iCON Trades has released a new software update that introduces a dedicated Tracing feature, allowing field users to capture and digitize shapes directly on site using the company’s vPen accessory. The update is designed to simplify the process of creating accurate outlines while improving overall software responsiveness and stability.
New Tracing Workflow
The centerpiece of the update is the new Tracing tool, which enables users to physically trace the shape of an object or feature with the vPen while the software automatically records and converts the movement into digital geometry.
Based on the demonstration released by the company, the system continuously captures a series of traced points and generates a vectorized outline in real time. This approach can be particularly useful for documenting irregular shapes that are difficult to define using traditional point by point survey methods.
The feature appears aimed at construction, layout, and measurement applications where users frequently need to record custom geometries directly from existing physical objects.
Smooth Tool Improves Line Quality
Alongside tracing, iCON Trades has added a new Smooth Tool.
The feature allows users to convert rough hand traced lines into cleaner and more visually consistent curves. While the company has not published technical details regarding the underlying algorithms, the tool appears designed to reduce noise and minor deviations commonly introduced during manual tracing.
For practical workflows, this could reduce the amount of post processing required before measurements, documentation, or CAD exports.
Performance and Stability Updates
The software update also includes broader performance optimizations.
According to iCON Trades, users should experience improved stability and faster operation compared to previous versions. The company specifically highlights the reduction of slowdowns that could occur during demanding workflows.
No benchmark data or performance figures have been released, so the exact scale of the improvement remains unknown. However, responsiveness is particularly important for real time field applications where delays can directly impact productivity.
Why It Matters
The introduction of tracing reflects a broader trend in digital construction and surveying software toward reducing the number of manual steps required to capture real world geometry.
Traditionally, users often had to record multiple individual points and then reconstruct shapes later in the office. A tracing based workflow has the potential to make data capture significantly faster, especially for curved or irregular features.
The most interesting aspect is not necessarily the tracing itself, but the effort to bridge physical movement and digital documentation in a way that feels more natural for field crews. If the feature performs reliably in real world conditions, it could become one of those seemingly simple tools that operators end up using daily because it saves time on routine tasks.
About iCON Trades
iCON Trades is part of the Leica Geosystems construction portfolio, providing digital layout, measurement, and field data collection solutions for construction professionals. Leica Geosystems operates as part of Hexagon AB, a global technology group with approximately 24,800 employees and annual revenues exceeding €5 billion. Leica’s iCON ecosystem is widely used across construction, surveying, machine control, and reality capture applications worldwide.
