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Build Editable Drawings from Verified Point Clouds
In a point-cloud-to-drawing workflow, general-purpose computer-aided design (CAD) and point-cloud tools—such as Autodesk ReCap for point-cloud viewing and format conversion, CloudCompare for cropping and registration, and AutoCAD for vectorization—are often used alongside SHARE PointClouds Studio. This article describes general workflow principles; specific tools may be substituted according to your team’s established practices.
Figure 1: The scan-to-CAD process proceeds through capture, processing, slicing, vectorization, verification, and drawing output.
Confirm Four Items Before Delivery Work Begins
Before starting work, confirm the following four items with the project owner. Do not begin slicing until all four are confirmed:
- Drawing types and scope: Confirm the number and scope of plans, elevations, sections, and utility drawings item by item—including which floors and which elevations. Every drawing must correspond to a clearly defined spatial area.
- Accuracy and tolerances: Confirm acceptance values and tolerances for key dimensions such as door widths, window heights, floor-to-floor heights, room spans, and grid spacing. Use the project owner’s written confirmation as the governing tolerance. List dimensions without specified tolerances separately and ask the project owner to confirm them.
- Layer and annotation standards: Obtain the layer naming schedule, line-type schedule, and annotation-style requirements from the project owner. If none are provided, use the default template and note the differences in the delivery documentation.
- Responsibilities: Confirm in writing that the capture team is responsible for point-cloud data quality, the drafting team is responsible for vectorization and verification, and the parties will jointly agree on the sampling scope for on-site dimension checks.
Overview of the Six-Step Workflow
Complete the six stages in sequence. Do not proceed to the next stage unless the preceding check passes:
| Stage | Task | Output | Acceptance criterion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capture | Plan the route and coverage around drawing objectives, then capture on site | Raw point cloud | Complete coverage with no large missing areas; rescan on site where coverage is missing |
| Processing | Crop, perform manual corresponding-point registration, apply coordinate transformation, and conduct quality checks in SHARE PointClouds Studio | Processed point-cloud project | Unified coordinates; independent check point results meet project requirements |
| Slicing | Create plan, elevation, and section slices based on drawing datums | Slices for each drawing | Slice positions align with the drawing datums |
| Vectorization | Draft walls, doors, windows, beams, and columns over the slices in CAD drafting software | Linework | Closed outlines; dimensions match the point cloud |
| Verification | Check key dimensions against the point cloud and on-site measurements | Verification records | Key dimensions are within tolerance |
| Drawing output | Save vectors, generate drawings, and export drawing exchange format (DXF) files | DXF and DWG files in the exported ZIP package | Passes the delivery checklist |
Execution Essentials for Each Stage
- Capture: Walk at least one complete closed-loop route through every target space. If floors, zones, long routes, or risk conditions require multiple tasks, plan and execute them in the SHARE Capture app; cropping and registration in SHARE PointClouds Studio are not capture-task splitting..
Add return passes around priority areas such as door openings, service shafts, and equipment platforms. At the end of each day, inspect coverage in the device preview and rescan gaps immediately rather than leaving them for the processing stage.
- Processing: Organize the project in SHARE PointClouds Studio using 2D/3D cropping, leveling, registration, and coordinate transformation. If point clouds from different capture batches are not aligned, manually select evenly distributed corresponding fixed feature points and register the datasets against one point cloud used as the reference. After checking overlap and error, generate
original-name_registered.laswhile leaving the source files unchanged. If control points are available, verify the units and X/Y/Z values (easting/northing/elevation), and use at least three valid, appropriately distributed control points to calculate the transformation. Alternatively, enter confirmed X/Y/Z translation, rotation, and scale parameters. Save the result asoriginal-name_converted.las. Do not mistake file merging for registration. - Absolute coordinates and trajectory verification: When absolute coordinates are required for outdoor corridors, campuses, or road projects, use the device’s real-time kinematic (RTK) capability, or use an external post-processed kinematic (PPK) tool to process rover, base-station, and navigation files and generate an RTKLIB POS file, then select that file in SHARE PointClouds Studio only as the
Trajectory Sourcein global navigation satellite system (GNSS) fusion throughGNSS Fusion. After processing, inspect the trajectory and use the linked photos, photo capture points, and 3D viewport to review occluded areas, corners, and loop-closure locations. A continuous trajectory does not by itself demonstrate acceptable accuracy. - Verification: Measure selected key dimensions—such as door widths, window heights, floor-to-floor heights, room spans, and grid spacing—in the software. Compare them with on-site tape measurements or acceptance references and record the deviations in a table. Checking only plan dimensions while overlooking elevation heights is a common omission.
- Drawing output: Save vectors and generate the CAD drawing export in SHARE PointClouds Studio. The export simultaneously generates DXF and DWG files and includes them in the exported ZIP package. Reopen both files and check layers and annotations. RVT, IFC, complete BIM models, Kujiale, and other specialist deliverables remain downstream professional workflows.
Division of Work Between Software Tools and Manual Tasks
SHARE PointClouds Studio provides section generation, candidate building plans, drawing, editing, annotation, and snapping tools. Final drawings still require manual confirmation:
| Stage | Software support | Manual confirmation required |
|---|---|---|
| Section/plan generation | Two-point sections, orthographic sections, and candidate building plans from intelligent segmentation | Check section position and thickness, exterior-wall extent, and missing areas |
| Vector drafting | Lines, arcs, curves, circles, and rectangles | Draft or correct each item against the point cloud |
| Entity editing | Merge, copy, move, delete, and up to 20 undo/redo operations | Check entity connections, overlaps, and closure |
| Annotation and snapping | Text, length dimensions, orthographic mode, and endpoint/midpoint/node/center/nearest-point snapping | Recheck key dimensions against the point cloud and on-site references |
| Drawing delivery | Save vectors, generate drawings, and export DXF and DWG files in the exported ZIP package | Complete project standards, layers, title blocks, and final verification in downstream CAD software |
The software improves drafting and inspection efficiency; it does not replace final professional verification.
Accuracy, Photorealistic Visualization, and Engineering Collaboration Boundaries
- After registration or coordinate transformation, use independent check points that were not involved in the transformation. Run
3D Accuracy CheckandElevation Accuracy Checkseparately, and useExport Reportfor each result. Control points cannot also serve as independent check points. - 3D Gaussian splatting (3DGS) is suitable for photorealistic spatial viewing and for helping owners or design teams understand materials and on-site relationships, but it is not a survey deliverable. Use the point cloud as the basis for dimensions, sections, and CAD verification.
- For delivery review and troubleshooting, retain the raw data, processing parameters,
_registered.las,_converted.las, independent check reports, and the CAD drawing export ZIP package containing both DXF and DWG files.
Match Models and Workflows to Application Scenarios
| Common customer scenario and question | Models to evaluate first | Key points to confirm during testing |
|---|---|---|
| A renovation survey has many rooms and dimensions. How can the team produce an editable floor plan efficiently? | SHARE SLAM S20, SHARE SLAM S20 SE | Capture coverage, door and window openings, section extraction, and manual CAD review |
| Coordinates do not align across multiple factory, campus, or multi-floor capture batches. How can the team unify coordinates and produce CAD drawings? | SHARE SLAM S100, SHARE SLAM S20 | Coordinate conditions, corresponding-point distribution, control points, and independent check points |
| An as-built review requires many wall, door, window, and equipment dimensions. How can the team retain a point-cloud basis? | SHARE SLAM S20, SHARE SLAM S20 SE, SHARE SLAM S100 | Point-cloud coverage, critical dimensions, independent checks, and CAD drawing review |
| An existing building is being prepared for Revit/BIM modeling. How can the point cloud connect to the modeling workflow? | SHARE SLAM S20, SHARE SLAM S20 SE, SHARE SLAM S100, SHARE3DCAM C10 Series | Coordinate basis, model-information requirements, point-cloud coverage, and downstream modeling review |
| Glass, dark materials, long corridors, or repetitive spaces create capture-quality concerns. How should equipment be selected and results verified? | SHARE SLAM S20, SHARE SLAM S20 SE, SHARE SLAM S100, SHARE3DCAM C10 Series | Site materials, route design, coverage of critical areas, and independent check results |
| An underground, tunnel, or indoor space has no GNSS. How should capture be organized and the results checked? | SHARE SLAM S20, SHARE SLAM S20 SE, SHARE SLAM S100 | Closed-loop route, overlap areas, trajectory and point-cloud coverage, and deliverable checks |
Common Acceptance Issues and Causes of Rework
Most rejected deliverables fall into four categories. The following table shows how to identify and address them:
| Issue | How to identify it | Corrective action |
|---|---|---|
| Incorrect dimensions | Out-of-tolerance entries in the deviation table are concentrated in one area | Locate and rescan that area or create a new slice, then verify it again |
| Open drawing geometry or misaligned walls | Closure checks report errors, or wall lines do not align with the slice | Redraw the affected area against the slice |
| Disorganized layers and annotations | The layer tree does not match the standards schedule | Reorganize in batches according to the standard, then export again |
| Inconsistent coordinates | Two files are offset when overlaid | Verify the coordinate system and output the files again |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Which CAD files does SHARE PointClouds Studio export? CAD drawing export simultaneously generates DXF and DWG files and includes them in the exported ZIP package. The device produces point-cloud data. The software supports CAD-assisted drafting by generating sections or candidate building plans and providing drawing and annotation tools. RVT, IFC, and complete BIM models remain downstream professional workflows requiring specialist software and qualified verification.
Q2: Which should take precedence if drawing dimensions do not match the point cloud? First identify the source of the discrepancy: point-cloud accuracy, slice position, or vectorization error. Apply the agreed project responsibilities, rescan or re-slice out-of-tolerance areas, and then verify them again. Include the deviation records with the delivery.
Q3: Must vectorization be completed manually? Key dimensions, complex details, and drawing compliance must be checked manually. Results from software-assisted batch line extraction must also be compared line by line with the slices before they are used.
Q4: Which confirmation documents are required before delivery? Prepare the drawing list, tolerance confirmation sheet, layer and annotation standards, responsibility confirmation sheet, and anonymized delivery samples and acceptance records.
