What a LiDAR Scan Captures
A LiDAR scanner fires millions of laser pulses per second and records where each one returns. The result is a point cloud: a dense field of 3D coordinates that maps every visible surface in a space. On a typical renovation project, that means walls, floors, ceilings, columns, window openings, door frames, and any exposed structure within line of sight.
The scanner doesn’t estimate. Each point is a measured position. On a 10,000 SF floor plate, you’re looking at hundreds of millions of individual measurements.
What You Receive
NOS delivers point clouds in .rcp and .e57 formats. Both open natively in Autodesk products — Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks — and .e57 is compatible with most other CAD and BIM platforms including Rhino, Bentley, and Trimble.
Every delivery includes an accuracy report generated during the registration step. This is an engineering-grade document that quantifies scan-to-scan overlap and error margins across the full capture. It’s the same documentation type used in legal and forensic contexts.
The 360° photo walkthrough is included at no extra cost. It’s a navigable photo record of site conditions on the day of capture, useful for documentation, remote review, and contractor coordination.
How Design Teams Use It
Architects and engineers load the point cloud directly into their modeling environment and work from measured data rather than field sketches. That means floor plans, reflected ceiling plans, elevations, and sections built to actual geometry.
For renovation projects, the common deliverable is a Revit model with the point cloud as the base reference. Level of Development is agreed before work starts — LOD 200 for early design, LOD 300 for construction documents. The point cloud stays linked in the model so anyone on the team can verify a dimension against the raw capture at any time.
How Contractors Use It
General contractors use scan data to confirm existing conditions before work starts and verify rough-in against design intent. On gut-and-rebuild jobs, a scan before demolition records original conditions; a second scan after rough-in documents framing and mechanical placement against drawings.
The before-and-after comparison happens in the point cloud. No manual measuring, no field calls to the design team to double-check a dimension that should already be on the drawings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the scanner capture above ceilings or inside walls?
No. LiDAR captures what the scanner can see. Above-ceiling space is only captured when ceiling tiles are already removed before scanning — this happens on some projects where demo has started, but it’s not the default.
How long does a scan take?
A typical 10,000–15,000 SF floor takes three to four hours on site. Larger or more complex facilities take longer. We give you a time estimate before scheduling so you can plan site access accordingly.
How do I share the point cloud with my team?
.rcp files open in Revit and AutoCAD without additional software. If your team uses a different platform, the .e57 file covers most other workflows. We can discuss viewer options if a browser-based solution makes more sense for your project.
What if I only need floor plans, not a full BIM model?
Point-cloud-only delivery is available. Your drafting team can model from it directly, or we can produce 2D CAD drawings as the deliverable instead of a Revit model. Both options are quoted separately.