.txt file import question

[rcorella]

Hi everyone!

I am trying to import a .txt file into CloudCompare. The file has been exported from Rhinoceros, wherein I am working on a point cloud that came in as a .ply.

Rhinoceros allows me to export a .txt file which I am not able to successfully load in CloudCompare.

Rhinoceros gives me the following options for .txt export:
http://imgbox.com/WIQJdO9o

This is what I get when I open the .txt file in CloudCompare:
http://imgbox.com/gyMFQF5g

I then select the comma (specified as separator from Rhinoceros export):
http://imgbox.com/kaxOo3tj

When specifying the vertex coordinates the 'apply' options become disabled:
http://imgbox.com/E9elvF1Y

Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

[daniel]

Simply uncheck the "surround the values by double quotes" option in Rhinoceros. This makes CC think all values are character strings (and not numbers).

[rcorella]

Simply uncheck the "surround the values by double quotes" option in Rhinoceros. This makes CC think all values are character strings (and not numbers).

THANKS Daniel! This worked!!

Additional question: Why do I lose color?

Pointcloud is imported without color - it does have color in rhino from the .ply, though it gives no color option upon export to .txt - so it's rhino's fault?

[daniel]

Probably! But can't rhino export to PLY by the way? CC can read PLY...

[rcorella]

Probably! But can't rhino export to PLY by the way? CC can read PLY...

Thanks again,

Rhino can export .ply supposedly:
http://imgbox.com/rbjgkn5c

But for some reason it always generates 'error saving .ply', regardless of what I try (ASCII, Binary, vertex/color options checked/unchecked, etc.):
http://imgbox.com/8c8I0KKJ

My bet is that Rhino wants it to be an actual 'meshed mesh', as opposed to a .ply of floating points?
I was guessing I could 'explode' the point cloud in rhino, which I did, then attempt exporting the many millions of points but color goes away upon explode in rhino as well plus it gets ultra heavy haha:

http://imgbox.com/0zcjEVAZ

[daniel]

Yes it's probable that Rhino only exports meshes as PLY files...

And by the way, if you want to drastically reduce the size of ASCII files, you can reduce the number of digits to 8 without any problem (instead of 16)