We thought we would take a few features of VentusAR and provide some detail on how they work and what they can be used for.

The second feature we would like to cover is the ability to use Reference Markers, to have confidence that the wireline and camera feed shown on the iPad screen are correctly aligned.

Reference structures are extra points shown in the 3D visualisation. When the Reference markers are shown on a visualisation screen they give the result shown below. These reference markers can be turned on to validate the alignment of the image with real-world objects.

Creating Reference Markers

Reference Markers are created in the portal. They are associated with a project and are set-up on the Edit project page. To set up a reference marker you need the following information:

• Name – a name to identify this marker by (this will be shown across the top of the visualisation screen)
• Coordinates – either OSGB coordinates or Latitude / Longitude coordinates
• Altitude – this will be looked up from the terrain services associated with a project
• Height  – the height of the marker to be shown in the visualisation screen. If you enter a marker size of 50m, a 50m box will be visible on the visualisation screen
• Colour – the colour the marker should be shown (chose any colour required)

Pro Tip: use the colours to identify similar types of objects: Red for church spires, blue for pylons, green for buildings, yellow for trees.

Once all this information is loaded into the portal it can be seen in the Reference Markers list or on the portal map.

Reference Markers in App

These reference markers can then be shown in any of the visualisation screens within the app. They are turned on using the reference structures icon in the top right of the visualisation screen.

Tapping the reference markers icon toggles them on or off. The results of turning on or off the Reference Markers can be seen in Fly Through and My View / Gallery.

Real World Use

The best use-case for reference markers is where there are no terrain features that can be used to align the camera feed to the wireline. e.g. if you are doing a project somewhere flat and don’t have any terrain to use. Adding church spires and obvious other features help ensure that the My View can be aligned correctly.

If you want more information about Reference Markers or for a more detailed demo, please get in touch via hello@ventusar.com