Capturing High Quality Point Clouds

Zivid 3D cameras have four ways to change the exposure:

• Projector Brightness

• Exposure Time

• Aperture

• Gain

In this tutorial, we will first explore what the different exposure variables are, how they work, and which considerations should be taken when using them. Then we will apply these principles to establish a simple 3D imaging technique that aims at acquiring high-quality point clouds.

Prerequisites

We recommend starting by visiting Camera Settings to learn about the exposure variables and available filters. The articles which we recommend as a prerequisite for this tutorial are:

• Vision Engine

• Acquisition Settings

• Processing Settings

3D imaging technique

In this part of the tutorial, we will present a 3D imaging technique. This technique utilizes the histogram to evaluate our point cloud in a predictable and step-by-step manner, in order to acquire good 3D point clouds. The procedure can be divided into three steps:

• Working Distance and Camera Positioning
• Getting the Right Exposure for Good Point Clouds
• Adjusting Filters
• Optimizing Color Image

Note

If you are using Zivid Two camera, check Standard Acquisition Settings to see Settings presets that provide good 3D point clouds for different scenes.

In some cases we might want higher quality data on certain pixels, this is covered in:

• How to Get Good 3D Data on a Pixel of Interest

Advanced tutorials

We will also cover some more advanced topics such as specifically dealing with highlights and lowlights, and taking environmental factors into consideration, such as ambient light and choice of background.

• Dealing with Highlights and Shiny Objects
• Dealing with Strong Ambient Light
• Depalletization - Imaging at Large Distance

To learn more about acquiring high-quality 3D point clouds with Zivid cameras, continue to Working Distance and Camera Positioning.