Scan-to-BIM: Revit model from a 3D scan

Scan-to-BIM: from the 3D scan to the Revit model

Scan-to-BIM means producing a BIM model of existing conditions from a 3D survey, instead of drawing it from outdated plans or tape measurements. On site, the Matterport Pro3 camera is moved from position to position; at each stop, it photographs the space and laser-measures it (LiDAR). Matterport’s software assembles the positions into a single model, online 24 to 48 hours after the scan in most cases. The resulting point cloud is then converted into a Revit model at LOD 200 level of detail, delivered in RVT and IFC.

The result is a BIM survey in which walls, slabs, doors, windows and columns are already placed at the right dimensions. Your team opens it in Revit and starts designing on a faithful basis, instead of spending days remodelling.

What a LOD 200 BIM model contains

At LOD 200, each element is a generic object modelled at its real size, position and orientation. It is the level used for design, feasibility studies, bids and coordination. It is not a construction model: assemblies, fabrication details and fine tolerances are not represented.

Five element sets

According to Matterport, the model comes in five sets: architecture (walls, slabs, openings, stairs), furniture, MEP (visible ducts, piping and equipment), complex MEP and industrial. The set chosen determines what is modelled and the price. For the MEP and industrial sets, a high-density scan is recommended: the Pro3 then records more points per position, useful for piping and fine wiring, at the cost of a longer scan.

Who it is for: architects, engineers, contractors

An architect receives the existing conditions modelled before drawing a renovation or an addition. A mechanical, electrical or structural engineer checks clearances and duct runs in a model rather than in photos. A contractor bids on a faithful picture of the premises and coordinates subcontractors in the same file. A property manager or a municipality builds a BIM record of its portfolio, building by building.

According to a case study published by Matterport, the engineering firm HH Angus, in Toronto, a customer of Matterport and not of Panosphere, obtained its BIM models at a 70% lower cost than in-house modelling and saved more than 40 hours of work. Gains vary from one project to the next; the logic stays the same: a short scan on site, and survey time turned into design time.

BIM survey in Montreal and across Quebec

Based in Boucherville, we scan in Montreal and across Quebec: rest areas for the Quebec Ministry of Transport, Hydro-Québec’s Beauharnois dam, the Quebec Ministry of Transport’s fleet management centre in Laval, the City of Gatineau’s drinking water production plant. Beyond about 100 km from Montreal, a travel fee of $0.73/km applies, shared between the sites of a single trip.

• Matterport Service Partner, equipped with the Pro3 camera.
• More than 1,000 tours published on Google Maps since 2015.
• A single point of contact, Marc Durand Bréard, from the quote to the delivery of the files.
• Service in French, with scans possible in the evening and on Saturday mornings.

The limits of a model derived from a Matterport scan

The model stops at LOD 200 and the Pro3 is not a terrestrial laser scanner: its accuracy of ±20 mm at 10 m, according to Matterport, is enough for an as-built survey, not for fabrication tolerances, a land survey or sealed drawings. It is a starting point that your professional validates and completes. The same scan also provides the E57 point cloud, the DWG drawings and, during the project, 3D construction progress tracking; the full set of deliverables is described under 3D building scanning. See our architecture and construction and industrial sectors, or write to us for a 30-minute call and a quote within 24 hours.