0 Preface
CloudCompare is an excellent open source point cloud processing software. Some of the point cloud processing functions will be used in the process of studying point clouds. In order to quickly familiarize yourself with the basic functions of the software, this article introduces the functions of the corresponding function keys.
1.File
(1) Open: Open the file, you can open the following point cloud formats
(2) Open Recent... : Open the most recent file
(3) Save: Save, the saved point cloud type is as follows
(4) Global Shift settings: set the maximum absolute coordinates, the maximum entity diagonal
(5) Primitive factory: Generate 3D geometry model
(6) 3D Mouse: support for 3D mouse (such as 3Dconnexion), using this function requires an external 3D mouse
(7) Gamepad: support for Gamepad, using this function requires an external Gamepad
(8) Close all: close all open entities
(9) Quit: Exit the software
2.Edit
(1) Colors: Color rendering
①Set Unique: Set a single color for the selected entity
②From Scalar fields: Convert from a scalar field to a color field
③Colorize: Color the selected entity, specifically expressed as multiplying the selected color by the RGB of the current color And get a new color
④Levels: Change the color of the selected entity by adjusting the color column chart (not implemented)
⑤Height Ramp: Set the color gradient (linear, trapezoidal, circular) for the selected entity
⑥Convert to gray scale: For the selected entity Set the color to grayscale display
⑦Convert to Scalar Field: Convert the current RGB color field to one or several scalar fields
⑧Interpolate from another entity: Insert the color of another entity in the selected entity
⑨Enhance with intensities: Enhance the intensity feature
⑩Clear: Remove color fields from selected entities
(2) Normals: Normal estimation
①Compute: Calculate the normal of the selected entity
②Invert: Invert the normal of the selected entity
③Orient Normals > With Minimum Spanning Tree: Use the minimum spanning tree method to finely calculate all the normals of the point cloud
④Orient Normals > With Fast Marching: Use the fast marching method to refine and calculate all the normals of the point cloud
⑤Convert to > HSV: Convert the normal of the cloud to the HSV color field
⑥Convert to > Dip and Dip direction SFs: Convert the method of the point cloud Line to two scalar fields
⑦Export normals to SF(s): Render normals according to XYZ latitude
⑧Clear: Remove normals for selected entities
(3) Octree: octree
①Compute: Compulsory calculation of the octree of a given entity
②Resample: Use the centroid of all points in the smallest voxel unit of each octree to replace all points in the voxel for resampling
(4) Grid: grid operation (usually a regular grid)
①Delete scan grids: delete the scan grid
②Mesh scan grids: grid scan grid
(5) Mesh: grid operation (including some functions of Grid)
①elaunay 2.5D (XY plane): calculate the 2.5D Delaunay triangulation of the point cloud on the xy xyxy plane
②Delaunay 2.5D (best fit plane): calculate the point cloud on 2.5D Delaunay triangulation of the best plane
③Mesh scan grids: Grid scan grid
④Convert texture/material to RGB: Convert the mesh material and texture information of the selected grid into a point-by-point RGB field
⑤Sample points: In a Random sampling in the
grid⑥Smooth (Laplacian): Laplacian smoothing algorithm⑦Subdivide
: Subdivide the mesh, this algorithm recursively subdivides the mesh triangles until their surface is subdivided below the user-specified value.
⑧Flip triangle: Flip the triangle
⑨Measure surface: Measure the overall surface area of the grid and the average surface area of each triangle, output in the console
⑩Measure volume: Measure the volume of the closed grid, output in the console
⑪Flag vertices by type: Check the basics of the grid Features, mark each grid sample: 0 = normal, 1 = border, 2 = non-manifold
⑫Smooth: Smooth the scalar field associated with the vertices of the grid. This method is the opposite of Gaussian Filter. This method is especially useful after using the qPCV plugin
⑬Scalar field > Enhance: Enhance the scalar field associated with the mesh vertices. This method is especially useful after using the qPCV plugin
(6) Polyline: Polyline operation
①Sample points: Random sampling in a grid
(7) Plane: Plane operation
①Create: Create
②Fit: Fit
③Edit: Edit
④Flip: Flip
⑤Compare: Compare
(8) Sensors: Sensor operation
①Edit: Edit
②TLS/GBL: Ground lidar
③Camera: Image
④View from sensor: Display sensor data
⑤Compute Ranges: Calculation range
⑥Compute Scattering Angles: Calculate scalar angle
(9) Scalar fields: Scalar field
①Show histogram: Display the histogram of the effective scalar field for the currently selected entity
②Compute statistical parameters: Calculate the statistical distribution (Gaussian distribution, Weibull distribution)
③Gradient: Calculate the gradient of the scalar field
④Gaussian filter: Gaussian Filtering, smoothing a scalar domain
⑤Bilateral filter: Bilateral filtering, smoothing a scalar domain
⑥Filter by Value: Filter the selected point cloud with scalar value
⑦Convert to RGB: Convert the effective scalar domain to RGB color domain
⑧Convert to random RGB: Convert The effective scalar field is converted into a random RGB color field
⑨Rename: Rename the effective scalar field of the selected entity
⑩Add constant SF: Add a scalar field with a constant
⑪Add point indexes as SF: Create a point index for the selected point cloud New scalar domain
⑫Export coordinate(s) to SF(s): Export coordinates to scalar domain
⑬Export normals to SF(s): Export normals to coordinate domain
⑭Set SF as coordinate(s): Set scalar domain for the selected point cloud Coordinates
⑮Interpolate from another entity: Insert the color of another entity in the selected entity
⑯Arithmetic: Standard operations (+, -, *, /) can be performed on two scalar fields in the same point cloud, or function operations can be performed on a single scalar field ⑰Color Scales Manager: Color scale management, which can manage and create new
colors Field
⑱Delete: Delete valid scalar fields for the selected entity
⑲Delete all (!): Delete all valid scalar fields for the selected entity
(10) Waveform: Waveform
①2D Waveform viewer: Open 2D waveform display
②Compress FWF data: Compress FWF data
(11) Clone: Clone the selected point cloud
(12) Merge: Merge two or more entities. Point clouds can be merged (the original point cloud will be deleted); meshes can be merged (the original mesh will not be modified, and CC will create a new mesh structure) (
13) Subsample: collect a subsample of the original point cloud, which can be used Random, three-dimensional, and octree-based collection, the sub-samples will maintain the scalar, color, normal and other properties of the original point cloud.
(14) Apply transformation: Transform the selected entity (4X4 matrix, axis angle, Euler angle)
(15) Multiply/Scale: Point cloud scaling
(16) Translate/Rotate: Manually rotate and translate the selected entity
(17) Segment : Cut and segment selected entities by drawing 2D polygons
(18) Crop: segment one or more point clouds in 3D-Box
(19) Edit global shift and scale: set the maximum absolute coordinates, the maximum entity diagonal
(20) Toggle: Toggle of display function
(21) Delete: delete the selected object
3.Tools
(1) Clean: point cloud denoising
①SOR filter: statistical filtering
②Noise filter: low-pass filtering
(2) Projection: Point cloud projection
①Unroll: Expand the point cloud of a cylinder or cone into a plane
②Rasterize: Rasterize the point cloud (converted into a 2.5D grid), and then export it as a new point cloud or a raster image
③Contour plot to mesh: convert a group of polylines into a grid, and output edge contours
④Export coordinate(s) to SF(s): export coordinates to scalar domain
(3) Registration: Point cloud registration
①Match bounding-box centers: Adjust all selected entities so that their centers are in one place
②Match scales: Match entities with a scaling relationship
③Align (point pairs picking): Pick between two entities At least three corresponding points to register two entities
④Fine registration (ICP): ICP registration, provided that: ① two clouds generally blend; ② appear to be the same object or at least have the same shape
(4) Distances: Distance calculation
①Cloud/Cloud dist. (cloud-to-cloud distance): Calculate the distance between two point clouds
②Cloud/Mesh dist. (cloud-to-mesh distance): Calculate point cloud and mesh The distance between
③Closest Point Set: Calculate the set of the closest points between two point clouds
(5) Volume: Calculate volume
(6) Statistics: Point cloud statistics
①Local Statistical Test: Segment and filter point clouds based on local statistics in the scalar domain
②Compute Stat. Params: Calculate statistical distribution (Gaussian distribution, Weibull distribution)
(7) Segmentation: point cloud segmentation
①Label Connected Components: Set the minimum distance, divide the selected cloud into smaller parts, each part is connected to each other
②Cross Section: the user can define a cropping frame, and adjust the range and direction of the frame, to crop the point cloud. Can be used to: ①Repeat the segmentation process in one or more dimensions; ②Get the contour of the polygon
③Extract Sections: You can draw or import polygons on top of a point cloud to extract sections and contours
(8) Fit: Point cloud fitting
①Plane: Fit a plane in the point cloud and output various information, such as fitting RMS, vertical plane, geological dip, dip direction value, etc. ②Sphere: Fitting a sphere
③2D
Polygon: Fitting Combine two-dimensional polygons
④ 2.5D quadric: fitting quadratic surface
(9) Batch export: Batch export
(10) Other: Other
①Density: Estimate the density of a point cloud
②Remove duplicate points: Delete duplicate points by setting the minimum distance between two points
③Curvature: Calculate the curvature of the point cloud
(11) Level: Select three points to determine a plane to operate
(12) Point picking: You can select one, two, or three points to get various information, such as point coordinates, RGB, scalar value, distance, angle and other information (especially the distance between two points)
(13) Point list picking: multiple points can be selected to create a point list, which can be output as a file, a new point cloud, or a polyline
(14) Trace Polyline: track polylines
(15) Sand box: Sandbox
① Compute Kd-tree: Compute Kd tree
② Bounding box PCA fit: Bounding box PCA fit
③ Distance map to best-fit 3D quadric: Distance mapped to the best fitting 3D quadric surface
④ Distance map: Distance mapping
⑤Auto align clouds: Automatically align point clouds
⑥Find biggest inner rectangle(2D): Find the largest 2D inner rectangle
⑦Create cloud from selected entities centers: Create a point cloud from the center of the selected entity
⑧Compute best registration RMS matrix: Calculate the best registration Error matrix
⑨Enable Visual Debug Traces: able to display debug trace information
4.Display
(1) Full screen: full screen
(2) Full screen (3D view): full screen of the 3D view
(3) Refresh: refresh, force refresh the content of the effective 3D view (OpenGL graphics redrawing)
(4) Toggle Centered Perspective: in Switch between orthogonal view and object center view mode
(5) Toggle Viewer Based Perspective: switch between orthogonal view and perspective view
(6) Show cursor coordinates: display mouse coordinate system
(7) Lock rotation about an axis: lock around Z Axis image rotation
(8) Enter bubble-view mode: enter bubble view mode
(9) Camera link: image link
(10) Render to File: can render the current 3D view into an image file (supports most standard file formats), It can also be scaled to fit larger resolution screens
(11) Display settings: set various displays: color and material, color scale, label, others
(12) Camera settings: image settings
(13) Save viewport as object: Save the parameters of the visible body of the current 3D view (image position and direction, perspective state) as a visual entity, which automatically adds the root of the DB tree (14) Adjust zoom: adjust the zoom ratio (15) Test Frame
Rate
: Test the frame rate, let the effective 3D view rotate in a short time to estimate the average frame rate, and the results are displayed in the console
(16) Lights: Light Mode
(17) Shaders & Filters: Disable any active shaders or OpenGL filters
(18) Active scalar field: Activate the calibration field
(19) Console: Console (display/hide)
(20) Toolbars : Toolbar, including the main toolbar, scalar field, view, plug-in, GL filter
(21) Language Translation: Language translation
If you want to convert to Chinese, you need to download the corresponding version of the Chinese package from the Internet for installation.
(22) Reset all GUI element positions: Automatically store the current GUI information (position and visibility of the toolbar, etc.) before exiting, and restore the original configuration
5.Plugins
Downloading official software usually comes with some plug-ins.
(1) Animation: Create an animation from a series of views
(2) CEA Virtual Broom: Clean up the point cloud with a virtual broom
(3) CANUPO: Train or apply a classifier on the point cloud
(4) Compass: Used to measure outcrop directions (5) Cork: CSG operation
on the grid
(6) CSF Filter: a point cloud filtering algorithm using cloth simulation process
(7) Facet/fracture detection: BRGM fracture detection plug-in
(8) Hidden Point Removal: Approximate point visibility in N-dimensional point clouds using hidden point removal algorithm from one viewpoint
(9) M3C2 Distance: Multi-scale model and model cloud comparison (M3C2)
(10) PCL wrapper: point cloud library wrapper
(11) PCV /ShadeVis: Ambient occlusion for meshes or point clouds
(12) PoissonRecon: Poisson surface reconstruction
(13) RANSAC Shape Detection: Automatic RANSAC shape detection.
(14) Surface of Revolution Analysis: Comparison of point cloud and rotating surface
(15) Ellipse marking: Metric measurement in two-dimensional images
6.3D Views
(1) New: Create a 3D view
(2) Zoom in: Zoom in
(3) Zoom out: Zoom out
(4) Close: Close the 3D view
(5) Close All: Close all 3D views
(6) Tile: All shared 3D views Display space between
(7) Cascade: Rearrange all 3D views in series
(8) Next: Activate the next 3D view created in sequence
(9) Previous: Activate the previous 3D view created in sequence
References:
[1] Point Cloud. Introduction to CloudCompare ; 2021-04-21 [accessed 2023-04-17].
[2] Mengma Y. Introduction to cloudcompare ; 2022-04-06 [accessed 2023-04-17] ].
[3] Dianyunxia. CloudCompare——Use Summary ; 2022-07-15 [accessed 2023-04-17].
[4] Dianyunxia. CloudCompare—— Point Cloud Filtering ; 2022-05-10 [accessed 2023-04-17].
[5] Dianyunxia. CloudCompare——point cloud plane fitting ; 2021-12-07 [accessed 2023-04-17].
[6] Dianyunxia. Registration from coarse to fine ; 2021-08-28 [accessed 2023-04-17].
[7] Big Fish BIGFISH. Point cloud filtering processing (using CloudCompare software) ; 2022-08-06 [accessed 2023-04- 17].
[8] RanMaxLi. [Image processing] CloudCompare extracts the target point cloud; 2021-11-02 [accessed 2023-04-17].
[9] Surveying and mapping solutions. CloudCompare point cloud grid processing software 9 - point measurement (point distance, angle) ; 2022-10-03 [accessed 2023- 04-17].
[10] Point Cloud Man. CloudCompare——point cloud slice ; 2022-08-13 [accessed 2023-04-17].
[11] Big Fish BIGFISH. Point cloud registration (CloudCompare software) ; 2022 -02-08 [accessed 2023-04-17].