Best Practice

AIM Visualise 360 allows you to capture and visualise your sites on the AIM Platform using 360 footage. It enables rapid, spatial mapping with minimal equipment and effort, to complement your existing workflows.

AIM uses photogrammetry, a technique that builds 3D models by identifying consistent features across multiple 360 images. This process reconstructs spatial environments from visual data. To improve model accuracy, vary camera angles, move slowly in complex areas, and ensure even, consistent lighting throughout the survey.

Points of note to AVOID -

• Featureless surfaces (e.g., blank white walls)

• Mirrors, glass, and shiny floors

• Low-light areas such as lofts and cellars

• Moving doors during capture

Tip: In tricky areas, slow down, pause for 3 seconds, or capture extra footage

360° Camera:

• Insta360 X4

• Insta360 X5

Mounting Options:

• AIM Bump Cap (hands-free, body-free view)

• Extended pole (Available in 3m, 5m, & 10m)

Accessories:

• Door stops (preventing moving doors)

• 360° lighting (especially for lofts)

• Do not use Sticky Lens Guards — they can distort the footage and cause processing to fail

• Make sure the lenses are clean and free from dust and moisture

• Ensuring camera is charged

• Ensure SD card is inserted into the camera

• Ensure all areas are well lit and accessible

• Prepare the space: doors open, pets secured, furniture arranged, and light fixtures optimised

• Prep – Plan your route, open doors and turn on lights

• Keep to a steady pace (2.5–4 mph / 4–6 km/h)

• Walk smoothly and avoid sharp turns – Move Naturally!

• Maintain the camera at a consistent height (ideally above the head on the AIM Bump Cap or a site Hard Hat)

• Start and end at the same location (e.g., front door)

• Capture multiple angles per room. Ensuring you enter the room and navigate to the far side. Think of the perspective users in the platform will want to see, to give them a complete view of the room, if you have not seen it, they won’t be able to either

• Keep at least 2 feet (0.6m) distance from walls

• Use overlapping paths to cover all areas - 3D perception range is 5 meters

• Avoid large jumps in height, for example connect to pole and capture at different heights without big jumps in distances, recommend approx. 2m steps in height

• Move across the elevation, don’t just stay in a single location.

• Take your time, the more data the better

Coverage & Limits

• Max video duration: 20 minutes (circa 1,500 meters distance / circa 6,000m²)

• For larger jobs, record a second video and merge post-processing

The camera’s perception range is 5 meters. Beyond this distance, accuracy begins to decrease. To ensure high-quality 3D capture, always keep your path within 5 meters of the target object and overlap your movement paths.

When scanning with AIM Visualise 360, keep the acronym L.O.A.D.S. in mind to ensure the best results:

It is important to avoid walking around excessively dark spaces. When you can easily recognise objects in your surroundings from distance, you know the lighting levels are just right.

The camera will struggle in dark environments. Always prepare ahead of time by turning on lights, especially in lofts and cellars. We recommend using a 360° light in such spaces for optimal results.

Be aware of the following obstructions that can affect your capture:

• Doors: Opening and closing doors can disrupt spatial continuity

• Taller users may bump the camera on door frames

• People moving - where possible please avoid people in capture, especially close to the camera. People will mask a large section of the image making it difficult to see around them. For example, if someone was to follow you, they could block 20% of the camera view.

Ensure all areas to be captured are accessible and prepared. This includes:

• Using door stops

• Ensuring lights are on

• Opening curtains to maximize natural light

Maintain an appropriate distance from walls and objects. Keep at least 2 feet (0.6 meters) between the camera and nearby structures to avoid image overlap issues and to support high-quality 3D reconstruction.

Keeping a consistent walking pace of 4–6 km/h (or 2.5–4 mph) is essential for high-quality 3D models. Moving too quickly can degrade the accuracy and precision of the capture.

AIM for a smooth walk, avoid fast turns, and remember: the system captures frames approximately every 0.5 seconds.

• Plan your route

• Pause as you enter through doorways

• Alter extendable pole heights when capturing roof data (e.g., 5m, 3.5m, 2m)

• Move slowly near doors and tight corners

• In challenging areas, pause and take time, more data will support in challenging situations.

What is the best way to hold a 360° camera while shooting a video?

1. AIM Bump Cap - To minimise the user’s presence in the footage, always keep the camera directly above the head. This helps maintain consistent data capture height and avoids obstructing key views with their body

The AIM Bump Cap allows for convenient and more natural movement through tight or complex spaces. This setup allows hands-free data capture and maintains the optimal ‘top-down’ perspective without needing to hold the camera throughout the walkthrough

2. Extendable pole – For high level data to be included within the model, we suggest mounting the 360° camera on an extendable pole. The user can change the shooting angles and perspectives by modifying the stick length while recording a 360° video

Note: Switch between the two by disconnecting the camera from the magnetic based and screw in the extendable pole.

Can I pause mid-recording? It is not recommended to stop and start captures. In cases where you need to, always start the second scan in the starting location of the first scan.

Can I use a flashlight? No – do not hold a light while scanning. Use ambient lighting to avoid glare. Moving lights cast shadows onto surroundings. A 360 light is recommended in dark areas

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