Best way to go from point cloud to CAD?

[TravisBanger]

I am somewhat familiar with CAD programs (3DS Max, Maya, Blender) but this is the first point cloud file (*.pts) that I handle. It comes from a Leica P20 laser scanner.

I am looking for best practices for what seems to be the proper route:

point cloud ==> Mesh ==> CAD

Another requirement: this is a Not-for-Profit, volunteer project and therefore the only expensive apps that I use are from AutoDesk, since they have a very generous offer, for 3 years, full versions.

NB: The other person involved so far (*) is a real professional designer, talented, experienced and uses Cinema 4D.

TIA

(*) Hint: We are badly in need for volunteers!

[daniel]

Hum, it's a simple yet complicated task... And frankly I'm not sure that CloudCompare is the best tool to do it. You may try with the PoissonRecon plugin (https://www.cloudcompare.org/doc/wiki/i ... n_(plugin)).

Otherwise you can look at Meshlab or Blender maybe. And there may be some other free/cheap tools but I'm not an expert in this field.

[TravisBanger]

Otherwise you can look at MeshLab [...]

There must be a common confusion about MeshLab (or perhaps I am the confused one :-) I have been asking about this issue all over forumland and this is the 3rd. or 4th. time that I am told to try MeshLab. I did it but MeshLab takes meshes as input, whereas I am looking for a program that takes a point cloud file as input and generates a mesh.

[TravisBanger]

You may try with the PoissonRecon plugin (https://www.cloudcompare.org/doc/wiki/i ... n_(plugin)).

Since I have been unable to use the Poisson Surface Reconstruction plugin, allow me to ask this. Once that plugin performs its cool magic and my ghost points become surfaces, will I be able to save/export the file as a mesh?

TIA

[daniel]

Meshlab can import point clouds (ASCII, PLY, etc.).

And yes, you can export the resulting meshes as PLY, OBJ, STL, FBX, etc.

[TravisBanger]

MeshLab can import point clouds (ASCII, PLY, etc.).

You are correct! All I had to do was the old trick: changed the extension from *.pts to *.xyz.

I don't have any results yet, it is taking a looooooong time.

"We are gonna need a bigger computer"

Thx