Photogrammetry and laser scanning software solutions have expanded greatly in the past several years. For the design and construction industry, a true Scan-to-BIM workflow will get you from push-button scan to deployable BIM model in a few hours. With no previous experience, any industry professional can navigate the workflow because of how user-friendly and intuitive it has become. One-click automated processes perform powerful tasks like auto scan registration, which stitch multiple scans into a single point cloud, and intelligent cleanup services, which automatically remove unwanted noise, but still allow for automatic feature extraction. Perhaps most importantly, the software now integrates directly with key CAD and BIM design creation tools so you can bring reality data into the data creation tool of your choice, including AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks, Civil3D, InfraWorks, and others. Reality Capture allows you to enhance intelligent models built from existing data with captured elements, such as a roadway section or a building interior, and bring it into design modeling software as point cloud data. You can then easily process the point cloud data to generate surfaces or perform an analysis of your project by applying classification themes for your project, like intensity and elevation.

Once the existing conditions have been recorded, you can conduct a preliminary design layout for your project, whether it be an HVAC layout within an existing building renovation or setting roadway alignments on a transportation infrastructure project. In addition, generating your design within the real-world context of the project’s existing environment allows you to more effectively communicate design intent with project stakeholders and the general public.