Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to what we hear most. Don’t see your question? Reach out, and we’ll get you sorted within one business day.
Project Fit and Planning
1. When is 3D scanning appropriate?
3D scanning is useful when several existing surfaces or interfaces must be understood together, drawings are missing or outdated, access is limited, or new equipment, piping or structures must fit around existing conditions. It can also support the reverse modelling of modified, worn or obsolete components.
If a project only requires a few accessible dimensions, targeted measurement may be more efficient. We begin by reviewing the project decision and required deliverable before recommending a capture method.
2. How is the right measurement method selected?
We start with what the information must help your team decide, design, fabricate or install. Required coverage, critical interfaces, tolerances, site access, surface conditions and final file format then guide the measurement approach.
Depending on the project, the appropriate method may be terrestrial laser scanning, close-range component scanning, targeted measurement or a combination of methods. The final purpose determines the method — not simply which scanner is available.
3. What information is needed for a quotation?
An initial project review should identify:
- the problem or decision the information must support;
- the site or equipment location;
- the approximate area or component size;
- available drawings, photographs or existing scan data;
- critical interfaces, dimensions or tolerances;
- access, safety and operating constraints;
- required models, drawings or file formats; and
- the desired project schedule.
You do not need to have every detail established before contacting us. We can help identify what is required to prepare a clear scope and quotation. Sensitive project files should only be transferred after the appropriate information-handling method has been agreed.
4. Can Creative GOAT scan operating, underground or remote facilities?
Yes. Creative GOAT performs 3D scanning in operating industrial facilities and underground mining environments, including locations where access is constrained or time-sensitive.
Field work is planned around site access, orientation, safety requirements, operating restrictions, production schedules and the required capture area. Because scanning depends on access and line of sight, obstructed or inaccessible conditions are identified and addressed through additional capture, targeted verification or clearly stated exclusions.
Remote-project travel and logistics are reviewed during project scoping.
Deliverables and Technical Limitations
5. What deliverables and file formats are available?
Deliverables are defined by how your team needs to use the information. Depending on the project, they may include:
- registered point clouds;
- mesh data;
- existing-condition CAD models;
- scan-to-CAD geometry;
- 2D drawings and sections;
- critical-interface details;
- reverse-modelled components; and
- technical or manufacturing documentation.
Common formats may include E57, RCP/RCS, STL, OBJ, DWG, PDF, STEP and agreed native CAD formats. The required files, level of detail, intended purpose and software compatibility are confirmed before work begins.
6. Can Creative GOAT work from an existing point cloud?
Often, yes. Before using existing scan data, we review its age, registration, coordinate or reference basis, coverage, resolution, available accuracy information, file format and coverage of the critical project interfaces.
If the data is suitable for the required purpose, it may be used to develop the agreed model, drawing or technical deliverable. Where information is incomplete or uncertain, we will identify the limitation and recommend supplemental capture, targeted verification or new scanning where necessary.
7. What accuracy, coverage and limitations should we expect?
There is no single accuracy or coverage figure that responsibly applies to every project. Results depend on the selected capture method, equipment, distance, surface condition, environment, field control, registration, modelling process and verification requirements.
During scoping, we identify the critical features, required tolerance and intended downstream use before selecting the workflow. The resulting deliverable defines its intended purpose, captured area, assumptions, exclusions and applicable verification.
A scan records visible captured surfaces. It does not automatically reveal hidden geometry, material condition, nominal dimensions, design intent or fitness for every downstream use.
8. Can scan data be turned into fabrication-ready models or drawings?
Yes, when the required modelling, documentation and verification are explicitly included in the project scope. A point cloud by itself is source information — it is not automatically a fabrication-ready deliverable.
Creative GOAT can use verified existing-condition information to develop CAD models, interface geometry, drawings and manufacturing information for a defined purpose. Critical interfaces, tolerances, assumptions, exclusions and verification points are identified as part of that work.
Depending on the application, shop checks, field verification or professional review may still be required before fabrication or installation proceeds.
Commercial, Confidentiality and Responsibility
9. What affects project cost and schedule?
Project cost and schedule depend on factors including:
- site location and travel;
- capture area and physical complexity;
- the number and importance of existing interfaces;
- site access, safety and operating restrictions;
- the selected measurement method;
- point-cloud processing and registration;
- the required model or drawing detail;
- file-format and documentation requirements;
- verification requirements; and
- review and revision expectations.
Each quotation defines the proposed field and office work, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, required client inputs, fees and planned schedule. A project review is required before providing a responsible price or turnaround commitment.
10. Where does Creative GOAT travel?
Creative GOAT is based in Greater Sudbury, with a primary focus on mining, mill, fabrication, equipment and industrial projects across Northern Ontario and elsewhere in Ontario.
We are also available to travel throughout Canada and the United States for projects that fit our industrial 3D scanning and design capabilities. Site access, scheduling, transportation and other travel requirements are reviewed during project scoping and clearly identified in the quotation.
11. How is professional engineering review or certification handled?
Creative GOAT completes the 3D scanning, existing-condition documentation, CAD development, mechanical design support and technical documentation that form the project package.
When professional engineering review, certification or sealing is required, the applicable work is submitted to an appropriately licensed third-party engineering provider for a project-specific review. The scope, responsibilities and review status are clearly defined for that project, and any sealed deliverables are issued under the responsible professional’s authority.
This approach keeps the capture, design and documentation workflow coordinated while ensuring that regulated professional review is completed by the licensed professional responsible for it.
12. How are confidential drawings, scans and site information protected?
Creative GOAT treats client drawings, scans, models, photographs, operating information and site details as sensitive project material. Access, transfer, storage and disclosure are handled according to the project’s requirements and any applicable confidentiality agreements or contractual restrictions.
When we share lessons from completed work, we may present them through anonymized case studies focused on Creative GOAT’s own work, process and deliverables. Client names and confidential, proprietary or reasonably identifying details are removed, generalized or used only with the applicable authorization.
Before an anonymized case study is released, it is reviewed to ensure that the information presented is appropriate for the project’s confidentiality, contractual and third-party-rights requirements.
Start with the part, site, or problem you have.
Send photographs, drawings, or a plain-language description. We will identify what needs to be captured, what you will receive, and the path forward.
What you are building, replacing, or changing
Photographs, drawings, or site information you already have
Your location, target date, and what is at risk