From 3D Laser Scanning to Revit

Processes, Products and Questions

Agenda

• Introductions
• Scan to BIM
• Up-front questions to ask
• Recommended Processes
• Best Practices for Modeling (Revit Architecture, Revit MEP)
• Tools and Technologies, including the new “Scan to BIM”
application
Introduction

Matt Mason
Director, Software Development
IMAGINiT Technologies (merged with Avatech Solutions)

Veteran of 80 Small/Medium Revit API projects and 9 large API projects over 6 years.
Packaged Software Developer:
• Avatech Utilities for Revit
• BIMreview – now Autodesk Revit Model Review
• Scan to BIM for Revit

Occasional Revit API Blogger at: http://cadappdev.blogspot.com

Poll

Which best describes your organizations primary role with Point Clouds:
o Scanning Provider (you survey/capture point clouds today)
o A/E/C Firm (Design/Document as an A E C or any combination)
o Other (software/hardware developer, other…)

Number of point cloud conversion projects done already:

o 5 or more Scan to BIM conversions
o 1 - 4 Scan to BIM conversions
o 0 - Have not yet done a conversion project or just started your first

How do you get point clouds:

o We have a scanner, capture our own
o Hire a partner/services organization to provide
Poll

The Revit version you use in production:

o 2011
o 2010
o 2009 or lower
o None - Do not use Revit currently

The primary Revit “Flavor” you use?

o Revit Architecture
o Revit Structure
o Revit MEP

What is your level of Revit Experience:

o Proficient – use Revit to complete projects
o Partial – use Revit in the design process but the project is not completely Revit
o None – Do not use Revit currently
Scan to BIM: What is it?

Use of 3D Laser Scanners to capture as-built conditions in the form of “point clouds”,
then use the point clouds to create a Building Information Model.
Scan to BIM: Why?

• Driven by increasing renovation, retrofit, adaptive re-use projects that want to use
BIM.
• The alternative?
• Tape Measures
• Lots of onsite time
• Reconciliation
• Marginal Accuracy
Scanning: How Does It Work?
Scanning: How Does it Work?
Scanning: How Does it Work?

Scanners need to
have visible targets in
order to be able to
assemble different
scans into one unified
point cloud.

Targets appear in
more than one scan,
so that the scans can
be stitched together.
Scanning: How Does it Work?
Scanning: Up-Front Requirements

What are you trying to get out of the scanning project?

• Quick scan of property and surrounding building placement
• Site only
• Exterior Shell and Openings
• Interiors
• Ornamental Details
Scanning: Up-Front Requirements

What‟s the nature of the building?

• Square Footage
• General Shape/Features (box? Gehry-esque?)
• Open floorplan? Closed Rooms?
• Conditions ( empty, occupied, access/permission to spaces, roof, etc)?
• Old? New?
• Materials? Brick, Metal Wall Panel, other?
Scanning: Up-Front Requirements

What kind of architectural modeling is planned?

• Basic walls/doors/windows/openings?
• Stairs/Railings?
• Ornamental Details (crown molding, custom casework, etc)

What kind of modeling accuracy am I attempting to get?

• What defines modeling accuracy for you?
• For out-of-plumb walls:
• I will do profile (90 deg) walls, and test that deviation is “not too bad”
• I will create mass walls to model exactly
• Content: creation of instance-based doors, etc?
• Documentation of discrepancies
Scanning: Up-Front Requirements

Planning to capture MEP data?

• Mechanical Rooms?
• Above the ceiling? (you’ve just doubled your square footage)
• Ease of access / removing tiles / etc?

Hardware / Logistics
• How are point clouds being stored,
delivered, archived?
Scanning: Up-Front Requirements

Number of Points
• Modern scanners are able to collect an overwhelming number of points
• What amount is useful/necessary for the modeling process?

Origin/Orientation
• Meaningful location on building/property?
• GIS-based / State Plane coordinates?

• Beginners: Be careful about range…

Scan to BIM Processes

Segment the model and the point cloud

• Levels
• Areas of the building
• Key sections
• Topography

Manage the point-count

 How much detail?
 Balance distance with detail
Best Practices for Modeling

Preparation
• Content Styles/Creation
• Finishes / Materials

Modeling Process
• Establish Building Location/Orientation
• Organize Revit Models Early: levels by sectioning
• Use reference planes
• Walls -> Openings -> Floors -> Roof
Scan to BIM Revit add-in

What is „Scan to BIM‟?

Scan to BIM is a software add-in for the Autodesk Revit 2011 product line created by
IMAGINiT Technologies/Avatech Solutions (from the same people who created
BIMreview now Autodesk Revit Model Review and the Avatech Utilities for Revit).

With this you can Import, Visualize and Interact with point clouds inside of the Revit
environment. Interaction allows you to query points within the model, verify
measurements, generate construction linework and use geometry recognition for object
creation (ex. Walls, Ducts, Piping, etc…)

Supports the Autodesk 2011 Revit Product Line: Architecture, Structure and *MEP
Council Feedback

Scanning Provider

One year ago, 10% of our incoming scanning service requests specified a BIM(Revit)
deliverable. Today, 90% of the requests specify it.
- Council Member Quote

AEC Firm

Our biggest obstacle in creating a Revit model is working back and forth (in multiple
software packages) with the point cloud data. If I could have one item only, it would
to be able to visualize this in Revit.
- Council Member Quote
The Problem: Current State of the Art Process

Scanner Leica
Data Tru-View

Leica Leica
Cyclone CloudWorx

Geometry
PTS/PTX Autodesk
Extraction DWG
Files Software AutoCAD

Autodesk Autodesk
Navisworks Revit
Our Solution: Scan to BIM with 3 Step Framework
Our Solution: Scan to BIM 2011

PTS/PTX Autodesk
Files Revit
Point
Database

Using this approach your Revit model does not increase in size using point clouds.
Revit will retrieve the data it needs and display appropriately.
The Solution: Scan to BIM
Revit Demonstration
What about Revit 2012?

Revit 2012 introduces support for some

point cloud formats, directly inside
of Revit.
Do you still need Scan To BIM in Revit 2012?

Yes!

If you want to:

- Create elements directly from the Point Cloud
- Analyze/Measure within the point cloud
- Identify deviation between the point cloud and what you’ve modeled

Scan To BIM for Revit 2012 uses the Autodesk Point Cloud Engine (PCG) – so you get
the best of both worlds:
- Fast visualization from Revit
- Tools to make you productive from IMAGINiT
Scan to BIM for Revit

30 Day Full Trial available from the website:

www.avatech.com/scantobim
Scan to BIM System Requirements

Scan to BIM is a software add-in for the Autodesk Revit 2011 product line and requires
nothing beyond the Autodesk Revit System Requirements which are:

64 Bit Requirements Include (32 bit sim., see Autodesk Website for more details):
 Microsoft® Windows® 7 64-bit Enterprise, Ultimate, Professional, or Home Premium; Microsoft® Windows Vista® 64-bit (SP2 or
later) Enterprise, Ultimate, Business, or Home Premium; or Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional x64 edition (SP2 or later).*
 Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon™ dual core, 3.0 GHz (or higher) with SSE2 technology for Microsoft Windows 7 64-bit or
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-bit (SP2 or later). Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon dual core, 1.6 GHz (or higher) with SSE2
technology for Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 edition (SP2 or later)
 3 GB RAM
 5 GB free disk space
 1,280 x 1,024 monitor with true color
 Display adapter capable of 24-bit color for basic graphics; 256 MB DirectX® 9-capable graphics card with Shader Model 3 for
advanced graphics. Find out more about recommended graphics hardware.
 Internet connectivity for license registration
Performance Requirements Include:
 Microsoft® Windows® 7 64-bit Enterprise, Ultimate, Professional, or Home Premium
 Quad Core Intel® Xeon® Processor (2.50 GHz, 2X6M L2, 1333) or equivalent AMD processor
 8 GB RAM (or more)
 1,280 x 1,024 monitor with true color
 1 GB (or more) DirectX® 9-capable graphics card with Shader Model 3. Find out more about recommended graphics hardware.
Have an idea?

Interested in Revit Development?

The IMAGINiT/Avatech software development team focuses on design technology

automation. We have a seasoned group of professional programmers and project
managers who customize, automate, and integrate technologies, streamline processes,
and enable new capabilities for clients large and small.

If you have an idea that you would like to have developed but not the expertise yourself,
or even if you just need a jump start contact us to discuss:

Beau Turner
BTurner@rand.com
757.301.1118
Questions?
Matt Mason| MMason@rand.com
Product Feedback

The process of creating 3D building information models from point cloud data used to be
tedious, requiring us to use multiple software products and workflows. The Scan to
BIM product solves this by enabling us to visualize and create geometry directly
inside Revit. As a results, we are realizing greater efficiencies in production time and
accuracy.
- Clair VanderZwaag, HDS Manager, Nederveld Inc.
Product Feedback

Working with 3D laser scanning data is a critical part of our workflow. Using the Scan to
BIM software allows us to work more efficiently by leveraging that data in Revit to
generate elements directly. This proved invaluable on a recent project – we knew
that the as-built information was developed directly from the point cloud data, and it
provided us with the confidence to move forward.
- Kelly Cone, Innovations Director, The Beck Group