Important
Point Clouds are available only in Solibri Premium and Solibri Enterprise
Point clouds allow you to import and visualize 3D scan data in Solibri Desktop. You can use them to compare as-built conditions against your building model and support quality assurance tasks.
Viewing and Managing Point Clouds
Moving and Aligning Point Clouds
Using Point Clouds with your Model
Using Point Clouds in Rule-Based Checking
Tips and Tricks / Troubleshooting
Supported file formats
Solibri supports the following point cloud formats:
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E57 – ASTM E57 3D imaging data format (standard format)
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LAS/LAZ – LiDAR point cloud formats (LAS and compressed LAZ)
When importing a point cloud, you can configure:
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Coordinate system alignment and positioning.
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Scale, if needed.
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Point density for performance optimization.
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Apply to all imports, if you want to reuse the same settings for multiple files.
These options help ensure that multiple point clouds are placed consistently in the same project.
You can import a point cloud into an existing model or into an empty project.
To import a point cloud:
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Open a model or start with an empty project.
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Go to the File menu and select Open, or drag and drop the point cloud file into Solibri.
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If a model is already open, the point cloud is added to the current project.
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The point cloud appears in the Model Tree, where you can manage its visibility and settings.
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Use the visibility controls to show or hide the point cloud in the 3D view.
Tip
For correct alignment, make sure that your model and point cloud use the same coordinate system. If they do not, the point cloud may appear far away from the model, be partially visible, or seem misaligned.
Once imported, point clouds are managed from the Model Tree.
To control visibility:
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Locate the point cloud in the Model Tree panel.
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Use the eye icon next to the point cloud to show or hide it.
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You can also open Point Cloud Settings and use the visibility option there.
To remove a point cloud:
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Right-click the point cloud in the Model Tree.
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Select Remove from model.The point cloud is removed from the project, but the original file is not deleted.
If the point cloud is not correctly aligned with your model, you can adjust its position.
To move or rotate a point cloud:
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Right-click the point cloud in the Model Tree.
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Select Move or Rotate Models.
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Use the available controls to reposition or rotate the point cloud relative to the model.
Note
This is useful when small alignment corrections are needed after import.
Point clouds can be heavy to display, especially when they contain a large number of points.
To adjust point cloud precision:
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Open Point Cloud Settings from the Model Tree.
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Change the point density or detail level to balance performance and visual quality.
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Use smaller point size and lower density to improve performance, especially with large files.
Reducing the number of visible points can significantly improve navigation and interaction performance.
After importing a point cloud, you can view it together with your model and use it for comparison.
Typical use cases include:
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Comparing distances between model elements and the point cloud.
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Checking clashes or intersections between the design model and as-built data.
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Verifying geometry against actual site conditions.
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Creating combined views that show both the model and the point cloud for coordination or reporting.
Solibri includes point cloud–based rules that help you check how well the as-built scan matches the model and whether clearances and clashes are within acceptable limits.
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Point Cloud Clash Rule
Checks whether sampled point cloud points penetrate selected model components beyond the allowed clash tolerance. This helps you detect where the as-built situation conflicts with the design model.
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Point Cloud Clearance Rule
Checks whether the required clearance zone around selected components is free of point cloud points. Use this to verify that access, maintenance, and safety clearances are respected on site.
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Point Cloud Matching Rule
Compares point cloud points against selected model components and reports components whose measured points do not match the model closely enough. This highlights elements where construction deviates from the design.
You can add these rules to a rule set, configure tolerances and target components, and then run them like any other Solibri rule to get issue reports and visual feedback in the 3D view.
Tip
Tips for best results
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Make sure the point cloud and IFC model use the same coordinate system before import.
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Large point cloud files can affect performance, so consider reducing point density or splitting very large scans into smaller areas.
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Organize your point clouds in the Model Tree (for example, by location or date) to keep larger projects manageable.
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When comparing specific model elements, toggle point cloud visibility on and off to focus on the relevant area.
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After import, use Zoom Extents to quickly locate the point cloud in the 3D view.
Note
Troubleshooting
Point cloud does not appear in the 3D view
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Check that the point cloud visibility is enabled in the Model Tree.
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Verify that the coordinate system matches the model.
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Make sure the file format is supported (E57, LAS, LAZ).
Point cloud seems far away or misaligned
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Confirm that the point cloud and model share the same coordinate system.
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Check that the point cloud has correct geo-referencing information.
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Try repositioning the point cloud with Move or Rotate Models.
Performance is slow
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Reduce point cloud precision or density in Point Cloud Settings.
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Hide point clouds or models that you do not need at the moment.
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Close other heavy files or applications if necessary.
Cannot import point cloud file
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Verify that the file format is supported (E57, LAS, LAZ).
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Check that the file is not corrupted.
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Make sure you have read and write permissions to the file location.