PointCloud to Surface Suite has been designed for surveyors, architects, builders and developers working on as-built projects. It reads laser scan data captured onsite and imported into Revit, streamlining the workflow needed to create complex surfaces in a BIM project.
​
Works with both structured and unstructured point cloud instances. Supports shared co-ordinate models.
​
The 14 Tools include:
Surface from Point Cloud Selection: allows you to draw a selection box around the points of interest then select whether they should be mapped as either a topography, floor or roof element. For roofs and floors, you can select the build type and level for the new element.
The section box can be used to filter out points on a broad scale, so by working in 3d view the section box in conjuction with the user drawn selection box allows very specific filtering of points to be added to each new element.
​
Surface from adaptive points: Reads all adaptive points from your document and creates a new topography, floor or roof element mapped to those points. This takes advantage of adaptive point ability to snap to pointclouds since Revit 2011.
Add Adaptive Points to Existing surface: Reads all adaptive points from your document and adds them to an existing topography, floor or roof element of your choosing.
​
Wall Tool: Mark out your wall lines with adaptive points that snap to the point cloud then use the wall tool to create straight or curved walls that align to your marks.
​
Model Lines: Mark out your lines with adaptive points that snap to the point cloud then use the Model Lines tool to create straight or Model Lines that align to your marks.
​
4 Ultilities: Single click buttons to hide/show pointcloud instances, access the graphics setting for point clouds, clear all adaptive points from your document and add adaptive points. The add adaptives button also checks for the correct family instance, and loads it automatically from the app bundle if not found in the document.
​
3 Exporters: Write point data to commonly used external files including PTS and CSV from pointcloud selction, and XYZ CSV from adaptive points.
​
2 Importers: Import saved or selected point data into your project as a floor, roof or topo or as a set of adaptive points.
​
​
​
Instructions For Use - Surface from Pointcloud Selection
​
1. Insert pointcloud into Revit via the pointcloud insert tab. We suggest working in 3D view and activating the section box to focus on specific structures in the scan.
​
2. Select the pointcloud instance you wish to select points from.
​
3. Draw a selection box around the points you wish to convert to a surface element
​
4. You will be prompted to choose whether to create a topo, floor or roof element.
​
5. Choose the maximum number of points with the decimate slider, and for floor and roof, you will be able to designate a type and level to the new element.
​
6. The app will convert your selected point data to a new element that accurately matches the original scan data.
​
Instructions For Use - Surface from Adaptive Points
​
1. Insert pointcloud into Revit via the pointcloud insert tab. We suggest working in 3D view and activating the section box to focus on specific structures in the scan.
​
2. Add adaptive points to your document that mark the surface you wish to create- ensure that snap to pointclouds is enabled in Revit snapping settings. Suggest working in top down 3D view with section box enabled.
​
3. Run the Surface from Adaptive Points tool -You will be prompted to choose whether to create a topo, floor or roof element.
​
4. ALL adaptive points from the document will be read to map a new surface to those points. you will be able to designate a type and level to the new element.
​
Instructions For Use - Add Adaptive Points to Existing
​
1. Insert pointcloud into Revit via the pointcloud insert tab. We suggest working in 3D view and activating the section box to focus on specific structures in the scan.
​
2. Add adaptive points to your document that mark points you wish to add to an existing surface - ensure that snap to pointclouds is enabled in Revit snapping settings. Suggest working in top down 3D view with section box enabled.
​
3. Run the Add to Existing Surface tool -You will be prompted to choose whether to add to a topography, floor or roof element.
​
4. Then choose which element to add to - it will read ALL adaptive points from the document and add them to the surface of the element.
​
Instructions For Use - Wall Tool
​
1. Insert pointcloud into Revit via the pointcloud insert tab. We suggest working in 3D view and activating the section box to focus on specific structures in the scan.
​
2. Add adaptive points to your document that mark points you wish to align walls to - ensure that snap to pointclouds is enabled in Revit snapping settings. Suggest working in top down 3D view with section box enabled.
​
3. Run the Wall tool - it will prompt you to select the parameters for the new wall - straight or curved, Align to centre, interior or exterior, wall type, height, base offset and level.
​
4. You will be prompted to select the left hand point then the right hand point of the wall ( for curved wall you will also be prompted for a 3rd point at the centre of the curve).
​
5. The wall will be created, then you will be prompted for another new wall, or to finish using the tool.
​
Instructions For Use - Model Lines
1. Insert pointcloud into Revit via the pointcloud insert tab. We suggest working in 3D view and activating the section box to focus on specific structures in the scan.
2. Add adaptive points to your document that mark points you wish to align model lines to - ensure that snap to pointclouds is enabled in Revit snapping settings. Suggest working in top-down 3D view with section box enabled.
3. Run the Model Lines tool - it will prompt you to select the parameters for the new Model Line - straight or curved.
4. You will be prompted to select the start point then the end point of the Model Line(for curved model lines you will also be prompted for a 3rd point at the center of the curve).
​
Instructions For Use - Export from Pointcloud Selection
​
1. Insert pointcloud into Revit via the pointcloud insert tab. We suggest working in 3D view and activating the section box to focus on specific structures in the scan.
​
2. Run the Export command, and Select the pointcloud instance you wish to select points from.
​
3. Draw a selection box around the points you wish to Export
4. Choose the maximum number of points with the decimate slider.
​
5. Choose a file save location and name.
​
Instructions For Use - Export Adaptive Points
​
1. Insert pointcloud into Revit via the pointcloud insert tab. We suggest working in 3D view and activating the section box to focus on specific structures in the scan.
​
2. Add adaptive points to your document that mark the points you wish to export.
​
3. Run the exporter, and choose a file save location.
​
4. ALL adaptive points from the document will be read and exported to an XYZ CSV document.
​
Make Surfaces:
From Point Cloud Selection
The Original PointCloud to Surface is included in the Suite
​
PointCloud to Surface creates complex floor, roof and topography elements from your selction box in a pointcloud instance.
​
The new elements accurately match the original scan data and take only minutes to create.
Overview:
PointCloudtoSurface Suite
The ADB3D PointCloudtoSurface Suite includes 11 tools
for modelling with point cloud data in Revit.
​
You can make and adjust floors, roofs and topographies in a variety of ways to match your scans. Also use our adaptive point tool to mark out your walls then create them in your model with our new wall tool. Export point data for checking or cleaning.
​
​
Wall Tool:
Making Curved Walls
A short tutorial on making curved walls from adaptive points that snap to the point cloud using the Wall Tool.
Wall Tool:
Adding Walls in 3D view
A short tutorial on making walls in 3D view using the suite's Insert Adaptive Points command which works in any view, plus the Wall Tool.