2D Is Against My Religion with Michal Gula

Michal Gula

2D Is Against My Religion is the podcast of 2DIAMR, the media company for the 3D and spatial-tech industry. Michal Gula interviews founders, CEOs and practitioners about reality capture, laser scanning, LiDAR, SLAM and mobile mapping, Gaussian splatting, digital twins, scan-to-BIM and spatial AI – including live episodes from INTERGEO. Transcripts, key ideas and tech guides: https://www.2diamr.com – newsletter: https://www.2diamr.com/newsletter/

  1. 1d ago

    SLAM will never replace terrestrial scanning – Aden Zhang, XGRIDS

    Aden Zhang is Sales Director for Asia Pacific at XGRIDS, with a survey background and four years at the company. At INTERGEO 2026 he brought the L3, the follow-up to the L2, which per Aden shipped around 4,000 units last year. We go through what changed: a built-in screen instead of the phone mount, a double base plate for closing SLAM loops, a larger camera sensor for Gaussian splatting, and the accuracy figures XGRIDS markets from its white paper. Then the uncomfortable part. Aden says SLAM will never replace terrestrial scanning, that newcomers who scan 80 minutes without loop closures get poor accuracy, that Gaussian splatting is not for cadastral survey, and that making LCC more closed last year was a mistake XGRIDS has since corrected. Open question: should a SLAM scanner ever be someone's first scanner? Recorded live at INTERGEO 2026 in the 3DISE podcast studio. Hosts: Michal Gula and Tomáš Barnáš. Guest: Aden Zhang, XGRIDS. Chapters:0:00 Aden Zhang, XGRIDS sales in Asia Pacific1:16 80% of new products are handheld LiDAR2:20 Why the double base plate matters for SLAM4:27 A screen instead of the phone mount5:22 Bigger camera sensor for Gaussian splatting6:54 SLAM accuracy and noise claims8:23 Drone mounting, but no aerial LiDAR9:44 Splats are not for cadastral survey10:54 Should newcomers buy SLAM?12:33 80 minutes without loop closures14:31 What comes after PortalCam15:18 Why scanners skip better cameras18:30 16 vs 32 channels: density, not accuracy19:37 Closing LCC was a mistake22:15 Chinese vendors and the rest of the world23:38 Wrap-up

  2. 2d ago

    Cesium open source: why giving it away became the sales funnel

    Danny Williams was part of Cesium, the small company behind the open source 3D geospatial platform, when Bentley Systems acquired it. Before Cesium he worked at Epic Games, when Epic acquired the RealityCapture company, so he has seen acquisitions from both sides of the table. We talk about Patrick Cozzi's decision to make Cesium open source when everybody asked how it would make money, why that open source code now feeds the commercial business, and why Cesium chose Bentley. Then Bentley itself: 40 years in software, an early idea of a 3D modelling tool for furniture, a catalog of software tools in the hundreds, a consumption-based E365 license and a new mobile app for reality capture. Plus the ContextCapture, iTwin Capture and RealityScan naming confusion, and aerial photogrammetry from balloons before drones. Open question: when a company buys instead of builds, who makes all those tools work as one? Recorded live at INTERGEO 2026 in the 3DISE podcast studio. Hosts: Michal Gula and Tomáš Barnáš. Guest: Danny Williams, Cesium (Bentley Systems). Chapters:0:00 Danny Williams, from Cesium to Bentley0:43 What changes after an acquisition2:15 Why Cesium went open source3:03 Open source as a funnel, not a risk3:40 Why Bentley was the right home5:08 Where is my Bentley car?5:59 From furniture tool to infrastructure7:08 Platform: where new tech is incubated7:47 Hundreds of software tools8:47 Buy, don't build: Bentley's model10:38 One environment for disparate data11:19 E365: one license, pay per use12:32 A mobile app for reality capture14:10 From ContextCapture to iTwin Capture15:14 RealityScan naming and the Epic years16:33 Balloons and film cameras before drones18:02 Wrap-up

  3. 4d ago

    Trimble Connect: point clouds, 360 images and AI search in one place

    Gregor Willhauck has been at Trimble since 2010, when Trimble acquired the eCognition business of Definiens, the image analysis startup founded by Nobel laureate Gerd Binnig. Since then he has worked in product management on photogrammetry and laser scanning software and on rugged handhelds, and he now runs go-to-market for cloud for field systems, which at Trimble means Trimble Connect. We talk about how a BIM collaboration platform became the place for point clouds and 360 imagery, how a prefab wall maker in Canada checks rebar against a scan before the wall arrives, Gaussian splats for UAV data (still in development), AI search over project data, and the ST30 with a laser in the pole that measures the prism height. Then the uncomfortable ones: why Trimble has no SLAM scanner, why Scandinavia uses reality capture in the cloud more than the US, and Gregor's answer to which TLS to buy: the hardware is, in a way, exchangeable. Recorded live at INTERGEO 2026 in the 3DISE podcast studio. Hosts: Michal Gula and Tomáš Barnáš. Guest: Gregor Willhauck, Trimble. Chapters:0:00 First INTERGEO in 2000 with eCognition0:42 Joining Trimble through an acquisition1:22 Definiens: a Nobel laureate and two exits4:21 From software to rugged hardware5:45 Trimble Ventures and startups7:41 Skunk works: a modular hardware platform8:57 Cloud for field systems: Trimble Connect10:06 Why architects use Trimble Connect11:12 Scan vs. model before the wall arrives12:52 Gaussian splats for UAV data13:35 Splats are still in development14:14 AI search instead of manual filters16:11 What usage data shows about customers17:15 No MCP yet: AI agents on project data17:59 Connecting the physical and digital19:08 ST30: a laser in the prism pole20:46 Harder than rocket science21:59 Why Trimble has no SLAM scanner24:15 Scandinavia ahead of the US in the cloud27:29 Which TLS to buy? The ecosystem28:40 How SketchUp came from Google29:28 Why architects still use SketchUp31:12 Wrap-up

  4. Oct 23

    SLAM scanner range: 70 m on paper, 50 m of good data | FJD

    Eduard Chiru has spent two and a half years at FJD, after getting to know its SLAM scanners at a surveying company in Bucharest that resold them. He spends about 30% of his time travelling to shows, 3DISE included. FJD brought five scanners to INTERGEO, from entry-level devices at around 3 cm accuracy to the T1, which works as a handheld SLAM scanner and, on a tripod, as a TLS with 4 mm at 10 m. We talk about what the X1 does for site managers (tasks from the cloud, AI floor plans, voice notes translated by AI), why TLS mode is an algorithm switch and not a hardware one, and the honest numbers: on the X1, a 70 m range gives you about 50 m of good data day to day, per Eduard. Then the speed limits for walking, car and drone mounts, what happens when you scan from a scooter in handheld mode, and how FJD wants to stand out when most SLAM scanners look the same. Recorded live at INTERGEO 2026 in the 3DISE podcast studio. Hosts: Michal Gula and Tomáš Barnáš. Guest: Eduard Chiru, FJD. Chapters:0:00 A contact zoo at INTERGEO0:48 From a Bucharest reseller to FJD1:39 Six or seven shows a year2:40 Five new scanners at INTERGEO3:44 The X1: tasks sent from the cloud4:52 Automatic 2D floor plans with AI6:15 Voice notes translated by AI7:38 T1: SLAM and TLS in one device8:37 TLS mode is an algorithm switch10:13 One or two minutes per station11:05 How much of the range is usable?12:54 Drone, car and robo-dog mounts13:13 Speed limits from 1 m/s to 20 km/h14:15 Scanning from a scooter15:32 More SLAM companies every year17:36 AI beyond the chat window18:16 Wrap-up

  5. Oct 22

    Point clouds, Gaussian splats and BIM in one scene | NUBIGON

    Bert Azizoglu is the CEO and co-founder of NUBIGON, desktop software for rendering reality capture data. Its users are mostly service providers and scanning professionals who need to explain their data to clients. INTERGEO 2026 was NUBIGON's first trade show with its own booth. We talk about why NUBIGON stayed offline while others build web viewers (Bert says an online application is coming, and some clients in critical infrastructure prefer data that never leaves their side), about hybrid scenes that put point clouds, Gaussian splats, meshes, CAD and BIM models in one place so they validate each other, and about context: why renders usually show a design in a vacuum when most of Europe is already built. Bert's sharpest point: even when employees look at the data, decision-makers rarely do. And a reality capture dataset shows one moment in time, so how do you analyze sun exposure on buildings that already exist? Recorded live at INTERGEO 2026 in the 3DISE podcast studio. Hosts: Michal Gula and Tomáš Barnáš. Guest: Bert Azizoglu, NUBIGON. Chapters:0:00 First INTERGEO with a booth1:22 Running a booth with a small team2:30 Who NUBIGON works for4:17 Sun exposure on existing buildings5:23 Offline software vs. web viewers7:08 Renders for decisions, not only marketing7:44 Point clouds, splats and BIM in one scene8:47 Data stays on the client side9:42 Designs are not made in a vacuum11:30 Clients never open the delivered data12:35 Decision-makers rarely look at the data13:50 Next: online viewer and night renders14:23 One moment in time vs. changing buildings15:40 Sun exposure mapping per surface15:59 Wrap-up

    Point clouds, Gaussian splats and BIM in one scene | NUBIGON

  6. Oct 20

    Can You Outsource LinkedIn? A LinkedIn Agency Founder Answers

    Can you outsource LinkedIn? Sergej Pavljuk, founder of StoryMatters.online and a LinkedIn communication specialist with almost 10 years of agency work, argues with Michal Gula about whether technical experts should run their own LinkedIn or hand it to an agency. What you get:- Why 2 hours a day on LinkedIn adds up to roughly 1,000 hours a year, and when that is too expensive for an expert- Coaching vs. outsourcing: what each costs and what a client actually gets (20 to 30 relevant meetings a year, first leads after about four months)- How Sales Navigator Smart Links show who read your PDF, for how long and which pages- Warm outreach conversion: about 10% to a meeting in European manufacturing, 15% in the US- What gets profiles banned: automation tools, AI comments, even an AdBlock extension- Why reposts are invisible in the feed, why posts under 600 characters underperform, and why emojis, hashtags and long dashes now read as AI Sergej Pavljuk runs StoryMatters.online, an agency that writes, targets and measures LinkedIn communication for SMB and corporate clients in Central Europe. Michal Gula built a 99,000-follower audience in 3D and spatial tech doing his LinkedIn himself. Chapters:0:00 Highlights1:04 Why a LinkedIn episode on 2DIAMR2:29 Can you outsource LinkedIn?6:19 1,000 hours a year on LinkedIn12:11 How an agency writes posts that sound like you18:02 Is the prompt the secret? Knowledge vs. execution20:10 Coaching vs. outsourcing: the two pills22:37 Who it pays off for: 20-30 meetings a year25:01 Tracking warm readers with Sales Navigator30:31 Outreach conversion: 10% Europe, 15% US35:16 What raises your success rate37:18 Ideal client: SMB vs. corporate41:35 Why clients quit: the six-month rule45:36 LinkedIn brings meetings, not buyers51:02 Red lines: no attacking competitors55:56 AI comments, automation and bans1:02:24 Shadow bans and reaching LinkedIn support1:07:30 Beginner tip: never repost others1:10:28 When reposting your own post works1:14:15 Why short text posts underperform1:16:17 Show the algorithm your target group1:19:07 AI slop and deliberate imperfection1:23:34 Emojis, hashtags, dashes flagged as AI1:24:59 Viewer questions: links and video1:27:50 Will LinkedIn get a short-video feed?1:32:10 Hashtags are dead; match profile and posts1:35:51 Open profile and the Services section1:37:45 Final advice: ROI and consistency

  7. Oct 19

    NavVis VLX 4 and CLX: what the new Hesai LiDAR changes

    Michael Schölkopf is Director of Product Management, Reality Capture at NavVis. NavVis came to INTERGEO with two new devices: the CLX, launched on 1 September after about 26 months of development, and the VLX 4, which got its official go the Thursday before the show and went live on the website about 16 hours before INTERGEO opened. We get into how a five-month project stayed secret, what the new Hesai LiDAR changes (a beam spot about 90% smaller, true resolution down from 5 to 3 mm, 1.7 million points per second, an estimated 4 mm accuracy per the preliminary spec), why the VLX 3 is still his recommendation for long-range outdoor work, and why NavVis takes orders for the VLX 4 without committing to a delivery date. Plus the Experience Park, where any brand could scan, and the question Michal asked him to answer honestly: would NavVis hand over benchmark data to a competitor? Recorded live at INTERGEO 2026 in the 3DISE podcast studio. Hosts: Michal Gula and Tomáš Barnáš. Guest: Michael Schölkopf, NavVis. Chapters:0:00 35 minutes with the new NavVis CLX0:56 26 months of CLX development1:57 No leaks, not even for ChatGPT2:52 VLX 4, a five-month secret4:44 Decided Thursday, launched Monday6:35 Why take the risk?7:48 A LiDAR built for reality capture10:23 Order today, no delivery date11:32 Accuracy, density and points per second13:10 Same cameras, better algorithms13:43 Why two LiDARs on the bottom15:13 Where the VLX 3 still wins17:20 Walking pace and point density18:18 VLX 3 vs VLX 4 side by side19:39 The Experience Park21:27 Would NavVis go this big in Frankfurt?22:49 Who should test VLX 4 and CLX23:29 Other brands in the Experience Park24:27 Would NavVis share benchmark data?25:02 Wrap-up

  8. Oct 17

    Scanner users want answers, not point clouds – Manifold Tech & FARO INSIGHT | 3DISE @ INTERGEO #10

    Three guests on one couch: John Chwalibog, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Manifold Tech, Dr. Fan Yang, COO of Manifold Tech, and Tobias Böhret of FARO INSIGHT, who has worked at FARO for more than 20 years and leads product marketing. They came to talk about the partnership between the two companies and the product that came out of it, the Rovi i.1 handheld SLAM scanner. Manifold Tech was founded in 2022 in Hong Kong and comes from robotics. We ask why an established laser scanning company partners instead of spending years on its own hardware, and why FARO picked Manifold. Tobias says this show used to be about accuracy and precision and is now about new customers; John describes a prosumer user who wants answers, not point clouds. Fan explains the Rovi i.1's visual SLAM enhanced by LiDAR, why it keeps working in long featureless tunnels, and why Gaussian splatting does not need 50-megapixel images. Also covered: splats processed in FARO's cloud, the Rovi i.1 bundled into a three-year subscription with cloud and desktop software, and whether the accessory cameras block the LiDAR. Recorded live at INTERGEO 2026 in the 3DISE podcast studio. Hosts: Michal Gula and Tomáš Barnáš. Guests: John Chwalibog and Dr. Fan Yang (Manifold Tech), Tobias Böhret (FARO INSIGHT). Chapters:0:00 Three guests, one couch0:14 Tobias Böhret: 20 years at FARO1:05 John Chwalibog and Fan Yang, Manifold Tech2:17 The FARO and Manifold partnership3:32 Why partner instead of building hardware?4:36 From accuracy and precision to new customers5:43 The prosumer user wants answers7:14 Robust SLAM from robotics8:41 Robotics companies want splats, not point clouds9:48 Will Manifold partner with others?11:25 Gaussian splats in FARO's cloud12:36 Navigate the splat, measure the point cloud13:30 Combining Rovi i.1 data with other FARO scanners14:18 One subscription for cloud and desktop15:31 Why FARO chose Manifold17:04 Chemistry between partners18:41 Affordability: the Rovi i.1 in the subscription20:40 Inside the Rovi i.1: cameras, LiDAR, RTK22:05 Do the accessories block the LiDAR?23:14 Gaussian splats don't need 50 MP24:44 Visual SLAM enhanced by LiDAR26:07 Fusing drone data28:07 What's next for Manifold29:15 Wrap-up

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2D Is Against My Religion is the podcast of 2DIAMR, the media company for the 3D and spatial-tech industry. Michal Gula interviews founders, CEOs and practitioners about reality capture, laser scanning, LiDAR, SLAM and mobile mapping, Gaussian splatting, digital twins, scan-to-BIM and spatial AI – including live episodes from INTERGEO. Transcripts, key ideas and tech guides: https://www.2diamr.com – newsletter: https://www.2diamr.com/newsletter/

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