Reconstruct Tags are used on projects to automatically scale and align reality models taken with 360 cameras or smartphones. 

To learn more about about them and when to implement on a project read The Role of Reconstruct Tags for Automatic Scaling and Alignment of Reality Models.

Continue reading to learn how:

• To implement the four simple steps: plan, print, post, and capture.
• To review reality model alignments using the 3D interactive alignment tool.

1. Plan:

Decide how many tags your project needs.

• For Each Capture: You need 3 registered tags to automatically align each capture.
• Coverage: A 20-minute capture usually covers about 20,000 sq. ft. (or 2,000 sq. m.).
• Redundancy: Aim to have at least 6 tags in each location for backup.
• Scaling: A single tag is sufficient for scaling to reality, but will not be used for tag alignment.

360 Capture Examples:

• 5-Story Building: If each floor is 20,000 sq. ft., place at least 6 tags per floor. That means you'll need a minimum of 30 tags for the entire building.
• Large Warehouse: For a 100,000 sq. ft. warehouse, you should use at least 15 tags, ensuring some overlap between captures.
• Small Retail Space: In a 2,000 sq. ft. retail area, 3 tags are necessary, but 6 are recommended for the best results.

Smartphone Capture Example:

• Modules, Equipment, Trenches: Utilize a single tag to automatically scale a smartphone capture. This tag can be moved and reused for multiple captures. For enhanced durability, mount it on a hard panel.

2. Print or Order:

Download and Print: Download Reconstruct Tags as a PDF and print them on standard Letter and A4. Remember, don't resize them – print them at their actual size. The distance between the top corners of the tag are 6.8 inches or 17.3 cm. 

Need Tags Ready-Made? No problem! Reconstruct can send you a set of tags. Just email support@reconstructinc.com or contact your Customer Success Manager to order. We'll send you tags printed on peel-and-stick paper, making them super easy to put up.

3. Post:

Follow these guidelines when posting Reconstruct Tags:

• Safety First: Only put tags in safe areas, following all safety rules.
• Visibility: Make sure tags are clearly visible and not blocked by anything.
• Flat Surfaces: Stick tags on flat surfaces, not on round columns or curved spots.
• Right Height: Place tags between 3 to 7 feet high, ideally around the same height as your camera.
• Floor or Ceiling: It's okay to put tags on the floor or ceiling, but may get damaged or be less visible.
• Don't Move Tags: Once a tag is placed, leave it there. If you must remove a tag, throw it away and don't reuse it.
• Unique Use: Use each tag only once in your project and don't print the same tag multiple times.
• Even Distribution: Spread out the tags evenly in the area you're capturing.
• Avoid Straight Lines: Arrange tags so that no three tags are in a straight line.
• Good Lighting: Put tags in well-lit areas to make sure they're easy to see.

4. Capture:

Follow these key guidelines for the best capture results:

• Minimum Tags per Session: Make sure you walk past at least three tags during each capture.

• Close-Up Capture: As you capture, move slowly in front of each tag, keeping within 10 feet.

• Repeated Captures are Fine: It's okay to capture the same tags again if your path brings you back to them.

How to Review and Align with Reconstruct Tags

Reviewing Registered Tags in The Data Manager

In the Point Cloud section of the Data Manager, you'll find the number of registered tags listed for each point cloud model. If you can't see this information, simply select 'Tags' under 'Show Columns'.

Reviewing or Aligning the Model

All reality models will automatically try to align themselves. However, if a model doesn't seem to align as expected in your project, it might need manual alignment.

This is particularly relevant for large projects that don't have previous captures but do use tags for alignment. In such cases, utilize the control points created at the tags to aid in alignment. For effective alignment, ensure that adjacent captures have recorded the same set of tags.

For instance, consider a large floor plan divided into 2 capture zones. At the junction of these zones, at least three tags should be posted in each. Suppose Zone-1 has Tag-1, Tag-2, and Tag-3, and Zone-2 also has Tag-1, Tag-2, and Tag-3. With these matching tags and control points, aligning the zones becomes much simpler.

To do this, go to the Viewer and open the 3D Alignment Tool.

• For each captured tag, a Control Point with a naming convention of TAG_CP_# is automatically created and added to the list. If you jump into an image near a tag control point, the control point will be placed at the top, left corner of the tag in the 3D space.

• Align the initial point cloud to BIM using the Alignment Workflow.
• At this step, all subsequent captures that capture at least 3 of the already-in-place tags captured in the initial point cloud following the guidelines above can be used for quick alignment.
• Create a new capture, upload, and process the point cloud with or without aligning to an existing point cloud.
• After the point cloud is processed, open the Alignment Tool in the Viewer, select the recent capture as the "To-Align" point cloud, and the initial point cloud as the "Reference". Both of these two point clouds should have at least three noncollinear mutual tag control points. 
• Check the control point list to make sure no old control points are already in use. Select and add the tag control points, click “Align” and verify that the alignment is correct.

Additional Guidance

If you have more questions about Reconstruct Tags, please feel free to reach out to us at support@reconstructinc.com. We're always here to assist you.