EN

  • EN

  • FR

  • ES

  • PT

  • DE

  • CN

  • JP

  • EN

  • FR

  • ES

  • PT

  • DE

  • CN

  • JP

EN

  • EN

  • FR

  • ES

  • PT

  • DE

  • CN

  • JP

  • EN

  • FR

  • ES

  • PT

  • DE

  • CN

  • JP

IBKS pushes the boundaries of scan-to-BIM with NavVis and PointFuse in a towering project

IBKS pushes the boundaries of scan-to-BIM with NavVis and PointFuse in a towering project

BKS is a company that provides built-environment services in the healthcare sector and specializes in digital solutions and management consultancy. The company recently put its ground-breaking NavVis and PointFuse workflow to the test in a sizable, intricate healthcare institution, and it excelled above and beyond all expectations.

Key conclusions

With NavVis VLX and PointFuse Pro, two robust tools with low entry barriers, IBKS created a quick and precise scan-to-BIM workflow.

The team quickly began delivering challenging scan-to-BIM projects in the medical industry.

IBKS recently took on a 450,000 square foot, two-tower healthcare project in Los Angeles.

Each 11-story tower was scanned in only 10 days using NavVis VLX.

Each level was ready for Autodesk Revit in about 12 hours thanks to PointFuse Pro.

large order

IBKS won a significant scan-to-BIM project in 2022 for a sizable hospital facility in Los Angeles at the borders of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. This area, which spans 375,000 square feet, contains two 11-story towers and a number of medical suites. When outside components are included, the total increases to nearly 450,000 square feet.

It was the largest scan-to-BIM project IBKS had ever attempted. The unique scan-to-BIM workflow that the company had recently designed around the NavVis VLX mobile scanner and PointFuse Pro software was also put to the test in a big way.

Be innovative right away.

IBKS's founder, Mo Haidar, said that reality capture had only recently been added to the company's list of services. Even though IBKS had some internal scan-to-BIM experience, the key players were virtually starting from scratch because much of it was five or even older years old.

This turned out to be more of a strength than a weakness. Without having any preconceived notions about which tools would be "best," IBKS was able to create a novel workflow. IBKS "did research for every device that's out there," according to Haidar, and "quickly realized that our use case would require a mobile mapping approach." And we were fairly certain that it would be the NavVis Reality Capture Solution, which consists of the NavVis VLX and NavVis IVION. They presented neither an obstacle to admission nor any form of intimidation, so it was clear.

In addition to being user-friendly for beginners, the mobile mapping solution complied with the firm's exacting technical standards for use in the healthcare industry, says Spivey Lipsey, lead for digital twin solutions at IBKS. We wanted to be quite accurate, but we also have a lot of ground to cover. The scanner's accuracy and speed were just right.

IBKS sought a downstream scan-to-BIM tool that provided a comparable blend of a low entry barrier, speed, and data quality to supplement their NavVis solution. It was discovered in PointFuse Pro. Automatic surface classification, point cloud mesh generation, and quick LOD 200 model production are all features of this software. And using it would be pretty simple.

The most crucial aspect, according to Lipsey, was that IBKS could be certain that the tools would perform as a seamless process. "Anyone who starts their journey into this field rapidly realizes that there is a very complex world of software versions and compatibility difficulties when they try to get hardware and software for their solution. Additionally, many software solutions defy common sense.

He continues, "A significant selling point for me is that NavVis and PointFuse already established a partnership. That increased my level of confidence in the compatibility of these tools. After setting up the necessary tools, IBKS collaborated with the technical teams at NavVis and PointFuse to refine the workflow over a number of significant scan-to-BIM projects. In order to maintain consistency, capture corridors without drift, organize data, automatically recognize elements, and other things, the company used these jobs to develop best practices.

The major test

Then IBKS secured the scan-to-BIM project for the Los Angeles two-tower complex, which was the biggest test yet for their system. There were several difficulties with this 450,000 square foot project. For a BIM model that complied with customer requirements, IBKS would need to collect data that was accurate enough. Additionally, they would need to work rapidly after hours to minimize any inconvenience to the personnel because the location was a functioning medical center.

The project's scan area, as previously indicated, covered 22 stories and various levels of medical suites. The final client didn't own the buildings being scanned, therefore IBKS could only record the portions their client had leased, adding another layer of complexity. As a result, the scans would be dispersed; Haidar referred to this pattern as "Swiss cheese." The group was unsure if their software could keep things aligned correctly across the entire processing chain. According to Haidar, "We were concerned that we might need to perform the multiple level alignment in two locations, NavVis IVION and PointFuse Pro." Additionally, repeating a task is the very last thing you should do.

Navigational aids VLX and IVION

Lipsey claims that by taking several smaller scans without the aid of control points, the team was able to speed up the mobile mapping operation. They were able to enter and exit each space rapidly as a result, reducing drift and maintaining a high level of precision.

IBKS structured the scans in a "tree" configuration to prevent any alignment issues that might develop as a result of the scattered arrangement. Each tower had two stairwells that were the whole height of the structure, according to Lipsey. "So, we individually scanned those. The restrooms, a section of the stairway, and every corridor on each floor were also searched. After that, each suite was examined separately.

The team completed basic alignment work in NavVis IVION before processing began. We were able to match the levels like a tree trunk and branches by connecting the corridor to the stairwell, claims Lipsey. "After that, we lined up the suites with the hallway." The team then exported each level separately using the crop and download tool.

Processing: Autodesk Revit with PointFuse Pro

They then gave PointFuse Pro access to the data. The changeover went smoothly. Each level and combined data set were imported into PointFuse Pro. There was no need for additional alignment because they stacked exactly as we had oriented them in NavVis IVION.

The next stage, according to Eliane Bouery, a BIM consultant with IBKS, was to start processing. To automatically create a mesh and categorize huge planar surfaces like walls and floors, she utilized PointFuse Pro. Next, she continues, "we classified the elements, floor by floor." She made her way around each room, checking or identifying the doors, walls, furniture, windows, and other significant objects. She maintained the initial point cloud open in NavVis IVION throughout this time for visual reference.

"After that, we used the BIM Space Management module to automatically create a 3D model. I simply positioned and adjusted each window and door after that. As I navigated to each area and streamed the measurements to confirm placement, I worked concurrently in NavVis IVION.

Without needing to perform any more alignment once she finished aligning each level, she exported an IFC file from PointFuse Pro for simple upload into Revit for the finishing touches and modeling. The BIM model was then rapidly finished in accordance with the client's requirements.

Big success and a look to the future

According to IBKS, the NavVis and PointFuse workflow exceeded expectations and made what seemed like a difficult task at first, very simple and easy. One was that the mobile scanning was quick. The squad completed their conquest of each tower in just 10 days, and they were relieved that they were able to leave without having to go back. The speed of the mobile mapping workflow also contributed to lessening the inconvenience to the on-site medical staff. Doctors and nurses were present at several of the offices even though we conducted the scan after business hours, according to Haidar. "And they just had to leave the room for three minutes while we finished the scan and returned. It was like a warm coffee break to them. The majority of people were shocked by how swiftly we left their area.

And the accuracy or data quality didn't suffer as a result of the speed. In areas like long corridors, Lipsey claims that mobile mapping is actually achieving some extremely high precision. And everything turned out quite clear, save for a few very minor artifacts. I believe that NavVis VLX will be much more useful than we initially thought.

The software workflow, according to Lipsey, was undoubtedly up to the difficulties presented by scan-to-BIM work for sizable medical facilities. The initial processing time was shortened by NavVis IVION to 4 hours per floor (roughly 16,000 sq feet). The "scan-to-Revit-model" time was shortened by PointFuse Pro to just 12 hours per floor. Additionally, it decreased the size of the point cloud files by almost 66%, saving a substantial amount of storage space and accelerating transfers.

The difficult alignment was easily managed by IBKS' creative workflow. Indeed, according to Lipsey, "I believe it allows us to do as many storeys as we need." "Without needing to perform any further translation, we could begin with alignment in NavVis IVION, bring the data accurately into PointFuse Pro, and finally Revit."

This is a fantastic example of how well both products integrate, says Haidar. "Here, we've experienced some fantastic success."

My3D.Cloud - a platform for Architects and Contractors who uses 3D laser scanning and 3D modelling in their work

  1. Storage
  2. Viewers 3D files (Point Cloud | CAD | MESH)
  3. Converting 3D files(Point Cloud | CAD | MESH)
  4. Sharing
  5. Teamwork
  6. Mobile

We have created this platform to improve project delivery and collaboration experience. Thanks to it, users get the opportunity to increase the loyalty of their customers, and in turn, customers get time savings and maximum convenience.

Go to My3D.Cloud