New ContextCapture and ConextShare technologies to change the way engineering and surveying firms create, access and share reality meshes
Bentley has made a major investment in its reality modelling software ContextCapture, with new capabilities that include cloud processing services, a mobile app, and photo planning for Bentley’s applications. In addition, the company has announced two new solutions: ProjectWise ContextShare for managing, sharing, and streaming reality meshes, and Navigator Web for streaming very large reality meshes through a browser.
Reality modelling captures the actual context of infrastructure projects through photos and/or scans, creating engineering-ready reality meshes for design modelling, analytical modelling, and construction modelling. As-operated reality meshes be used to immersively geo-coordinate the alignment of these digital engineering models with right-time inputs from connected IoT technologies. Data can be captured by simple digital photographs and UAVs and continuously surveyed so models are kept up to date.
New photo planning capabilities in Bentley’s applications allow engineering or survey professionals to plan the optimal camera positions and flight paths for UAVs to achieve the required levels of accuracy – in particular, for critical inspection points.
Bentley’s new ContextCapture mobile app is designed to make it easier for every member of a project delivery or asset management team to create 3D reality meshes. Photos are taken with the mobile app then uploaded to the new ContextCapture cloud processing service which delivers 3D reality meshes back to the mobile device.
Desktop users can also take advantage of Bentley’s cloud services and its inherent parallel computing to speed processing of reality meshes. Scalable mesh technology enables multi-resolution inputs through the new (.3sm) format, enabling reality modelling to scale from city models to site models to component nameplates.
Meanwhile, ProjectWise ContextShare extends Bentley’s ProjectWise connected data environment to securely manage, share, and stream reality meshes, and their input sources, across project teams and applications. The service is offered through a visa subscription, with charges only for actual use.
Finally, web application Navigator Web delivers high-performance streaming of very large reality meshes through the browser to desktop or mobile devices, with progressive levels of detail.
“Reality modelling is becoming pivotal in many industries as it fundamentally changes the management of assets, reinventing the handling of inspections, maintenance, and training, while opening doors to brand new services,” said Thomas Daubigny, Chief Digital Officer, Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspection, and certification of infrastructure assets. “Bureau Veritas is playing a key role in leveraging digital engineering models, implementing acquisition, and classifying objects based on its expertise on the asset, and ultimately operating the model as a data gatekeeper. The new Bentley ContextCapture cloud processing service will provide us the flexibility and power to accelerate the deployment of such innovations to our clients.”
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to AEC Magazine for FREE
