Profiling Mode

Profiling mode is used for capturing main profiles and details.

Icon	Description	Toggle behavior
	Capture Profile	Repeated clicks switch the mode on and off. When off, the current work state is displayed.

The screen is divided into two panes. The left pane shows a live drawing of the detected profile, while the right pane displays two stacked live views — one from the top camera and one from the bottom camera.

Reliable profile capture requires configuring several parameters related to camera exposure and laser line detection. The animation below shows an example of a complete profiling setup. Start with Initial Settings to replicate it.

Initial Settings

As a starting point, set Sensitivity to 50% and AutoSmooth to 0.

Positioning the Fragment

Position the fragment in the working area of the LAP device, in the center of the glass pane, close to the edge. The fragment may be placed directly on the glass surface or held slightly above it.

Setting the Camera Region

Click the Reset () button to display the full frame, then click and drag to define a region around the fragment. Repeat for both camera views.

💡Tip: Use the right mouse button to reposition the region borders.

Tuning Camera Exposure

Use the sliders to set camera exposure. Start at the maximum value and gradually lower it until the live view is free of overexposure artifacts. Repeat for both camera views.

Adjusting Sensitivity

With the exposure set, adjust the detection sensitivity to match the signal. Set Sensitivity to a level where the laser line is detected cleanly.

Adjusting Smoothness

Raise Auto Smooth only as much as needed to filter out random noise — keeping it as low as possible to preserve the fine surface detail of the fragment.

ℹ️ Note: Further smoothing can always be applied to an already captured shape from the main drawing screen using the Smoothen tool ().

Show Points

Use the Show Points checkbox to distinguish measured points from interpolated segments. Brown indicates a true measured point; green indicates an interpolated line.

💡Tip: Aim for as many brown measured points as possible. Experiment with sample position and settings until the live signal is optimal.

Fragment Filter

Enable the Fragment Filter to remove stray segments caused by reflections or other unwanted light sources. Where possible, use the camera region to eliminate the interference at its source.

High Contrast Mode

In High Contrast mode, the software acquires camera images in pairs - one with the laser on, one with the laser off. Processing only the difference between each pair removes ambient light from the signal, enabling reliable profiling in challenging situations:

• Strong ambient light, including direct sunlight
• High dynamic range of laser line intensity across the profile, common with glossy surfaces

ℹ️ Note: High Contrast mode is supported only by recent LAP units with serial numbers LAP292 and later. The electronics in older LAP units are available for upgrade to support the HC mode.

Dealing with Glossy Surfaces

Profiling glossy surfaces - such as metallic objects or glazed pottery - may require specific adjustments to achieve optimal quality, particularly when the glaze is dark. Such surfaces present two common challenges:

• Laser line reflections: In addition to the primary laser line reflection used for profile acquisition, glossy surfaces may produce secondary reflections.
• High dynamic range: The apparent intensity of the laser line can vary greatly across different parts of the profile.

For laser line reflections, the primary options are lowering the camera exposure to make secondary reflections invisible, or lowering the sensitivity to exclude them from detection.

For high dynamic range, set Sensitivity as high as possible to capture even the darker areas of the profile. If dark areas remain below visibility, increasing exposure may help bring them out — sometimes at the expense of oversaturating the brighter spots. The most effective approach is enabling high-contrast mode to minimize ambient light interference, which may allow reliable detection even at higher sensitivity settings. Eliminating ambient light physically is also an option — e.g., working in a darkened room.