Point Clouds Panel

The Point Clouds Panel provides tools for working with point cloud data in Revit scan-to-BIM workflows. It contains four tools: LidarKit, a full-featured point cloud management hub; Snap Section Box, a focused utility for isolating scan regions; Clash Detect, for comparing scans against BIM geometry; and Detect Planes, for extracting planar and cylindrical geometry from cloud data. These tools are designed for the full scan-to-BIM lifecycle - from initial data inspection and region isolation through colorization, coordinate management, clash analysis, and geometry extraction.

mindmap
  root((Point Clouds Panel))
    Management
      LidarKit
    Utilities
      Snap Section Box
    Analysis
      Clash Detect
      Detect Planes

Point Cloud Management

LidarKit

A hub for point cloud data management in Revit, covering the full scan-to-BIM workflow from initial enumeration through geometry extraction and export. LidarKit does not require an active document on launch - it can inspect and manage point cloud data before a project file is open, which makes it useful for pre-processing and data review workflows.

LidarKit organizes its capabilities into modules: instance and scan enumeration, section box snapping, colorization engines, clash detection, coordinate management, point extraction, scan-to-BIM geometry extraction, registration, and export. Not all modules are active in every context; available actions depend on what point cloud data is loaded in the current session.

Key features:

• Enumerate all point cloud instances, scans, and regions loaded in the current session
• Snap a 3D view section box to any point cloud's bounding extent with configurable padding
• Colorize point clouds by elevation, intensity, normals, or a fixed color
• View scan metadata including scan date, coordinate system, point count, and region definitions
• Navigate to point cloud instances and related model elements from the results list
• Detect clashes between point cloud geometry and model elements
• Extract point data from selected regions and export to XYZ, DXF, or E57 formats
• Coordinate management utilities for aligning project coordinates to scan data
• Scan-to-BIM geometry extraction to generate Revit elements from cloud geometry
• Registration tools for aligning multiple scan datasets to a common reference frame
• Undo/redo stack for all LidarKit operations within a session

Getting Started

1. Open LidarKit from the Point Clouds panel. No open document is required.
2. The main window enumerates all available point cloud instances and scans. Expand a scan node to see its regions.
3. Select a scan or region to view its metadata in the detail panel - coordinate system, point count, bounding box, and scan date.
4. Use the Colorize tab to apply elevation, intensity, normals, or fixed-color visualization to the selected point cloud.
5. Use the Section Box tab to snap the active 3D view's section box to the selected bounding extent.
6. Use the Export tab to extract point data from a selected region and export to XYZ, DXF, or E57.
7. Navigate to a point cloud instance in the model by right-clicking its row and choosing Select in Model.

UI Overview

Tips

• LidarKit opens without an active document, so you can review scan metadata and plan your workflow before opening the project file.
• The colorize modes are non-destructive view overrides - they do not modify the point cloud data itself.
• When exporting large scans, use the region selector to limit extraction to the area of interest rather than exporting the full scan.
• Coordinate management tools are most useful early in a project when establishing project base point alignment to survey data.

Section Box Utilities

Snap Section Box

Snap the active 3D view's section box tightly around a selected point cloud's bounding extent. Select a point cloud instance before running the tool - Snap Section Box reads the cloud's bounding box, applies the configured padding value from section_box_padding in the project config (default 2.0 ft), and adjusts the active 3D view's section box to match.

This is a focused single-action tool designed for speed: select a cloud, run the command, and your section box is set. Use it when switching between scans during a modeling session without manually adjusting section box planes.

Key features:

• Reads section_box_padding from project config (default 2.0) for consistent offset behavior
• Operates on the active 3D view only - no view selection dialog
• Applies the adjustment in a single undoable transaction

Getting Started

1. In a 3D view, select the point cloud instance you want to isolate.
2. Run Snap Section Box from the Point Clouds panel.
3. The active view's section box updates immediately to match the point cloud's bounding extent plus the configured padding.
4. Adjust section_box_padding in your project config to change the default offset.

Tips

• If the active view does not have a section box enabled, Snap Section Box enables it automatically.
• Set section_box_padding to 0 to snap the section box flush to the cloud boundary with no margin.
• Undo (Ctrl+Z) reverts the section box to its previous state if the result is not what you expected.
• For more control over section box snapping - including choosing which scan or region to snap to without pre-selecting - use the Section Box tab inside LidarKit instead.

Analysis

Clash Detect

Compare point cloud data against BIM geometry to find deviations between the as-scanned condition and the modeled design. Clash Detect is useful for construction verification, existing conditions validation, and identifying where a scan disagrees with the Revit model.

Key features:

• Compares a selected point cloud against selected BIM elements
• Configurable tolerance threshold to control what counts as a clash
• Per-element clash counts with deviation statistics in the results

How to use:

1. Select a point cloud and the BIM elements you want to compare against.
2. Run Clash Detect from the Point Clouds panel.
3. Set the tolerance threshold that defines an acceptable deviation.
4. Run the analysis and review per-element clash counts and deviation statistics.

Requirements

Clash Detect requires CPython with scipy. See the LidarKit setup guide for environment configuration.

Detect Planes

Detect planes and cylinders in point cloud data using RANSAC. Detect Planes turns raw scan points into recognizable geometric primitives that can be reviewed, measured, or promoted into Revit elements.

Key features:

• RANSAC-based detection of planar and cylindrical surfaces in a selected point cloud instance
• Horizontal planes can be converted to Revit levels
• Cylinders report center line, radius, and estimated length

How to use:

1. Select a point cloud instance in the model.
2. Click Detect Planes in the Point Clouds panel.
3. Review detected planes and cylinders in the results.
4. For horizontal planes, optionally convert them to Revit levels. For cylinders, inspect the reported center line, radius, and estimated length.

Requirements

Detect Planes requires CPython with Open3D. See the LidarKit setup guide for environment configuration.

Last updated: 2026-04-19