Plain-language definitions of every term you'll encounter when working with Matterport 3D tours, reality capture, and spatial data.
Whether you're a real estate agent exploring virtual tours for the first time, a contractor evaluating reality capture for construction documentation, or a property owner trying to understand what a Matterport scan actually delivers — the terminology can be confusing. This glossary defines the key terms in plain language, with a focus on how each one relates to Matterport 3D scanning and the services we provide at Southeast 3D Tours.
For a complete overview of how Matterport works, see our What Is a Matterport 3D Tour? guide. For pricing and deliverables, see the pricing page.
A 3D tour is an interactive, navigable digital model of a real-world space. Unlike a video tour (which follows a fixed path) or a photo gallery (which shows static images), a 3D tour lets the viewer control where they go, what they look at, and how long they spend in each area. Matterport is the industry-leading platform for creating 3D tours of residential, commercial, and industrial spaces. When someone refers to a "Matterport tour," they mean a 3D virtual tour created with Matterport's camera and software platform.
As-built documentation is a record of a building or space as it was actually constructed — as opposed to the original design drawings, which may differ from what was built. As-built records are used by architects, engineers, contractors, and facility managers for renovations, maintenance, and future construction planning. Matterport 3D scans serve as as-built documentation because they capture the precise spatial dimensions and visual conditions of a space at a specific point in time.
See: Construction Documentation · 3D Scanning & Reality Capture
BIM is a digital modeling process used by architects, engineers, and construction professionals to plan, design, and manage buildings. A BIM model is a detailed 3D representation of a building that includes not just geometry but also information about materials, systems, and spatial relationships. Matterport scans can be exported as BIM-compatible files (Revit .RVT format), allowing design teams to use scan data as a starting point for renovation, tenant improvement, or facilities management projects instead of building a model from scratch.
CAD stands for computer-aided design. A CAD file is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional digital drawing used by architects, engineers, and designers. Matterport can generate 2D CAD files from a 3D scan, providing accurate floor plan data in formats compatible with AutoCAD and similar design software. This is useful for architects who need a measured baseline of existing conditions without performing a manual field survey.
A digital twin is an accurate, navigable digital replica of a physical space. The term originated in manufacturing and engineering, where digital twins of machines and systems are used for monitoring and simulation. In the context of 3D scanning, a digital twin is an interactive 3D model of a building or room that mirrors the real-world space in dimension, layout, and visual appearance. Every Matterport 3D tour is a digital twin — a precise, measurable copy of the scanned space that can be accessed, walked through, and measured from any device with a web browser.
Digital twins are used across multiple industries: real estate agents use them to market listings, property managers use them to document conditions, architects use them as the basis for renovation design, and insurance professionals use them for pre-loss documentation. The term "digital twin" and "3D tour" are often used interchangeably, though "digital twin" tends to emphasize the spatial accuracy and data utility of the model, while "3D tour" emphasizes the interactive viewing experience.
The Dollhouse view is a Matterport-specific feature that displays the entire scanned space as a three-dimensional model viewed from above — like looking down into a dollhouse with the roof removed. The viewer can rotate, tilt, and zoom the model to see how rooms connect, how floors relate to each other, and how the overall layout flows. It provides an instant understanding of spatial relationships that is impossible to communicate through photos or even a walkthrough video. The Dollhouse view is included with every Matterport 3D tour at no additional cost.
For multi-story properties, the Dollhouse view is especially valuable because it shows the vertical relationship between floors — something no floor plan or photo set can convey.
E57 is a vendor-neutral file format for storing 3D point cloud data. It is the standard exchange format used across the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry for sharing scan data between different software platforms. Matterport can export high-density E57 point cloud files from any completed scan. These files can be imported into Autodesk ReCap, AutoCAD, Revit, Archicad, Navisworks, CloudCompare, and other point cloud processing software.
E57 export is an add-on deliverable available through Matterport. Contact us for pricing on E57 exports for your project.
In architecture and construction, "existing conditions" refers to the current state of a building or site before any design work, renovation, or construction begins. Documenting existing conditions is a critical first step in renovation and tenant improvement projects, because the design team needs accurate information about what's already there — walls, columns, ceiling heights, mechanical systems, doorway locations — before they can plan changes. A Matterport scan captures existing conditions in a single site visit, providing a dimensional digital record that the design team can reference throughout the project.
A schematic floor plan is a two-dimensional overhead view of a space showing room layout, wall positions, and approximate dimensions. Matterport automatically generates a schematic floor plan from the 3D scan data — no separate measurement visit is required. These floor plans are accurate enough for marketing, MLS listings, and general space planning. They are not intended as construction drawings or legal surveys.
Schematic floor plans are available as an add-on for $75 per scan. For measurement-grade floor plans in CAD format, see CAD File above.
An iFrame is an HTML element that allows one web page to display content from another web page within it. When you receive a Matterport tour, you get both a shareable URL (a direct link to the tour) and an embed code (an iFrame snippet). The embed code lets you drop the interactive 3D tour directly into your website, MLS listing, VRBO page, or any platform that supports HTML embeds — so visitors can explore the tour without leaving your site.
LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging. It's a sensing technology that measures distances by emitting laser pulses and calculating how long they take to bounce back. Matterport cameras use LiDAR to capture the precise spatial dimensions of a room — not just how it looks, but how big it is, down to approximately 1% accuracy for interior measurements. This is what makes features like the measurement tool and point cloud export possible. Without LiDAR, a scan would produce only visual imagery; with it, the scan captures actual spatial data.
MatterPak is a Matterport-specific export that bundles multiple 3D data files from a scan into a single downloadable package. A MatterPak typically includes an OBJ mesh file (a 3D surface model), an XYZ point cloud file, and high-resolution textures. It's primarily used by AEC professionals, 3D artists, and developers who need the raw 3D data for modeling, simulation, or integration into other software platforms like SketchUp, Rhino, or Blender. MatterPak is an add-on deliverable available through Matterport.
Matterport is both a company and a technology platform. Matterport, Inc. manufactures 3D cameras (the Pro2 and Pro3 series) and operates the cloud software platform that processes scans into interactive 3D tours, floor plans, and spatial data exports. When people say "a Matterport tour" or "a Matterport scan," they're referring to a 3D capture created using Matterport's camera hardware and processed through Matterport's cloud platform. The resulting tour is hosted on Matterport's servers and accessed via a shareable link.
Southeast 3D Tours is a Matterport Service Partner — a certified provider that uses Matterport Pro-series cameras to scan properties and deliver tours, floor plans, and spatial data to clients across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.
The measurement tool is a built-in feature of every Matterport 3D tour that allows any viewer to measure the distance between any two points in the scanned space. The viewer simply clicks two points and the tool displays the distance — wall to wall, floor to ceiling, countertop width, doorway height, or any other dimension. Measurements are accurate to within approximately 1% for interior spaces. The measurement tool is available to anyone viewing the tour; no special software or login is required.
This feature is used by homebuyers checking furniture fit, contractors pulling rough dimensions for bids, insurance adjusters verifying room sizes, and vacation rental guests confirming space before booking.
A point cloud is a collection of millions of individual data points in three-dimensional space, where each point represents a specific location on a surface. Together, the points form a detailed 3D representation of the scanned environment. Point clouds are the raw spatial data behind a Matterport scan — they're what makes the 3D model geometrically accurate rather than just visually approximate.
AEC professionals use point clouds as the foundation for CAD drawings, BIM models, and renovation design. They can be imported into software like Autodesk ReCap, Revit, AutoCAD, and CloudCompare. Matterport exports point clouds in the E57 file format, which is the vendor-neutral standard for the AEC industry.
Pre-loss documentation is a visual and spatial record of a property created before any damage occurs — before a fire, flood, storm, theft, or other covered event. The purpose is to establish a verifiable baseline of the property's condition, contents, and layout so that if a claim is filed later, there's concrete evidence of what existed before the loss. A Matterport scan is one of the most thorough forms of pre-loss documentation available because it captures every room, every fixture, and every surface in navigable, measurable 3D — time-stamped at the date of capture.
Reality capture is the broad term for any process that creates a digital record of a physical space using scanning, photography, or sensor technology. It encompasses 3D laser scanning, photogrammetry, LiDAR-based scanning (including Matterport), and drone-based aerial capture. In practice, "reality capture" is the term most commonly used by architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to describe the process of scanning a building or site to produce spatial data — digital twins, point clouds, floor plans, and BIM-ready files.
At Southeast 3D Tours, our reality capture services use Matterport Pro-series cameras to deliver interactive digital twins, E57 point clouds, schematic floor plans, and BIM files from a single on-site scan.
A scan position is a single location where the Matterport camera is placed during capture. At each position, the camera rotates to capture a full 360-degree view of the surrounding space, including spatial measurements via LiDAR. The Matterport software stitches all scan positions together into a seamless 3D model. A typical residential scan requires 40–80 scan positions depending on square footage and layout complexity. Each position takes approximately 20 seconds to capture.
A Mattertag is an interactive annotation placed inside a Matterport 3D tour. Tags appear as small icons within the tour that the viewer can click to reveal text, images, links, or video. Real estate agents use tags to highlight features like "custom Italian tile" or "new HVAC system installed 2024." Commercial property owners use them to label rooms, equipment, or building systems. Tags are added after the scan during the editing phase and can be updated or removed at any time without rescanning.
TruePlan is a Matterport export format that generates SKX files compatible with Xactimate, the industry-standard software used by insurance adjusters and restoration contractors for estimating repair and replacement costs. Instead of manually measuring and sketching a loss in the field, an adjuster can use TruePlan data from a Matterport scan to import an accurate floor plan directly into Xactimate, reducing field time and improving estimate accuracy. TruePlan is an add-on deliverable available through Matterport.
"Virtual tour" is a broad term used across real estate, hospitality, and commercial marketing to describe any digital experience that allows a viewer to explore a space remotely. This includes simple photo slideshows with music, 360-degree photo panoramas, video walkthroughs, and interactive 3D models. Not all virtual tours are equivalent. A Matterport 3D tour is a specific type of virtual tour — an interactive, dimensionally accurate 3D model that the viewer navigates freely, with built-in measurement tools, floor plans, and the Dollhouse overhead view. When evaluating virtual tour options, the distinction between a basic 360-degree photo tour and a full Matterport 3D tour is significant in terms of buyer engagement, spatial accuracy, and marketing impact.
See: What Is a Matterport 3D Tour? · Real Estate Tours · Vacation Rentals
This glossary covers the most common terms in 3D scanning and Matterport technology. If you have a question about a term not listed here, or want to understand how a specific deliverable applies to your project, we're happy to help.
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