What Files Do You Receive After a 3D Laser Scanning Project?

After a 3D laser scanning project, what you actually receive is a file package, not the scanner. The foundation of that package is a registered point cloud, delivered as a neutral E57 file and, for Autodesk workflows, as Autodesk RCP/RCS. From that point cloud, and only if you scope them, come the derived deliverables: 2D CAD drawings (DWG plus PDF), a BIM model (RVT, or IFC for open exchange), a navigable 3D tour, reference photos, and a short scope and QA note that records what was and was not captured. A good scope names which of these you need before the field crew shows up, because the field capture and the modeling are different jobs with different costs.

The registered point cloud is the real handoff

When we scan a site with the Trimble X7, each setup produces one scan position: a dense sphere of measured points around the scanner. Registration is the step that aligns every setup into one coordinate space so the points line up where the real surfaces are. An unregistered or poorly registered cloud looks fine at a glance and then falls apart when you try to measure across rooms or trace a wall. That is why the registered cloud, not the raw scans, is what you should expect as the base deliverable. For the longer version of why this matters, see registered vs unregistered point clouds.

The cloud arrives in one or both of two shapes. E57 is the open ASTM exchange format. It moves cleanly between platforms, it is the right choice when another team will model from the data, and it is the format to keep for a long-term archive. RCP/RCS is the Autodesk-native pair: RCP is the project index, RCS holds the indexed scan data, and this is what you attach inside Revit, AutoCAD, or Navisworks. Many projects want both, and that is fine.

A few cloud options bite downstream if nobody settles them up front. Colorized clouds carry RGB values from the scanner’s camera and read like a photo, which helps with review and material identification; intensity-only clouds are grayscale by return strength, which is lighter and sometimes cleaner for tracing geometry. Structured (per-scan-position) data preserves where each setup stood, while a unified cloud merges everything into one set; modeling teams often prefer structured, archival users often prefer unified. The coordinate system matters too: a cloud can sit in an arbitrary local origin or be georeferenced to a real-world system tied to control points or a surveyor’s benchmarks. Decide this before the scan, because re-registering to control after the fact is rework.

Drawings and models are interpreted work, not the scan

The point cloud is measured fact. A CAD drawing or a Revit model is interpretation built on top of it, and that work is scoped and delivered separately from the field capture.

For 2D documentation, the output is usually DWG paired with PDF for markup. The specific sheets are the thing to name: floor plans, reflected ceiling plans, exterior elevations, building sections, roof plans, and equipment or facade layouts are all distinct line items. “CAD from the scan” is too vague to price or produce; “first-floor plan, RCP, and four elevations at 1/8 inch scale” is a scope. For many renovation jobs a clean DWG and PDF set is easier to consume than a full model, and it is the right call when no one downstream needs an editable 3D database. The companion read is point cloud to CAD services, and the service page is as-built documentation.

For a BIM deliverable, the file is typically RVT, or IFC when the project needs an open, application-neutral model. The biggest variable is how much detail you are paying for, expressed as Level of Development (LOD) for the elements or Level of Accuracy (LOA) for how tightly geometry must match the scan. A light architectural shell at LOD 200 (walls, floors, structure, openings, major elements) is a fundamentally different job from a dense MEP model at LOD 350 with ductwork, piping, and conduit modeled as found. Before you order one, settle the questions that define the work: which categories get modeled, what LOD or LOA applies, whether hidden and inaccessible conditions are excluded, whether out-of-plumb or sloped conditions are modeled as-found or idealized to design intent, and whether you need specific families, parameters, or a naming standard. The scan-to-BIM LOD guide and the scan-to-BIM service cover this in depth. WeAre Capture runs the field capture in-house and delivers modeling through vetted modeling partners, so the model you get is scoped against the cloud we captured.

The supporting deliverables

A 3D tour or virtual walkthrough is a visual navigation product, not a measurable dataset. It lets an owner revisit a space, gives remote stakeholders room context, and pairs well with drawings during review, but it is not a substitute for a survey-grade cloud or a model. Reference photos serve a similar support role: they help identify equipment, confirm finishes, and document access conditions where the cloud alone is ambiguous. Photos are not allowed on every site, so confirm any privacy, security, or tenant restrictions before the visit rather than after.

The scope and QA note is the deliverable people skip and then regret. A short document that records areas not captured, access limitations, rooms excluded from scope, the software versions used, the coordinate assumptions, and any modeling exclusions protects everyone from assuming the files contain conditions that were never visible or never paid for. It is the difference between a clean handoff and an argument three weeks later.

Which file package should you ask for?

What to confirm before production starts

The cleanest projects settle the deliverable list before the field work, not after. Confirm the required file formats and whether the cloud should be colorized; the coordinate system and any georeferencing or control; the exact CAD sheets or the model categories and LOD; whether photos are permitted on site; whether modeling is in scope at all; and who reviews the first delivery so feedback lands before the full set is produced. Naming this up front is how you avoid paying for files no one opens or finding a missing output at handoff.

If you are scoping a project and want help defining the right deliverable package, request a quote and we can map the files to what your team actually does with them. You can also see representative output on our sample deliverables page.

FAQ

What are as-built drawings?
As-built drawings document a building or component as it physically exists, rather than as it was originally designed. When they are produced from a laser scan, they are traced or modeled directly against the registered point cloud, so the plans, elevations, and sections reflect measured field conditions instead of assumptions.

What is scan to BIM?
Scan to BIM is the process of turning a registered point cloud into a Building Information Model, typically an RVT or IFC file. The point cloud is referenced inside the modeling software and elements such as walls, structure, and equipment are modeled to an agreed Level of Development. The scan is the input; the model is interpreted work built from it.

How do I import a point cloud into Revit?
Use an RCP file. In Revit, go to Insert and choose Point Cloud, browse to the RCP, and set the positioning to Auto by Shared Coordinates or Origin to Origin depending on how the cloud was registered. If you only received an E57, first convert it to RCP/RCS using Autodesk ReCap, then attach the resulting RCP. Our point cloud to Revit workflow walks through this end to end.

What is point cloud to CAD conversion?
It is the work of producing 2D CAD geometry, usually DWG, by tracing features in the point cloud into lines, plans, and sections. The cloud provides the measured reference; a drafter interprets it into clean, editable drawings. It is a separate scope from the scan itself and is priced by which sheets and what level of detail you need.

Last reviewed: May 2026.