Your data looks better in 3D
TotaLite 3D turns the 2D observations of two TotaLite sensors into a single 3D displacement for every target. This guide walks through the on-site setup, then the setup and data tabs of the app.
01 · ON SITE
Place and survey
Start with an intentional geometry. Both sensors need a clear view of every target, then the entire scene is surveyed once in metres.
1. Position both sensors
Mount the two TotaLite sensors so both observe the targets under a favorable angle.
2. Survey the geometry
Establish the 3D positions of every target and both sensors with a total station or equivalent. Coordinates are in metres.
3. Set a 5-minute interval
Motion is assumed slow, so measurements within five minutes are treated as synchronized and combined into one 3D result.
For a two-prism target, survey the centre of gravity of the rigid prism pair. Aim each prism at its own TotaLite and add a separating shield so neither sensor sees both prisms. The sensor reference point sits roughly 1 cm behind the front glass; a few centimetres of survey error is fine.
02 · SETUP TAB
Build the project
1. Create and open a project
Go to the TotaLite 3D calculator, create a new project from the projects list, then open it.
2. Import the geometry (CSV)
Upload surveyed coordinates with the headers name, x, y, z. Sensor names matching a device you own are linked automatically. To change X/Y/Z, edit the CSV and upload it again.
3. Choose the reference target
Indicate which target is the reference target. It corrects the sensors’ yaw; pitch and roll come from each sensor’s internal tilt sensor.
4. Set the baseline
Select a baseline timestamp and press ‘Set baseline’. The app finds data from both sensors near that time and initialises their positions.
You’re ready when a frustum appears for each sensor and all four readiness boxes turn green. The calculator can now process raw sensor data into 3D displacements.
03 · DATA TAB
Plot and export
8. Choose a time range
Open the Data tab, choose a start time and optionally an end time, then start plotting or download the data. The start time is auto-filled to the baseline time.
9. Results are computed on demand
Change the setup and the results you fetch will change accordingly. Because everything is recomputed on demand, algorithm improvements can slightly change a re-plotted range later — even when setup is unchanged.
Mind the range: there is no limit on the range, and a wide window can produce very large plots.
REFERENCE
Geometry that keeps 3D precise.
What’s a favorable angle?
The angle at the target — from TotaLite A → target → TotaLite B — should ideally be 90°. A sharp angle makes depth effectively unobservable and increasingly noisy. In 2D, accuracy is about 1 mm at 40 m, scaling linearly with distance.
DEPTH ERROR / 2D ACCURACY
90° ≈ 1×
60° ≈ 2×
40° ≈ 3×
20° ≈ 6×
How accurate do I need to be?
Surveyed geometry supports auto-initialization and translates two 2D displacements into one 3D displacement. For displacement, geometry accuracy is not crucial: systematic errors are nearly identical at both epochs, so they cancel out for small movements.
Rule of thumb: be 1% accurate, capped at 10 cm. At 10 m or more, 10 cm is sufficient; at 5 m, aim for 5 cm.
Talk to us about 3D
We’ll help you turn every observation into a clearer 3D decision on your next project.