Solidworks Sydney

  Why Point Cloud Data Beats STL for Real Engineering Work If you’ve been looking into 3D scanning for your business, you’ve likely come across terms like STL, OBJ, mesh, and point cloud. On the surface, they all appear to represent the same thing—a digital version of a real-world object. In reality, the difference between these formats can determine whether your project moves forward efficiently or stalls inside your CAD environment. Not all scan data is created equal, and more importantly, not all of it is usable for engineering. A common scenario is this: a company invests in 3D scanning to capture an existing component or piece of equipment. The intention is to modify a design, reverse engineer a part, or produce drawings for fabrication. The scan is completed, and the deliverable is issued as an STL or OBJ file. At first glance, everything looks correct. The model opens inside platforms like SolidWorks , Autodesk Inventor , Autodesk Fusion , or Onshape . However, as soon ...

 Why Chain of Custody Matters in 3D LiDAR Scanning and Engineering Data In today’s engineering environment, capturing data is no longer enough — proving the integrity of that data is what matters most . As 3D LiDAR scanning becomes standard across mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects, a new question is emerging: 👉 Can your scan data stand up in a dispute, audit, or court of law? This is where Chain of Custody and Data Governance come into play. What is Chain of Custody in Engineering Data? Chain of custody is the documented record of how data is captured, handled, transferred, and stored over time . It creates a traceable, auditable history of your data — from the moment it is scanned through to final design, modelling, and decision-making. Without it, even the most accurate LiDAR scan can be questioned. Why This Matters for LiDAR Scanning In engineering and construction environments: Scan data is used for design decisions It informs modifications and upgrades It c...