Choosing the Right Reality Capture Consultant

Reality Capture technology has quickly become the preferred method for capturing the built environment.

Many government and commercial organizations around the world understand the importance of specifying and using 3D reality data, like point clouds and hire reality capture specialists like us to work on their projects.

Still, we continue to hear from clients here in Atlantic Canada who are hesitant to use reality data from laser scanning and photogrammetry because of something they've heard or their first experience with another reality capture consultant was unsatisfactory. Whether the result of misguided expectations or a lack of experience by the other consultant, our clients will quickly realize that not all firms offering a similar service are alike.

We've worked on 100s of reality capture and BIM projects here in Atlantic Canada and have made plenty of mistakes. It’s the lessons we’ve learned from these mistakes that allow us to offer the following considerations when choosing a reality capture consultant for your next project.

As reality capture consultants we are an end-to-end service provider that not only helps you gather the data but also helps you use it appropriately. Our process isn’t complete until we ensure the data has been fully processed and stored securely. Additionally, we make sure that you can access the data where and when needed.

  • Is reality capture at the core of their business or is it an ancillary service?
  • Do they offer alternative solutions to accomplish a range of different tasks (mobile, terrestrial, aerial, etc.), and can they describe the pros and cons of each in a simple and concise manner?
  • Can they demonstrate experience and success with examples of projects like yours?
  • Did they take time to discuss the requirements that match your budget and goals, or did they dive into a conversation about tech toys and millimetres?
  • Do they use the latest technology and produce survey-grade data? Or just data?
  • Did they deliver a data dump and expect you to handle the rest?
  • Can they tie their reality data to survey control and/or project coordinates for alignment with related project documentation?
  • Can they connect you to your job site using point cloud viewers hosted online with dimensioning capabilities?
  • What relevant professional licenses are held by their staff? Do they have Architects, Engineers and/or Surveyors on staff?
  • Do they employ certified UAV operators with a reputable safety record?
  • Do they possess the appropriate safety training and security clearances for the project?
  • Do they do offer modelling services in-house or do they outsource it? If it’s outsourced, is it outsourced overseas?
  • Were they able to guide you through the various model detail options, explaining Levels of Development (LOD) and Levels of Accuracy (LOA)?
  • Do they understand the process to validate the accuracy of complex out-of-plum/out-of-plane real-world conditions against a model representation, that is typically orthogonal in nature?
  • What software packages do they own and utilize? Can they provide deliverables native to your software or does it need to be translated in order to work in your software?
  • Do they offer change and clash detection services?

Let us help you understand the practicalities and benefits of our BIM-ready surveys and know that you are hiring optimized processes and proven workflows that were developed through experience over time.