a rectangle and turning the “Rounded” option ON. Adjust the rounded corner by changing the radius value.

Parking Lot Lines

Convert a line into a modifiable parking lot stall line type. You can set all the stall dimensions and whether stalls are displayed on both sides of the center line. Extend the line to add more stalls.