CloudCompare forum

Good morning,

I have a laser scanner FARO and I usually import fls files in CloudCompare (v2.6.2).
Unfortunatly, fls format is not proposed in the file format list since I installed the last release (v2.7).

Is it an error or does CloudCompare not support such files anymore ?

Thanks in advance,

Hélène

Nope it should still be available. Have you installed the 2.7 version with the installer? (the plugin is not shipped with the archive version). If yes make sure you have checked the corresponding option.

You can also look for an error regarding the FARO plugin in the Console (type F8 if it's not visible by default - plugins are loaded at startup and the message should already be in the Console - if any).

Hi Daniel,

This has happened for us also. Upgrading to 2.7 by the .exe file. No open fls option, just says Can't guess file format: unhandled file extension 'fls'.

No hints in the console box, all the plugins seem to install fine, no obvious errors, as seen below:

[08:40:33] Application path: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare
[08:40:33] Plugin lookup dirs: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QBLUR_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "Blur (shader)"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QCANUPO_PLUGIN_DLL.dll
[08:40:33] name: "CANUPO classification"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QCSV_MATRIX_IO_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "CSV Matrix I/O filter"
[08:40:33] file extension: CSV
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QDOT_PRODUCT_IO_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "DotProduct I/O filter"
[08:40:33] file extension: DP
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QEDL_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "E.D.L. (shader)"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QFACETS_PLUGIN_DLL.dll
[08:40:33] name: "Facet/fracture detection"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QHPR_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "Hidden Point Removal"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QM3C2_PLUGIN_DLL.dll
[08:40:33] name: "M3C2 distance"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QCORK_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "Mesh Boolean Operations"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QPCV_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "P.C.V. (Ambient Occlusion)"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QPCL_IO_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "PCL I/O filter"
[08:40:33] file extension: PCD
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QPCL_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "PCL wrapper"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QPOISSON_RECON_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "Poisson Surface Reconstruction"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QRANSAC_SD_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "RANSAC Shape Detection"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QRIEGL_IO_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "Riegl I/O filter"
[08:40:33] file extension: RDS
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QSSAO_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "S.S.A.O. (shader)"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QSRA_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "Surface of Revolution Analysis"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QANIMATION_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "qAnimationPlugin"
[08:40:33] Found plugin: C:/Program Files/CloudCompare/plugins/QGMMREG_PLUGIN.dll
[08:40:33] name: "qGMMRegPlugin"
[08:40:33] [3D Mouse] Could not open a 3DxWare device
[08:40:33] [ccGLWindow] Perspective is off by default
[08:40:33] CloudCompare started!
[08:40:33] [3D View 1] Graphics card manufacturer: NVIDIA Corporation
[08:40:33] [3D View 1] Renderer: GeForce GTX 950/PCIe/SSE2
[08:40:33] [3D View 1] GL version: 4.5.0 NVIDIA 361.91
[08:40:33] [3D View 1] GLSL Version: 4.50 NVIDIA
[08:40:33] [3D View 1] VBOs available
[08:40:33] [3D View 1] Shaders available
[08:40:33] [3D View 1] GL filters available
[08:40:33] [3D View 1] Color ramp shader loaded successfully
[08:40:33] [3D View 1] Stereo mode: not supported
[08:40:33] [ccGLWindow] 3D view initialized
[08:40:33] [Global Shift] Max abs. coord = 1e+04 / max abs. diag = 1e+06
[08:40:52] [Load] Can't guess file format: unhandled file extension 'fls'

Although in fairness there is no Faro plugin listed in Help/about plugins

Other test: do you see a FARO something plugin in the 'CloudCompare/plugins' folder?

And can you try with the 2.8 beta version by the way?

Hi Daniel,,
There is no named faro plugin within that folder.

I will have to download v2.8 later to check.

Then are you sure you have checked the 'FARO' option of the installer?

Yeah I had completely breezed past this during installation. I have reinstalled CC v2.7 (then installed the relevant faro sdks).

Now when I try to open a fls file, it says file could not be loaded (no workspace).

I have no reason to suspect the fls files as I have already used them in recap.

Seems to work fine in beat v2.8.

Although it is a shame that you can't load in true colour AND intensity values, both have important uses.

AG_MJA wrote:Yeah I had completely breezed past this during installation. I have reinstalled CC v2.7 (then installed the relevant faro sdks).

Now when I try to open a fls file, it says file could not be loaded (no workspace).

I have no reason to suspect the fls files as I have already used them in recap.

Hi, wondering if you overcame this problem as I am getting the same (no workspace). Loaded on to my laptop no problem same installation does not allow me to open fls on my desktop. Thanks Jim