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Discontinuation of legacy point clouds - PIX4Dmatic

PIX4Dmatic utilizes an internal point cloud format designed specifically for rapid visualization. To enhance performance, the software recently transitioned to a newer format, meaning older projects must be updated to ensure compatibility.

Discontinuation of legacy point cloud support in PIX4Dmatic

PIX4Dmatic uses an internal point cloud format designed for real-time visualization, where data is structured in a GPU-friendly way with levels of detail to ensure smooth performance, even with large datasets. This format differs from standard formats like LAS or LAZ, which are intended for data storage and analysis rather than efficient rendering.

Up to PIX4Dmatic and PIX4Dsurvey version 1.66, a legacy BPC format was used for internal rendering. Starting with version 1.67, this was replaced with a modern glTF-based format, improving rendering speed and visual quality.

As part of this transition, native support for legacy point cloud visualization is being discontinued. PIX4Dmatic and PIX4Dsurvey projects prior to version 1.67 must be converted from the legacy format to the current format before they can be displayed in the 3D view.

What is changing?

1. Legacy point clouds are no longer rendered

  • Previous behavior. Legacy point clouds could be rendered directly in the 3D viewer.
  • New behavior:
    • Legacy point clouds do not render in the 3D viewer anymore.
    • They remain part of the project data, but they are not visible until converted to the latest format to a supported format (e.g. glTF).

2. Content panel UI changes for layers

In the Content panel, legacy  point clouds are now clearly marked as unsupported for visualization:

  • The usual “Eye” visibility icon is replaced with a “Warning” icon for legacy point cloud layers.
  • Hovering over the warning icon displays a tooltip explaining that:
    • The format is no longer supported for visualization.
    • The point cloud needs to be converted to a supported format.
    • A link to this article is provided for more details.

This helps immediately identify which point clouds require conversion.

3. Warning dialog when opening projects with legacy point cloud 

When an existing/legacy project that contains legacy  point clouds is opened, PIX4Dmatic shows a warning dialog:

“This project contains point clouds in a legacy format. Convert them now to enable visualization, or use the 'Convert point cloud' step in the processing panel later.”

The dialog provides two options:

  • Convert. Starts the conversion process so the point clouds can be visualized.
  • Skip. Closes the dialog without converting.
    • The legacy layers will remain non‑visible in the 3D viewer.
    • You can still convert them later from the Convert point cloud step in the Processing panel.

The dialog also includes a link to this article for additional context and instructions.

How to convert legacy point clouds

To visualize your legacy point clouds in PIX4Dmatic after this change, conversion to the latest format to a supported format (e.g. gITF) is required. Conversion can be triggered in two ways:

Option 1 – From the warning dialog (on project open)

  1. Open a project that contains legacy point clouds.
  2. In the warning dialog, click Convert.
  3. Follow the on-screen steps to complete the conversion.
  4. Once completed, the converted point clouds will be visible in the 3D viewer as usual.

If Skip is selected, conversion is performed, and legacy point clouds remain invisible until conversion is initialized later via the processing panel.

Option 2 – From the Processing panel

  1. Open your project in PIX4Dmatic.
  2. Go to the Processing panel.
  3. Locate the Convert point cloud step.
  4. Start the conversion process.

In this step, you will see a tooltip (next to the conversion option) explaining that:

  • Legacy format is no longer supported for visualization.
  • Conversion is required to visualize these point clouds in the 3D viewer.
  • A link to this article is provided for full details.

What remains available after discontinuing support?

  • Existing projects that include legacy files are still openable in PIX4Dmatic.
  • Legacy  files remain part of the project data, but:
    • They are not rendered in the 3D viewer.
    • They must be converted to be visible.
  • All other supported point cloud formats continue to work as usual.

Why are we discontinuing legacy point cloud support?

The decision to discontinue legacy point cloud rendering was driven by:

  • Focus on modern formats: By focusing on modern, widely adopted formats (such as glTF), we can improve performance, reliability, and feature development speed.

This strategic shift ensures that PIX4Dmatic continues to evolve while providing a clear and easy migration path for all existing projects via the conversion process.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Can I still open projects that contain legacy point clouds?

Yes. Projects can be opened as before. However:

  • Legacy point clouds will not be visible in the 3D viewer.
  • Conversion will be prompted when opening the project, or it can be initialized later in the Convert point cloud step.

What happens if I choose “Skip” in the warning dialog?

  • No conversion is performed.
  • Legacy point clouds remain part of the project but are not rendered, and nor can they be used for further processing.
  • Other previously generated outputs can be displayed, edited, vectorized/measured, and exported.
  • Conversion can be initiated at any time later via the Processing → Convert point cloud step.