Trimble Site to Office Workflow: Scan to Layout in Under an Hour

Words by Andrius Reciunas – AEC Technical Services Manager: Trimble Connect & Tekla.

In modern construction and fabrication, the gap between the digital model and physical reality can be a source of costly errors and delays. What if you could close that loop, ensuring what you model in the office is perfectly aligned with site conditions, and then accurately lay it out on-site in minutes, not hours? This is the power of a fully connected workflow, linking design and construction with speed, precision and confidence.

Recently, my colleague Adrian Benge and I visited a new Tekla Structures user to demonstrate this exact process. Our goal was to show how to capture as-built data, model new elements against it, and export layout points for immediate use. We did it all before our second cup of coffee. Here’s how.

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The Tools of the Trade: A Quick Primer

To understand the magic, you first need to meet the players. This powerful workflow connects specialized hardware and software through a central collaboration platform.

Trimble X9 3D Laser Scanner: A high-speed scanner designed for quickly capturing detailed, 3D measurements of a real-world space. It creates a “point cloud” – a set of millions of data points that form a precise digital replica of an environment.

Trimble Connect: A cloud-based collaboration platform that acts as the central hub. It allows all stakeholders to share, view, and manage project data, from scans and models to drawings, ensuring everyone is working with real up to date data.

Tekla Structures: The industry-leading structural BIM (Building Information Modeling) software for creating highly detailed and constructible 3D models. It’s the “office” environment where the design and detailing happen.

Trimble Ri Total Station: A robotic total station guided by software. It uses data from the 3D model to precisely point a laser to exact coordinates in the physical world, making it perfect for construction layout.

[Video: A model and point cloud in Trimble Connect]

From Reality to Model to Layout: A Real-World Workflow in Under an Hour

Upon arriving at our client’s workshop, we set out to prove how fast this process could be.

Step 1: Capturing Reality with the Trimble X9 Scanner
We unboxed the Trimble X9 scanner and placed it in the center of their small workshop. With a few taps on the tablet controller, the scan began. In just a few minutes, it captured everything: the walls, floor, ceiling, and the existing structural steel beams and columns. This initial step in the 3D laser scanning workflow gave us a perfect as-built snapshot of the current conditions.

Step 2: The Digital Hub – Trimble Connect Collaboration
With the scan complete, we immediately exported the data from the X9 to our project in Trimble Connect. Using the Trimble Reality Capture platform service, the point cloud was processed and tiled directly in the cloud. This meant we didn’t need a high-powered desktop computer on-site to handle massive data files. The data was instantly accessible and ready for the next step.

As-Built Modeling in Tekla Structures
Back at our makeshift desk, I opened Tekla Structures and, using a direct import link from Trimble Connect, streamed the point cloud directly into my model space. This point cloud to BIM process is seamless. The digital workshop appeared on my screen, perfectly to scale.

Augmented Reality in Trimble SiteVision.

Against this accurate as-built data, I:

Modeled the existing walls for context.
Placed a new structural steel column and a few connecting beams.
Inserted the holding down bolts for the new column at their precise design locations.

Because I was modeling against a real-world scan, there was no guesswork. This is the definition of as-built verification and design happening in tandem.

Step 4: Closing the Loop with the Trimble Ri Total Station
With the new steel modeled, I exported the entire 3D model (as an IFC file) and the construction layout points for the holding down bolts back to the same Trimble Connect project with a single click.

My colleague Adrian then took over. He opened the Trimble FieldLink software on his tablet, which was connected to the Trimble Ri total station. He imported the IFC and layout points from Trimble Connect, locked the station’s position in the workshop, and selected the holding down bolt locations on the tablet’s screen.

Instantly, the Trimble Ri whirred to life, its laser pointing to the exact spot on the floor where the first bolt needed to be drilled. We had gone from a physical site to a digital model and back to a precise physical layout point in less than an hour.

Beyond the Workshop: Where Else Can This Workflow Shine?

The beauty of this Trimble site to office workflow is its versatility. While we demonstrated it in a workshop, its applications are vast:

Complex Retrofits: Scan an existing building, model new structures within the tight constraints of the existing space, and precisely lay out connection points.
Foundation & Anchor Bolt Layout: Ensure foundation bolts are placed with millimeter accuracy before the concrete is even poured, eliminating costly rework for steel erectors.
MEP Hanger Placement: Model mechanical, electrical, and plumbing runs in Tekla Structures and export thousands of hanger locations for fast and accurate on-site layout.
Quality Assurance: After construction, scan the area again for as-built verification to confirm everything was built according to the model, ensuring all stakeholders are always informed.

Ultimately, this workflow is about letting the data do the heavy lifting. It’s about replacing the tape measure and “eyeballing it” with verifiable, model-driven accuracy that saves time, reduces risk, and connects the entire project team.

[Video: A model site in Trimble Reality Capture Platform Service view]

Ready to Revolutionise Your Workflow?

Stop letting disconnected data create problems on your projects. If you want to see how this powerful scan-to-model-to-layout process can work for you, we’d love to show you.

Contact us today to schedule a personalised demo or visit our website to learn more about Trimble and Tekla solutions!.

Andrius Reciunas
AEC Technical Services Manager

1800 900 272

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