View Point Clouds Without Installation! Thorough Explanation of 3 Implementation Benefits

Table of Contents

• Challenges in Using Point Cloud Data

• What Is an Installation-Free Point Cloud Viewer?

• Benefit 1: Anyone Can Easily View Without Dedicated Software

• Benefit 2: Smooth Display of Large Point Clouds Without a High-Performance PC

• Benefit 3: Ideal for Field Use with Real-Time Sharing

• Simple Surveying and Cloud Point Cloud Viewing Enabled by LRTK

• FAQ

In recent years, opportunities to use 3D point cloud data have increased on construction, civil engineering, and surveying sites. Point cloud data, which can record terrain and structures in detail by acquiring massive numbers of measurement points with laser scanners, drones, or smartphones’ LiDAR functions, has become an indispensable information resource for on-site digitalization (DX). In fact, i-Construction promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism encourages the use of digital data including 3D point clouds, and such data is expected to be applied widely for as-built management, earthwork volume calculation, displacement monitoring, and more. The use of point cloud data is also beginning to advance in infrastructure maintenance and disaster recovery sites.

However, there are many voices such as “Even though we obtained point clouds, we can’t make good use of them” or “We have the data, but we can’t check it on-site and it’s going to waste.” Behind the current inability to fully utilize this valuable 3D information, several traditional barriers have existed.

Challenges in Using Point Cloud Data

Point cloud data is very rich 3D information, but handling it has traditionally required advanced specialized software and high-performance computers. For example, dedicated point cloud processing software or CAD software is essential to display and edit acquired point clouds, and mastering them requires specialized knowledge and experience. Many of these dedicated software packages are expensive, and time and cost are required to gain proficiency, making adoption difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises and beginners. As a result, there have been cases where point cloud data is avoided as “it looks too difficult.”

Also, point cloud data can be very large—ranging from millions to hundreds of millions of points—so it can run slowly or even freeze on standard PCs. There is concern that “you can’t handle it without an expensive workstation,” as CPU, GPU, and memory are heavily loaded. In practice, investing in high-performance hardware was unavoidable to use dedicated software.

In addition, sharing and managing acquired point cloud data was cumbersome. Traditionally, data collected on-site was taken back on a USB drive or external HDD, opened and processed on a limited number of high-performance PCs in the office, and results were compiled into drawings and reports. In this process, the valuable 3D information obtained on-site often incurred a time lag before being utilized, leaving field personnel unable to confirm the data at the site. Also, every time massive point cloud files were copied and distributed to stakeholders, versions multiplied, and confusion such as “Which one is the latest?” occurred. This separation between the field and the office hindered real-time collaboration and led to lost opportunities to utilize point clouds.

Furthermore, the processing steps required to obtain useful deliverables from acquired point clouds also demanded time and effort. Tasks such as aligning (merging) multiple point clouds, removing unnecessary noise, and calculating earthwork volumes and producing drawings can take days to weeks. Within limited on-site schedules, there often wasn’t enough time for such work, and the acquired point clouds sometimes ended up going to waste.

What Is an Installation-Free Point Cloud Viewer?

A new solution that has emerged to solve these challenges is the cloud-based point cloud viewer. This system allows point cloud data to be displayed, shared, and analyzed via cloud servers on the internet, and users can view 3D point clouds from their PC, tablet, or smartphone web browser. No dedicated software installation is required—what’s needed is only an internet connection and a supported browser. High-performance servers are provided on the cloud side to store and render (draw) massive point cloud data on the server, enabling smooth viewing regardless of the user’s device specifications.

In many cases, interactive 3D display is realized in the browser using technologies such as WebGL. By dragging or pinching on the screen, you can view the point cloud from any angle and zoom to check details. There is no need to launch heavy software; you can click a URL link received by email and immediately display the 3D point cloud in the browser. Because the cloud-based viewer does not depend on the user’s environment, point cloud data can be viewed the same way on Windows, Mac, or an iPad carried on-site. In short, the strength of a cloud-based viewer is that “if you have a browser, you can view point clouds anywhere.”

Thus, it has become possible to handle 3D point cloud data without the hassle of installing dedicated software or preparing high-performance PCs. So what specific benefits can be gained by introducing a cloud-based point cloud viewer? Below, the main benefits are explained in three parts.

Benefit 1: Anyone Can Easily View Without Dedicated Software

The biggest advantage of an installation-free cloud point cloud viewer is the ease with which anyone can immediately view 3D point clouds using only their device. Complicated software setup and license management are no longer necessary; with an internet connection and a browser, you can instantly check point cloud data from the field or the office. Whether on Windows, Mac, or a tablet, any device that runs a supported browser can be used regardless of environment. For example, you can display a point cloud on a tablet immediately after scanning at the site, or open the latest data on an office PC for immediate review. Also, there’s no need to purchase dedicated software for each device, which reduces software costs.

Furthermore, recipients don’t need special software either. Simply sharing a URL link with the parties you want—clients, designers, subcontractors—allows anyone to view the 3D point clouds via their browser. In some cases, even installation or login is unnecessary, enabling all stakeholders to easily check 3D data from their own devices and greatly smoothing information sharing.

Many browser viewers also feature intuitive UIs such as mouse-drag viewpoint control and pinch-to-zoom, so even those unfamiliar with specialized software can navigate the 3D space like a game or map app. Users don’t need to remember complex commands, making it easy for beginners to handle, and enabling the construction of an environment where “anyone can handle 3D point clouds,” both inside and outside the company—this is a major benefit.

Benefit 2: Smooth Display of Large Point Clouds Without a High-Performance PC

With cloud-based point cloud viewers, another advantage is that you can comfortably handle large data without preparing a high-spec PC. Because data storage and rendering are executed on cloud servers, the user’s device does not experience a heavy load. In the past, handling point clouds of tens of gigabytes required GPU-equipped workstations, but with a cloud viewer, a typical laptop or tablet can display and operate them without issue.

For example, broad-site point cloud data on the scale of tens of millions of points can be uploaded to the cloud once, after which smooth 3D viewing and basic measurements can be performed in the browser. The server-side appropriately lightweights the data and streams it, so the user only needs to receive the results and can handle it over a standard internet connection without noticeable delay. In practice, some services can smoothly display point clouds on the order of tens of billions of points—equivalent to an entire city—using LOD (level of detail) techniques, enabling 3D viewing even for extremely large projects. The inefficiency of “other work stopping while waiting for heavy processing” that occurs when handling large data can be eliminated through cloud use. An environment where everyone in the company can handle the same data regardless of their PC performance greatly improves productivity and convenience.

Benefit 3: Ideal for Field Use with Real-Time Sharing

Centralizing point cloud data on the cloud also provides the major advantage that multiple members can always share the latest data. When someone uploads new point cloud data, it is immediately integrated and everyone with access can view the same latest version. This frees teams from cumbersome file transfers and version control, eliminating confusion like “which file is the latest?” By sharing a link, members at remote locations can view and discuss the same 3D data, enabling participation in projects across geographic distances.

This real-time capability is also powerful for collaboration between the field and the office. For example, if the latest point cloud scanned on-site with a laser scanner is uploaded to the cloud on the spot, engineers at headquarters can check it immediately in the browser. Remote support, such as instructing additional areas to measure, becomes possible, realizing an efficient workflow that integrates the field and the office. Inspections can be completed online, enabling quicker decision-making.

Moreover, being able to check point cloud data on the spot via a browser improves on-site feedback. Because a tablet can display the point cloud immediately after measurement without launching dedicated software, quality checks can be performed right after data acquisition. Previously, teams often discovered “that part was missed” only after returning to the office and had to revisit the site, but with a cloud viewer, missing data can be found on the same day and re-surveyed immediately, preventing rework. Such rapid PDCA cycles enable point cloud data to be used as an immediate asset on-site.

Simple Surveying and Cloud Point Cloud Viewing Enabled by LRTK

As described, installation-free cloud point cloud viewers greatly lower the barriers to using point cloud data, but you can maximize these benefits further by streamlining the data acquisition stage as well. One solution to watch here is LRTK, a new simple surveying solution that uses smartphones. LRTK consists of a small GNSS receiver attached to a smartphone and a dedicated app, enabling anyone to easily achieve high-accuracy point cloud measurement and cloud sharing. Its operation is simple enough that, after about 5 minutes of explanation, users can start measurements on-site.

Traditionally, point cloud measurement was left to expensive 3D laser scanners and surveying specialists, but with LRTK, field personnel themselves can easily carry out measurements with one hand. By scanning the surroundings using the smartphone’s LiDAR function while the GNSS receiver provides real-time centimeter-level (half-inch accuracy) positioning corrections, every acquired point in the point cloud is given high-accuracy absolute coordinates (latitude, longitude, elevation). Without specialized knowledge, you can simply walk around as if recording a video to capture point clouds without omission for slopes on the order of 100 m (328.1 ft), often in just a few minutes.

For example, areas that are normally difficult to measure, such as the upper parts of slopes or large embankments, can be point-clouded quickly with LRTK, and volumes can be automatically calculated on-site. It is also possible to measure distance, height, and area directly within the app, allowing necessary quantities to be grasped immediately at the site and expanding scenarios where simple surveying tasks previously outsourced to specialists can be completed in-house.

Point cloud data acquired on-site can be uploaded to the LRTK cloud, where it is automatically lightweighted and displayed in the browser. By sharing a URL with stakeholders, recipients can view and measure point clouds from the browser without software, creating a seamless flow of “acquire with LRTK → share immediately via cloud” that connects the field and the office. On the LRTK cloud viewer, checking point coordinates and measuring distance, area, and volume can all be completed in the browser, so even without specialized CAD software, on-site data can be analyzed immediately. LRTK is not merely a provider of a cloud-based viewer; it is a platform that enables a one-stop workflow from smartphone point cloud acquisition to cloud utilization.

Point cloud data is increasingly becoming accessible not just to specialists but to anyone on-site. Combining installation-free cloud viewers with solutions like LRTK makes it realistic for heavy equipment operators to check as-built results in 3D on a tablet, or for site supervisors to routinely record progress with point cloud data. Lowering the barriers to data acquisition and sharing accelerates on-site DX and is expected to dramatically improve operational efficiency and accuracy. If you are considering introducing a cloud-based point cloud viewer, please also consider the new possibilities offered by LRTK. It can make on-site 3D data utilization familiar and propel projects forward with unprecedented speed and flexibility. The use of 3D point cloud data is expected to become increasingly important, and the combination of installation-free viewers and LRTK is likely to become a new standard for field operations in that era.

FAQ

Q: Can it be used even if there is no internet connection on-site? A: Internet connectivity is basically required to use cloud-based viewers. You will need to prepare connectivity at the site via a mobile router or smartphone tethering, just as you would in the office. However, because only optimized portions of the data are displayed, in many cases large point clouds can be displayed without stress on typical 4G/5G connections. If the site’s communication environment is unreliable, consider a mobile app–type viewer that can work offline or features for temporarily saving data on the device.

Q: Can large point clouds really be displayed on ordinary PCs or tablets? A: Yes. Because the cloud compresses and tiles data for efficient display, large point clouds can be viewed smoothly regardless of device performance. For example, point clouds on the scale of tens of millions of points can be streamed by the cloud using LOD (level of detail) control and tiling, allowing general laptops and tablets to operate them without issue. However, some services may have limits on the data size they support, so choose a platform that fits your use case.

Q: I’m worried about entrusting confidential data to the cloud. Is security ensured? A: Cloud service providers generally take data security seriously. Communications are encrypted, and servers are typically protected in robust data centers. Users can also set access permissions—restricting viewing to within the company or sharing with a password, for example. While you may have concerns about storing data in the cloud, choosing a reliable service can provide security equal to or greater than storing data on internal PCs.

Q: Can distances and volumes be measured in the browser? A: It depends on the cloud viewer, but in many cases you can measure distances, areas, and volumes in the browser. Basic measurements such as the distance between two points on a point cloud or calculating earthwork volume for a specified area can often be done without dedicated software. Some services also offer simple editing functions such as displaying cross-sections or trimming unwanted parts of a point cloud. For routine as-built checks and rough quantity estimates, a viewer is often sufficient and enables simple surveying workflows without special CAD software.

Q: Are there free point cloud viewers available? A: Some simple point cloud viewers are available for free. If you only need to load and display local point cloud files (LAS, PLY, etc.) in a web browser, you can sometimes use free online tools or open-source software. However, free services often limit uploadable data size and restrict measurement/analysis functions, so they may be insufficient for professional use. For stable business use, consider adopting a reliable platform with adequate support.