Scan to BIM

Scan to BIM is the process of turning a 3D survey of an existing site or building into a structured BIM model. A laser scanner (or photogrammetry) captures the real conditions as a dense point cloud — millions of measured points — which is then used as the reference to model the actual geometry of what is there.

It exists because most projects are not on empty land: renovation, retrofit, extension and asset documentation all need an accurate model of what already exists, and measuring that by hand is slow and error-prone. Scan to BIM produces an as-built or as-is model that downstream design and coordination can rely on. The level of detail is chosen for purpose — a model for clash coordination needs different fidelity from one for heritage documentation (HBIM).

The output usually carries forward in open formats such as IFC so the as-built model can be federated with new design work. It is the front end of any existing-conditions workflow — converting reality into something the rest of the BIM process can use.