Why SLAM for facades
Walking a building's perimeter with a long-range SLAM scanner captures full elevations in minutes, including courtyards and returns that are awkward to reach with a tripod. With RGB colour, the cloud reads like the building itself — perfect for elevations, heritage records and renovation planning.
Accuracy and detail limits
For overall elevations and openings, 1–3 cm is fine. Where you need crisp ornament or moulding profiles, SLAM's resolution may fall short — add a terrestrial laser scanner on those features. Tall facades benefit from a ~120 m range unit to reach the top from ground level.
Workflow and tips
Plan a looped route around the building, keep the facade in view with steady overlap, and close the loop. Georeference to control if the survey ties to site coordinates, then export to CAD/BIM. Scan in even light for the best colour.
Domande frequenti
Can a SLAM scanner capture building facades?
Yes. A long-range handheld SLAM scanner captures full facades and elevations quickly in colour, including hard-to-reach returns and courtyards, at 1–3 cm accuracy.
Is SLAM accurate enough for architectural surveys?
For overall elevations, openings and documentation, yes. For fine ornament or moulding profiles that need millimetre detail, supplement SLAM with a terrestrial laser scanner.
What range do I need for tall facades?
A unit with ~120 m range lets you capture tall facades from ground level in a single pass, rather than needing elevated positions.