Point Cloud to BIM Modeling or Scan to BIM Services help project stakeholders to make better renovation decisions and better exercise. Read this blog to find out more in detail.
Early on in the design phase, scanning a 3D model with a precise laser will let you use it as a base layer to avoid clashes. With the latest in 3D laser scanning, your project will be taken to the next level. We bring our experience and expertise in digital modeling to your projects. This can help you work more efficiently, saving time and effort and allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business.
What is a point cloud?
One of the major benefits of a laser scanner is that it can provide you with detailed information about the surfaces they are scanning, including walls, windows, and ductwork. Point Cloud Scanning is the latest BIM technology used for capturing the as-built conditions of a building or object. It comprises a set of a million data points which represent t
he three-dimensional coordinates of the external surface of a building or an object. This set of data called the point cloud, is typically gathered or captured using a 3D scanner.
What is a BIM model?
Building information modeling (BIM) is a process that involves the digital depiction of physical, functional, and other aspects of a building. It is supported by tools, technologies, and contracts. Building Information Models are computer files that can be used to extract, exchange, or network data that is relevant to a decision-making process. They usually contain data in proprietary formats and can often support decision-making in relation to specific building assets.
What are the Advantages of Converting a Point Cloud into a BIM Model?
Accuracy:
Point Cloud provides a very specific, accurate, and detailed design that is quick to produce. With the right data to go on, you are going to get high-quality results. The 3D laser scans enable the visibility of the most ingrained elements of the structure, for example, the beams of a building, thereby improving accuracy tenfold as compared to manual surveying. Traditional surveying was unreliable since it depended heavily on the surveyor's knowledge, state of mind, and talents while taking into account numerous other aspects. Moreover, because some areas of the building are entrenched, challenging to access, and even more challenging to measure, manual measuring does not always allow for an accurate assessment. Scan to BIM, on the other hand, enables you to construct a highly accurate three-dimensional digital picture of your building and has been shown to be a quicker and more accurate alternative with increased productivity.
Time efficient
Point Cloud to BIM Services removes the need for frequent site visits by delivering the most precise structural elements in a digital environment. This frees more time for the contractor to begin the planning process, assess project risk, and concentrate on other finer project specifics. When compared to the turnaround time required by the technicians dispatched to execute the same duty, the technology's ability to provide information about a structure is noticeably quicker.
Cost Efficient
Although purchasing a 3D model is obviously expensive, there are significant financial benefits when compared to using a conventional 2D survey. This is due to the fact that traditional manual surveying methods are very expensive and require multiple technicians to complete the same task. In contrast, using a laser scanner to perform the task is a one-time investment that results in improved precision and detailed scans that can then be used to create 3D BIM models that are coordinated and error-free and enable efficient project execution. Due to this, problems can be found earlier in the project's lifespan, which significantly lowers the cost of rework or prevents mistakes, as the result of utilizing technology.
Enhances Collaboration:
Scan to BIM fosters transparency, better communication, and collaboration by allowing users to share relevant and accurate information on a cloud platform that can be accessed by all stakeholders. The 3D models that are developed from scans can help actively in understanding the existing underlying design and can also aid in the process of discussing new or potential designs. This also makes it easier to understand and identify the design flaws, the technical updates required, etc., and thus helps the BIM engineers to coordinate and integrate the architectural, structural, and MEP models which are developed from the scan.
How do I convert my Point Cloud into an efficient and accurate BIM model?
To answer this question, one has to evaluate their purpose and needs
Step 1:
Gather all project-related data, specify the project's timeframe, BIM execution strategy, and scope of work, and level of detail. This phase focuses on the client's expectations, an assessment of the scanning equipment in relation to the capability or capacity of the scanners, and ultimately the site's state prior to gathering site data.
Step 2:
The information about the facility's or site's as-built conditions must be scanned as soon as it has been validated and gathered. It is necessary to align the scanned data using a variety of techniques, including best fit, orthogonal, georeferencing, etc.
Step 3:
This stage determines the digital illustration of the point cloud to a 3D BIM model. The following are the steps described below:
I. Validation – Clear communication about the LOD (Level of Detail), LOA (Level of accuracy), and scope of work required for the project A clear and well-defined tolerance level of deviation enables a successful implementation of a BIM Execution Plan (BEP). The coordinates and data points of the point cloud are to be validated with the help of tools like Faro, Clearedge3D, Leica Geosystems, etc. II. Insertion – After the Point cloud has been verified, the files are added to REVIT and locked using a PIN tool. III. Setting-up
Work sets should be created based on the tasks required to launch the REVIT file setup procedure. For each Point Cloud, it is recommended to use several work sets so that the VVGG setting may be adjusted and turned on or off as needed. This will shorten the file's open time. To configure the levels from a section view, be sure to lock it. The levels can be any of the following:
Level 0: The Origin Point of the Point Cloud Scan should be used to set Level 0. The project levels that will serve as the reference point can or cannot be used.Building Levels: The project will determine this. A representative area of the floor that the point cloud depicts. We may insert the section via a stair core to set up several levels in the model at once
Set Plan View: The modeler will set it in accordance with the levels they've produced.
Girds: Girds should be put up utilizing the building's main floor, with the goal of having a uniform spacing grid system across the model wherever possible.
IV. Modeling – Each component needs to be accurately described and modeled as an individual. Instead of using a generic model with a number of extrusions, Revit Elements must be used. All the components must be hosted at the appropriate levels. By slicing tiny view angles in plan and section views, the walls of the model must be fitted to the Point Cloud as closely as possible. Always choose Interior/Exterior Finish as the wall restrict option when designing a boundary wall in a plan view. V. Collaboration – When it comes to 3D modeling, effective communication among stakeholders is essential. The same Point cloud storage path, compatible software, version, and updates should be used by all parties. Establishing levels, grids, and shared coordinates with a control model will prevent any participants from being able to change, move, or remove the data.
Step 4:
To assure the model's quality, use a rigorous QC procedure. It is advised to carefully compare a defined region while utilizing Plan, Section, or 3D view. For MEP Coordination, Clash Detection. Cleaning the file is crucial in order to remove all the model's reference points and fine lines.