Understanding Orthomosaics, Point Clouds, and 3D Models
April 2, 2026
An orthomosaic is a geometrically corrected, top-down aerial image mosaic — useful for site plans, area takeoffs and visual context, but flat: it does not carry height information directly.
A point cloud is a set of measured 3D points describing surfaces and objects. It supports precise measurement, clash checks and volume calculations, but is not directly human-readable without software.
A 3D or mesh model is a surfaced reconstruction built from the point cloud, useful for visualisation, walkthroughs and coordination with design software.
Most engagements produce more than one of these because they answer different questions: 'what does the site look like from above,' 'how far apart are these two points,' and 'what does this room look like.'
Professional boundaries
- Legal boundary and property line determinations require a licensed land surveyor.
- Final tax positions, asset lives and depreciation treatment require a qualified tax professional.
- Structural, mechanical and other engineering conclusions require a licensed engineer.
- Official valuations and appraisals require a licensed appraiser.
- Thermal imagery indicates apparent anomalies only and is not a diagnosis.
- Legal opinions, causation findings and expert testimony require qualified counsel and retained experts.
Start with the decision you need to make.
Tell us the property and the decision. You get a written scope with an exact price before anything is scheduled.