Point Cloud Importers | SketchUp Extension Warehouse

Point Cloud Importers

Import small point cloud files in *.ptx, *.pts, *.xyz, *.svy, *.txt format

Point Cloud Importers

A series of SketchUp Importers for importing small point cloud files (< 1GB) in *.ptx, *.pts, *.xyz, *.svy, and *.txt formats. Point coordinates are imported as a group of SketchUp construction points which can then be used to assist with the modeling process.

This extension adds the following functionality to the Import menu:

Text - PTX Format (*.ptx)

Text - PTS Format (*.pts)

Text - SURVEY Format (*.svy)

Text - TXT Format (*.txt)

Text - XYZ Format (*.xyz)

Import Options include:

- Import Units

- Decimation

- Set Point Color

- PTS File Structure (xyziRGB | xyzi | xyzRGB)

- Layer Assignment

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Point cloud files can be extremely large, often well over 1GB, and can contain millions or billions of points. This extension is not capable of processing such large data sets. The extension supports import of up to 1,000,000 points per import, and file sizes must be less than 1GB. Import times vary depending on file type and size.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

It is recommended that imported point clouds contain < 100,000 points to ensure reasonable import times and minimal impact on model performance. By default, point clouds will be decimated to approximately 25,000 points, however, this setting can be changed under Import Options.

For increased productivity, the Importers can be used in conjunction with other point cloud software that will allow users to 'break up' larger, more complex datasets into smaller and more manageable pieces.

Working with smaller, decimated point cloud fragments in SketchUp helps to maintain good overall model performance and allows the modeller to focus on the development of one particular component or element at a time.

EXTENSION LIMITATIONS:

Max allowable file size: 1GB

Max allowable imported points: 1,000,000

Recommended max imported points: 100,000

Point cloud intensity values: NOT SUPPORTED

Point cloud RGB color values: NOT SUPPORTED

Reviews

For whatever reason no mater

For whatever reason no mater how do this it does not show my imported points even though it say it worked.

Saved my bare earth point file in Recap and exported as a .pts file. I do the import and says it works... but I can not see a single point when it is done and model info states their are 9660 guide points. Any suggestion to fix this would be helpful.

Ben - I am wondering if

Ben - I am wondering if perhaps the imported points are so far away from the UCS origin that you can not see them in your model window. You may want to try setting a new UCS origin point in ReCap prior to exporting to pts.

I would normally agree with

I would normally agree with you but they are very close in Recap... could it be an issue on how Recap is saving the .pts file?

Hi, im not able to importe my

Hi, im not able to importe my pst in sketchup. How can I export the pss ? Thanks

Does it exist a plugin to

Does it exist a plugin to export point formats? or could you make this plugin able to export as well? Thanks

Hi everyone,

Does anybody know if this extension is compatible with SU 2018?

Hi Julio - yes it is

Hi Julio - yes it is compatible with SU 2018.

Hi, I'm having problems with

Hi, I'm having problems with the purchase process - is there any known issues at the moment?

Hi Keegan - I've pasted an

Hi Keegan - I've pasted an excerpt from help.sketchup.com below:

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Trying or purchasing extensions in the 3D Warehouse

Whether you’re signed in to the Extension Warehouse through your browser or SketchUp, you can purchase an extension. However, to install a trial or purchased extension, you need to be signed in to the Extension Warehouse via SketchUp.
The following steps walk you through making a purchase:

1. On the extension details page, click the Purchase button. (If you can download a trial before you buy, you see an Install Trial from SketchUp link. To install a trial, see the upcoming steps for installing a trial or purchase.)
2. When prompted, enter your billing and payment information. Billing information is required to verify your credit card. Your receipt is emailed to the email address you use to sign in to Extension Warehouse. If you don’t receive a receipt email shortly after your purchase is complete, check your spam folder.
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More info on purchasing extensions can be found at:
https://help.sketchup.com/en/article/3000263

Hi, I'm having problems with

Hi, I'm having problems with the purchase process - is there any known issues at the moment?

Hello,

I have purchased the Point Cloud Importers yesterday.
My credit card billing shows that the payment was done.
I did not receive the confirmation email.
How can I install the extension without the file or without a link?

Hope you could help me soon.

Hi Augusto - I believe that

Hi Augusto - I believe that your issue was due to the trimble servers being down temporarily for maintenance. I trust that it sorted itself out once they were back up.

PTX file support coming soon.

PTX file support coming soon. To be included in upcoming version 2.2.0.

Several people have

Several people have experienced problems purchasing an extension license. I believe that you must be registered and signed into a Trimble account in order to purchase extensions from Extension Warehouse.

More info on purchasing extensions can be found at:
https://help.sketchup.com/en/article/3000263

Hi, I export the point cloud

Hi, I export the point cloud from recap and import to Sketchup. Looks like the color information is lost (All point cloud shown in red) and the point cloud shape is arbitrary. Any comment is appreciate.

Hi Zhexiong - As noted under

Hi Zhexiong - As noted under Extension Limitations above, RGB color values are not supported. All points are imported as Sketchup construction points and are therefore colored based on the user-specified 'guides' color under the Edit tab of the Styles menu. PTS files containing RGB values (in XYZiRGB format) can be imported, however the intensity value and RGB color values are ignored as there is no way to apply individual colors to construction points using the Sketchup API.

I believe so. Also just

I believe so. Also just looked at my data and find there is no intensity value (only XYZRGB) since the import model is generated with images.

Zhexiong - this would explain

Zhexiong - this would explain why your points are importing in 'arbitrary' locations. See "Extensions > Point Cloud Importers > File Structure Requirements..." for examples of importable data structures. If you send me a very small sample file (< 10MB) in the format that you are trying to import, I will try to build into the next release of the plugin. Also curious to know what software you are using to generate the XYZRGB data. Thanks,

Actually the initial point

Actually the initial point cloud is ply format. I transferred it with CloudCompare to generate pts file, it contains XYZ RGB and three normals. Then I put it in Recap and export with only XYZ RGB.

I have send the point cloud to your gmail. Thanks

Hi Zhexiong - I have added

Hi Zhexiong - I have added support for xyzRGB (.pts) file structure in version 2.1.0. Just ensure that your files contain a header line (indicating the total number of points in the file), and that you select 'xyzRGB' in the import options menu.

Hi Charlton, I pause the

Hi Charlton, I pause the project for months and now I am back. Just tried your 2.2.0 version and select the 'xyzRGB' in option and found the geo-location of my point cloud (xyzRGB pts file) is correct, but still cannot show the color. Anything I did wrong or missed? Thanks.

Great to hear that! I will

Great to hear that! I will give a try tomorrow.

Thanks,

Hi Zhexiong - I have added

I get the file from my

I get the file from my classmate and I believe he use photoscan to generate the model

FAQ

Q: How can I use Point Cloud Importers to work with larger datasets?
A: Try using this workflow...

1. Import (index) your large point cloud dataset into Autodesk ReCap
NOTE: You may consider 'Decimating' your point cloud upon import in order to reduce the overall point count / file size
- The data will be converted into *.rcp format

2. Using ReCap
- Clean up and 'Delete' any extraneous data or noise
- Create small 'Scan Regions' of each area or component that you wish to model in SketchUp (ie: a small set of windows, doors, walls, roofs, etc.)
- Once you have created all of your 'Scan Regions', turn off visibility of all scan regions except for the one that you would like to import into SketchUp
- 'Export' the scan region to *.pts format

3. Using SketchUp and Point Cloud Importers
- Import *.pts file of scan region
- Use 'Decimation' settings under Import Options if necessary due to point count or file size
NOTE: So long as you do not move the imported point cloud within SketchUp, each region will be imported into the same coordinate system
- Once modeling of a particular scan region is complete, you can either:
> Delete the group of points
> Copy/Paste In Place the group of points into another SketchUp file for later use (this avoids having to re-import)
> Assign the group of points to a separate layer so that you can control visibility, thereby maintaining model performance

NOTE: As long as points are not moved after import, they can easily be transferred into separate SketchUp *.skp files using 'Copy' and 'Paste In Place'. This can be very useful when trying to break up/organize/manage larger datasets.

Although this may seem like a round about way of working with large point clouds, it can actually help with the modeling process as it allows the modeler to disregard extraneous data and to focus on the development of one small area or component at a time.

YouTube links for Point Cloud

YouTube links for Point Cloud Importers:

https://youtu.be/ZprN8EK5LQ4
https://youtu.be/H_-qCafF6Fc

The links provided above demonstrate how larger files with point counts exceeding 1,000,000 points can be quickly imported using the auto decimation options.