Realities of Reality Capture: A Review of the Available Tools

In recent years, the architecture, engineering, and construction industry has actively explored efficient and cost-effective approaches to capturing accurate geospatial data. From laser scanning to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), from point clouds to photogrammetry, it is still unclear which tool favors which use cases. Do I really need 1,000,000 points to solve this problem? This course will focus on the technological aspects and provide a comparison of current reality-capture (RC) tools: oblique and nadir photogrammetry, structured light scanners, laser scanners, and reflectorless total stations. We will dive into metrics for each type of documentation, including accuracy, speed, file size, and investment. We will present data on projects of varying scale (a corporate headquarters to a suburban value office). By defining use cases and expectations, we will discuss which tools are appropriate for visual planning, calculating volumetric quantities, measuring productivity, documenting progress, and confirming accuracy on the site or in the building. This session features ReCap 360, BIM 360 Layout, and Revit. AIA Approved