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RayExport

RayExport is a tool for converting ray clouds into standard point cloud and trajectory formats. It extracts point cloud data and sensor trajectories from ray cloud files for use with other software.

Usage

rayexport <raycloud_file> <pointcloud_file> <trajectory_file> [options]
  • <raycloud_file>: Input ray cloud file (.ply)
  • <pointcloud_file>: Output point cloud file (.ply, .laz, .txt, or .xyz)
  • <trajectory_file>: Output trajectory file (.ply or .txt)

Supported Output Formats

Point Cloud Formats

PLY Format

rayexport scan.ply points.ply trajectory.txt

Standard PLY point cloud with coordinates, time, and color information.

LAZ Format

rayexport scan.ply points.laz trajectory.txt

Compressed LAS format with point coordinates, timestamps, and color data.

TXT Format

rayexport scan.ply points.txt trajectory.txt

Comma-delimited text format with header: x,y,z,time,red,green,blue,alpha

XYZ Format

rayexport scan.ply points.xyz trajectory.txt

Simple space-delimited coordinates: x y z

Trajectory Formats

PLY Trajectory

rayexport scan.ply points.ply trajectory.ply

Text Trajectory

rayexport scan.ply points.ply trajectory.txt

Options

  • --traj_delta <seconds> or -t <seconds>: Trajectory temporal decimation period in seconds. Default is 0.1 seconds.

Examples

Export to PLY point cloud and text trajectory:

rayexport forest_scan.ply forest_points.ply trajectory.txt

Export to compressed LAZ with custom trajectory sampling:

rayexport large_scan.ply points.laz trajectory.txt --traj_delta 0.05

Export to comma-delimited text format:

rayexport room_scan.ply room_points.txt trajectory.txt

Export to simple XYZ coordinates:

rayexport scan.ply coordinates.xyz trajectory.ply --traj_delta 0.2

Output Details

Point Cloud Output

  • Extracts ray endpoint coordinates as point positions
  • Preserves timing information where supported by format
  • Maintains color and intensity (alpha) information
  • Uses chunk-based processing for memory efficiency

Trajectory Output

  • Extracts sensor positions and orientations over time
  • Applies temporal decimation to reduce trajectory file size
  • Default 0.1 second sampling suitable for most applications
  • Custom sampling rates available for specific needs

Additional Information

  • The tool uses efficient chunk-based reading and writing for large files
  • All supported formats preserve essential geometric and temporal information
  • Trajectory decimation helps manage file sizes while maintaining path accuracy
  • For more detailed information on export algorithms and format specifications, refer to the RayExport source code at raycloudtools/rayexport/rayexport.cpp.