SIMS 3D
Subsea Inspection & Modeling System
Subsea Inspection & Modeling Systems 3D
Turn subsea laser scans into usable BIM. SIMS 3D ingests E57 point clouds, reconstructs pipes and seabed, discovers component types, and produces IFC and Revit-ready output — with a realtime desktop client and a proprietary processing backend.
Built for real subsea scan workflows
One pipeline from raw scan to modeled, inspectable BIM — with the backend kept off the client.
E57 ingestion
Reads multi-scan E57 files, applies scan transforms, filters invalid points and downsamples for processing.
Pipe reconstruction
Plane removal, clustering, cylinder RANSAC, axial gap splitting and collinear merging produce fitted pipe segments.
Runs & bends
Chains segments into runs, snaps bend vertices, reports deflection angles and diameter changes.
Seabed & clearance
Detects the seabed plane, measures underside clearance and calculates free-span lengths.
Component discovery
Classifies flanges, valves, equipment, supports, structural and unclassified envelopes from remaining scan points.
Type controls
Component-type checkboxes drive both the 3D scene and the generated IFC. Large equipment is hidden by default.
IFC4 export
Typed IFC products: pipes, fittings, valves, members, slabs and component envelopes, with scan properties.
Realtime desktop
A live funnel, progress bars, streaming activity logs and a 3D scene that updates as each conversion stage completes.
Scan to BIM in one guided cycle
The desktop app runs the full automation. The backend performs the reconstruction and streams progress back.
Select E57
Pick or drop a scan. The client streams it to the server.
Extract
Seabed removed, cylinders fitted, preview points returned.
Analyze
Runs, bends, clearance and free spans calculated.
Discover
Other components classified into visible types.
Review
Inspect 3D scene, toggle component types, adjust selection.
Export
Download IFC and pipes.json for Revit.
See the conversion, not just the result
Points, pipes, centerlines, component envelopes, progress and logs — in one window.
What goes in. What comes out.
Everything needed for review and the Revit handoff is written to the job folder and offered as a download.
Input
- Primary format
E57 - Also accepts
.npy,.xyz,.txt - Multi-scanall scans in the E57 are combined with their poses
- Typical contentsubsea pipework, seabed, pump/equipment structures
- Coordinatessurvey/UTM frames supported; recentre for Revit
Output
- BIM model
<scan>.ifc - Revit add-in input
pipes.json - Raw fits
pipes.raw.json - Discovery
components.json - Provenance
manifest.json,run.log - Preview
preview.json
Get the SIMS 3D desktop client
Windows 10/11 x64. No Node.js or Python needed on the client. The installer is unsigned; SmartScreen may warn until code signing is configured.
Client-light. Backend-controlled.
The desktop distributable contains only the client; reconstruction code and scan processing stay on your server.
Security model
- Bearer-token access with per-client labels
- Token rotation and client revocation
- Structured audit log for HTTP, WebSocket and job activity
- Public pages expose only client binaries, never backend code
- Production served over HTTPS at sims3d.app
Requirements
- Desktop: Windows 10/11 x64, WebGL-capable graphics
- Network access to sims3d.app
- Server: Node 20+, Python 3.11–3.13 and the engine dependencies
- Optionally Docker with a persistent data volume
- Revit IFC route or the native SIMS 3D pipe add-in
Good to know
Does the IFC contain the raw point cloud?
No. IFC carries the modeled products (pipes, fittings, components, seabed). The desktop scene shows the point cloud; for full point-cloud visual coverage in Revit, link the original scan separately.
What are the component boxes?
Geometric envelopes discovered from scan clusters that are not modeled pipes or seabed. Large equipment envelopes over 1.5 m are hidden by default to keep the model readable; enable them in Component types.
How do updates work?
On launch, the packaged client checks /downloads/updates. When a newer version is available, the user confirms, the app downloads and installs it, then relaunches.
How do I revoke access?
Change SIMS3D_TOKEN on the server and restart to invalidate all old clients, or remove a named client from SIMS3D_TOKENS. Publish a new build with the new token so authorized users can update.