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Open point clouds via File > Open Point Cloud(s)
When opening a point cloud for the first time, NUBIGON converts your data into a high-performance file type called octree. This conversion happens only once and gives you a unique ability to handle massive point clouds easily.
Manage your disk space
Generating an octree may take some time and temporarily require more than twice the disk space of your source files. Here are some important tips to accelerate this process and efficiently manage your disk space:
Keep project on SSD
Solid-state drives are much faster than mechanical hard disks, and they will reduce the time to open point clouds.
Move temp folder
During octree generation, NUBIGON creates temporary files as big as the octree. Choosing a folder on a secondary drive for your temporary files will save space. You can also use an external disk if your computer does not have a secondary drive.
Keep source files elsewhere
Your source files (E57, LAS, etc.) do not have to be in the same drive as your project. Keep your point cloud files in a different drive to save space.
Learn more about managing NUBIGON projects.Manage your point clouds
Prioritize non-text file formats
Point clouds in E57 or LAS format take up less disk space than text files like PTS and XYZ.
The first stage of octree generation is completed significantly faster for E57 or LAS files than text file formats.
Clean the data a little
Point clouds may have extreme outliers. Those outliers can significantly prolong octree generation and cause stability issues. Before opening point clouds in NUBIGON, apply bounding box clipping in your registration software.
Split data
Advanced users can further accelerate octree generation by splitting their source files into meaningful parts.
Generating multiple octrees from smaller point cloud files is faster than generating an octree from a large file. When exporting point clouds from a third-party point cloud processing software, we recommend splitting large point clouds meaningfully into smaller files with minimal overlap (e.g., individual floors of a building). Be mindful that color smoothing only applies to individual octrees, so the overlap of two octrees may be visible.
Learn more about opening multiple point clouds.