BLK360 Setup
First set your tripod at the desired height. For normal scanning we recommend eye-level height (around 66 in or 1.6 m).
If your goal is a great virtual tour experience through 3D Showcase, keep it at the same eye-level height while scanning the site. End-users (visitors to the virtual tour) may find height transitions uncomfortable. Learn more.
If your goal is a great, high-quality point cloud then you can be more flexible on the heights and angles of the BLK360. For example, you can place the BLK360 at different heights to capture HVAC installs on tall ceilings or small utility closets under a staircase. The BLK360 can even be placed at odd angles or upside-down.
Next, take the BLK360 out of its clear case and insert the BLK360 Tripod Adaptor.
Connect to the BLK360
Press the power button on the back of the BLK360 to turn it on. The device will take about 20 seconds to warm-up. The LED will turn solid green to indicate it is ready. Take out your iPad. For the Matterport/Leica integration we support the following iPads:
- iPad Air 2
- iPad Pro (1st and 2nd generation)
- iPad (6th generation)
Learn how to identify your current iPad model. Use the best iPad that you can. BLK360 models have more data than normal Matterport scans, so they require a better iPad that has a lot of RAM.
Open Settings on your iPad. Select the WiFi network for the BLK360. The name of the WiFi network is BLK-35XXXXX, where the last five digits are the camera’s serial number. The password for the WiFi network is located on the battery compartment inside the camera.
We strongly recommend carrying a spare battery for the BLK360.
To check your Leica BLK360 firmware, first connect the scanner to your iPad via WiFi. Open the menu in Matterport Capture, and then tap Camera Firmware to see the current version number. Learn how to update the firmware on the Leica BLK360.
Prepare to Scan
Open Matterport Capture. Tap the 3-line Menu icon in the top-left to check that you are connected to the BLK360.
Create a new model or open an existing model.
Plan your Scan Path
Plan your path through the site. Walk through the site before you start scanning to make sure everything is accessible.
Each new BLK360 scan must have a line-of-sight and be within a certain distance from a previous scan. This is so the Matterport Capture app can properly align it. The distance between scans depends on the surrounding environment:
| Environment | Typical Distance | Maximum Distance |
| Wide open spaces | 30 ft (9 m) | 60 ft (18 m) |
| Detailed indoor environments | 10 ft (3 m) | 20 ft (6 m) |
| Aligning to Pro or Pro2 scans | 6 ft (2 m) | 12 ft (4 m) |