pointsare

PointsAre is an open-source software framework designed for working with point-based data, commonly referred to as point clouds. It provides tools for loading, transforming, filtering, and visualizing large sets of points collected by 3D scanners, LiDAR, and photogrammetry pipelines. The framework emphasizes efficient spatial indexing, scalable processing, and interoperability with common data formats.

Core capabilities include downsampling, noise filtering, nearest-neighbor search, clustering, and attribute transfer between datasets. It supports multiple data formats (PLY, LAS, XYZ, CSV) and provides bindings for C++, Python, and JavaScript. A pipeline-based processing model and plug-in architecture allow users to extend functionality with custom operations and rendering backends, including real-time visualization.

PointsAre originated as a collaborative project in the computer graphics and geospatial communities and has grown through open contributions on code hosting platforms. The project is maintained under an open-source license and welcomes researchers, developers, and educators to contribute algorithms, bindings, and tutorials.

Applications span robotics and autonomous systems, cultural heritage digitization, urban planning, geology, and manufacturing quality control, where accurate representation of 3D scenes and efficient spatial analysis are essential.

See also: Point cloud, 3D scanning, Geospatial analysis, Computer graphics, Spatial indexing.