Use ReCap and Revit when you have modelers and want full control inside Autodesk tools. Use Moving Atoms when you want the model itself: every object separated and editable in Revit and IFC within 48 hours, without staffing the modeling. Many teams do both: our Revit output opens straight into the same projects.
How the ReCap + Revit workflow works
Autodesk ReCap Pro is reality-capture software: it imports and registers scans, cleans them, and saves a project (RCP/RCS) that Revit can link as a point cloud. In the classic workflow the modeler then traces walls, floors, pipes and equipment in Revit against the linked cloud, element by element.
ReCap Pro 2026 adds a faster route for some content: it can generate segmented meshes (.rcmr) that a Revit plug-in places into the project as families, which Autodesk says significantly reduces manual modeling. Those meshes describe the shape of what was scanned; turning them into native, parametric Revit elements at a given LOD is still the modeler's job.
How Moving Atoms works
Moving Atoms is a Scan to BIM service, not a modeling tool you operate. You upload your scan from any scanner (E57, LAS/LAZ, PLY, RCP/RCS, PTS/PTX, FLS, LGSx, meshes or a zipped project, up to 200 GB per file, resumable in the browser), choose the level of development you need, and within 48 hours every object comes back separated, measured and editable, in Revit, IFC, STEP, USD or GLB. For sites that cannot send data out, the conversion can run on-site so the scan never leaves the building. You can open finished examples, including Revit downloads, in our LiDAR samples.
Side by side
| Autodesk ReCap Pro + Revit | Moving Atoms | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Software you license and operate | A service that delivers the model |
| Who models | Your Revit team | Our pipeline and team |
| Output | Linked point cloud; optional segmented meshes as families (ReCap Pro 2026); your modeled elements | Separated, measured, editable objects in Revit, IFC, STEP, USD and GLB |
| Level of development | Whatever your team models | Choose LOD 200 to 500 at upload |
| Turnaround | Depends on team capacity and building size | Within 48 hours |
| Scanner support | Most common formats | Any scanner, including FLS, LGSx, RDBX, LCC and E57 |
| Cost model | Subscriptions plus modeler time | Quote per site |
When ReCap + Revit is the better choice
- You have Revit modelers with spare capacity and want every modeling decision made in-house.
- You only need a few elements modeled, or you mainly want the point cloud linked for reference.
- You are already paying for the Autodesk AEC Collection and the work is continuous.
When Moving Atoms is the better choice
- You need a full existing-conditions model fast, or your modelers are booked.
- The site is dense (plant rooms, process piping, warehouses) and manual tracing would take weeks.
- You need each object separate for clash checks, maintenance or simulation, and in more than one format.
Using both
Our Revit output is a normal Revit model, so you can keep ReCap for registration and reference, send us the scan for the heavy modeling, and finish details in Revit. See how to convert a point cloud to Revit for both routes.
Send us a scan and get separated, editable Revit and IFC objects back within 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Does Autodesk ReCap convert point clouds to Revit models automatically?
ReCap Pro registers and cleans scans and creates a point cloud project Revit can link. ReCap Pro 2026 can also create segmented meshes that a Revit plug-in places as families. Native, parametric Revit elements are still modeled by your team.
Can I open Moving Atoms output in Revit?
Yes. We deliver native Revit (.rvt) along with IFC, STEP, USD and GLB, with every object as a separate element.
Do I need ReCap to use Moving Atoms?
No. Upload the scan in any common format, including E57, LAS, RCP or scanner-native files, and we handle registration and conversion.