Point Cloud Processing
Already have scan data? We register, clean, align, convert, and QA existing point clouds and package them CAD/BIM-ready for your team. If a dataset will not hold up - missing control, insufficient overlap - we tell you before the work proceeds, not after.
What point cloud processing covers
Point cloud processing is for teams that already have scan data and need it turned into something usable. Maybe you scanned the site with your own instrument, inherited data from a previous vendor, or have a mix of terrestrial, mobile, and drone captures that were never tied together. We take that raw or partial data and register, clean, convert, QA, and package it so it is ready to model, measure, or hand to a downstream team.
| Task | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Registration | Aligning individual scans into one coordinate system, target-based or cloud-to-cloud, with documented residuals |
| Cleanup | Removing scan noise, moving objects, people, and stray points that get in the way of modeling |
| Alignment & georeferencing | Tying the cloud to project control, a shared coordinate system, or a known datum where control exists |
| Conversion | Translating between formats - E57, RCP/RCS, LAS/LAZ, PTS/PTX, PLY/OBJ - for the software your team uses |
| Decimation & sectioning | Reducing density or splitting by floor or area so large datasets load and link without choking the software |
| QA review | Checking registration residuals, coverage, and gaps, and reporting what the data can and cannot support |
Who this is for
This service fits architecture, engineering, survey, and facilities teams that have the data but not the time or the toolset to finish it: firms that bought a scanner and need registration help on larger jobs, teams that received a point cloud from a third party and are not sure it is clean or correctly aligned, and projects combining data from more than one source. If you do not have data yet, we can capture it for you with a Trimble X7 and process it in the same workflow.
Formats we work with
We work with the common terrestrial, mobile, and drone point-cloud formats and deliver into the format your downstream software expects.
| Stage | Formats |
|---|---|
| Source data we accept | E57, RCP/RCS, LAS/LAZ, PTS/PTX, PLY, OBJ, and most scanner-native exports |
| Registered / processed delivery | E57 master archive plus RCP/RCS for Autodesk tools; LAS/LAZ or PTS on request |
| Handoff for modeling | Indexed, cleaned cloud ready to link into Revit, AutoCAD, or Navisworks |
How we approach it
Every dataset starts with a review of what you actually have - source instrument, coverage, whether control or targets exist - because that determines what the data can support. Registration is verified against targets or check measurements where they exist, and we report the residuals so the accuracy is documented rather than assumed. If the source data has a structural problem - missing control, insufficient overlap between scans, or gaps in coverage - we tell you before the work proceeds rather than quietly delivering something that will not hold up.
When the end goal is a CAD or BIM deliverable rather than a clean cloud, the modeling and drafting are coordinated through vetted partner studios to a scope we define and QA, so the registered data flows straight into a model without a second handoff. See scan-to-BIM and CAD as-built drawings for those deliverables.
What this service is not
Processing improves and organizes the data you have; it cannot add coverage the scanner never captured or invent control that was never set. If scans do not overlap enough to register reliably, or a site was captured without control where the project needs it, no amount of processing fixes that - it usually means a return visit, and we will say so plainly. We also do not perform the downstream modeling in house; that is coordinated through partner studios under our QA.
FAQ
Can you register data from any scanner?
We work with the common formats from terrestrial, mobile/SLAM, and drone systems - Leica, FARO, Trimble, NavVis, and others export to E57, LAS/LAZ, or PTS, which we can register and process. We confirm we can read your specific export before any work starts.
What if my data was captured badly?
We review coverage, overlap, and control first and tell you what the data can support. If scans do not overlap enough to register reliably, or control is missing where the project needs it, processing cannot manufacture it - we flag it up front, and in some cases the honest answer is a re-scan.
Do you model from the point cloud too?
We process and register the cloud in house. If you need a Revit model or CAD drawings from it, we coordinate that through vetted partner studios to a defined scope and QA it, or you can take the cleaned, indexed cloud and model it with your own team.
What do you deliver?
Typically a registered, cleaned point cloud as an E57 master plus RCP/RCS for Autodesk tools, indexed and ready to link into Revit, AutoCAD, or Navisworks, along with a short QA record of registration residuals and any coverage gaps. Other formats on request.
What do you need from me to quote?
The source format and roughly how many scans or how much data, the software it needs to land in, whether project control or targets exist, and what you need at the end - a clean registered cloud, a specific format, or a model or drawings handoff.
Ready to scope your project?
Send the site location, scope, target deliverables, and timeline for a quote.