CloudCompare

CloudCompare is a free, open-source software platform for the processing, visualization, and analysis of 3D point clouds and triangular meshes. It is widely used for LiDAR data, photogrammetry, cultural heritage documentation, geology, and related fields to extract measurements, evaluate geometry, and compare different datasets.

The software provides a broad set of tools for data processing and analysis. Core capabilities include registration and alignment of multiple point clouds (often using iterative closest point methods), cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-mesh distance computations, segmentation and clustering, normal estimation and surface curvature analysis, and various filtering and smoothing operations. It also supports mesh generation and surface reconstruction, as well as tools for cropping, clipping, scalar field computations, and quantitative measurements. Visualization features enable color-mapped displays, cross-sections, and interactive inspection of large datasets.

CloudCompare supports a wide range of file formats for input and output, including LAS/LAZ, PLY, OBJ, STL, PTX, and several ASCII formats, facilitating interoperability with common surveying, scanning, and photogrammetry workflows. It is designed as a cross-platform application, running on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and is implemented in C++ with a Qt-based user interface. The OpenGL-based 3D viewer provides interactive visualization of clouds, meshes, and derived attributes. The project is extendable through a plugin architecture, allowing new formats, algorithms, and tools to be added by developers.

The project is maintained by a community of developers and users, with documentation, tutorials, and a public repository that encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing.