Service · Scan to BIM

As-built BIM modelling of existing assets in Spain.

We turn LIDAR point clouds into as-built BIM models that are actually usable for refurbishment, maintenance, extensions, facility management, technical coordination and asset documentation. We work from our own capture anywhere in Spain, or from a point cloud you already hold.

Leica BLK360 scanning pipework at the Santillana Canal, the capture base for as-built BIM modelling
The output

A BIM model that starts from built reality.

A BIM model is an intelligent digital mock-up of the building: not loose lines, but walls, slabs and pipes that "know" what they are and carry their dimensions and properties. "As built" means it reflects what was actually constructed — derived from the point cloud, not from old drawings — so you work against what really exists. We model to the level of detail each project needs, no more and no less.

Architecture

Existing buildings

Models of envelope, structure, partitions, levels, openings and whatever else matters for alteration or refurbishment.

MEP and industry

Services and equipment

Pipework, plant rooms, supports, equipment, service routes and clashes, modelled for coordination and maintenance.

Heritage

Singular geometry

BIM documentation of historic buildings and existing elements, with criteria adapted to conservation and management.

Who you are dealing with

Capture and modelling by the same team.

Search for "scan to BIM" in English and most results are drafting bureaux that model from a cloud someone else captured. That works, until the model and the cloud disagree and nobody owns the discrepancy.

We capture in Spain ourselves

  • Our own field team scans the asset, so the accuracy of the cloud is our responsibility, not a supplier's.
  • If something on site cannot be reached, that is recorded as an explicit assumption rather than quietly modelled.
  • Site logistics, access permissions and coordinate systems are handled locally.

Or we model your cloud

  • We accept E57, LAS, LAZ, RCP and PTS from any capture provider.
  • We assess density and registration quality first, and tell you what can be modelled reliably from it.
  • Where the cloud falls short for the intended LOD, we say so before quoting rather than after delivery.
Agreed up front

LOD, uses and deliverables before modelling.

A good as-built model is not the heaviest one, it is the one that answers the technical decision. So we agree scope, families, tolerances and formats before production starts.

BIM deliverables

  • Revit, IFC or other formats, to suit your workflow.
  • Plans, sections and elevations derived from the model.
  • Coordination with the point cloud and survey references.
  • Organised by discipline, level or zone.

Modelling criteria

  • Level of detail matched to the use: concept, construction, maintenance or inventory.
  • A clear separation between modelled geometry and the reference point cloud.
  • Control of existing elements, deformations and one-off details.
  • Assumptions documented wherever areas were not accessible.
Real project

Capture base for as-built modelling.

The point cloud of the Santillana Canal conduits (Canal de Isabel II) is exactly the kind of starting data we model as-built from: real geometry of pipework and existing elements, with no reliance on old drawings.

Process

From cloud to model.

We combine capture, registration, technical reading and modelling so the result is usable on site, in the design office or in asset management.

01
Scope and LOD
We agree model uses, disciplines, level of detail and delivery formats with your team.
02
LIDAR capture
3D survey of the asset at the accuracy and coverage modelling requires.
03
Cloud registration
We merge and clean the point cloud that will act as the faithful base for modelling.
04
As-built modelling
The model is built on the cloud, separating disciplines and priorities of use.
05
Review and delivery
Consistency checks, export to RVT / IFC and handover of the associated documentation.
Level of detail

What each LOD means in practice.

LOD (Level of Development) describes how much geometric and data content each model element carries. More LOD is not "better": it is more expensive and slower to produce, so we set it against the decision the model has to support.

LOD 200–300 · Volume and geometry

  • Elements represented with approximate or exact shape and dimensions (walls, slabs, openings).
  • Enough for concept design, area measurement and basic coordination between disciplines.
  • The usual level for residential and commercial refurbishment.

LOD 350–400 · Coordination and services

  • Includes connections between systems, supports, pipes, trays and equipment at real dimensions.
  • Needed where clashes have to be found before works, or MEP coordinated with structure.
  • The level we normally work at in industry and water infrastructure.

The model is built on the cloud: the scanning process shows how each stage fits before modelling starts. Fixing the LOD before scanning avoids two common mistakes — over-modelling (unnecessary cost and programme) and under-modelling (a model that cannot answer the question that prompted it). That is why the first step of our process is always scope, not capture.

FAQ

Questions about scan to BIM.

What is an as-built BIM model?

An as-built BIM model represents the built reality of an existing asset, derived from its point cloud rather than from out-of-date drawings. It is the basis for alteration, refurbishment, maintenance and technical coordination.

Do you also capture, or only model from a cloud we supply?

Both. Unlike offshore BIM drafting bureaux, we carry out the capture ourselves anywhere in Spain, so the same team is answerable for the accuracy of the cloud and of the model. If you already hold a point cloud, we can model from it — and we will tell you up front what its density and registration quality allow us to model reliably.

How does a point cloud become an as-built BIM model?

In five stages: agree scope and LOD, capture the cloud with a LIDAR scanner, register and clean it, model the elements (walls, slabs, services) on the real captured geometry, then review and export to Revit or IFC. The result is intelligent BIM elements that reflect what was actually built, not out-of-date drawings.

Which formats is the model delivered in?

We deliver in Revit (RVT), IFC and other formats to suit your workflow, with derived plans, sections and elevations, and coordination against the reference point cloud.

What level of detail (LOD) do I need?

The right LOD depends on the use: concept design, construction, maintenance or asset inventory. We agree scope, families, tolerances and formats before modelling, so the model answers the technical decision rather than chasing file size.

Contact

Have a site in Spain
that needs capturing?

Tell us what you need surveyed. We review your case with no obligation and send back a technical and commercial proposal matched to your requirements — in English, working to your project timetable.

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Coverage Spain · International clients