What it is

A Point Cloud is your site rendered as millions of individual 3D points, each one a real measured position in space. Where the 3D Model gives you smooth solid surfaces, the point cloud gives you the raw measured geometry — the data engineers and estimators lean on for precise elevations and terrain shape. Points can be color-coded to reveal different things about the site.

When to use it

• Elevations and terrain shape — the most accurate way to read heights across the site.
• Seeing the bare ground — filter out vegetation to reveal the earth underneath.
• Detailed inspection — zoom into structures, poles, or slopes point by point.
• Cross-sections and volumes — pull an elevation profile along a line, or feed volume calculations.

How to open it

1. Open your project and pick the flight date if there's more than one.
2. Click the Point Cloud tab (the dotted-circle icon).
3. It streams in during the loading screen. Navigate exactly like the 3D Model — Orbit to rotate, plus Fly, Tripod, and Walk modes from the camera control.

Coloring the points

Use the color-mode control to switch what the colors mean:

• RGB — true photo color, the most natural look.
• Height / Gnd Elev — a color ramp by elevation, so highs and lows pop.
• Intensity / Bare Int — laser-return strength; "Bare Int" also hides vegetation.
• Type — points classified as ground, vegetation, buildings, water, and so on.
• Return and Trajectory — advanced views of how the data was captured.

Quality tiers

A Standard / HD / Ultra control trades detail for speed. Start on Standard; step up to HD or Ultra on a powerful computer for maximum density. On phones, HD is the ceiling to stay within memory limits.

Tips

• On a phone? Like the 3D Model, a large point cloud offers a Download button instead of rendering live. A desktop gives you the full interactive cloud.
• You can export the cloud as LAS or PLY, or pull a cross-section profile out as CSV/DXF.
• To turn heights into contour lines or cut/fill volumes, see the elevation and volumes guide.