English Heritage's Heritage 3D project researched and collected information and data from workshops and case studies while participating in steering committees to produce this beginner's guidance manual for architects and archaeologists wishing to employ 3D technologies as a data collection tool.

This guide is very helpful in explaining the difference in laser scanning equipment (such as the relationships between time-of-flight scanners, phase scanners, and triangulation scanners), as well as the need to be aware of other possibly suitable data collection options such as photogrammetry. If the reader is new to the field of laser scanning, this is a good introduction. It provides useful information for all stages of a project, from determining equipment, to choosing data collection methods (eg resolution), to handling and post-processing the data. However, although it provides guidance, the guidance is generalized and will not provide specific standards that perhaps some more advanced laser scanning users may desire; more advanced users or users with previous knowledge of laser scanning techniques may wish to review the "Addendum to the Metric Survey Specifications for English Heritage - The Collection and Archiving of Point Cloud Data Obtained by Terrestrial Laser Scanning or Other Methods" publication.