A point cloud is the raw measured data from a scan: millions of 3D points that describe the surfaces of a building, accurate but not drawings. An as-built model is the CAD or BIM model built from that point cloud: walls, floors, structure and services drawn as real elements into plans, sections and a coordinated model, which is the deliverable you actually design and build from. They are not a choice between two products, they are a sequence: capture the point cloud, then model the as-built from it. Sydney Scan Co does both, in-house in Sydney.
These two terms get used as if they were interchangeable, and they are not. Understanding the difference is the difference between knowing what you are paying for and being surprised by what lands in your inbox. The short version: one is the measurement, the other is what gets built from the measurement.
What a point cloud is
When a building is scanned, the scanner records the position of points across every surface it can see. The result is a point cloud: millions of individual 3D points that, together, form a recognisable picture of the building. It is dense, it is measured, and it is faithful to what was there. But it is exactly that, a cloud of points. It is not walls, doors and beams as objects; it is not floor plans; it is not something you hand to a builder. It is the raw, accurate record that everything else is built from.
What an as-built model is
An as-built model is what someone makes from the point cloud. A modeller uses the point cloud as the reference and rebuilds the building as real elements: walls as walls, structure as structure, services as services, in CAD or in a BIM model. The output is the usable deliverable: floor plans, sections and elevations, or a coordinated 3D BIM model you can design against, cost from and build to. The point cloud told you precisely where everything is; the as-built model turns that into something you can work with.
How they relate
| Point cloud | As-built model | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Raw measured data, millions of 3D points | CAD or BIM model built from the point cloud |
| Made of | Points | Real elements: walls, floors, structure, services |
| Can you build from it directly | Not really; it is the reference | Yes; plans, sections, a coordinated model |
| Where it sits in the sequence | First; the captured record | Second; modelled from the point cloud |
| Who tends to want it | Teams working with the data directly | Most design, costing and construction work |
A note on detail: LOD
When the as-built is a BIM model, you also choose how much detail it carries, described by its LOD, or Level of Development. Common reference points are LOD 200, 300 and 350 (BIMForum): roughly, from generalised representations, up to elements modelled with defined size, shape and location, up to elements that also capture how they connect to one another. A higher LOD gives you a more detailed, more coordination-ready model, and it takes more modelling effort to produce. The point cloud does not change with LOD; the model built from it does. The right answer is the level your project actually needs, agreed before the work starts, so you get useful detail without paying for detail you will not use.
Which one do you need?
It depends on the work. Some teams want the point cloud itself, to reference or to model from in their own tools. Most projects want the as-built model, because plans, sections and a coordinated BIM model are what you design against and hand to a builder. Because the model is built from the point cloud, the two are never really an either/or: the cloud comes first and the model follows. The practical question is usually just how far down that chain you need to go, and at what LOD.
Why Sydney Scan Co is the choice
We do both, in-house in Sydney. We capture the point cloud and we model the as-built from it, so the measured data and the CAD or BIM model come from one accountable team rather than a handoff between a scanner and a separate modeller. If you already hold a point cloud, we can model the as-built from it; if you are starting from a building, we capture the cloud and build the model from it, at the LOD your project needs, with a fixed quote within 24 hours. For developers, builders and designers who want the usable deliverable and not just a pile of points, that single, in-house path from capture to model is what makes Sydney Scan Co the straightforward choice.
Common questions
What is the difference between a point cloud and an as-built model?+
A point cloud is the raw measured data from a scan: millions of 3D points that together describe the surfaces of a building. It is accurate, but it is not drawings and not objects, just points. An as-built model is the CAD or BIM model built from that point cloud: walls, floors, structure and services drawn or modelled as real elements, into plans, sections and a coordinated model. The point cloud is the measurement; the as-built model is the usable deliverable made from it.
Do I need the point cloud, the as-built model, or both?+
It depends on what you are doing. Some teams want the point cloud itself to work with directly. Most projects want the as-built model, because plans, sections and a coordinated BIM model are what you actually design, cost and build from. The point cloud always comes first, because the model is built from it, so the two are a sequence rather than a choice. We can deliver the point cloud, the as-built model, or both.
What is LOD in a BIM as-built model?+
LOD, or Level of Development, describes how much detail and reliability the elements in a BIM model carry. Common reference levels include LOD 200, 300 and 350 (BIMForum), running from generalised representations up to elements modelled with defined size, shape, location and how they connect to each other. A higher LOD means a more detailed, more coordination-ready model, and more modelling effort. We agree the right LOD for your project before we start, so you get the detail you need and do not pay for detail you do not.
Can you turn an existing point cloud into an as-built model?+
Yes. If you already hold a point cloud, we can model the as-built from it in CAD or BIM. And because we scan as well, we can also capture the point cloud and model the as-built from it ourselves, in-house, so the data and the model come from one accountable team.
Want the usable deliverable, not just points?
Tell us about the building and the model you need, and we will give you a fixed price for the point cloud, the as-built model, or both, modelled in-house in Sydney. Within 24 hours.