WHICH SIZE DO YOU RECOMMEND?
We supply target spheres in 6 sizes - 80mm (about 3"), 144mm (about 5-¾"), 150mm (about 6"), 200mm (about 8"), 250mm (about 10"), and 360mm (about 16"). We always recommend the 150mm - they are a great size for general scanning, easy to handle, and you can carry a dozen of them easily. The crates stack easily, so one person can carry 1, 2, even 3 dozen onto a job. You quickly realize that its faster and easier to set-up a few extra before you start scanning, and you'll get better recognition and registration, faster processing, and superior results later. The 144mm are our travel targets, so they sacrifice a lot in durability for compactness and weight. The 150mm, 200mm, and 250mm are nearly unbreakable.
The 80mm are designed for trajectory analysis and forensic reconstruction, although they are also very useful in any situation where range is under 20' and space is critical - in drop ceilings, for instance. 200 and 250mm offer greater range, with the tradeoff that they are a little larger to handle or store. A couple of 250mm spheres can help tie together very large area scans. 360mm - well, because we can. If you routinely scan aircraft carriers, or other similarly very large areas, you might find that one of these can help tie together some very large scan sites! Note that your registration software may have a harder time differentiating between spheres that are close in size, especially as they get further away from the scanner. Please call or email if you have questions about mixing sphere sizes.
The 80mm are designed for trajectory analysis and forensic reconstruction, although they are also very useful in any situation where range is under 20' and space is critical - in drop ceilings, for instance. 200 and 250mm offer greater range, with the tradeoff that they are a little larger to handle or store. A couple of 250mm spheres can help tie together very large area scans. 360mm - well, because we can. If you routinely scan aircraft carriers, or other similarly very large areas, you might find that one of these can help tie together some very large scan sites! Note that your registration software may have a harder time differentiating between spheres that are close in size, especially as they get further away from the scanner. Please call or email if you have questions about mixing sphere sizes.
How do I choose between the sizes?
It depends entirely on the type of work you normally do. We always recommend the 145 or 150mm as the best compromise between size, range, and cost. If you don't have a specific need for a larger (or smaller) sphere - that's the best place to start.
But if you know that most of your scanning will involve larger spaces, you may want to start with a set of 200mm. The additional range may be very useful, but the same crate that holds 6 200mm spheres will also hold 12 150mm - so a few with more range, or a lot more and maybe you add a few more scans - your call.
250mm spheres or possibly a 360mm can help tie together really large jobs - they can act as a central registration point between groups of more detailed scans, or in the center of large industrial spaces, or maybe you need to scan across a small valley or gorge. But they are harder to handle - we recommend that you only use them mounted on survey tripods or similar. You'll be very glad to have a couple when you need them - you just may not need them very often. We ship pretty fast, and are starting to offer some rentals.
But you would never use a 250mm target if you need to get up into a drop ceiling or need to work around alot of mechanical equipment. Maybe you need to scan the inside of a vehicle, or just need registration on a large vehicle. In these cases, we offer 80mm targets that can offer excellent registration up to 20 or more feet at standard resolutions. These smaller spheres were designed for trajectory analysis, but areeasy to pack and carry in large quantity, so if purchased with our magnetic stand-off rods, can be very useful in certain situations.
So when choosing between the sizes, you need to think about all of these things -- the ideal size for your distance and resolution, the safety and convenience of carrying the spheres, and the difference between sizes. Good combinations are lots of 150s, or a fair number of 150s with a couple of 250s, or a fair number of 200s maybe with one 400. The 200s also work pretty well with the Faro 139mm spheres, if you already have a bunch of those, and you may not want to mix 139mm with Koppa 150mm spheres. The 80mm will work with anything, but will be much more limited in range.
Ultimately, you'll want a variety of sizes, so you can grab the best tools for the job at hand, then go get it done. Koppa Targets are priced to make that practical. And even if you end up upgrading your scanner, your computer, your software, your truck or your headquarters - you'll still be happily using your Koppa Targets for years to come.
But if you know that most of your scanning will involve larger spaces, you may want to start with a set of 200mm. The additional range may be very useful, but the same crate that holds 6 200mm spheres will also hold 12 150mm - so a few with more range, or a lot more and maybe you add a few more scans - your call.
250mm spheres or possibly a 360mm can help tie together really large jobs - they can act as a central registration point between groups of more detailed scans, or in the center of large industrial spaces, or maybe you need to scan across a small valley or gorge. But they are harder to handle - we recommend that you only use them mounted on survey tripods or similar. You'll be very glad to have a couple when you need them - you just may not need them very often. We ship pretty fast, and are starting to offer some rentals.
But you would never use a 250mm target if you need to get up into a drop ceiling or need to work around alot of mechanical equipment. Maybe you need to scan the inside of a vehicle, or just need registration on a large vehicle. In these cases, we offer 80mm targets that can offer excellent registration up to 20 or more feet at standard resolutions. These smaller spheres were designed for trajectory analysis, but areeasy to pack and carry in large quantity, so if purchased with our magnetic stand-off rods, can be very useful in certain situations.
So when choosing between the sizes, you need to think about all of these things -- the ideal size for your distance and resolution, the safety and convenience of carrying the spheres, and the difference between sizes. Good combinations are lots of 150s, or a fair number of 150s with a couple of 250s, or a fair number of 200s maybe with one 400. The 200s also work pretty well with the Faro 139mm spheres, if you already have a bunch of those, and you may not want to mix 139mm with Koppa 150mm spheres. The 80mm will work with anything, but will be much more limited in range.
Ultimately, you'll want a variety of sizes, so you can grab the best tools for the job at hand, then go get it done. Koppa Targets are priced to make that practical. And even if you end up upgrading your scanner, your computer, your software, your truck or your headquarters - you'll still be happily using your Koppa Targets for years to come.
So why do we offer the other sizes?
Simple - you can get better recognition at greater distances with a larger sphere. Much of that is dependent on the resolution you scan at, and the general conditions you are scanning under, so it's hard to give specific numbers - but the larger the target, the easier it is for your registration software to automatically recognize it from further away, or at lower resolutions.
Your software will recognize multiple target sizes. This is very useful when you need to tie together small groups of scans, or when you have some areas where you need to have a lot of detail and other areas where you don't. Or you may have large areas where you only need minimal placement or volume data. Or maybe you have a couple central points that are easily visible throughout the scan area, but just a little too far away for a smaller sphere to get recognized easily. Adding some larger spheres to your tool kit can save you scanning time, while still getting great registration and fit.
Alternately, large spheres can clutter a site. Using 250mm spheres inside a small room would make removing them from your picture data much more challenging, while 80mm spheres will almost disappear. Because these are just simple tools, we find that over time many of our customers end up owning 2 or even 3 sizes of spheres to accommodate different scanning situations.
Your software will recognize multiple target sizes. This is very useful when you need to tie together small groups of scans, or when you have some areas where you need to have a lot of detail and other areas where you don't. Or you may have large areas where you only need minimal placement or volume data. Or maybe you have a couple central points that are easily visible throughout the scan area, but just a little too far away for a smaller sphere to get recognized easily. Adding some larger spheres to your tool kit can save you scanning time, while still getting great registration and fit.
Alternately, large spheres can clutter a site. Using 250mm spheres inside a small room would make removing them from your picture data much more challenging, while 80mm spheres will almost disappear. Because these are just simple tools, we find that over time many of our customers end up owning 2 or even 3 sizes of spheres to accommodate different scanning situations.
What are your adapters used for?
All our standard Koppa Targets come with a magnetic base. They work as-is in many places. But not everything in the world is ferrous, or even if it is, it may not be the ideal place to put a sphere. So we've developed a few adapters that make placing spheres in the optimal locations on your jobs fast and easy.
Camera Tripod Adapter
This is the adapter that ships automatically with all of our 150mm, 200mm, and 250mm spheres. It's a simple 2" steel disc (the same size as our standard magnetic base) with a 1/4-20 nut welded in the center. This simple adapter will thread onto any standard camera tripod or other camera mount, and you instantly have a sphere mount. Camera tripods are light weight, inexpensive, and give you tremendous flexibility when placing your targets for optimal inclusion in multiple scan locations. With this simple adapter you get access to hundreds of inexpensive camera mounting tools, giving you innumerable options for sphere mounting. That can save you a lot of time. But this adapter also has other uses - it can be attached to many surfaces with either a single sheet-rock style screw, or spring toggle, or even a powder activated fastener to offer semi-permanent mount locations for multi-day jobs, or for re-referencing target locations when re-scanning on weekly, monthly, or even an annual basis. It also is the basis for some of the specialty mounts we've helped design.
Survey style base
This is a new base that we offer standard on our 150, 200, and 250mm targets, This base is machined delrin, with a ⅝-11 thread in the center, so these targets can be directly mounted on tribrachs or survey poles, and have an exact offset from base to target center. This base is designed for use in mixed workflows that may involve TotalStations or other laser based measuring tools.
Prism Adapter
These are available in a few styles, and we recommend you call us to get details.
Traffic Cone Adapter
This mount is specifically designed to allow you to mount a target on top of a traffic cone. Traffic cones can make excellent mount points, and are inexpensive - in fact, there may be quite a few on most jobs before you show up. They also are quite visible, and may be more durable on construction sites than a camera tripod may be. These are available individually, or in sets, and are standard in our Target Mount Kit. This is one accessory everyone should keep with their Koppa Targets!
Flexi Tripods
These are available with a 5/8 stud on top so they thread directly onto our 150, 200, or 250mm targets. The legs have a wire core with foam rubber coating, allowing the, to be easily attached to pipes, conduits, handrails, tree branches, or a wide range of objects that could prove difficult to attach a target to..
We would love to help you solve any mount problems and work with your specific needs. Please contact us to make a custom product for you!
Camera Tripod Adapter
This is the adapter that ships automatically with all of our 150mm, 200mm, and 250mm spheres. It's a simple 2" steel disc (the same size as our standard magnetic base) with a 1/4-20 nut welded in the center. This simple adapter will thread onto any standard camera tripod or other camera mount, and you instantly have a sphere mount. Camera tripods are light weight, inexpensive, and give you tremendous flexibility when placing your targets for optimal inclusion in multiple scan locations. With this simple adapter you get access to hundreds of inexpensive camera mounting tools, giving you innumerable options for sphere mounting. That can save you a lot of time. But this adapter also has other uses - it can be attached to many surfaces with either a single sheet-rock style screw, or spring toggle, or even a powder activated fastener to offer semi-permanent mount locations for multi-day jobs, or for re-referencing target locations when re-scanning on weekly, monthly, or even an annual basis. It also is the basis for some of the specialty mounts we've helped design.
Survey style base
This is a new base that we offer standard on our 150, 200, and 250mm targets, This base is machined delrin, with a ⅝-11 thread in the center, so these targets can be directly mounted on tribrachs or survey poles, and have an exact offset from base to target center. This base is designed for use in mixed workflows that may involve TotalStations or other laser based measuring tools.
Prism Adapter
These are available in a few styles, and we recommend you call us to get details.
Traffic Cone Adapter
This mount is specifically designed to allow you to mount a target on top of a traffic cone. Traffic cones can make excellent mount points, and are inexpensive - in fact, there may be quite a few on most jobs before you show up. They also are quite visible, and may be more durable on construction sites than a camera tripod may be. These are available individually, or in sets, and are standard in our Target Mount Kit. This is one accessory everyone should keep with their Koppa Targets!
Flexi Tripods
These are available with a 5/8 stud on top so they thread directly onto our 150, 200, or 250mm targets. The legs have a wire core with foam rubber coating, allowing the, to be easily attached to pipes, conduits, handrails, tree branches, or a wide range of objects that could prove difficult to attach a target to..
We would love to help you solve any mount problems and work with your specific needs. Please contact us to make a custom product for you!
How do I place an order?
We can also take an order in a few ways:
If you need paperwork to submit to your purchasing department, just let us know what you need.
- Go to our Store page, which accepts most payment forms!
- Email, call or contact us through our Contact form and we will email you a custom invoice.
- Koppa Targets are available directly thru Faro and some Faro dealers.
If you need paperwork to submit to your purchasing department, just let us know what you need.
Are you available through retailers?
We're now available through Faro, so your dealer can order them for you, and some dealers carry Koppa Targets as well. You'll get the fastest service and best prices buying directly from us, however.