Urban Design: How ISL Used XGRIDS 3DGS to Transform Stakeholder Engagement

Case Studies2025.05.297 min read

ISL Engineering reduced urban visualization time from weeks to hours using XGRIDS L2 Pro scanner and 3D Gaussian Splatting technology. The solution captured 500m of Edmonton's Jasper Avenue with centimeter-level accuracy in 40 minutes, enabled real-time stakeholder interaction, and eliminated approximately 80 hours of modeling work while improving public engagement.

The Visualization Challenge: Bringing Designs to Life Before Breaking Ground

When ISL Engineering, a leading civil engineering company in Western Canada, faced the task of presenting Edmonton's Imagine Jasper Avenue Phase 2 to the public, they confronted a fundamental problem: how to show stakeholders something that doesn't exist yet.

Jasper Avenue: A Historic Corridor Meets Modern Visualization Challenges

Jasper Avenue has been Edmonton's commercial heart since 1871, featuring a complex urban fabric of heritage buildings, modern high-rises, and diverse architectural styles. As both a transportation corridor and commercial hub, its revitalization called for visualization technology that could accurately represent this complexity.

Archival Edmonton maps from 1912 and 1977 documenting the urban design history of Jasper Avenue

Driscoll & Knight's Map of the City of Edmonton Province of Alberta

https://cityarchives.gov.edmonton.ab.ca/driscoll-knights-map-of-the-city-of-edmonton-province-of-alberta

Edmonton, Canada: Official Visitor Map

https://cityarchives.gov.edmonton.ab.ca/edmonton-canada-official-visitor-map

Civic infrastructure dashboard mapping amenities and walk radius across the Jasper Avenue planning area

Current day Jasper Avenue - Civil Infrastructure, Measuring Main Streets

https://measuringmainstreets.ca/casestudies/edmonton/jasperavenue/

"Our traditional visualization workflow hit three critical bottlenecks," explains Arthur Chin, Senior 3D Visualization Specialist at ISL. "First, capturing existing conditions required multiple days of field work with specialized equipment. Second, processing this data into usable models consumed weeks of expert time. Finally, even after all this work, our visualization options were limited to less accurate reality capture workflows that failed to convey the street-level experience stakeholders needed to provide meaningful feedback."

Previous attempts to solve this using Cesium's Google Earth tilesets did not provide enough visual fidelity. "The quality of these tilesets becomes less detailed the closer we are to street level," notes Chin. Without accurate context, stakeholders struggled to visualize how proposed improvements would integrate with existing buildings.

The XGRIDS Solution: Capture to Visualization in Hours

Rather than spending weeks creating adequate 3D models of existing buildings or settling for low-resolution environment tiles, ISL implemented a streamlined reality capture workflow built around three core XGRIDS technologies:

XGRIDS Lixel L2 Pro Scanner: SLAM-based LiDAR+vision capture device
LCC Studio: Automated 3D Gaussian Splatting processing software
LCC for Unreal Plugin: Integration tool for bringing 3DGS models into Unreal Engine

ISL workflow table from Lixel L2 Pro capture and LCC Studio processing to Unreal Engine visualization

ISL Workflow Deep-Dive
Stage	Tool	Key Actions	Time Spent
Capture	XGRIDS L2 Pro	Sidewalk sweep both sides, cross at design-critical intersections	40 min
Process	LCC Studio	Automatic registration & splat generation (single 500 m sweep)	≈ 7 h (overnight)
Integrate	Civil 3D + 3DS Max	Adjust 3D design model to match 3DGS model	3 h
Visualize	UE 5.4 + LCC4Unreal	Import splat, apply clipping volumes, merge design model	3 h
Present	Sim Civ-E	Laptop + projector + game controllers at public open house	Same day

This end-to-end solution enabled ISL to:

Capture 500m × 50m of urban landscape with centimeter-level accuracy
Process raw data into 3DGS models with overnight automation
Integrate 3DGS models with Civil 3D design files in Unreal Engine
Create an interactive experience with first-person, vehicle, and aerial perspectives

Traditional vs. XGRIDS Workflow Comparison

Process Stage	Traditional Method	XGRIDS Solution	Improvement
Field capture	2-3 days, multi-person team, dozens of scanner setups	40 minutes, single operator walking	97% time reduction
Data processing	1-2 weeks manual registration & meshing	Overnight automated processing	90% labor reduction
Context modeling	80+ hours creating approximate building models	Eliminated - captured directly	100% labor reduction
Accuracy	3-5 cm after survey tie-in	< 3 cm without RTK	40% accuracy improvement
Stakeholder experience	Static renders & presentation boards	Interactive real-time navigation with game controller input	Qualitative improvement

"The overall site scan and processing was completed in around 7 hours with processing done overnight and automated," notes Chin. "This was a massive time savings which provided results not comparable to traditional modelling techniques."

Explore interactive flythrough: https://lcc-viewer.xgrids.com/pub/dbtift-jasperave

"The 3DGS model lined up very well in X,Y,Z positions at each end of the 3D design model without any manipulation or adjustment," Chin explains. "This validated the position and extents of our design model which is based on CAD coordinates."

Putting Citizens in the Driver's Seat: Interactive Public Engagement

Residents at a public open house watching a projected streetscape walkthrough presented by an ISL engineer

ISL presented the combined model to the public with an innovative, hands-on approach. At a pre-construction event, attendees were able to navigate through a projected visualization of the future streetscape themselves using the interactive model.

Project highlights screen showing the Jasper Avenue Phase 1A design overlaid on aerial imagery

"With the ability to move anywhere within the design model in Sim Civ-E, attendees were able to navigate directly to specific areas of interest to view the project design at those locations," says Chin.

What made this experience unique was the ability to experience the design from various perspectives:

Aerial View: Drone mode for a comprehensive overview

Drone-mode view of the 3DGS streetscape model with the proposed roadway, transit lane and boulevard trees

Human Scale: Walking mode for the pedestrian experience

Pedestrian-level walkthrough of the photorealistic digital twin, showing new benches, paving and tree pits

Time/Weather simulation: Experience changes in lighting simulating day and night

Time and weather controls adjusting lighting in the real-time reality capture scene of a retail frontage

Driver's Perspective: Vehicle mode for assessing parking, turn radiuses, and traffic flow

Vehicle mode driving an ISL pickup through the interactive 3D model to check sightlines and turning space

The collision properties of the XGRIDS 3DGS model provided natural boundaries for vehicle travel, enhancing the realism of the experience.

Real-World Results: Transforming Stakeholder Engagement

The implementation delivered immediate, measurable benefits for the Jasper Avenue project:

Accelerated the reality capture model timeline from 2+ weeks to less than 24 hours
Eliminated approximately 80 hours of manual context modeling work
Improved spatial accuracy to within 3cm of CAD coordinates without adjustments
Enhanced stakeholder feedback quality through interactive exploration
"The cost savings of not having to create site models but rather use the 3DGS as the site models is significant. This technology is quickly becoming the preferred method of integrating project designs into reality capture for our projects." - Arthur Chin, ISL Engineering

Implementation Guide: Getting Started With 3DGS for Streetscape Visualization

Based on ISL's experience, engineering and planning firms can follow this streamlined approach to implement XGRIDS technology:

Start with a pilot project: Begin with a 200m segment to perfect walking speed and capture patterns
Master environmental variables: Test under different lighting conditions to optimize capture quality
Add RTK and ground control points for large-scale accuracy: For projects spanning multiple kilometers, use RTK positioning
Process overnight: Schedule automated processing during off-hours to maximize efficiency
Train multiple operators: The L2 Pro can be mastered in a day, preventing workflow bottlenecks
"The hardware was very easy to use from the start, as were the methods of capturing data and compatibility with mobile devices," Chin shares. "Having taught others how to use the devices, it is now possible for project teams to collect the data themselves in the field successfully."
This accessibility has transformed how ISL approaches project visualization across teams:

Field proficiency with the scanner achieved within days
Processing skills developed within hours of training
The XGRIDS solution can now be deployed by multiple project teams to produce information-dense 3DGS models that can be measured, manipulated, and integrated.
"Due to the speed of capture and low effort involved in processing," Chin concludes, "it is a worthwhile technology to use on even small projects."

Hardware Requirements for Similar Results

Processing workstation: RTX 4080 or higher GPU with 16+ GB VRAM
128GB+ system RAM for overnight processing
SSD storage for rapid data transfer

Future Applications: Beyond Visualization

The success of the Jasper Avenue implementation has opened new possibilities for XGRIDS technology in civil engineering:

Construction verification: Regular scans to compare as-built conditions against design models
Asset management: Transitioning from traditional documentation to 3DGS digital twins
Design collaboration: Using published 3DGS models as reference during remote design meetings
Digital preservation: Creating permanent records of urban environments before redevelopment
For planning departments and engineering firms, these applications directly impact key performance indicators:
Reduced design revision cycles through better stakeholder feedback
Accelerated approval timelines with clearer visualization for decision-makers
Improved construction accuracy through better spatial understanding
Enhanced project documentation for regulatory compliance

Take the Next Step

Ready to compress your streetscape pipeline from weeks to one day?

Contact XGRIDS at enterprise@xgrids.com to learn how your engineering or planning firm can implement reality capture and 3DGS technology to create photorealistic, measurable digital twins.