Reminder: Keep an eye on the GNSS signal throughout the capture. A Fixed solution is always preferable to Float or Moderate — it drives both warmup time and final accuracy.

Before you start

• Local base station: If you're running one for this capture, set it up first. See “GNSS Local Base Settings”. The base should already be logging before you begin.

Steps

1. Open the Looq app on the iPhone once it is connected to the qCam.

2. If you are still in a Wi-Fi area, tap "Check Updates" before heading out. See "Updating Your qCam" for the full process. 

3. Once the qCam is fully updated, enter a name for the capture you're about to collect. This is the name of that single point cloud, so make it something you'll recognize later.

4. Tap the ‘Create’ button to enter the main capture screen, where you'll see all four cameras streaming live.

5. Watch the GNSS warmup counter. Stand still in a clear-sky area and wait until warmup is complete before moving.

• If the GNSS signal is fixed, the warmup will take about 3 minutes.
• If the GNSS signal is moderate, the warmup will take about 5 minutes.

6. Once warmed up, press the Start button in the top-right corner to begin recording.

7. Walk the site, following the qCam Best Practices: 

• Walk in an "S" shape — sometimes called the drunken-sailor formation. A brisk walk is fine.
• To capture an entire object, walk all the way around it at two different radii; this gives a better result than a single loop.
• Looping back to your starting point helps constrain the result and improves the final point cloud.

8. To mark a specific point of interest, tap the pin-drop icon in the top-left corner. This captures the point and the scan keeps running — no need to stop.

9. When finished, press the Stop button in the top-right corner to end the scan.

10. Press ok when the popup shows.

11. If you are ready to shut down the camera, press Shut Down from the main menu.
  

Critical: Always press Stop before getting into a vehicle to move to a new location or starting a new capture — ending the scan properly is what closes out the point cloud correctly.

Critical: Always press Shut Down before unplugging the qCam from the battery.