3D Laser Scanning Glossary

Key 3D laser scanning and reality-capture terms, defined — from LiDAR and point clouds to registration and control points.

3D laser scanning terms

Light Detection and Ranging — a laser method that measures distances by timing reflected light pulses to capture precise 3D data.

A dense set of measured 3D points (X, Y, Z) that together represent a scanned space or object.

A tripod-mounted scanner that captures high-accuracy 3D data of buildings and sites from fixed positions.

Aligning multiple individual scans into one unified coordinate system, typically to 2-4 mm accuracy.

Digitally recording existing physical conditions as measurable, true-to-life 3D data.

Reference markers placed in a scene to align and georeference scans accurately.

How closely spaced captured points are; higher density means finer detail.

Areas hidden from the scanner’s line of sight that need extra scan positions to capture.

Tying scan data to a real-world coordinate system.

Common point-cloud file formats (E57 open standard; RCP for Autodesk ReCap) for sharing and importing scan data.

Accuracy is how close measurements are to true values; precision is how repeatable they are.