How to Merge Dot3D Frames Into a Single Unified Point Cloud in CloudCompare

Many applications will treat a single Dot3D point cloud as many separate scans due to the multitude of individual frames that are captured over the course of a single handheld scan. This can be very cumbersome and in most cases you'll want to instead be dealing with the data as a single scan, not hundreds or even thousands of individual frames. So, when working with Dot3D data outside of the DP format, it is often recommmended to first merge the frames together in CloudCompare, and then move forward with the exported E57 file in other applications. Here is a step by step guide on how to do this in CloudCompare:

Step 1: Download CloudCompare (if you haven't already): https://www.danielgm.net/cc/

Step 2: Open your scan file in CloudCompare (typically in DP or E57 format).

Step 3: Select all the frames in the top left, then press the "Merge multiple clouds" button beneath "Plugins"

Step 4: Select "yes" on the popup.

Step 9: Select your new single frame

Optionally: , go to the colors option, and select RGB to view RGB colors.

Step 10: With your new frame selected, press the Save button and save out a new e57 file:

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