3D-Measurement of the Pipe Geometry with Geo-Sensors
Version: 2.4
Date: 17.08.2023
Introduction
A new generation of pipe inspection cameras allow the operator to record the exact position, situation and the course of a pipeline directly during a standard survey: der camera crawler thus drives through the pipe whereas a built-in geo-sensor is recording the current coordinate position of the camera head in predefined short distance steps. The corresponding X-, Y- and Z-values then are sent directly to the computer, processed by WinCanVX and drawn by the VX modules Map und WinCan 3D.
The result of such a measurement finally provides the pipe course of a section with all the left/right deviations and altitude changes as it would look like in reality. It thus completes sensibly the classic pipe inspection report.
Prerequisites
Mind the following recommendations for hard- and software in order to get the 3D measurement done smootly within WinCanVX:
Hardware:
Processor: INTEL Core i5 or higher
Graphic board: NVIDIA GeForce 9 series or higher, with at least two graphic ports (DVI or Display Port) allowing the connection of two monitors
RAM: 8 GB or more.
Video capture board: VITEC board (PCI or PCI-Express), MobileCap124 (USB) or other WDM based recording devices
Camera equipment: Crawler with built-in geo-sensor (IBAK 3D GS, Rausch Latras or iPEK 3D)
Software:
Operating system: Windows 10 / Windows 11 (64 bit), all updates included.
Software: WinCanVX; version 1.2023.15.X or higher
Module MapVX: real time drawing of the section geometry, based on the coordinate values (X/Y/Z).
Module WinCan 3D: drawing and 3D-visualization of the whole pipeline network, based on the coordinate values (X/Y/Z) recorded for each section.
Settings in WinCanVX
Prior to pipe geometry measurement the operator has to check all the required settings in WinCanVX as well as in the software module Map.
This makes sure that both software parts (i.e. WinCanVX and Map) provide reliable and clearly interpretable results at any time during data entry and measurement of the section and lateral geometry. The following sub-chapters first describe all settings needed in WinCanVX.
Hardware configuration
The corresponding measuring system has to be configured under Home > Settings. The configurations described below refer to the systems which are currently available and supported by WinCanVX.
Equipment from IBAK:
Run the command Home > Settings, go to the category OSD and select the device EDE 7 as well as the corresponding COM-port (1):
Next switch to the category 3D-Measurement, reselect the same device and activate the option Select start direction. Select compellingly another COM-port (e.g. COM2 or COM3).
Important: in case the virtual device IBAK-SoftControl has been installed, you must select this one in the categories Live-Video, Textgenerator as well as 3D-Measurement.
The option Show button for hydrostatic measurement is only used in case you are asked to provide accurate measurements of the manhole altitudes (i.e. altitude above sea level of the manhole bottom).
Finally confirm all settings and restart WinCanVX.
Equipment from iPEK
Run the command Home > Settings, go to the category OSD and select the device DCX/VisionControl as well as the corresponding COM-port:
Next switch to the category 3D-Measurement and reselect the same device. The equipment from iPEK works without activation of any additional option (1)
Finally confirm all settings and restart WinCanVX.
Equipment from Rausch:
Run the command Home > Settings, go to the category OSD and select the device Visatec-WKI as well as the corresponding COM-port:
Next switch to the category 3D-Measurement and reselect the same device. The equipment from Rausch works without activation of any additional option (1).
A built-in compass gadget allows the user to get the camera crawler precisely orientated to the north.
Finally confirm all settings and restart WinCanVX.
User profile settings
Once text generator and geosensor have been properly configured and recognized by the system, WinCan VX automatically launches the 3D measurement wizard in a separate panel.
You may select and modify the pre-configured user profile under Views > Profile > Measurement 3D and save it under a new name:
If either the hardware configuration or the the hardware itself is faulty the measurement wizard will return a corresponding feed-back.
Check again the program settings, restart the equipment and hit the refresh button (1) in the wizard.
Data entry settings
The software WinCanVX also provides some settings which need to be checked before you run any 3D-measurement.
Go to Home > Settings > General > General Settings and make sure the option highlighted below is unchecked:
Next go to Home > Settings > General > Auto-naming (Section/Lateral) and make sure the option highlighted below is activated.
Next go to Home > Settings > PlugIns, select the PlugIn AutoCreateConnections and activate the options highlighted below (1 to 4):
WinCanVX thus will automatically create records for the laterals and name them accordingly as soon as you have finished the inspection of the main pipe.
Creation of laterals is based on observations with specific OP-Codes that refer to laterals.
Settings in Map
The module Map allows to display the 3D measurement process in real time. The software therefore requires that the user checks and adjusts the settings described in this chapter.
Go to File > Settings > General and activate the option highlighted below (2). You may also hit the button Change and set the default projection system which is valid for your country or your region (1):
Go to File > Settings > NodeTemplates and select one or more predefined templates that will have a dialog popped up showing you the most important country-specific data entry fields as soon as you draw a new object in the manhole layer:
Make sure you have activated the tab 3D Measurement which provides a limited set of commands you can call up easily and quickly in case you use them for preparing or controlling the 3D recording process in Map:
After creating or opening a Map project you may select the way how layer objects (i.e. sections, laterals, manholes, inspections, observations points etc.) should appear on the screen. This will get your geographic data much better readable.
Use the corresponding context menu command as shown below to load a list of preconfigured Map themes and select a design that fits best for customers in your country:
The context menu command Load Themes For All applies a theme (object design) for all layers.
The context menu command Show properties allows you to modify the object design for each layer.
The context menu command Save Themes For All saves all modified layer properties under a new or the same theme name.
Preparing measurement
The geo-sensor always provides relative coordinate values, which are based on a point zero (0/0/0).
If the start and endpoints (manholes, connection points or buildings (e.g. pumping stations)) have been set manually via a map with an integrated coordinate system (e.g. DXF plot) or a GIS point layer (manhole layer in the SHP format), they automatically get the corresponding coordinate positions.
Use the module WinCan-Map (2D-visualization of pipe courses) to quickly set manholes and connection points at the desired location. The module WinCan 3D (3D-visualization of pipe courses) will be used later on to get an additional three dimensional view of the pipe course as it would look like in reality.
Setting manholes in WinCan Map
Launch WinCanVX, create the sections to be inspected and fill out all mandatory (yellow) fields. Next run WinCan Map: you will then automatically be asked for the corresponding projection system (e.g. Switzerland = EPSG:21781 or EPSG:2056; Germany = EPSG:4839 or EPSG:5243 etc.) as well as a DXF plot used as a reference layer. The latter one is needed to precisely localize the manholes:
As soon as the DXF-plot appears in the map panel you must proceed as follows to set the manholes on the map layer:
Go to the legend panel, select the layer WinCan_Manholes and hit the command Tools > Draw (1). This is going to display the drawing panel at the right part of the Map interface (2).
Highlight the desired object from the group of available manholes, activate the function Tools > Snap to nodes and select the DXF-plot as the snapping layer (3):
Next activate the drawing tool Draw point (4), move the mouse pointer at the desired location on the plot and finally click to draw the manhole position. Mind the crosshair icon that clearly indicates which reference line of the plot the manhole is going to snap to.
The manholes now appear on the map and the corresponding coordinate values are saved in the database.
If a manhole does not yet exist in WinCanVX you can draw it in Map at the desired location on the DXF-plot as a new point of the layer WinCan_Manholes. Mind that you have selected the DXF-plot as the snapping layer.
Next enter the appropriate manhole name into the dialogue box that pops up and confirm with the green OK button:
In both cases the manhole coordinates are automatically taken from the projection system the DXF-plot is based on.
Make sure you placed the camera into the manhole where you want to start the 3D-measurement and switch back to WinCanVX.
Keep the Map interface open as it is going to show you the measurement progress in real time.
Checking altitude/depth values
It is crucial for a reliable calculation of the 3D pipeline network, that you have entered valid data into all the corresponding altitude/depth fields of the section and node category:
Pipe depth in the upstream manhole (from cover to pipe bottom) (SECTION.OBJ_FromNodeDepth)
Pipe bottom altitude (above sea level) in the upstream manhole (SECTION.OBJ_FromNodeInvert)
Pipe depth in the downstream manhole (from cover to pipe bottom) (SECTION.OBJ_ToNodeDepth)
Pipe bottom altitude (above sea level) in the downstream manhole (SECTION.OBJ_ToNodeInvert)
Manhole cover altitude above sea level (Z-Coordinate) (NODE.OBJ_Shape_WKT_Z)
Depth of the upstream/downstream manhole (from cover to bottom) (NODE.OBJ_DepthToInvert)
Bottom altitude above sea level of the upstream/downstream manhole (NODE.OBJ_NodeInvert)
The sketch below illustrates the meaning of these fields:
Legend:
Green = values to be provided by engineers/water authorities
Brown = values to be measured by the operator or provided by engineers/water authorities
Blue = values to be measured by the operator
Red = values calculated by WinCanVX hitting the button Tools > Calculate Invert Levels
Running 3D measurement for main pipes
WinCan versions 1.2023.15.X or higher improve the usability of cameras with 3D geo-sensors. The preparation of the camera equipment is strictly guided by a wizard telling the operator stepwise and prior to the measurement all the checks he must do to finally get reliable measurement data, that are shown in Map and in WinCan 3D.
To start the measurement, create a new project and a first section. Make sure you enter valid data into the corresponding section and inspection fields which must be provided by the official country standards (e.g. WRC, PACP, WSA, NZPIM). Especially mind the altitude/depth fields which are highlighted below:
Switch to the node category and enter valid data into the corresponding manhole fields. Especially mind the altitude/depth fields which are highlighted below:
You may run the tool WinCan Validator now to check whether the database fields needed for proper 3D measurement have got valid data. Otherwise, the 3D measurement wizard will ask you accordingly.
Switch on the camera and set the main distance counter to 0.00 m. This will launch the 3D-measurement wizard in a separate panel. Follow carefully all the given steps:
1.) Verify the manhole where you inserted the camera and set the measurement direction as illustrated in the wizard panel:
2.) The next step is going to tell you to check any missing or wrong values in the altitude/depth fields, that the WinCan Validator tool has automatically detected.
Do NOT ignore this message and always hit the OK button to review your data if needed. Otherwise, there’s a big risk to get a completely messed up visualisation of the pipeline network in WinCan 3D!
3.) The next step asks you to set the start direction of the measurement. Move the pointer via Drag and Drop and follow the red arrow depicted in Map to verify the correct direction in relation to the DXF-plot:
4.) The next step tells you to set camera OFFSET and PRESET:
OFFSET: distance between camera head and the beginning of the pipe
PRESET: distance between camera head and start point of the inspection
5.) Confirm the last step hitting the green START button for 3D measurement. Also make sure the red video recording button is activated.
6.) Enter the START observation, drive the camera through the main pipe and enter any further observations/defects. Besides the video clip recording the software does a stepwise recording of the current camera position (X/Y/Z) from the beginning to the end of the inspection.
7.) Enter the END observation as soon as the camera has reached the pipe end or the goal of the survey and stop the 3D measurement.
Measurement in forward or backward direction
After the camera crawler has reached the end of the pipeline, you may run an additional measurement in backward direction. This one finishes automatically as soon as the camera has reached the position of 0 m. A message finally asks the user, whether the geometry of the pipe course should be based on the backward measurement or not:
Click on No if you want to keep the measurement in forward direction.
During the inspection of the current section WinCan Map automatically draws the pipe course based on the geo-coordinates the sensor is constantly sending to the computer. Keep the Map window open to follow the real time movement of the camera on the map. For that purpose the map/plot must be available in the DXF format:
Drive backward with the camera as soon as you have entered the end of the section and finished the video recording. Especially focus on the positions of any laterals that may be available.
When reaching a position of a lateral a warning message is going to inform the user accordingly:
Running 3D measurement for lateral pipes (satellites)
Confirm this message and get the lateral connections created at the corresponding position hitting the command AutoCreate Laterals (1):
The column Lateral (2) then shows the satellite icons. Double-clicking on the desired icon will switch to the category Laterals and highlight the satellite record you want to inspect:
Switch on the SAT camera and set the SAT distance counter to 0.00 m. This again will launch the 3D-measurement wizard in a separate panel. Follow carefully all the given steps:
1.) Verify the connection point (e.g. downstream node) where you stopped the camera and set the measurement direction as illustrated in the wizard panel:
2.) The next step asks you to set the start direction of the measurement. Move the pointer via Drag and Drop and follow the red arrow depicted in Map to verify the correct direction in relation to the DXF-plot:
3.) Move to the position where the lateral is connected to the main pipe and set the view direction of the camera as illustrated in the wizard panel:
4.) The next step tells you to set camera OFFSET and PRESET:
OFFSET: distance between camera head and the beginning of the lateral pipe
PRESET: distance between camera head and start point of the inspection
5.) Run the 3D-measurement before you push the camera head into the lateral pipe (2).
6.) Enter the START observation, push the camera through the lateral pipe and continue with the damage survey.
7.) Enter the END observation as soon as the camera has reached the pipe end and stop the 3D measurement. Drag the satellite camera out of the lateral pipe until it has reached the start position:
Hitting the arrow icon in the symbol bar gets you back to the corresponding main section.
Continue driving backward inside the main section until you reach the position of the next lateral and repeat the steps 1 to 7.
A final message informs the user the camera crawler has reached the beginning of the main pipe:
Adjusting positions of pipe sections and manholes
The geo-sensor provides reliable measurement data regarding the pipeline geometry so you can directly transfer them to your end customer (engineer office, local water authorities etc.).
In some specific cases you will probably have to slightly move or rotate the whole geometry of a pipeline network (i.e. main pipe and linked laterals) in WinCan Map according to the background plot. Proceed as follows to do so:
Go the legend panel and select the layer WinCan_Sections
Highlight the section to be moved or rotated
Define the DXF-plot as the snapping layer
Activate the tool Home > Move to move the whole section or a manhole to another location on the map.
Activate the tool Home > Rotate to move only the end point of a section to the desired location. The start point thus becomes a pivot:
When moving or rotating, the object (i.e. section or manhole) is going to snap to the corresponding reference lines on the DXF-plot.
Geometry and length of the section do never change during this process and are always based on the previously done 3D-measurement.
Mind that both tools can only be applied to the currently selected section.
Visualization in WinCan 3D:
The module WinCan 3D finally provides you a three-dimensional image of the pipeline network that has been inspected with the 3D GeoSensor. This is especially important to visualize complex pipe courses as they would look like in reality.
Select the command Map > load map to lay the DXF-plot below the pipeline network. Even if shown as two-dimensional surface it will help the end user to easily locate the inspected objects:
Data export
The pipeline geometry can also be exported as DXF-file via the command File > DXF export:
Altitude profile (2D)
Select the desired object (i.e. section) and hit the command View > show 2D profile to get a 2D-graphic of the altitude profile (based on the Z-coordinate):
