3D point cloud

What are the most common point cloud file formats?

There are several file formats for point clouds, each with their own advantages and limitations. Some of the most common formats include:

• PLY (Polygon File Format): Widely used format that supports of both ASCII and binary data storage;
• LAS (LiDAR Data Exchange Format): A format used to store LiDAR point cloud data providing good compression and support for metadata.
•  E57 (ASTM E57 Standard): a versatile, vendor-neutral format that supports various data types, including point clouds, images, and metadata.

These are just a few examples, but there are many other types of point cloud formats highly dependent on a project's specific requirements. 

Be part of the AEC digital revolution and harness the power of viewing point cloud file formats with ease. (E57 viewer, LAS viewer, XYZ viewer, PLY viewer, etc) directly online without having to install any software with usBIM. 

 

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Converting point cloud data to 3D model

How to View a Point Cloud?

Viewing and managing point clouds can be achieved using: 

• specific viewing and management software that require extreme hardware requirements;
• cloud solutions, such as usBIM.pointcloud, that harness the power of the cloud to enable point clouds of any size to be managed with any type of device.

usBIM.pointcloud is a free application of the integrated usBIM system with which you not only view and manage quickly in the browser point clouds and textured meshes of any size but work in a simple and fast way on many aspects of the design and accelerate the entire collaboration process:

• coordinate multidisciplinary project teams, professionals and companies located in different places even if they work with different software;
• get access to an instant messaging service with advanced team working functions;
• organize online meetings and conference calls with your work colleagues;
• share data, documents and 3D/BIM models in the cloud.

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How to Create a 3D Model from a Point Cloud?

Creating a 3D model from the point cloud requires an intricate process that requires the use of advanced modeling tools to transform the coordinates of the points into a three-dimensional geometric model. After that, the true digitization of the model is achieved with the reconstruction of the BIM model of what was detected. This is certainly the most delicate and complex phase. In fact, from the three-dimensional surface (consisting of mesh) that represents the detected work, it is necessary to move to a parametric 3D model composed of objects such as walls, windows, doors, etc.

Considering that existing buildings rarely present characteristics of regularity and repetitiveness, the recognition of objects becomes a very complex operation.

With Edificius, you have advanced automatic object recognition functions that allow you to identify the various architectural elements directly inside the point cloud. This particular methodology allows you to get a consistent BIM model, faithful to reality, almost automatically and without having to rebuild the architectural model from scratch.

Other advantages offered by the Edificius pointcloud to BIM software are:

• integration with the usBIM.pointcloud application with which you can open, manage, federate and quickly acquire point clouds of any size and complexity, without any limit;
• the ability to support all major point cloud formats and create derived BIM models in a few simple steps;
• the possibility to superimpose the architectural model over the point cloud for checks and validation processes to automatically generate construction drawings, axonometric views, BoQs and photorealistic renders or even navigate in first person using Real-Time Rendering or Virtual Reality.

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Points Cloud to create a Digital Twin

Point clouds can be used to create a “Digital Twin” of a physical structure or environment. A Digital Twin is a virtual replica of a real-world object or system that can be used to monitor, analyze, and optimize its performance.

Digital twins created from point clouds can be used for a variety of purposes, including real-time monitoring of facility conditions, simulation of future scenarios, optimization of operations, and predictive maintenance. In addition, Digital Twins can support collaboration between different stakeholders, enabling engineers, architects and project managers to work together on a single digital platform. Using point clouds to create a Digital Twin can lead to greater efficiency, time savings, and reduced lifecycle costs for facilities and physical environments.

Point cloud and GIS to create geospatial representations of the construction environment

Point clouds can be integrated with geographic information systems (GIS) to create detailed geospatial representations of the construction environment.

The point cloud provides a vast amount of information about the structure and geometry of the building and surrounding area that can be used as input data in the creation of geospatial maps using GIS systems.

Once point cloud data is integrated with GIS map data, construction and engineering professionals can:

• examine and analyse the relationships between the surrounding structures and geographical features, such as topography, land use and existing infrastructure;
• get a much more complete view of the construction environment and its implications;
• assess the impact that the building will have on the surrounding area.