Point Cloud, Mesh or BIM Model: Which Scan Deliverable Do You Need?
Once you have decided to laser scan a building, the next question is what to ask for. A point cloud, a set of drawings, a Revit model, a mesh, and if it is a model, at what level of development. The terms are used loosely by scanning companies and clients alike, which is how practices end up paying for a detailed model of rooms they are demolishing, or receiving a "model" that is a traced shell nobody can design in. This guide is written by Modena Technologies, which scans and models buildings and plant from Cape Town. It explains what each deliverable is, what it is fit for, and what LOD 100, 200 and 300 actually mean, element by element, using the scope sheet we attach to our own quotes.
The short version. The point cloud is the raw record and you should always receive it. Drawings are the right deliverable when the project will be documented in 2D. A Revit model is right when the project will be designed and coordinated in BIM, and the level of development should match the next design stage, not the final one. A mesh is an add-on for visualisation and heritage records. LOD describes how developed each element is, not how accurate the scan was, and it is set per element, so you can have an LOD 300 architectural model with LOD 200 services.
In this guide
The four deliverables · Which one do you need? · What LOD actually means · The same element at LOD 100, 200 and 300 · Which LOD for which stage · What LOD does not tell you · File formats · FAQ
The four deliverables
Everything a scanning company can give you is made from the same starting point, the registered point cloud. The deliverables differ in how much interpretation has been added on top of it, which is also what drives the price, as our pricing guide explains.
| Deliverable | What it is | Fit for | Not fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered point cloud | Millions of measured points, in colour, joined into one coordinated dataset with a registration report | A complete record of the building; measuring anything at any time; modelling or drawing yourself; a reference linked into Revit, AutoCAD or Archicad | Issuing as a drawing; scheduling; clash detection against proposed work; anyone without the software and hardware to open it |
| 2D drawings | Plans, sections and elevations traced from the point cloud, in DWG and PDF | Existing-conditions base for a 2D drawing set; council submissions; tender documents; practices that do not use BIM | Anything 3D: coordination, quantities from the model, visualisation |
| BIM model (Revit) | Real Revit elements, walls, floors, roofs, openings, services, built from the point cloud at an agreed level of development, in your template | Designing in Revit; coordination with consultants; clash detection; schedules and quantities; a base for the whole project in BIM | Practices that will only ever draw in 2D; projects where the existing fabric is being removed |
| Mesh and visualisation | A textured 3D surface built from the point cloud and photographs, plus renders or walkthroughs from it | Client presentations; showing a proposal in its real context; heritage records; web viewers | Design work; it has no elements, levels or parameters and cannot be edited like a model |
Two of these are often misunderstood. A point cloud is not a model: it is a measurement, and you cannot select a wall in it or schedule a door from it. A mesh looks like a model but is a surface with no intelligence, which makes it excellent for showing and useless for designing.
Which one do you need?
The right deliverable is decided by the next thing you need to do with it, not by how much the building matters or how big the project is.
If your team models from point clouds already, take the point cloud and nothing else. If the project will be drawn in 2D, take the drawings and skip the model entirely. If the project will be designed in Revit, take the model, and choose the level of development for the stage you are about to start. Add a mesh only if you need to show someone the building rather than design it.
What LOD actually means
Level of development is a scale that describes how much a model element can be relied on. It was defined for the design process, where elements become more developed as the project goes on, and it maps neatly onto scan-to-BIM because an as-built model can be built to whichever level the design stage needs. The three levels we work to are:
- LOD 100. The element exists and is in roughly the right place. Walls are generic placeholders of a nominal thickness, roofs are simple masses, services are schematic lines. Enough to plan space, test massing and run early quantities. Not enough to dimension from.
- LOD 200. The element has approximate size, shape, location and orientation taken from the scan. Walls are at their measured thickness, openings are in the right place at the right size, roofs have the right pitch and overhangs, ducts and pipes have real routes and approximate sizes. Enough to design against and to coordinate at a system level.
- LOD 300. The element has accurate geometry, thickness, profile and position, and is classified so that it schedules and exports correctly. Wall build-ups, window frames and sills, roof construction, duct dimensions and fittings, pipe sizes and supports are modelled as surveyed. Enough for detailed design, submission drawings taken directly from the model, and clash detection against proposed work.
Higher levels exist. LOD 350 adds the interfaces between systems and LOD 400 adds fabrication and assembly detail. Both are available on request, but for existing-conditions modelling they are rarely worth paying for, because the detail they add is about how something will be built, not how it was.
LOD is set per element, not per model. Our scope sheet lists every element type across architecture, structure, mechanical, electrical and plumbing, with its IFC class and what it looks like at each level. A quote can specify LOD 300 for the architectural shell and LOD 200 for services, or LOD 300 for the floors being altered and LOD 100 for the ones that are not. That is usually where the saving sits.
The same element at LOD 100, 200 and 300
The clearest way to understand the levels is to see one element at all three. These are taken from the scope sheet that accompanies every Modena scan-to-model quote.
Which LOD for which stage
Match the level to the stage you are about to start, and remember that the point cloud stays with you, so a model can be developed further later from the same data.
| Project stage or purpose | Recommended level | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility, space planning, early massing, area schedules | LOD 100 | You need the volumes and levels right, not the construction |
| Concept design, most renovations and alterations, interior fit-outs | LOD 200 | Measured sizes and positions let you design against the existing fabric without paying for detail you will change |
| Detailed design, submission drawings from the model, consultant coordination, clash detection | LOD 300 | Accurate geometry and classification so drawings and clashes are trustworthy |
| Heritage records and conservation work | LOD 300 for the fabric that matters, plus a mesh | The record needs to be true to the building; the mesh captures what a model simplifies |
| Plant, pump stations and process areas for MEP upgrades | LOD 300 services, LOD 200 structure and envelope | The services are the subject; the building around them only needs to be right enough to coordinate against |
| Fabrication or prefabrication of new work against existing | LOD 300, with LOD 350 at the interfaces on request | The connection points need to be surveyed precisely; the rest does not |
What LOD does not tell you
LOD is widely misused as a quality stamp, and it is worth being clear about what it leaves out, because these are the things to ask about separately.
- Accuracy. LOD says how developed an element is, not how closely it matches the building. Accuracy comes from the scanner, the registration and the modelling tolerance. Ask for the scanner's stated accuracy, a registration report, and the tolerance the model is held to, which we agree in the quote.
- Classification. A wall modelled as a generic mass and a wall modelled as an IfcWall with a type and a level can look identical. Only one of them schedules, filters, exports to IFC and behaves properly in your project. Every element on our scope sheet carries its IFC class, and the model is built so that walls are walls and doors are doors.
- Template and standards. A model at the right LOD in the wrong template still has to be rebuilt to match your families, levels, naming and views. Send us your template before we model.
- What was not visible. A scanner captures surfaces. Structure inside walls, services above ceilings and anything behind furniture is not in the point cloud and will not be in the model at any LOD unless access is opened up on the day.
File formats
Each deliverable has a standard format, and most of them open in software you already have.
- Point cloud: E57 is the open, universal format and the one to ask for. RCP is Autodesk's ReCap format, which links straight into Revit, AutoCAD and Navisworks. LAS is common in survey and civil work. We supply E57 and RCP as standard, with LAS on request.
- Drawings: DWG for editing and PDF for issue.
- Revit model: RVT in your template and version, plus IFC on request for Archicad, consultants on other platforms, or anyone who needs an open format.
- Mesh: OBJ or FBX for visualisation software, and a web viewer link where that is useful for client review.
Point clouds are large, often tens of gigabytes on a big building, and need a capable workstation to open smoothly. Our ReCap workstation guide covers what that takes, and we supply ReCap Pro and Revit training for practices that want to work with the point cloud themselves. If that is you, our guide on bringing a point cloud into Revit walks through the whole route, from ReCap to the first wall.
How Modena scopes a model
Every scan-to-model quote comes with our scope sheet, which lists the element types we model across architecture, structure, mechanical, electrical and plumbing, each with its IFC class and a picture of what it looks like at LOD 100, 200 and 300. You mark the level you want per element or per discipline, we agree the modelling tolerance and your template, and that becomes the definition of the deliverable. The registered point cloud and its registration report are included with every model, so the record stays with you whatever level you order now.
Request a scan-to-model quote See our reality capture services
Frequently asked questions
Is a point cloud the same as a 3D model?
No. A point cloud is a measurement made of millions of individual points; it has no walls, doors or levels and cannot be edited like a model. A BIM model is built from the point cloud by a modeller and contains real elements you can select, schedule and design against.
What is the difference between LOD and accuracy?
LOD describes how developed an element is, from a placeholder at LOD 100 to accurate geometry and classification at LOD 300. Accuracy describes how closely the model matches the real building, and comes from the scanner, the registration and the modelling tolerance. A LOD 300 model from a poor scan is still a poor model, so ask for both.
Can I start with LOD 200 and upgrade to LOD 300 later?
Yes, provided you keep the registered point cloud, which Modena always delivers. The later work is the additional modelling only, with no need to re-scan.
Is LOD 300 the same as "as-built"?
Not automatically. As-built means the model reflects the building as it stands; LOD 300 means the elements are developed to accurate geometry and classification. A scan-to-BIM model at LOD 300 is as-built to the agreed tolerance for everything the scanner could see. Concealed structure and services are not included at any level.
Do I need the same LOD for the whole building?
No, and you usually should not. LOD is set per element on the scope sheet, so you can order LOD 300 for the parts being altered and LOD 100 or 200 for the parts that stay, or LOD 300 services with a LOD 200 envelope in a plant room.
We use Archicad. What do we receive?
The point cloud as E57, which imports directly, and if we model for you, the Revit model exported to IFC, which Archicad opens with the element classification intact. 2D drawings come as DWG and PDF.
Next step
If you are not sure which deliverable or level you need, contact us and tell us what the next stage of the project is. We will recommend the simplest deliverable that does the job and send you the scope sheet to mark up. If you would like to see a point cloud and a model of a building we have scanned, ask and we will show you one.
This guide is part of our reality capture series, with laser scanning versus measured surveys for architects, what 3D laser scanning costs and how to bring a point cloud into Revit, and our scanning pages for architects, industrial plant, water and wastewater and construction progress.
Have a building to scan?
Send us the address, the approximate size and what you need at the end, and we will give you a price and a timeline.