Point Cloud File Formats: E57, LAS, LAZ, RCS, LGSx

Some are open standards that travel everywhere, some are proprietary and tied to one ecosystem. This guide explains the main formats, when to use each, and how to convert between them. See the file formats supported by ATIS.cloud.

Open vs proprietary formats

The first thing to know about a format is whether it is open or proprietary. It changes how freely your data moves between tools.

• Open formats (E57, LAS, LAZ): published specs, read by almost every tool, safe for long-term archiving.
• Proprietary formats (RCS, RCP, LGSx): tied to a vendor, optimized for their software, less portable.
• Rule of thumb: work in your vendor format, exchange and archive in an open one.

The main point cloud formats

• E57: open, universal exchange.
• LAS / LAZ: open, geospatial LiDAR (LAZ compressed).
• RCS / RCP: Autodesk, for Revit and AutoCAD.
• LGSx: Leica, for the Cyclone ecosystem.

E57, the universal exchange format

E57 is an open ASTM standard designed to store point clouds with color and metadata. It is the safest choice to move data between tools and vendors, and the recommended format for delivery and archiving.

LAS and LAZ, the geospatial standard

LAS is the ASPRS standard for LiDAR data, widely used in surveying and mapping. LAZ is its compressed version, much smaller with no loss. Both carry classification and are ideal for aerial and terrestrial LiDAR.

RCS and RCP, the Autodesk formats

RCS (a single scan) and RCP (a project of scans) are the Autodesk formats used with Revit and AutoCAD, created by ReCap. ATIS.cloud reads and writes RCS/RCP natively, with no Autodesk license, so you can share them without ReCap. See ATIS.cloud vs Autodesk ReCap.

LGSx, the Leica format

LGSx is the proprietary Leica Hexagon format, produced by the Cyclone ecosystem. It is optimized for Leica scanners. ATIS.cloud reads LGSx directly, so you can view and share Leica scans without a Leica license.

Which format to use when

• Sending to a client or another tool: E57, the universal choice.
• Aerial or geospatial LiDAR: LAS, or LAZ to save space.
• Working in Revit or AutoCAD: RCS or RCP.
• Leica scanning workflow: LGSx inside Cyclone, E57 to share.
• Long-term archiving: E57 or LAZ, both open.

Converting between formats

• Export to E57 from your processing tool for maximum compatibility.
• Use CloudCompare (free) to convert between many open formats.
• Keep the original file, so you never lose data to a lossy step.
• Check color and intensity survive the conversion, some formats drop them.
• Prefer LAZ over LAS when size matters, the compression is lossless.

Compressing a point cloud

A raw point cloud is heavy. Compressing it speeds up transfer and archiving, and it does not have to cost you any precision.

• LAZ is the lossless compression of LAS: same data, a much smaller file. The safe default when size matters.
• RCS and RCP (Autodesk) are already compressed by design.
• To go further, reducing point density (subsampling) shrinks the file, at a detail cost to weigh. Always keep the original before compressing.

Other and niche formats

• PTS, PTX: older scanner text formats, still common in some workflows.
• PLY, OBJ: more for meshes than raw clouds.
• PCD: used in robotics and research (Point Cloud Library).
• XYZ: a plain text list of coordinates, simple but heavy.