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Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision

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 About this tutorial

About this tutorial

In this tutorial, you will export Trimble Vision images along with precisely measured
points from Trimble Business Center to Trimble SketchUp Pro where you will use them
to create a 3D model. You will start with a project in which a Trimble V10 Imaging Rover
with a GNSS receiver was set up at 14 measured locations around a Trimble office
building to capture overlapping panoramas of the building. The stations have already
been adjusted with tie points in TBC, ensuring the images are properly positioned and
oriented.
In this tutorial, you will perform the following steps:
1. Use the View Filter Manager to "clean up" the view making it easier to work with
the project.
2. Import and georeference a background image to help you select in the Plan View
the area for which you want to export images.
3. Create photo points on key features (referred to as "guide points") to assist with the
modeling in SketchUp Pro.
4. Using the georeferenced image, create a boundary around the area of interest in
the Plan View, and then export the guide points and images to a SketchUp (.skp) file
for import into SketchUp.
5. Create a 3D model in SketchUp Pro using the imported images and guide points.

Notes:
- This workflow requires SketchUp Pro 2015 or newer.
- The portion of this tutorial that covers modeling in SketchUp assumes you have a basic
knowledge of modeling procedures in that application. For more information about
downloading and using SketchUp, visit [Link].
- If you need additional help at any time you are using the software, press F1 to display
the online help.

Step 1. Open the project

For this tutorial, you will use the project file Creating SketchUp [Link]. The project
includes 14 previously adjusted photo stations that are positioned around a Trimble
office building. However, to minimize the size of this tutorial package, the images have
been removed from all but five of the stations:
 Three stations located on the east end of the building: 103, 104, and 105
 Two stations located on the west end of the building: 111 and 112

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 2

 Step 1. Open the project

These stations provide adequate coverage to create appropriate guide points and model
the general shape of the building in SketchUp.

Note: The downloaded CreatingSketchUpModels folder contains this PDF file and the
Creating SketchUp [Link] project file.

1. In TBC, select File > Open.

2. In the Open File dialog, browse to ..\CreatingSketchUpModels\Creating SketchUp
[Link] and click Open.
The project opens in the Trimble Business Center window.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 3

 Step 2. Filter the view

The project file is read-only. You can perform the tutorial steps without saving the
project file. However, if you are interrupted while performing the tutorial, you can save
it with a new name by selecting File > Save Project As. Then, you can re-open the
project to continue the tutorial at a later time.

Step 2. Filter the view

To make it easier to work with the project, you will first filter the view to make it less
cluttered.
1. In the Project Explorer, right-click Photo Stations > 103 and select New Station
View.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 4

 Step 2. Filter the view

The Station View: 103 tab displays. Orient the view and zoom as necessary to
displaythe building as shown here. As you can see, there are a lot of lines that make
it difficult to view both the Station View and the Plan View. The next steps explain
how to "clean up" these views.

2. In the TBC ribbon, select Home > View > View Filter Manager to display the View
Filter Manager pane.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 5

 Step 2. Filter the view

3. In the View Filter Manager pane, uncheck the following items:

 Raw Data > RTK Vector
 Photogrammetry > Image Frame
 Photogrammetry > Observation

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 6

 Step 3. Import a georeferenced background image

Step 3. Import a georeferenced background image

When you export images to SketchUp later in this tutorial, you will create a boundary in
the Plan View around all or any part of the images you want to export. The exporter will
include only the images with view angles that intersect the boundary box. Otherwise, all
images from all selected photo stations would be included in the export, resulting in an
unnecessarily large SKP file that includes unneeded images (for example, images facing
away from the building you are going to model). To assist you in creating a boundary in
the Plan View, you will first import a georeferenced image from Google Earth that will
serve as a background image, showing the building around which you will draw your
boundary.
1. In the TBC ribbon, select Home > View > Google Earth.
The Google Earth pane displays.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 7

 Step 3. Import a georeferenced background image

It is not necessary to define offsets for the export, so do not make any changes in
the Offset fields.
Next, you will select two control points to export to Google Earth to locate the
Trimble Building you are going to model in the real world. You will use these same
two points to georeference the Google Earth image when you import it back into
TBC.
2. Click in the Selected entities field and then use Ctrl + click to select station points
102 and 109 in the Project Explorer (nested beneath the Points node) or in Plan
View.
These points are located diagonally from each other on opposite corners of the
project.

Note: Be sure to select points 102 and 109, not photo stations 102 and 109.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 8

 Step 3. Import a georeferenced background image

Do not change the Altitude mode from Clamp to ground.

3. Click the Apply button to export the two selected control points to Google Earth.

The Trimble building, along with exported points 102 and 109, display in Google
Earth.

4. If a point icon other than a target icon is displayed in Google Earth (as shown
above), do the following to display the target icon.
a. Right-click point 102 and select Properties.
b. In the Google Earth - Edit Placemark dialog, click the icon located to the right of
the Name field..

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 9

 Step 3. Import a georeferenced background image

c. In the Icon dialog, select the target icon (see below) and click OK.

d. In the Google Earth - Edit Placemark dialog, click OK.

e. Repeat for point 109.
Targets now display for the points in Google Earth. You will use these targets to
georeference the Google Earth image when you import it into TBC.

5. Zoom in so that the Trimble office building and parking lot somewhat fills the frame,
but you can still see the control points.
6. Press the r key on your keyboard to correct the orientation and provide a directly-
overhead view.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 10

 Step 3. Import a georeferenced background image

7. To save the image, do the following:

a. Select File > Save> Save Image.
b. Click the Map Options button locate directly above the image view and uncheck
the Title and Description and Legend display options.

c. Click the Save Image button located to the right of the Map Options button.
d. Name the file Trimble Building and save it as a JPEG (.jpg) file to the downloaded
tutorial folder: ..\CreatingSketchUpModels.
You can now close Google Earth.
8. Using your Windows Explorer, click and drag the the new Trimble [Link] file
from the ..\CreatingSketchUpModels folder onto the Plan View in TBC
The image displays as a background on the Plan View. However, it will need to be
georeferenced to correct for scale and position before it can be used as a reference
for selecting images for export to SketchUp.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 11

 Step 3. Import a georeferenced background image

In addition, the Place Image command pane displays.

In this procedure you will not use this command pane. Instead you will use the
Georeference Image command pane to position and scale the [Link], do
not click the Close button in the Place Image command pane. If you do, the image
will no longer display.
9. In the TBC ribbon, select CAD > Images > Georeference Image to display the
Georeference Image command pane. (You'll probably need to make the command
pane wider to see the fields correctly.)

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 12

 Step 3. Import a georeferenced background image

10. In the Georeference Image command pane, do the following:

a. Click the Add button.
b. If they are not already highlighted, highlight the values displayed in the Point A
Pixel field and then click in the center of the imported target icon for point 109
(1 below).
Your cursor automatically moves to the Location field, allowing you to select the
coordinate for the mapping.
c. Click on station point 109 (2 below).

Note: The location of station point 109 (and station point 102 later in this step) in
relation to its corresponding Google Earth target icon may be very different in your
Plan View, depending on the zoom level in Google Earth compared to the zoom
level in the Plan View. If you have trouble finding station point 109 on the Plan
View, right click Points > 109 in the Project Explorer and select Center to highlight
and center the point in the Plan View.

Next, you will create a second pixel/location pair for georeferencing the image.
d. Click the Add button.
e. Highlight the values displayed in the Point B Pixel field and then click in the
center of the imported target icon for point 102.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 13

 Step 4. Create guide points for modeling

Your cursor automatically moves to the Location field, allowing you to select the
coordinate for the mapping.
f. Click on station point 102.

g. Click the Compute button.

You can see that Google Earth target icons and point stations now align. The
background image is adequately georeferenced to serve the purpose of making a
selection of images to export.

Next you will define three guide points to assist in the modeling of the basic shape of
the building in SketchUp.

Step 4. Create guide points for modeling

You will need to export some guide points from Trimble Business Center to aid in
building your Trimble SketchUp model from Trimble Vision images. Where you select to
measure guide points depends on many things:
 How detailed a model you are trying to create
 How much image coverage you have
 The shape of the structure(s) you are trying to model, including buildings and other
features (for example, utility poles, curbs, and so on)

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 14

 Step 4. Create guide points for modeling

 The modeling techniques you like to use

In this tutorial, you will create three guide points on the Trimble office building (as
shown below) to assist in creating a model of the basic shape of the building in
SketchUp.

Note: If you wanted to create a more detailed and accurate model in SketchUp, you
would want to provide additional guide points to help model the various features of the
building. But for this tutorial, three guide points will be adequate to model the basic
shape of the building. For more information about creating guide points, see the
"Guidelines for Selecting SketchUp Guide Points" topic in the TBC online Help.

To create guide points using photogrammetry measurements:

1. Select Photogrammetry > Data > Measure Photo Point to display the Measure
Photo Point command pane.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 15

 Step 4. Create guide points for modeling

You will create the first guide point at the upper southwest corner of the building on
the raised trim section located just beneath the overhanging roof. To create this
point, you will make photogrammetry measurements (observations) from stations
111 and 112.

Note: To ensure better accuracy, you would typically make measurements from
more than two photo stations when creating a new photo point. And in this case
there are other stations that can observe this same location. However, the images
have been removed from these stations to provide a smaller tutorial package. So for
this tutorial, two observations for each photo guide point will be adequate.

View of the upper southwest corner of building from station 111:

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 16

 Step 4. Create guide points for modeling

View of the upper southwest corner of building from station 112:

2. To create the first guide point, do the following:

a. In the Point ID field, enter SU1.
b. Select station 111 in the Photo Station ID list.
The Station View: 111 tab displays.
c. Click the Pixel Picker field, then click on the trim piece located just beneath the
overhanging roof at the upper southwest corner of the building, as shown in the
images above and below.
When using the Pixel Picker control to make a photogrammetry observation,
note the following:
 Toggle between the two Pixel Picker display options – dynamic view and
static view – by pressing Ctrl + Shift.
Dynamic view from station 111:

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 17

 Step 4. Create guide points for modeling

Static view from station 112:

 To change the size of the Pixel Picker, or to specify to display only grayscale
images in the selector, select File > Options > Photogrammetry.
 Use your mouse wheel to zoom in or out. Press the mouse wheel and move
your mouse to move the image on the Station View tab.
d. Select station 112 in the Photo Station ID list and make a measurement to the
same location on the building on the Station View: 112 tab.
Note that stations 111 and 112 each display a trash can icon indicating a
measurement was made from the station (and can be deleted, if necessary, by
clicking the icon).

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 18

 Step 4. Create guide points for modeling

e. Click the Compute button to create the new guide point SU1.
The new point displays in the Points list in the Project Explorer, showing the two
photogrammetry observations used to compute its position.

The Point ID field in the Measure Photo Point command pane automatically
populates with the name SU2, which is the name you want to use for the guide
point you will create next.

Note: If the new SU1 point displays in red in the Project Explorer, it is probably
because a large residual resulted in a poor solution. (To verify the problem, select
Home > View > Flag Pane in the TBC ribbon and view the message displayed in the
Flags Pane located beneath the tabs.) To correct this problem, try repeating the
measurements from stations 111 and 112. To do this, select the new point SU1 in
the Project Explorer to select it in the Measure Photo Point command pane. Then
select each of the stations in the Photo Station list and re-measure using the Pixel
Picker. Be sure to click the Compute button when you are done making
measurements to re-compute the point.

You will create the second guide point, SU2, at the upper southeast corner of the
building on the raised trim section located just beneath the overhanging roof. To
create this point, you will make photogrammetry measurements from stations 103
and 104. As with point SU1, more measurements would provide better accuracy,
but for this tutorial, two measurements will be adequate.
View of the upper southeast corner of building from station 103:

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 19

 Step 4. Create guide points for modeling

View of the upper southeast corner of building from station 104:

3. Use the same procedure to create the SU2 guide point on the upper southeast
corner of the building using stations 103 and 104. Be sure to click the Compute
button when you are done making measurements.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 20

 Step 4. Create guide points for modeling

The Point ID field in the Measure Photo Point command pane automatically
populates with the name SU3.
You will create the third guide point, SU3, at the lower northeast corner of the
building on the raised trim section that runs along the bottom of the wall. To create
this point, you will make photogrammetry measurements from stations 104 and
105.
View of the lower northeast corner of building from station 104:

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 21

 Step 4. Create guide points for modeling

View of the lower northeast corner of building from station 105:

4. Use the same procedure to create the SU3 guide point on the lower northeast
corner of the building. again, be sure to click the Compute button when you are
done making measurements.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 22

 Step 5. Export to SketchUp

That completes the minimum guide points you need to model the overall shape of
the building in SketchUp.

You are now ready to export the three guide points and photo images to a SketchUp file.

Step 5. Export to SketchUp

In this step, you will specify the images and guide points you want to export to
SketchUp. You will also specify the origin point to be used in SketchUp.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 23

 Step 5. Export to SketchUp

1. Ensure nothing is selected in the Plan View and then select Home > Data Exchange
> Export.
2. In the Export pane, select the CAD tab and select SketchUp file (.skp) exporter.

To avoid an unnecessarily large SketchUp file, you will draw a boundary box around
only that part of the Plan View that includes the images you want to export. The
exporter will include only the images with view angles that intersect the boundary
box you create. Otherwise, all images from all selected photo stations would be
included in the export. For this project, you will draw a boundary around the entire
building.
3. Click the Create Boundary button in the Export command pane tool bar.

The Create Boundary command pane displays.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 24

 Step 5. Export to SketchUp

4. In the Create Boundary command pane, do the following:

a. In the Name field, enter SketchUp Export.
b. Ensure the Layer is 0, Generic Boundary is selected in the Usage list, and
Polygon is selected for the Creation Method, as shown above.
c. Click in the Polygon > Point field and then use multiple clicks on the Plan View
to create a rectangular boundary box as shown here.

d. When you are done drawing the boundary, click Close. (There is no need to click
Apply.)
5. In the Export pane, click in the Image filtering boundary field and then select on the
Plan View the boundary you created in the previous step: SketchUp Export.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 25

 Step 5. Export to SketchUp

6. Click in the Selected entities box. Then, using the Project Explorer (Ctrl + click),
select the following objects for export:
 Points: SU1, SU2, and SU3
 Photo Stations: 103, 104, 105, 111, and 112

Next you will specify a coordinate (easting, northing, and elevation) in the project to
use as the 3D origin point (0,0,0) in SketchUp. To maximize visualization and
computations in SketchUp, is important that you select a coordinate that is close to
the object(s) you are modeling. Although you could select any point to use as the
origin point, for this tutorial, you will select station point 100, which is located in the
middle of the south side of the project.

Note: If you export a project with global coordinates, the correct latitude, longitude,
and elevation are assigned to the origin point in the background when it is exported.
This allows the completed model in SketchUp to be georeferenced and displayed at
the correct location when exported to Earth browsers such as Google Earth.

7. In the Origin point box, click in the Easting field and then click on station point 100
in the Plan View to specify point 100 as the 3D origin point in SketchUp. (As
discussed earlier, your point 100 may be at a different location than shown here.)

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 26

 Step 5. Export to SketchUp

You must select the point itself to ensure that the Elevation field is populated.

Do not make changes in the File Name field. You will use the default file name (the
name of the project) and default location (the project folder).
8. In the Settings section, ensure SketchUp 2015 or later is selected in the File Version
field.

Only SketchUp 2015 and later support the import of Trimble Vision images.
9. Click Export.
Depending on your computer, it may take a short while for the export process to
complete. Progress is displayed in the SketchUp file (.skp) exporter window. When
the export is complete, the new SketchUp file Creating SketchUp [Link] is
stored in your TBC project folder ...\Creating SketchUp Models.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 27

 Step 6. Create a model in SketchUp

Next, you will import the Creating SketchUp [Link] file into SketchUp to perform
modeling of the building.

Step 6. Create a model in SketchUp

In this step, you will learn the basic workflow for using imported Trimble Vision images
and guide points to model the rectangular shape of the Trimble building in Trimble
SketchUp. To create a more detailed model of the building, you would create and
import additional guide points for all the various architectural features you wanted to
model.

Note: The techniques described in this step assume you have a basic knowledge of
drawing geometry in SketchUp. For more information about the use of SketchUp, visit
the SketchUp Knowledge Center at [Link]

1. In SketchUp Pro 2015 (or later), import the Creating SketchUp [Link] file you
exported from TBC.

Note: If you are using a version of SketchUp Pro newer than version 2015, you will
need to modify the following instructions accordingly per any updates to the
software.

2. If necessary, without moving your mouse, use your mouse wheel to zoom out in the
Modeling window until you can see all three of the guide points imported from TBC,
as shown here.

Note: The selected photo stations 103, 104, 105, 111, and 112 were exported to
SketchUp on a layer that is hidden by default.

Each panoramic image is displayed on its own Match Photo Scene tab, all of which
are located across the top of the Modeling window. To modify a Matched Photo
Scene, right-click the appropriate Match Photo Scene tab and select an option in
the context menu. To quickly find (via thumbnails) and edit other matched photo
scenes in the project, select the Scene Manager option in the context menu, or
select Windows > Scenes.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 28

 Step 6. Create a model in SketchUp

This can be helpful if, for example, you want to minimize the number of Match
Photo Scene tabs displayed in your SketchUp project (of which there could be
many) by deleting scenes that include, for example, downward-facing Trimble V10
images that will not be used for modeling.
The Blue (z) axis will be oriented in its native vertical direction with the building
structure based on adjustments and computations made in TBC. In this tutorial, the
axes do not need to be reset because you will not be using the inferencing engine.
If there are elements of the model that do not align in the direction of your axis, you
can change the position of the Axes tool as needed throughout the modeling
process in order to take advantage of SketchUp's inference engine.

Note: SketchUp features a geometric analysis engine, called the inference engine,
that allows you to work in 3D space using a 2D screen and input device. This engine
helps you draw very accurately by inferring points from other points as you draw
while also providing you with visual cues. The inference engine uses visual cues,
appearing automatically while working on the model, to identify significant points or
geometric conditions. These cues make complex inference combinations clear to
you as you draw.

3. To start modeling, select Camera > Image Igloo and use the Image Igloo View to
navigate to a Matched Photo Scene with a guide point present. Then press the
Enter key to activate the corresponding Matched Photo Scene tab.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 29

 Step 6. Create a model in SketchUp

In this example, you will be modeling the basic structure of the building, starting
with the guide point in the upper southeast corner of the building.

The simplest way to model this side of the building is to use the Rectangle tool ( ).
4. Use the Rectangle tool to draw from the guide point in the upper southeast corner
of the building to the guide point on the lower northeast corner of the building.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 30

 Step 6. Create a model in SketchUp

Tip: If you are comfortable with using the SketchUp inferencing engine, try using the
Line tool ( ) to model the building face, instead of the Rectangle tool.

5. Use the Push/Pull tool ( ) to create the basic structure of the building by
referencing the third guide point on the upper southwest corner of the building.

Tip: It is helpful to initiate the Push/Pull and then change station views (while still in
the Push/Pull operation) by navigating in the Image Igloo View to properly align the
geometry to the opposing edge of the building.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 31

 Step 6. Create a model in SketchUp

The accuracy of the final building structure will be directly dependent on the
accuracy of the points created in TBC. If a more detailed model of the building were
needed, you would want to create additional guide points in TBC.

Tip: The Photo Point tool can be used to manually create camera guidelines that can
be used like TBC-generated guide points for creating geometry.

6. To project the image onto the model geometry, select each face you would like to
texture, right-click the highlighted scene, and select Project Photo.

This completes the tutorial. To further explore the capabilities of this workflow, try
creating guide points on other architectural and/or landscape features in TBC and
creating a more detailed model in SketchUp.

Creating SketchUp Models from Trimble Vision Images 32