Working with point cloud data?

[Anonymous]

Hello guys, I'm very new to modelling trying to diversify my skills. I work in construction and I do alot of work with point cloud. I was wondering what is the best software to use with point cloud data?
Alot of our clients need as-built models (as it's built on site) so that they can fit facade. What I have found with Revit is that it just draws straight and I can't get the trueness of point cloud.

Am I using it wrong? Is there a better software for such work? Also The LOD differs from job to job if that plays into account at all.

[Christophe Fortineau]

Hello David Joaquim,

If the project was created with Archicad, the best way to have a model as it's built on site is to open your file and enjoy.
For my own I do not need to modify my model after the construction because my model is always updated.
I use points cloud to model the building before the project.

To do this I import e57 or a xyz file by this way : File/Interoperability/Import a points cloud

Your points cloud is imported by Archicad like a object
You are able to see it in all kind of views (2d and 3D)

Finaly I use guide lines hung on the points to model with Archicad tools.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your reply Christophe, I will try practising with archicad. I'll try and find tutorials online.

[Laszlo Nagy]

There is a free software called CloudCompare using which you can process Point Cloud files before importing them into ARCHICAD. You may find it useful:

https://www.danielgm.net/cc/

[Anonymous]

Woooow. Thank you so much for your reply you completely blew me away with this software. At work I primarily use Leica cyclone to register my point cloud. But I wanna do some jobs outside for myself and I can't afford cyclone software. And this is something else.

Mind you I have only watched an introductory video on this. have you used this and in theory I can just take whatever I have scanned, align the scans together and coordinate them just like cyclone in that software?

Sorry I'm assuming you are familiar with cyclone but you may not be.

I wanna buy a gaming laptop before I get all these softwares and test them out as my mine is currently too slow or else I would have downloaded it and played with it by now.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Unfortunately, I am not very familiar with CloudCompare. I just know that you can take very heavy Point Clouds and convert them to lighter ones by increasing the minimum distance between individual points or settings the desired point number or the desired file size or something similar. And that it has a lot of other features for manipulating Point Clouds.