Introducing Scan to Steel

In industrial plants, steel structures (such as beams, columns or braces) rarely match their original design for very long. Modifications accumulate over the years, and the as-built record falls out of date. Outdated or missing steel documentation then slows down every downstream task, like maintenance planning or structural analysis, because teams end up working from drawings that no longer reflect what’s actually on site. However, rebuilding that record by hand is slow, and most teams don’t have the time or headcount to do so.

With the new Scan to Steel feature in Leica Cyclone 3DR, plant industry professionals can now automatically extract all steel structural elements from a point cloud. The software detects and extracts structural steel elements from the point cloud and converts them into intelligent objects (beams, columns, braces, etc.). From there, users can export into CAD or BIM or integrate directly into other structural analysis software to produce further deliverables.

The Scan to Steel workflow

Scan to Steel turns a raw point cloud into a structured steel model in three straightforward steps: first, define the structure’s elevation levels, then let the software detect and extract steel elements against the existing profile catalogue, then finally export to IFC, COE, STEP, or DXF for use in Revit, Tekla, or Advance Design.

What used to require manual measurement and modelling now happens through a guided, semi-automated workflow. Watch these videos for a full step-by-step guide to the Scan to Steel workflow: Scan to Model Extraction of Steel Elements (part 1) / Scan to Model Extraction of Steel Elements (part 2). 

This new feature supports two core use cases in industrial projects. Teams can extract a steel model from point cloud data and export it to BIM software such as Revit to continue design work. Or, when no 3D reference exists, they can also generate a structural model for analysis and export it to engineering tools such as Advance Design.

Key benefits of Scan to Steel

Scan to Steel dramatically speeds up the workflow of extracting steel elements from point cloud data, and makes the full extraction process more accessible to teams without deep software expertise.

A wide range of modelling elements
Cyclone 3DR can now produce 3D models of steel columns, beams, and pipe elements from point clouds, while also supporting 2D plans and detailed textured meshes. Scan to Steel works from a predefined catalogue that covers most standard steel profiles. But users can also add their own reference files to cover non-standard steel elements and sections.

AI classification for immediate visual reads
Paired with AI-powered point cloud classification features in Cyclone 3DR, users can more easily visualise their scan data by colour-coding each steel element type. For example, highlighting columns in green and horizontal beams in yellow. Beyond the visual benefit, classification lets users extract with more confidence. Because every point is already assigned to a physical object type, elements can be modelled from only the relevant points rather than the full, noisy point cloud. For a manufacturer running scans across multiple plant sites, this reduces the risk of misidentifying a pipe for a steel beam and speeds up extraction across every scan.

Manual control where it matters
Automation handles the straightforward cases. The automatic snapping tool gives control to the user, allowing them to lock the beam end to a column face so that geometry is absolutely correct. However, for complex or noisy point clouds, users retain full control through manual adjustment tools, enabling more precise positioning of elements.

Seamlessly integrates into your existing workflows

Cyclone 3DR is designed to fit into the platforms plant professionals already use, and Scan to Steel is built with that in mind. Point cloud data can come from standard e57 files or LGSx files streamed locally or via Hexagon GeoCloud. That removes the long conversion step that was previously required, and which has historically been a point of friction for users. So, users can get up and running much faster now.

Cyclone 3DR can also produce IFC files, the standard for BIM collaboration. Each steel element can carry its own ID that follows it through renovations, maintenance cycles, and transfers between software such as Revit, ArchiCAD, and Advance Design.

Alongside IFC, exports are available as COE, STP, IGES and DXF.

Get started with Scan to Steel

With the new suite of automatic extraction features in Cyclone 3DR, like Scan to Steel and Scan to Pipe, it is now easier than ever to rebuild and maintain accurate as-built plant models directly from reality capture data. The result is a more reliable foundation for engineering, maintenance, retrofit, and expansion projects, helping plant teams work from what actually exists rather than what is shown in legacy drawings.

We will continue to deepen integration with Hexagon GeoCloud, moving toward workflows where users can model, verify, and collaborate directly from the cloud without exporting and reimporting files.

Interested in learning more about Scan to Steel and other features and workflows in Cyclone 3DR? Browse our Cyclone 3DR YouTube Channel for tutorials, tips and tricks or watch our recent webinar: Introducing Scan to Steel. 

Nicolas Sarrasin
Product Manager, Leica Cyclone 3DR