Scan-to-BIM: Turning Point Clouds into Reliable As-Builts
Why as-builts fail
Most renovation headaches trace back to inaccurate existing-conditions documentation. A drawing set that is even slightly off the real geometry compounds into clashes, RFIs and field rework once construction starts.
From scan to model
A clean point cloud is only the starting point. Registration, noise removal and grid alignment determine whether the downstream model is trustworthy. We register in ReCap and Cyclone, then trace geometry to an agreed level of detail rather than over-modeling.
Setting the right LOD
Not every project needs LOD 350. Matching the level of development to the decision the model supports keeps budgets sane and turnaround fast, while still catching the conflicts that matter.
Written by
Faraaz Mombasawala
Part of the ATAICDS design-support team, sharing field-tested practices from live AEC projects.
