Virtual Inspection Viewer (VI)

1. To access MultiViewer, enter http://mv.services.hxgncontent.com/Login in your web browser (we recommend using Google Chrome for optimized performance).
2. Choose your preferred language
3. Enter your given user name and password and click “Log in”

1. Click on User Menu Icon, then click on Projects

2. Choose the project you want to work with by directly clicking on the project name, or type in keywords in the Projects Filter to search for a project

Once a project is activated, you can manage the visibility and accessibility of all your project data layers. Layer Settings are found on the upper-right side of the MultiViewer window.

There can be up to 7 layer groups in a VI project depending on your needs: Cover Map, 3D models, Thematic Layer, Vector data, Point Clouds, Panoramic Images, and Aerial Images.

Cover Map: This group includes various layers used as a background and the basis of data visualization for your project work, which is typically orthophotos and OpenStreetMap

3D models: This group includes all 3D model layers

Thematic Layer: It includes different raster layers. E.g. a vector layer containing delimitation of the project area, etc.

Vector data: This group includes all WFS vector layers (editable). It is used for observations.

Point clouds: This group includes all 3D point cloud data (LiDAR)

Panoramic images: This group includes all panoramic image layers that contain detailed images for inspection

Aerial Images: It includes image layers that contain detailed images for inspection

Layers are, by essence, datasets that can be managed individually. The layer set up is used to better organize projects. Each layer’s visibility and accessibility can be controlled separately by the checkboxes in front.

Left checkbox: turn on/off as main map (shown on the left if split mode is activated) Right checkbox: turn on/off as secondary map (shown on the right if split mode is activated) There can only be one main map and one secondary map activated at the same time, and this will activate split-screen mode. When in split-screen mode, an orange slider will appear on the screen so you can scroll between the two cover maps.

One cover map activated
Two cover maps activated (split screen mode)


3D models, Thematic Layer, Vector data, and Point Clouds
These types of layer can be turned on/off by ticking/unticking the checkboxes left to their layer names

Panoramic Images and Aerial Images
Left checkbox: turn on/off the visualization of perspective centers on the cover map
Right checkbox: turn on/off a layer for spatial search

A typical MultiViewer workspace consists of cover maps and viewports.
Cover maps show where you are and what you see (through OpenStreetMap, orthophoto, 3D models, elevation models, and point clouds)
Viewports (there can be max. 4 viewports open at the same time) present details of target area/object for inspection through images where registrations and quick notes can be made.

Search: activate spatial search function by entering an address. Spatial search function is further explained in the structural inspection section

User Menu: activate or change projects, manage project data, and read more about MultiViewer

Toolbox Menu: access tools for inspection and workspace settings

Layer Settings: manage visibility and accessibility of your project data layers. A detailed explanation can be found in the layer management section

Notification Center: see all project activity history for your current MultiViewer session

Navigation panel: navigation in the cover map through on-screen buttons. A detailed explanation can be found in the next section, cover map navigation

Vector layer property window: manage and modify your inspection sweep plan and registrations, more details can be found in the structural inspection section

Geographical coordinates: the geographical coordinates of your cursor

Viewport footprint: shows the current image coverage of the active viewports, the orange circle shows your cursor positions in other windows

Once you enter a project, it is possible to navigate your view using both on-screen buttons and your mouse.

Reset to project origin: left click to reset project view (the view when you first activate your project)

The red color arrow shows the direction of the north. Double click on the icon will reset the view direction and tilt to its origin*
* Works only in 3D mode

Zoom in: left click on + sign
Zoom out: left click on - sigh

Mouse Shortcut
Zoom In/Out: 1. Scroll Mouse wheel
2. Hold and drag (right mouse click) up and down
Tilt and rotate: Ctrl + hold (left mouse click) and drag
Move view: Left hold and drag

Move view: hold and drag with left click to move the viewport. Directly draging in the viewport will result in change in position of the image inside the viewer

Best photo: left click to choose images from different image datasets to find the best photo for your point of interest

Maximize: left click to toggle between the main screen and floating window modes

Viewport Main Screen Mode

Viewport Floating Window Mode

Pin/unpin view: pin/unpin viewport to workspace so it does/doesn’t dissapear

Current viewport settings: access tools for viewports. A detailed explanation can be found on the next page

Vector layer visibility: manage vector layers’ (sweep plan and registration) visibility in the current viewport

Image time tag: It shows the time the image is taken

Viewport footprint: shows the current image coverage of the active viewports, the orange circle shows your cursor positions in other windows

The viewport toolbox menu can be found at the lower-left corner of a viewport.





























Image adjustment: both brightness and contrast of the current presented image in a viewport can be adjusted with the sliders

Viewer mode: choose to view image in mosaic or frame mode in the viewport

Footprints: show/hide viewport’s footprints on the cover map

Annotation: (from left to right ) 1. free-style marking 2. circular marking 3. square marking 4. add comment 5. erase single annotation 6. remove all annotations

Hold the move icon and “snap” a viewport to either side of the screen to activate viewport screen mode.
Viewport split-screen mode (snapped to the left)

Viewport split-screen mode (snapped upwards)

There are several ways to change your workspace setup. You can find workspace setting in the toolbox menu:

2D/3D: To toggle between 2D and 3D view modes in cover map Note: every time this setting changes, you will be redirected to the login page to initiate the new mode

VI Navigation: Turns on VI navigation mode. This mode facilitates the inspection of buildings, especially bridge structures when it comes to inspecting structures from below.

Minimize cover map: If this option is checked, a cover map will be minimized to an icon when you activate viewport in full-screen mode

Full-screen mode: to toggle between full screen and standard modes

Cover map in original mode

Cover map in minimized mode

Full-screen mode: to toggle between full screen and standard modes
Full screen mode

Standard mode

Inspection report window: to turn on the image management window for the inspection report. Even when activated, this window is only visible when a specific observation is active. Details about this function can be found in the Observation section

Property window: to turn on property window for making observations/registrations. Details about this function can be found in the Observation section

Quick property view: to turn on quick properties embedded in vector layers

Sweep plan window: to turn on sweep plan window for creating, modifying and work in sweep plans

To inspect a place/location in detail, you should call the in-built spatial search function. Spatial search function finds all available Aerial and Panoramic images with the location in focus:

Use a keyboard shortcut to call spatial search function (alt + S) and left-clicking on any point on the cover map (you know you have successfully activated spatial search when a pop-up note appears):

Observations are customized notes that you can make during your inspection which will be automatically saved and included in your inspection report:

Observation

Observation in report

Before you start creating new observations, 1) make sure your observation layer in the layer settings is on, 2) your property window is open, and 3) you need to select your observation vector layer in your property window:

To create a new observation, click on “add” in the property window, and mark your area of interest by drawing with the left click and end of a single right-click. Then fill in available fields for your registration, changes are automatically saved.
Existing observations can be activated by double-clicking on either 1) the corresponding marking on cover map, or 2) the corresponding observation ID in the property window.

To attach inspection pictures to observation for the report, make sure your inspection report window is turned on (this window only pops up when you have an observation active. To activate observation select one in Properties windows or on the 3D model). It will always have the same header as your inspection report: General view: it captures a section of the cover map as an overall picture in the inspection report before the observation list (there is only one set of general images for one report).

To add a general view, 1) Click on “+” to add a general view 2) then specify your area of interest on the cover map and confirm by click on the save button, 3) give this image a name and click OK.
Successfully saved general images will appear under the general image group with customized names. You can include multiple general views.

Group images: it shows images captured for the current observation. There is a separate set of images (in this case closeUp and overall images) affiliated to each individual observation.

To manually add an image (or replace existing image) to a group, 1) activate the observation you want to attach the image(s) to, 2) click on the button in front of the corresponding image group, 3) adjust your area of interest and save the image ( you can save the screenshot and by double-clicking in the adjusted area of interest).
It is important to note that all image groups are attached to one aerial image layer to avoid inconsistency in observations. This means your area of interest of a group is locked in a corresponding viewport, hence you will not be able to move to another viewport to make a screenshot.

You can auto-add/replace both Overview and CloseUp images by clicking in front of “Group images”. MultiViewer will automatically save screenshots of the current and corresponding viewports to Overview and CloseUp images groups.

Sweep plan is a function designed to help you organize and keep track of your inspection progress by dividing the target object(s) into larger sections and smaller grids and showing your inspection progress by colorizing the grids.
Large section sweep plan (task distribution)

Small grid sweep plan (inspection progress tracking)

Before you start creating new sweep plans, 1) make sure your sweep plan layers in the layer settings are on, and 2) your property window and sweep plan window are open.

To create a section division (Large grid), first, you need to specify a section of interest under the Large Grid layer in the property window: 1) Click “add” 2) Start drawing the area of interest on either cover map or viewport (it is important to correctly define the first three points in the order of left-right - up for a correct sweep plane geometry) 3) End your drawing with one single right-click 4) You can choose to give this grid a name (e.g. names for dividing inspection responsibilities)

To create a small sweep plan, choose the Small Grid layer in the sweep plan window, then: 1) activate/select a section created in the last step by single left click on the cover map (you know it is successfully activated when it turns pink)
Section NOT selected

Selection selected

2) click “build” and go through the pop-ups

a) Make sure you are creating your sweep plan in the Small Grid Layer

b) Decide if you want overlap between your sweep plan grids. “-0.01” is the default setting and means there will be no overlap between grids

c) Decide the size of your inspection grids

d) Decide if there should be an offset between the sweep plan and the target surface (when the surface is not flat, it tends to “cut” into the sweep plan. This offset moves the sweep plan away from the exact surface to keep good visibility)

3) Sweep plan is created and ready to be used

To inspect using a sweep plan, make sure 1) your sweep plan window is open and your Small Grid layer is active, and 2) your property window is open and your Observation layer is active.
3) click on “next” in your sweep plan window, this will bring you to your last active inspection grid.

4) Click “next” to mark a grid finished (it will turn green), or click “skip” to mark a grid as unfinished (it will turn red). The next grid in order will be activated when either of the above buttons is clicked.
5) You can remove (all sweep plans will disappear) or reset (all status changes will be cleared, but the sweep plans will remain) sweep plans by clicking the corresponding buttons.

VI Navigation mode facilitates the inspection of buildings, especially bridge structures when it comes to inspecting structures from below.
This mode can be activated by clicking VI Navigation icon. It can be found in Toolbox section under Workspace menu (see below).

The mode will disable the cover map option. In this way, the scene is cleaner and can be easily accomplished by building inspection.

The key feature of the mode is to anchor the camera view on the model. This can be accomplished by mouse right-click on the model. That will place a red dot on the model (see screenshot below).
The camera will be locked on the dot. Know you can rotate the model and not lose the focus view.
It is a very handy tool when you using it together with a sweep plan feature (see screenshot below).

It is important to note that all annotations are temporarily saved in your current viewport session. Once the current viewport closes, all annotations will be lost.
To save your annotations, you can use the print workspace function under the cover map toolbox menu:

Workspace print-out window

On the upper part of the print-out window, you can find several options to download workspace as pdf or image and you can update it. On the right-hand window side, you have the option to write a comment or choose what to show on the workspace. The last option is to upload your own logo.

All observations made are automatically saved in an inspection report. Your inspection observations can be exported in Shapefiles (.shp). To download your observations as Shapefiles, choose the observation layer in the property window. Then click

To see your observations report, click on the Print inspection report button in the toolbox menu.