How can I use 3D scan data?
If you've never worked with a 3D scan before, the results can feel like a black box. You get an email with some files and a link, and it's not obvious what you're supposed to do with any of it.
It's simpler than it looks. Start with one question: what is the intended output? The answer tells you exactly what you need.
I just want to see the space in my computer, move around and take accurate measurements and distances
This is the easiest case. You don't need any software — we give you a free browser viewer. Open the link, walk through the scanned space on your laptop or phone, and click anywhere to get a measurement. No installs, no training.
This is right for you if: you just want to check a dimension, look at a room before a site visit, or show something to a client without them needing any software.
3D pointcloud data formats: E57, LGSX, XYZ, TXT, etc.
I need drawings — plans, sections, elevations of existing conditions (As-Built)
If you need something to hand to a contractor, submit for a permit, or use for a renovation quote, you need drawings. We produce these directly from the scan: measured floor plans, sections, and elevations, delivered as CAD files and PDFs.
This is right for you if: the drawings are going to a builder, an authority, or anyone who just needs to look at them and doesn't need to model anything.
CAD Drawing formats: DWG, PDF + 3D pointcloud data which can be imported into CAD platforms directly
I need a 3D model I can design in (As-Built BIM/3D)
If you're an architect or engineer planning a renovation, extension, or new design against the existing building, you need a BIM model — the scan turned into real building elements: walls, slabs, columns, each with proper dimensions, ready to open in Revit or ArchiCAD and build directly on top of.
This is right for you if: you're designing against the existing structure, not just documenting it.
BIM Drawing formats: DWG, REVIT, VECTORWORKS, IFC + 3D pointcloud data which can be imported into BIM platforms directly
I have my own team and want to model it myself based on the 3D data
If you already have in-house CAD or BIM capacity and just want the raw data, we hand over the point cloud itself — the scan in its rawest, most complete form. Your team works from that directly.
This is right for you if: you have the software and the people, and just need the accurate starting point to use as an underlay.
Most projects need more than one output
These aren't exclusive. A single scan usually gets delivered as several of these at once — the viewer link for the client, drawings for the permit, a model for the design team. You're not choosing one over the others; you're telling us which ones you actually need, and we build the rest to match.
If none of this sounds quite right, just tell us what you're trying to do with the building and we'll tell you what to ask for.
Cloudy.works is a reality capture studio based in the Walled City of Nicosia, working across Cyprus, Athens and London. We're architects first, so the deliverables are built with how an architectural office actually works in mind.
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