6. Four Ways to Put PurpleGeo to Work

These examples are deliberately modest. The aim is not to model every object or run every available tool. It is to use the least complicated workflow that answers the actual engineering question.

A. First look at a newly delivered survey

Question: Is this the data we expected, and where should we inspect more closely?

Open the LAS/LAZ or other supported data as a local project. Start in Map to understand coverage. Switch between Surface and RGB to see geometry and context. Use Elevation, Classes, or Returns where the data supports them. Navigate to a few important locations in Rotate & Inspect and cut sections through suspicious or complex areas.

This is a good initial review before starting a heavier analysis workflow. It can uncover missing coverage, unexpected geometry, strange coordinates, or features that need checking. It does not replace a formal survey QA procedure.

B. Check an existing installation before a modification

Question: Can we understand the space well enough to plan what must be measured or verified before replacement equipment is fabricated or installed?

Open a terrestrial scan of the room or structure. Use Rotate & Inspect to identify the equipment, walls, services, and likely obstructions. Find a meaningful plane and use Cross Section to simplify the geometry. Step the section through the area to understand how the available space changes. Add a handful of Lines, Points, or Markup annotations at the critical locations and save views for a colleague.

The useful output may be a short set of spatial observations and dimensions to verify, rather than a complete reconstruction of the room. PurpleGeo does not currently claim to automatically solve swept-volume installation clearance or issue fabrication drawings.

C. Review a slope or rock face over time

Question: Where does the site appear to have changed, and does the change deserve investigation?

Load both ground-classified surveys with compatible coordinates and units. Put each epoch's tiles in its own layer group; matching tile boundaries are not required. Show both groups at least once, then use Airborne M3C2 (layer groups) to choose the older survey as Baseline and the newer as Compare. Start with the default settings and compare around the crosshair over an area covered by both surveys. Inspect the Change display and legend, then check stable ground before interpreting the result. Save viewpoints or annotations that identify areas for review.

This makes it easier to communicate the geometry and location of possible changes. Any quantitative interpretation should still account for registration and measurement uncertainty.

D. Walk a corridor with somebody who has never visited it

Question: How do we convey the important features of a long, complicated site?

Start in Map for the overall layout. Use Fly to move along the road, rail alignment, utility corridor, or powerline route. Use Rotate & Inspect at particular structures, crossings, or areas of vegetation. Mark relevant points and save a series of views. A Flythrough can connect them into a visual explanation; Share Private Link can let another reviewer inspect the project for themselves.

This approach works especially well when spatial relationships are the message. Rather than asking someone to interpret a stack of disconnected images, you let them see how the site fits together.