LinkedIn Learning - Authoring for 3D

(update February 2018: Here is the completed course on LinkedIn Learning - https://www.dhirubhai.net/learning/faro-scene-3d-laser-scan-registration )

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With great joy and some new friends, I just wrapped up my first LinkedIn Learning studio recording sessions in Carpinteria, a beautiful little beach town near Santa Barbara, California.

A few months ago, I was giving a presentation at a virtual reality Meetup in Portland, Oregon talking about how reality capture technologies are hitting the ground running for VR content. During the presentation, unbeknownst to me, a LinkedIn recruiter was sitting in the audience most likely evaluating every move I made. After the presentation, she came up to me and asked if I'd be interested in teaching some training courses for LinkedIn.

About a year ago, I actually was applying to teach training videos for LinkedIn and never finished the application. I got busy, business needed my attention, there was a plague of locusts, a flood, raining frogs, etc... Yet, I had thought for a long time it would be fun - so when asked to do it in this way, I gave a resounding yes!

I sent a demo video, teaching something I know how to do with 3D laser scan registration software using screen recording software and an old mic I have. After about 2 weeks of waiting, I received a green light with contracts, an assigned content manager and eventually a producer that would take me to the finish line of this process.

What I've taught in this course

It took a good month to flush out all that I wanted to teach about 3D laser scan registration and during the process, I realized the timing couldn't be better since 3D scanning is moving toward automation and only a select number of service providers will be required to work through especially tough and complex projects. All of the small to mid-sized projects within a year or two will most likely have full registration automation with good reliability, and just about anyone with modest computer experience will most likely find success with that workflow. Coupled with the downward-driving cost of 3D laser scanners, the technical process of 3D laser scanning and registration will be accessible to any designer - truly democratized. I have therefore designed this course for both those just wishing to use the automated workflow, and for those that may need some technical support for complex registration projects.

Giving away some trade secrets to demystify the registration process felt completely appropriate. My approach for the upcoming FARO Scene 3D Laser Scan Registration online course with LinkedIn Learning (to be released early next year) was to offer to LinkedIn Learners how to deal with point cloud data-sets that are stubborn. Besides providing training on how FARO Scene works and how to navigate this software, I provided exercise data that does not come together on the first registration attempt (or the second, or third) and work through it in the training videos from initial importing to full registration.

Something that has always seemed to be missing from the support that software companies provide was adequate training videos or documentation that could help diagnose really complex project workflows. And in my experience, many technical support representatives on the phone do not have adequate training with the software, requiring them to "escalate" your request to some unknown engineer who is hearing about your problem through a mediator who, despite their best efforts, may not accurately translate what your request actually is. That's a lot of back and forth.

What most people do receive for technical support is a very brief video or document that talks from a 10,000 foot level on how to use the software tools with very small data-sets. Out of the many projects I've had, I can safely say that only a handful of projects I've worked on would be considered "small." So, in an attempt to serve the industry, I've gone deeper and worked through those tricky problems in this online course.

I have however seen some good efforts in this area of technical support over the past year or so with the registration and photogrammetry software we use at ToPa 3D, especially with 3D laser scan registration processes. I would like to believe these companies are starting to answer a long-standing demand from their customers to help, especially after these customers have invested many thousands of dollars on the hardware and software.

With all that in mind, I jumped on a plane and prepared for a week of digging deeper into registration techniques I've learned over the years in the LinkedIn Learning recording studios. (Mt. Hood in the image on the left from probably over 10,000 feet!)

Let me first say that working for LinkedIn is pretty dang awesome. I was provided delicious and healthy food everyday on their campus, provided very nice accomodations, and treated exceptionally well. If there were a workplace and culture where everyone gave one another a high-five for just about everything, smiled everyday, and treated each other with tremendous respect, I think I just found it in Carpinteria.

Either there is something in the water in Carpinteria or the leadership is doing something really right there. I came during Halloween 2017 and experienced a campus costume competition to boot! This very sweet person (left) was the cotton candy distributer. That day, I would suggest, she was everyone's favorite person:)

If you've never visited the Santa Barbara area, I highly recommend it. Beautiful place and also recommend the surfing (experienced that on my first day there - I'm terrible at it but had fun belly boarding). Check out the Santa Barbara Mission, and perhaps a 17-mile loop around the area that my lovely partner and I took, ending with some wine-tasting on a pier in Santa Barbara.

What will you train on?

I encourage you to apply to LinkedIn Learning and give it a go. It requires some dedication and time, but the LinkedIn pros sure make the experience worth it. LinkedIn Learning is open to anyone that would like to teach what they've learned with whatever software they use. That could be you!

The author (right) with arguably the nicest LinkedIn Producer I've ever met...(well the only one;) and just a great guy -

May you always find joy in your vocation, 3D or otherwise, wherever that looks like and wherever that may take you -

ToPa 3D~

No trip would be complete without 3D scanning "something" - so here is my hotel room in 3D using the Matterport system. In the course, I show how Matterport can integrate with FARO Scene - stay tuned!