What is a region?

In certain situations, user markings are required to get a quality 3D model. The 3D camera cannot recognize transparent and reflective surfaces. So, for example, a mirror on the wall would generate an "additional" room behind itself if not marked explicitly.

Without region marking	With region marking
The corridor gets reflected behind the mirror, producing false geometry and complicating alignment	Mirror marking allows for clean geometry and consistent alignment

Such markings are called regions and are visualized as colored segments on the map. To add a region, switch to the Edit mode in the Scanner app, tap the appropriate region button and place two endpoints of the segment. Once a segment is created, its endpoints can be moved and it can be flipped.

Please note that regions can only be edited in the Scanner app. Any fixes in the already uploaded scene would require its re-upload to the Cloud. So please check your regions carefully before upload.

 

Region types

Three different region types are available.

Mirror is used to mark mirrors and other highly reflective surfaces.

Window is perfect to mark transparent objects that should be solid in the final 3D model, such as windows, glass walls, etc.

Cut is required to cut parts of unneeded geometry such as uneven street and backyard edges.

All markings lead to the model being trimmed behind them. Mirror and Window regions additionally fill a hole in the model by generating a vertical plane. It is important to use a proper region type in each case.

 

Mark regions as early as possible

Regions must be marked as early as possible during scene capture. Mark a mirror or a window as soon as it first appears in a scan. This would prevent potential alignment issues and make map visualization cleaner early on.

 

How to place regions properly?

It is important to place regions accurately. When in the Edit mode of the app, walls and other vertical planes are automatically highlighted with white to help you align regions with them.

Position on a wall

Ideal position of a region is exactly in the middle of the wall, not too much in or out of it.

Since Scanner App version 17.0, automatic snapping helps placing regions properly. Note that snapping sensitivity depends on current zoom level.

Good
Too much in	Too much out

Note that Mirror and Window regions produce geometry spanning the whole floor, up to the ceiling. Thus they must not be used to mark objects extending from a wall, such as TVs, cabinets, etc.

 

Region width

It is recommended to draw a region a bit wider than the real mirror or window is. The region being narrower than the real object might lead to artifacts in a 3D model. At the same time, a region must not be so wide that it extrudes from a wall.

Good
Too narrow	Too wide

 

It is acceptable for a single region to cover several windows or mirrors if they are placed nearby on the same wall.

 

Region orientation

A region has orientation. In most cases, proper orientation will be set automatically, but you can always tap in the middle of the region to rotate it 180 degrees if necessary.

Orientation is important, because geometry is always cut behind the region.

Incorrect orientation

Correct orientation

 

Note that since Scanner App version 17.0, Window regions are double-sided and thus have no orientation. This allows saving time on manual markup while following the recommendation to mark windows from both sides: a single region can be placed instead of two regions.

 

Regions and floors

Regions are automatically assigned to floors and affect only the scans assigned to the same floor. If in reality a mirror or a window spans several floors (e.g. a huge glass wall), it should be marked several times, once per each floor that it is present on.