Hi there,

September brings practical improvements to how teams export and inspect their data in SKAND. Annotation CSV exports now include latitude, longitude and height, and PanoZoom is now on by default for all users. This month’s update also previews what’s coming next, including native support for more vector formats and tiled IFC models, along with a round of fixes to make navigation, saved views and annotation tools more reliable. Here’s what’s new in SKAND this month.

New Features

Web App

Axis Locking for Drawing Tools

The drawing tools now support axis locking. Keyboard modifiers lock a line flat to the horizontal plane or to true vertical, both referenced to the Earth rather than to the slope of a floor or terrain. Level runs and clean heights are much easier to capture on real site data, and the redesigned placement target shows colour-coded axes so users can see which lock is active.

Ready to draw level runs and clean heights? See the full guide here.

PanoZoom

PanoZoom is now on by default for all users. Directional images can be zoomed in high definition without any extra setup, making it easier to inspect fine detail.

Learn how to view directional images with PanoZoom here.

Location Data in CSV Exports

CSV exports now include latitude, longitude and height for each annotation. Location data can be brought straight into GIS tools, asset registers and other downstream systems without extra processing.

Unified Loading Screen

Projects now open on a single Initializing Workspace screen that shows progress through each loading stage instead of a generic indicator. The screen also carries the account’s own logo and branding, so teams see a familiar start every time a project opens.

New System Notifications

Projects now open on a single Initializing Workspace screen that shows progress through each loading stage instead of a generic indicator. The screen also carries the account’s own logo and branding, so teams see a familiar start every time a project opens.

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Early Access

Web App

No new early access features this month. Our focus has been on getting the work in the lab ready for release, so expect more here soon.

Interested in trying features before general release? Get in touch at support@skand.io and we will be happy to set you up.

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In the lab – what we’re working on

Web App

Annotation Symbology
Users now have more control over how annotations look in the viewer. Fill opacity, line thickness, icon placement and icon size can all be adjusted, so annotations stay readable in busy scenes.

Tiled IFC Models and Gaussian Splats

We’re moving IFC models and Gaussian splats to tiled processing with SKAND’s own in-house tiler. Large BIM files and splats will stream into the viewer the same way other tiled datasets do, so they load faster and sit comfortably alongside reality capture data.

Native Vector Layers

Native support for GeoJSON, KML/KMZ, Shapefile, GeoPackage and DXF is built and being prepared for release.

2D Annotations in Image Pop-Outs

We’re bringing 2D annotation tools directly into the image pop-out. Users will be able to draw, edit and view annotation details without opening images in full screen each time. 2D annotations will also carry latitude and longitude in reports, based on the position of the associated image.

Imajing and Mosaic Dataset Import

Support for importing Imajing and Mosaic datasets is complete and moving toward release. This will make it easier to bring imagery from these capture systems into SKAND.

Smoother Panorama Transitions

A new transition effect for moving between panoramas, with eased zoom and crossfade timing, is in final testing to make walkthroughs feel more natural.

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Bug Fixes & Improvements

Web App

Viewer and navigation

• Point clouds no longer drop frames at density 1, and frame rate is now capped at 60 FPS.
• Point clouds render more densely close to the camera.
• Dynamic orthos no longer appear blurred when zoomed out.
• Gaussian splat rendering performance has been improved.
• OneMap is now available as a globe imagery option, and globe and terrain streaming has been improved.
• Fixed lines appearing when switching to the Google Earth globe view.
• Navigation no longer stops after editing and saving a polygon, or after switching from Simple View to another workspace.
• Fixed workspaces occasionally getting stuck on the initializing screen.
• Simple View now shows a collapsed secondary navigation bar.
• “Default view” has been renamed to “Advanced Workspace.”
• Changing a project’s default workspace now applies straight away.

Projects and views

• Projects without models now display a 2D map instead of an empty scene, and empty projects no longer open zoomed out to Australia.
• The project map no longer zooms out to frame Antarctica.
• Saved views now open to the correct view, and shared views no longer show an “unavailable” message.
• A saved view now requires a name before it can be saved.
• Saved views now keep the backface culling setting.
• Search fields now show a clear icon when they contain text.
• Collapsed project groups now show consistent arrow directions.
• Removed unnecessary scrollbars on the project page and in the file list.

Annotations and drawing

• Annotations load and save faster in large projects.
• The draw tool now places points exactly where users click.
• The Esc key now exits annotation tools.
• Measurement labels are hidden while an annotation point is being moved.
• The measurement tool no longer displays in black.
• Clearing a date field on an annotation no longer returns an error.

Panoramas

• Panorama markers in 3D now match the Panorama Mode V3 disc styling and highlight on hover, including when Occlude Panoramas is off.
• Clicking a panorama in the scene tree now starts the walkthrough.
• Panorama hotspots now render after returning to the Home View.
• Panorama discs outside a clipped area are now hidden in share links.
• Fixed panorama and panorama thumbnail requests that occasionally timed out.

Files and settings

• Settings sections can now be collapsed to keep panels tidy.
• Datum and vertical datum folders are now locked to prevent accidental changes.
• Files in the layer files modal now display without delay.
• PDF floor plans no longer appear upside down when georeferencing.

SKAND AI

• The AI Inspection model list now loads in seconds rather than up to 15 seconds, and the Datasets tab opens faster.
• Arrow buttons now make it easier to step through images in AI Inspection.
• Annotations can now be shown or hidden in AI Inspection datasets.
• Fixed approvals losing the template option and merged predictions disappearing on reload.

Beyond these updates, we’ve been busy under the hood with performance and infrastructure work to keep SKAND fast and reliable. Stay tuned for what’s coming next.

As always, we’d love to hear your feedback. Dive into the new updates today and let us know what you think!

The SKAND Team