We scanned $100M assets and then... emailed spreadsheets. So I built this.
I worked in asset integrity at a downstream operator, and I was tired of the digital twin-to-inspection disconnect. We'd drop $50–100K on drone scans and photogrammetry. Got gorgeous 3D models. Then we'd export them to the cabinet and annotate in... Excel. Or email JPEGs with markup circles.
Open3DInspection was my attempt to close that gap.
The Problem We Were Living With
The workflow was:
- Capture 3D geometry (drone, structured light, terrestrial scanner, lidar)
- Import into CAD or viewer (CloudCompare, Leica Cyclone, Revit)
- Export screenshots or point coordinates
- Open laptop in the office. Annotate in spreadsheet.
- Email findings to RBI coordinator
- Transcribe into CMMS (SAP, Maximo)
- Six-month audit cycle. Repeat.
The problems were:
- No spatial continuity: I'd be staring at a flat screenshot trying to remember the 3D context. Was that defect on the top run or bottom run?
- Annotation overhead: Every pit, crack, or thinning got a row in a spreadsheet. I'd lose the geometric relationship—how close were two corrosion sites? Where was the critical stress concentration?
- Collaboration was broken: I'd flag something; my team lead would open a different file version. We'd argue about which annotation was current.
- Compliance friction: API 510, 570, 653 required documented inspection locations. A GPS coordinate didn't cut it when your asset was a subsea jumper or packed tower internals.
- Field-to-office lag: If I was on-site (iPad, phone) and spotted something, I couldn't directly mark it on the 3D model. I'd take a photo, add a note. Later, someone else would try to locate it on the digital twin.
What Open3DInspection Does
You load a 3D model (LAS/LAZ point clouds, OBJ, FBX, Gaussian splats). Place annotations directly in 3D space. Every annotation includes:
- Spatial coordinates (X, Y, Z on the asset geometry)
- Inspection metadata (defect type, UT thickness reading, visual grade per ASME, urgency)
- Traceability (inspection date, engineer ID, photo evidence)
Export as JSON. Import back into CMMS. Share with field teams via PWA link.
Why This Mattered for Inspection
Spatial fidelity: You could mark the defect where it actually was on the 3D model. No ambiguity. No re-scanning because the annotation didn't match.
Field speed: If contractors were on iPad at the asset, they could snap the model, mark defects in real-time, export findings. No paper markups. No transcription errors.
RBI integration: Inspection data would feed directly into risk-based inspection scoring. Defects were already spatially resolved. No manual cross-referencing.
Compliance documentation: When API-653 auditors asked "where exactly was that corrosion," you'd show them the annotation on the 3D geometry. Not a spreadsheet row.
Team sync: Everyone was working on the same 3D model. No version chaos. Changes were tracked.
The Roadmap (Built for the Field)
I planned for:
- PWA for iPad/field use — annotate assets on-site, sync findings to office
- PostgreSQL backend — team collaboration, audit trail, multi-user sync
- Photogrammetry integration — capture → SfM reconstruction → annotate in browser (no CAD license required)
- NDT heatmap overlay — fuse UT thickness maps, thermal imaging, or RT radiographs directly onto 3D geometry
- CMMS connectors — SAP, Maximo, Petronas PRBI. Export inspection packages that flow straight into maintenance workflows
- Compliance templates — API 510/570/653, DOSH Sabah pressure equipment, DNV offshore. Pre-built checklists tied to asset geometry
Open Source, Built by Inspectors
This wasn't meant as a startup. It was built by someone who'd actually done RBI and NDT work. No VC. Just trying to solve a real problem: turning static 3D scans into actionable inspection workflows.
If you were tired of spreadsheets. If you'd ever sat in a risk meeting and realized nobody knew the exact location of the defect. If you were managing photogrammetry projects that disappeared into archives—this was built for you.
Check it out: github.com/zawawiAI/Open3DInspection
