Benewake LiDAR Viewer GUI Software User Manual
- June 29, 2024
- Benewake
Table of Contents
Benewake LiDAR Viewer GUI Software
Specifications
- Product Name: Benewake LiDAR Viewer GUI
- Platform: Windows 10 and above
- Main Functionality: Realtime display, recording, and playback of point cloud data
Product Usage Instructions
1. Brief Introduction
The Benewake LiDAR Viewer GUI (BLV) is a software designed for use with the AD2 LiDAR system. It allows users to perform realtime display, recording, and playback of point cloud data.
2. System Introduction
BLV is compiled for the Windows 10 platform and is recommended \to be used on Windows 10 and above systems. Before using the software, ensure that your computer meets the system requirements.
3. Terms and Abbreviations
BLV uses certain terms and abbreviations such as IP, MDOP, DCSP, DSOP, .pcd, .csv, *.pcap. Refer to Table 1 for their meanings.
4. Precautions before Use
Before using the LiDAR system, follow these precautions:
- Change the IP address of your computer to match the network segment of the LiDAR IP address.
- Ensure that your computer’s firewall is turned off for proper connection.
FAQ
- Q: Can BLV be used on operating systems other than Windows 10?
- A: BLV is compiled for the Windows 10 platform and it is recommended to be used on Windows 10 and above systems for optimal performance.
- Q: What are the main functions of BLV?
- A: The main functions of BLV include real-time display, recording, and playback of point cloud data from the AD2 LiDAR system.
Brief Introduction
Objective
The purpose of this article is to explain the basic functions, operation methods and precautions of Benewake LiDAR Viewer GUI (hereinafter referred to as BLV).
System Introduction
BLV is a GUI software used by AD2 LiDAR, which is mainly used for real-time display, recording and playback of point cloud data. BLV is compiled on the Windows 10 platform, and it is recommended to install and use it on Windows 10 and above systems.
Terms and Abbreviations
Precautions before use
Before using the LiDAR, you need to change the IP address of your computer.
Network and Internet → Ethernet → Change adapter options → Properties →
Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4), set the host IP address to remain on
the same network segment as the LiDAR IP address (i.e., segment 0), subnet
mask 255.255.255.0, and host IP address used in this instruction manual is
192.168.0.10 (the last byte is different from the IP address of the connected
device).
- Make sure that your computer’s firewall is turned off (this is optional: if you can’t connect properly, try this step again). Control Panel → System and Security → Windows Defender → Turn on/off Windows Defender Firewall.
File Structure
BLV file structure (part of the file) as shown in the figure, double-click\ Benewake_LiDAR_Viewer.exe to open the GUl program.
Interface Introduction
The main interface of BLV is shown in the following figure:
- Menu Bar: Basic configuration options
- Toolbar: Basic function options, the specific functions are as follows:
- Device Management Bar: Manage device addition and deletion, control device start and stop, display device information and connection status, etc.
- Point cloud display area: Displays real-time point clouds or plays point cloud data files.
Functions Introduction
Point Cloud Display Adjustment
Point cloud display
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Please complete the configuration before use according to Chapter 1.4
-
Open the BLV software, there are two ways to add LiDAR: [Method 1]
-
Click Device Management Bar → Add button to set the IP, PORT, DSOP of the LiDAR.
In general, the following table describes the parameters: -
Finally, confirm the addition.
[Method 2] -
Click the icon in the toolbar to search for the device (the search port is 62702), as shown in the figure, and click OK to complete the addition.
-
After the addition is completed, the device information will be displayed in the Device Management Bar, as shown in the following figure:
(Due to different devices, the device information is not exactly the same. and the device information in the figure is for reference only).
Starting LiDAR
After completing the steps of adding the device, you can click the Device Management Bar → Start button, wait for a while, and then start to get the point cloud data, which will be displayed in the Point Cloud
Display Area in real time. Click the Stop button to stop the LiDAR from working.
Point Cloud Display Adjustments
-
Point cloud display adjustment: as shown in the red box, the area\ encircled
The following table describes how to do this:
Note: When you cannot continue to zoom in on the point cloud display using the mouse wheel, you can continue to zoom in on the point cloud display by clicking the F key on the keyboard. At this point, the point cloud display continues to zoom in centered on the mouse-over position: -
Angle Adjustment: select the following icons in the Toolbar to adjust the point cloud data display view, or in the Menu Bar → Point Cloud Display → Set View.
-
Point Size Adjustment: Click the icon in the Toolbar to change the size of the point, and a pop-up window will appear as shown in the following figure after clicking it (or set it in the Menu Bar → Point Cloud Display → Set Point Size). The point size range is 1~10, and the default setting is 2.
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Set the color scheme: Set the color scheme in the Menu Bar → Point Cloud Display → Set color scheme to render point cloud display according to reflectivity, distance, and elevation (In general, the default rendering color is to render at reflectivity).
Record and Playback Point Cloud Data
*Recording & Playback .PCD file**
-
Click the Menu Bar → File → Save File → Save PCD File (from the device), select the save path to start recording or click the Toolbar icon). If you need to end the recording, click the Menu Bar → File → Save File → Stop Saving PCD File (From Device) option to stop the recording (or click the Toolbar icon).
(Note: You need to choose the storage location, it is recommended to create a new dedicated folder to save *PCD data). -
After you start recording, you can find the generated * PCD files under the saved path of the settings, which are the corresponding point cloud data, are named according to the timestamp.
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Click the Menu Bar → File → Playback PCD File option (or click the toolbar icon to find the saved path you have set after waiting for a while, click the icon • in the toolbar to play back *.PCD files.
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Once playback starts, the icon will change to ” an icon, and you can tap to pause the playback data at any time. You can drag the progress bar to view the point cloud data you want to focus on.
*Recording & Playback .PCAP file**
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Click the Menu Bar → File → Save File → Save PCAP File options select the save path, set the file name, and start recording. If you need to end the recording, click the Menu Bar → File → Save File → Stop Saving PCAP File options to stop the recording. If the recording is successfully stopped, a pop-up window will prompt that the saving is successful.
(Note: You need to choose the storage location, it is recommended to create a new dedicated folder to save *PCAP data). -
Click on the Menu Bar → File → Playback PCAP File option, and select Save the finished PCAP file, after a while, a pop-up window will o prompt that the file has been successfully imported. Click the icon in the toolbar to play back .PCAP file.
-
Follow-up and playback*. PCD files.
*Save .CSV file**
- Click the Menu Bar → File → Save File → Save CSV File option, and select the save path, you can save a frame of data in the save path, and the recorded file will be named according to the timestamp. Use Excel to open a saved *.CSV file. Come no ted to ense dedi stor to do to save cord it is
Functions Related to Device Management Bar
As shown in the figure below, click the corresponding button in the Device Management Bar to use the corresponding functions.
- Add: Add a new LiDAR device
- Delete: Delete the added device
- Start: Run the devices that have been added
- Stop: Stop the running device that you added
- Display: Display the point cloud data of the selected device in the point cloud display area
- Hide: Hide the point cloud data of the selected device
Toolbar Related Functions
Scale Display
Select/invert the icon in the toolbar to control whether the scale is displayed, and the contrast (comparison) effect is shown in the following figure:
Hue Indicator
Select/invert the icon in the toolbar to control whether the hue indicator bar is displayed, and the contrast effect is shown in the following figure:
Distance Measurement
Click the icon in the toolbar to perform ranging operations on the point cloud. Stop the device, click the icon, use the left mouse button to select the point to be measured on the point cloud data in the point cloud display area, the selected point will be displayed in red, after selecting two points, the distance between the two points can be automatically calculated, and the distance information will be displayed near the ranging line, and the distance measurement function can be turned off by clicking the icon again.
Point Cloud Frame Selection
Click the icon in the toolbar to select the point cloud. After clicking the icon , click the Left Mouse Button once in the Point Cloud Display Area, press the X key on the keyboard, then press and hold the Left Mouse Button to select the point cloud image (can be selected multiple times), and release the Left Mouse Button to complete the box selection. The selected point cloud data is shown in red, and an information window will appear on the right side of the BLV interface to display detailed information of the selected point cloud. Then press the X key on your keyboard and invert the icon to turn off the box selection.
Perspective Projection
Depending on your display requirements, select the icon in the Toolbar to change the display of point cloud data. The point cloud display effect of perspective projection is closer to the visual effect of human eye.
Orthographic Projection
According to your requirements, click the icon in the Toolbar to change the display effect of the point cloud data to ortho projection. In the ortho projection effect, objects near and far are scaled at the same scale.
Rotation Function
Click the icon in the toolbar to turn on the rotation function. When enabled, the point cloud display will rotate slowly 360° horizontally along the plane formed by the X-axis and Y-axis of the LiDAR with the Z-axis of LiDAR as the rotation axis.
Menu Bar-Related Functions
File
As shown in the figure, file menu main functions are: playback PCD file, play back PCAP file, save PCD file, save CSV file, save the PCAP file, etc. For more information, please
Window
As shown in the figure, click the Menu Bar → Window → Open/Close Device Window options to display and hide the device management bar.
Device Information
As shown in the figure, click the Menu Bar → Device Information option, and secondary options such as Get Device Information, Get Device Heartbeat Information, Get Device Logs, and Search for Devices in the Current Network will appear. By clicking these options, you can understand the basic information of the LiDAR device.
- Get Device Information: The SN number and firmware version of the current device are displayed.
- Obtain device heartbeat information: The heartbeat signal of the current device can be detected.
- Get Device Logs: displays the log information of the current device. Search for devices on the current network: Search for radars waiting to connect in the current network segment.
Configuring Device
Click the Menu Bar → Configure Device option to configure some functions of the device (Note: If the LiDAR is in the running state, the Configure Device function is not available).
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Click the Menu Bar → Configure Device → LiDAR Operation Settings → Set Mode options to make the LiDAR operate in different working modes. If you want to know the parameters of each mode, please\ contact Benewake technical support: at support@benewake.com
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For other function configurations, please contact the Benewake technical support team: at support@benewake.com, and use professional guidance.
Point Cloud Display
Point cloud display, the main functions are: set the color scheme, set the display scale, view, exhibition mode, display color bar, display scale, ranging box selection, set point size and so on. For more information,
Help Menu
In addition to the above features, BLV offers a number of other features. Click the Menu Bar → Help option to view.
- Frequently Asked Questions and Answers: Frequently asked questions and explanations, including the device does not start, the point cloud is displayed incorrectly or cannot be displayed, etc.
- Select Language: Select the display language of the BLV interface.
- About Benewake: Company Introduction.
- Product introduction: Benewake product positioning, application fields, etc., please refer to the product introduction page of the official website for details.
- Viewer Version: GUl software version and release date.
- Contact us: If you encounter any problems during use, please contact Benewake technical support.
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