Capture encyclopedia · terrestrial scanning for models
Laser scan to BIM
Laser scan to BIM means using LiDAR (usually terrestrial) as the measurement source for as-built modelling. Scan planning — density, overlap, control — decides whether the later BIM can be honest.
Planning density from the modelling purpose
Ask: what is the smallest critical feature? Set point spacing and range limits accordingly. Do not scan “as dense as possible” without a purpose — files balloon and modelling does not automatically improve.
Control and targets
Survey control ties the cloud to project coordinates so the BIM federates with design. Skipping control is how as-built models miss grid by tens of millimetres — or metres.
Targets, spheres, and traverse strategy
Insufficient overlap or missing control creates registration drift that modelling cannot fix. Specify control before the scanner leaves the van. Recapture loops should be priced as a contingency, not a surprise.
Indoor mobile vs tripod
Mobile mapping speeds large floorplates; tripod terrestrial still wins for high-accuracy MEP congestion when time-of-flight density and incidence are controlled. Hybrid capture is normal on hospitals and plants.
Frequently asked questions
Is photogrammetry enough for BIM?
For some façades and context models yes; for precise interior MEP coordination, terrestrial laser scanning is usually preferred.
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