Point Cloud Group Context Menu
Commands available when right-clicking a Point Cloud Group (folder) in the Data Tree. Point Cloud Groups are organisational containers for managing collections of related point cloud objects.
Group Management
New Point Cloud
Menu name: New Point Cloud
Tooltip Create new empty point cloud object.
What it does Creates a new empty point cloud object within the group. The point cloud is initialised with no data and can be populated through import operations, programmatic addition of points, or other data generation methods.
When to use it
- Creating placeholder point clouds for planned data import
- Initialising point clouds for programmatic data generation
- Setting up project structure before data collection
Notes New point cloud requires data to be useful. Typically followed by import or data generation operations. Useful for workflows where point cloud objects are created before data is available.
Group
Menu name: Group
Tooltip Create subgroup containing selected point clouds.
What it does See Group in Shared Commands for complete documentation. Creates a new subgroup (nested folder) containing all selected point cloud items.
When to use it
- Organising point clouds by source, acquisition date, or type
- Creating hierarchical structure for complex projects
- Grouping scans before batch operations
Notes Selected items must be at the same tree level. Groups can be nested to create multi-level organisational structures.
Ungroup
Menu name: Ungroup
Tooltip Dissolve selected subgroup.
What it does See Ungroup in Shared Commands for complete documentation. Dissolves the selected subgroup container and moves child point clouds up one level.
When to use it
- Flattening project tree structure
- Breaking up temporary groupings
- Reorganising project hierarchy
Notes Only works on group containers. Point clouds are preserved.
Import
From File...
Menu name: From File...
Tooltip Import point cloud from file.
What it does Opens file dialogue to import point cloud data from external file formats. Supported formats include LAS/LAZ (lidar), E57 (terrestrial laser scanning), PLY, XYZ/ASCII, PTS, PTX (Leica), FLS/FWS (FARO), and other industry-standard point cloud formats. Imported point clouds are added to the project database and appear in this group.
When to use it
- Importing lidar data from aerial or terrestrial surveys
- Loading photogrammetry point clouds
- Bringing in point clouds from laser scanners
- Importing reference datasets
Notes Import dialogue varies by format. Large point clouds may take significant time to import. Coordinate system should be specified or detected during import. LAS/LAZ files preserve classification, intensity, and colour if present.
As Tiles...
Menu name: As Tiles...
Tooltip Import large point cloud dataset as tile collection.
What it does Opens dialogue to import very large point cloud datasets as a tiled collection. The system automatically splits or recognises pre-tiled data into manageable chunks based on spatial extent or file organisation. Each tile becomes a separate point cloud object, allowing efficient management and display of massive datasets.
When to use it
- Importing aerial lidar covering large areas
- Loading corridor mapping datasets
- Working with datasets too large for single-object import
- Managing city-scale or regional point cloud collections
Notes
Tiling is essential for datasets exceeding available RAM. Each tile can be loaded/unloaded independently. Spatial indexing enables efficient viewing and querying across the entire tiled collection.
Tile size and overlap can typically be specified during import. Coordinate system must be consistent across all tiles.
Arc Info ASCII (.asc) Folder
Menu name: Arc Info ASCII (.asc) Folder
Tooltip Batch import Arc Info ASCII grid files as point clouds.
What it does Opens folder browser to select a directory containing Arc Info ASCII (.asc) grid files. Scans the directory and imports all .asc files, converting each grid to a point cloud representation where grid cells become points with elevation values. This batch import is optimised for terrain elevation grids.
When to use it
- Importing DEM (Digital Elevation Model) collections
- Loading gridded terrain data from GIS software
- Batch importing elevation datasets
- Converting raster elevation data to point cloud format
Notes
Arc Info ASCII grids are raster elevation models. Each grid cell becomes a point with X, Y coordinates from grid position and Z from cell value. Regular grid spacing is preserved.
All .asc files in the selected folder are imported. Large folders may take significant time. Grid coordinate systems are read from header if present.
Gaussian Splat
Menu name: Gaussian Splat
Tooltip Import Gaussian Splatting data.
What it does Opens file dialogue to import Gaussian Splatting data files. Gaussian Splatting is a neural rendering technique that represents 3D scenes as collections of 3D Gaussians. The import converts Gaussian splat data to a point cloud representation suitable for visualisation and analysis in VRGS.
When to use it
- Importing neural radiance field (NeRF) derived data
- Loading Gaussian Splatting scene reconstructions
- Working with novel view synthesis outputs
- Importing AI-generated 3D representations
Notes
Gaussian Splatting is a modern 3D reconstruction technique. Import converts splat parameters (position, colour, covariance) to point cloud representation. Some splat properties may not be fully preserved.
File format support depends on specific Gaussian Splatting implementation. Check documentation for supported file extensions.
Export
Export
Menu name: Export
Tooltip Batch export all point clouds in group.
What it does Opens export dialogue to batch export all point cloud objects in the selected group. Can export to individual files per point cloud or combined formats where supported. Export formats include LAS/LAZ, E57, PLY, XYZ, and others. Options include coordinate conversion, attribute selection, and data decimation.
When to use it
- Exporting entire projects or major sections
- Creating deliverables for clients
- Archiving processed point clouds
- Batch exporting for use in external applications
Notes Export options vary by format. Large groups may take significant time to export. Consider disk space requirements - point cloud exports can be very large. LAS/LAZ export preserves classification, intensity, RGB if present. Coordinate system conversion can be applied during export.
Generate Test Data
Test data generation commands create synthetic point clouds for testing, development, or demonstration purposes:
Spherical Pattern
Menu name: Spherical Pattern
Tooltip Generate test point cloud with spherical distribution.
What it does Opens dialogue to specify parameters (point count, radius, distribution pattern). Generates a synthetic point cloud with points distributed in a spherical or radial pattern. This creates test data with known geometric properties useful for testing algorithms, visualisation, or demonstrating features.
When to use it
- Testing point cloud algorithms during development
- Creating demonstration datasets
- Validating processing workflows with known geometry
- Educational or training purposes
Notes Generated point clouds have precise mathematical properties. Useful for validating operations like normal estimation, curvature calculation, or nearest neighbour searches. Parameters typically include point density, sphere radius, and noise level.
Map Pattern
Menu name: Map Pattern
Tooltip Generate test point cloud with map-like terrain pattern.
What it does Opens dialogue to specify parameters (extent, resolution, terrain characteristics). Generates a synthetic point cloud representing artificial terrain with map-like features such as elevation variations, ridges, valleys, or other topographic patterns. This creates realistic-looking test data for terrain analysis workflows.
When to use it
- Testing terrain analysis algorithms
- Creating demonstration terrain datasets
- Validating surface interpolation methods
- Educational or training scenarios
Notes Generated terrain has controlled characteristics (slope, roughness, feature size). Useful for testing operations like contour extraction, slope analysis, or volume calculations with known ground truth. Parameters typically include area extent, point density, and terrain complexity.
Utility
Clear All Items
Menu name: Clear All Items
Tooltip Remove all point clouds from this group.
What it does Removes all point cloud objects from the selected group. The point clouds are deleted from the project database and file system. This is a bulk delete operation affecting all group contents. The group container itself is preserved empty.
When to use it
- Removing all test or temporary point clouds
- Clearing groups before reimporting
- Resetting a group for new content
- Bulk deletion when individual deletion would be tedious
Notes
This operation permanently deletes all point clouds in the group. Cannot be undone. Ensure you have backups or have exported needed data before clearing. Subgroups within the group are also cleared.
Deleted point clouds are removed from the database and associated cache files are deleted. This frees disk space but the operation is irreversible.