Point Cloud Geometry in Revit Family - Paul Aubin Tutorial

Why It Matters

Integrating point‑cloud‑derived meshes into Revit families gives firms a faster path to realistic, data‑driven models while preserving performance, a critical advantage for design, coordination and facility‑management workflows.

Key Takeaways

• Revit can import OBJ meshes directly from point clouds.
• Limit box extracts point‑cloud segment then converts to mesh via cloud credits.
• Decimation reduces triangles 98% while preserving visual fidelity.
• Visibility settings toggle coarse vs detailed OBJ for performance.
• Textures often lost; correct unit selection crucial for proper scaling.

Summary

The video demonstrates how Autodesk Revit now supports importing OBJ mesh files generated from point‑cloud data, allowing users to embed scanned geometry directly into Revit families.

Aubin walks through the workflow: select a limit box around a point‑cloud segment, send it to Autodesk’s cloud service (or local drive) to create a mesh, then decimate the model by 98 % to keep file size manageable while preserving visual quality. He shows coarse, medium and fine display settings and explains how to assign visibility rules so only the low‑poly version loads during regular navigation.

Key examples include a keystone that originally contained millions of triangles, which Autodesk flagged as too large for shipment, and a salvaged architectural detail captured via photogrammetry rather than laser scanning. Aubin notes that textures often disappear during conversion and that the OBJ import lacks scaling controls, requiring careful unit selection.

For BIM practitioners, this capability bridges the gap between as‑built documentation and parametric modeling, enabling realistic renderings and accurate clash detection without bloating the central model. However, the current limitations—texture loss, fixed scale, and reliance on cloud credits—highlight areas where Revit must evolve to fully support high‑resolution scanned assets.

Original Description

This is an excerpt from a live masterclass with Paul Aubin. The full 90-minute video is available inside the BIM Pure membership, along with our back catalog of 35+ live masterclasses replays.

Enroll here: https://bimpure.com

In this video, Paul demonstrates how to incorporate point cloud geometry into a Revit family using ReCap. This element can be shown to be displayed only at the Fine visibility setting, with a cruder version displayed at a lower level of detail.