Direct Answer
FARO SCENE to Autodesk ReCap and Revit: A Controlled Point-Cloud Workflow
Approve registration and coordinates in FARO SCENE first. Then export a tested E57 or RCP/RCS path appropriate to the Autodesk version, preserve a known coordinate check, index and organize the cloud in ReCap as needed, and link it into Revit with a deliberate origin or shared-coordinate method. Verify known points after every handoff; a file that opens is not necessarily positioned correctly.
Finish registration before format conversion
Resolve scan links, control, units, coordinate orientation, exclusions and QA in SCENE before creating an Autodesk derivative. Exporting early can separate downstream users from the information needed to diagnose a registration issue and can lead to multiple inconsistent versions.
Archive the approved SCENE project or agreed native data with a report and file manifest. Treat ReCap and Revit data as controlled derivatives of that approved source.
Choose between direct Autodesk export and E57 exchange
FARO documents export to Autodesk RCP/RCS from SCENE. Autodesk ReCap also imports FARO FLS, FWS and LSPROJ data and E57. A direct RCP/RCS route can reduce steps for an Autodesk-only recipient, while E57 provides a documented exchange path useful across applications.
The choice should be tested with the required scan structure, imagery, clipping and coordinates. Autodesk notes that structured E57 can preserve individual scans, row and column information and registration transforms; its complete structured export behavior may not apply project deletions or clips in the way a user expects.
| Path | Advantage | Check before delivery |
|---|---|---|
| SCENE to RCP/RCS | Direct indexed Autodesk deliverable | Origin, coordinate behavior, included scans, regions and Autodesk version |
| SCENE to structured E57 to ReCap | Documented exchange retaining station structures when supported | Poses, imagery, units, clips and ReCap import behavior |
| FLS/FWS/LSPROJ into ReCap | Uses supported FARO source/project formats | Which project history, processing and registration information the recipient actually needs |
Control units, origin and large coordinates
Document units and one or more known XYZ checks before export. Large civil or plant coordinates can exceed comfortable authoring distances from Revit's internal origin. A coordinated local origin may be needed while preserving the transformation to survey coordinates in the project documentation.
Do not move or rotate the cloud by eye. Record any origin shift as a reproducible transformation and verify it in both ReCap and Revit.
Organize and index in ReCap
Use ReCap to index supported scans, review orientation, create regions or prepare RCP/RCS files for Autodesk design tools. Keep the data segmented enough that users can control visibility without loading irrelevant parts of a large site.
Check station locations, panoramic access where required, color, units and a known coordinate after indexing. If a format conversion changes the origin or scan structure, document that behavior in the delivery notes.
Link the cloud into Revit deliberately
Revit point-cloud positioning choices include origin-based and shared-coordinate approaches. Autodesk documents that Origin to Internal Origin aligns the ReCap origin with the Revit project base point, while Shared Coordinates uses the cloud's global position relative to the Revit project. The project team must decide which model coordinate strategy is authoritative.
Autodesk also warns that Revit does not use a GIS coordinate system merely because it is assigned in the RCP. Coordinate success depends on origins and project positioning, so verify spot coordinates and elevations at known locations after linking.
Prepare the cloud for practical modeling
Create views, sections and visibility regions that help modelers isolate relevant systems. Preserve enough point density for the smallest required feature, but do not assume that every user should load the full project at once. Coordinate file location, network access and performance with the BIM team.
The modeler should understand capture gaps and surface noise. A sparse or occluded area should remain visibly uncertain rather than being silently idealized into authoritative BIM geometry.
Verify the full round trip
Check known coordinates, floor elevations, grid relationships and representative geometry in SCENE, the exported file, ReCap and Revit. If the BIM will be returned to other disciplines, test the resulting shared coordinates or exchange format as well.
Deliver a readme with source software versions, export path, units, origin strategy, known checks, included regions and limitations. That information often prevents more coordination loss than another round of point decimation.
Preserve coordinate intent and QA evidence through every conversion. The success criterion is not that Revit displays points; it is that the right points appear at the verified project position with usable context.
Frequently asked questions
Primary sources and standards
Technical claims in this guide were checked against the following manufacturer documentation, standards bodies and software documentation.