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Leica Scans

MultiSet AI’s Visual Positioning System (VPS) accepts structured .e57 point-cloud files exported from Leica’s Cyclone REGISTER 360 PLUS. By pairing Leica’s high-fidelity LiDAR capture with MultiSet’s VPS you can turn large venues into centimeter-accurate AR canvases in hours instead of days. The guide below walks you through recommended devices, capture workflow, export settings and the upload process to the MultiSet Developer Portal.

Supported Devices

  • Leica RTC360

  • Leica BLK360 G2

  • Leica BLK2GO / BLK2FLY

MultiSet parses the panoramic images and intrinsic calibration blocks embedded in the E57. An export without panoramas will be rejected during processing, so tripod scans must be exported as structured setups, and BLK2GO / BLK2FLY walks must carry WayPoint panoramas (see the BLK2GO and BLK2FLY section below).

Scanning Workflow

1. Prerequisites

Item
Notes

Scanner & power

Fully charge two batteries and run the current Leica firmware for your scanner.

Mobile app

Leica Cyclone FIELD 360 on iOS/Android for live QA and alignment.

Desktop software

Leica Cyclone REGISTER 360 PLUS, version 2026.0.0 or later. Earlier versions export structured E57 files with no panoramic images when running a standard (non WORKFLOW) licence.

If you must stay on an older Cyclone release, open the exported E57 and confirm the panoramas are present before uploading. A structured E57 that contains geometry only cannot be processed for VPS.

2. Required Equipment

  • Sturdy tripod with the survey standard 5/8"-11 thread. The RTC360 mounts on a tribrach or the GAD122 adapter; the BLK360 G2 uses the GAD52 adapter, which also ships with 1/4" and 3/8" adapters for photo tripods.

  • Target spheres / checkerboards if survey-grade alignment is needed.

  • Tablet/phone with FIELD 360 (Wi-Fi 6 preferred for RTC360’s onboard hotspot). Google Play

3. Prepare the Environment

  1. Declutter walkways and remove moving objects if possible.

  2. Set low-resolution LiDAR when AR is the only deliverable; high-res mode multiplies file size with no VPS benefit.

  3. Turn off HDR on BLK360; use LDR panoramas to avoid over-saturated textures.

4. Capture the Space

  • RTC360 / BLK360 G2: place the scanner roughly every 2–3 m, with 30% overlap between setups.

  • BLK2GO: maintain slow walking speed (< 1 m/s) and follow loop-closure paths.

  • Monitor FIELD 360: green spheres = complete scan, yellow = alignment pending.

5. Register & Clean

  1. Import data into Cyclone REGISTER 360 PLUS.

  2. Run Auto Cloud for coarse cloud-to-cloud alignment, then refine with target-based or visual alignment as needed.

  3. Crop excess ceiling sky boxes or outdoor noise for faster VPS processing.

6. Export Structured E57

  • Choose the E57 (as one file) format, then select Separate Setups (structured / unstructured). Tripod setups are written as structured data, with the scan grid and panoramas included. There is no separate "include panoramas" option: structured export is what carries them.

  • Do not choose Single point cloud (unstructured). It merges every setup into one cloud and may keep only a single panoramic image, which is not enough for VPS.

  • Leave Export structured E57 in compatibility format unchecked (Settings → Export tab, unchecked by default). It normalises the file for third-party tools such as ReCap and Faro SCENE, and MultiSet does not need it.

  • Leave Sub-sampling factor (Setups) at full resolution unless the file is unmanageably large. This is the control that actually thins the cloud.

  • Export in the local project coordinate system. As with other scanners, MultiSet expects local coordinates relative to the scan origin rather than absolute geodetic height, which can otherwise introduce a vertical shift between the map and the device camera feed.

Expect ~1 GB per 1,000 sq ft at low-res settings. Uploads support files up to 50 GB, see Map Upload.

BLK2GO and BLK2FLY captures

Kinematic BLK data does not produce tripod setups, so the structured export above does not apply. Panoramas are generated at WayPoints instead:

  1. Import the capture into Cyclone REGISTER 360 PLUS and set a WayPoint interval, for example one WayPoint every 2 to 3 m along the walk.

  2. Export to E57 from Report | Publish Options, with WayPoints and rectified images included.

  3. A Cyclone WORKFLOW licence is required for the export to contain the WayPoint panoramas. Without it the E57 carries geometry only and cannot be processed for VPS.

Uploading to MultiSet

  • Create Map → Select Leica → Upload.

  • Compress the exported .e57 into a .zip and drag and drop it.

  • Processing time varies with file size. You will receive an email notification once your scan is complete.

Best Practices

Do
Avoid

Keep the scanner out of mirrors and windows.

Scanning within 2 m of shiny cars or glass facades, which creates ghost points.

Use low-res LiDAR + LDR pano for VPS-only jobs.

High-res HDR when final AR textures are not required, as it adds 3 to 4 times the file size.

Validate overlap in FIELD 360 before leaving the site.

Expecting Register 360 to fix large gaps automatically.

Export one file per level for multi-story buildings, then combine them in a MapSet.

A single 40 GB monolithic export.

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