Earlier when Revit (building design software) was not equipped with the indexing mechanism, then Building Information Modelers had to take the support of additional applications (such as Autodesk ReCap) for changing a raw laser scanned file into a properly indexed point cloud file. It’s true that point cloud modeling services cannot be executed until and unless laser scanned data (which is collected during the survey process, undertaken for the as-built building) is successfully indexed. In other words the raw scanned data cannot be inserted into Revit.
But nowadays, this technology is available in all the disciplines of Revit which include Revit Architecture, Revit Structure and Revit MEP.
Method used in Revit for indexing raw point cloud data
- For linking a point cloud file in current Revit project, users are required to index the file before going ahead with the linking option.
- So while selecting the point cloud file for linking in Revit, users are required to click ‘Yes’ for allowing Revit to index the file.
- When ‘Yes’ is clicked by users then Revit creates indexed .rcp and .rcs files from raw scanned data.
- Right after Yes is clicked by Revit users; the Point Cloud File Indexing dialog opens up in front of the screen.
- If in case there are huge number of files within the list of raw format files then users are required to use the Import Unit Option.
- Under the file location option Revit users are required to determine the file name and its location.
- Once file location and file name is specified users are required to click ‘Start Indexing’ option.
- Once the process of indexing raw point cloud files is over, Revit users are needed to click ‘Close.’
- For a single laser scanned file, Revit produces a single .rcp file and a single .rcs file.