Defining Areas by Slope Segmentation

You can perform a slope analysis to segment a cloud into several areas.

Before you begin:
  • Noisy digitized data are difficult to process.
  • This type of analysis identifies lines on the analyzed element where the deviation angle from the slope direction at any points corresponds to a specified value.
  • The Z axis gives the view direction. If the deviation angle=0, the lines are the zones of the analyzed element where the normal is orthogonal to the view direction (apparent contour). If the deviation angle is different from 0, the lines are the zones where the normal is orthogonal to the view direction increased by the angle.
  1. From the Surface Reconstruction section of the action bar, click Segmentation by Slope .
  2. Select a mesh.
    • The Robot is put on the mesh.
    • Both angles are defined to 0.
  3. Under Robot, specify the view direction.
    1. Either select a plane.

      The normal to the selected plane becomes the view direction.

    2. Or specify a rotation Angle and select one rotation axis.
      The view direction is rotated along this axis, by the given angle.
  4. Sweep the cloud of points or mesh with the pointer to see the deviation Angle. To update the Angle under Values:
    1. Pick the mesh at a position where the deviation angle fits your need.
    2. Or key-in the required value.
  5. Use the Filter spinner to reduce the number of points of the lines.
  6. Select the Results options.

The result is created:

  • As Scans, either Distinct or Grouped: Scans.x elements.
  • Or Clouds , that are sub-meshes, SubMesh.x elements. Surfaces can then be recovered from those meshes.
  • The initial mesh or cloud of points is hidden.