XGRIDS Pro Guide™ / Module 8: LixelStudio

8.5 Export Formats and Delivery

Select the correct export path, configure format-specific settings, and deliver point cloud, mesh, slice image, vector, and volume report data that recipients can open and use without rework.

Section 1

Two Export Paths

LixelStudio provides two distinct ways to produce output files. Choosing the wrong path is a common source of failed or unusable deliverables.

Direct Export (File > Export)

Exports the selected point cloud data to a file. Available formats: LAS, LAZ, PLY, unstructured E57, and .ilas. This path requires no prerequisites beyond having processed point cloud data loaded in the project. Select the point cloud, choose export directory and filename, select format, and click Export.

Conversion Tools (Tools Menu)

Specialized conversion tools that transform LAS data into formats with additional structure or bundled assets. Each tool has specific prerequisites and produces different output than direct export.

Tool

Function

Prerequisites

LAS to RCP

Converts up to 10 LAS files to RCP format for AutoCAD and Recap 2020+

Processed LAS data. Filenames must be 20 characters or shorter.

LAS to E57

Converts LAS to E57 with embedded panoramic photos and pose data

Colored point cloud with completed coloring. Panoramic photos output enabled during processing. Corresponding pose data file. Filenames must be 20 characters or shorter.

Mesh

Generates textured 3D mesh models from point cloud and panoramic data. LixelStudio improved geometry and texture quality.

Colored LAS result data under 50 GB. Panoramic images in result data folder. Upsampled (Point Cloud Enhancement) chunks from L2 Pro cannot be used.

Additional export-capable tools include Horizontal Slice and Vertical Slice (LAS, RCP, PNG, or TIFF, with PNG/TIFF), Clipping Box (LAS), 2D Drawing / Plane Draw (DXF), Data Recording (annotation CSV and report documents), Volume Calculation (volume report), and Volume Comparison (multi-period comparison report). These tools are covered in 8.4 Quality and Editing.

Section 2

Format Reference

The correct format is determined by what the recipient needs to do with the data. Delivering a format the recipient cannot open is not a completed deliverable.

Cross-pipeline comparison with file sizes and platform compatibility: This page covers LixelStudio export procedures. For the full side-by-side comparison of both LixelStudio and LCC Studio formats, including typical file sizes, compatible platforms, and a decision guide for matching deliverables to export paths, see 10.6 Platforms and File Types.

Format

Export Path

Primary Use

Key Constraints

LAS

Direct export (File > Export). Supports versions 1.1 through 1.4.

GIS platforms, CloudCompare, Recap Pro, general point cloud software.

Filename must be ≤20 characters if the file will be used in downstream LAS to RCP or LAS to E57 conversion.

LAZ

Direct export (File > Export).

Archiving, delivery over limited bandwidth. Same data as LAS, losslessly compressed.

Not all platforms support LAZ directly. Verify recipient software before delivering.

PLY

Direct export (File > Export).

General 3D tools, research, custom processing pipelines.

No built-in coordinate system metadata. Requires manual georeferencing in downstream tools if absolute coordinates matter.

E57 (unstructured)

Direct export (File > Export).

Point cloud interchange where panoramic data is not required.

Does not include panoramic photos or structured scan positions. For E57 with embedded panoramic data, use the LAS to E57 conversion tool instead.

E57 (with panoramic data)

Conversion tool: LAS to E57.

BIM platforms with BubbleView support (Revit, Navisworks, AutoCAD). Combines point cloud with panoramic imagery along the acquisition path.

Requires colored point cloud, panoramic photo output, and pose data. Filename must be ≤20 characters. See Section 3 for the full procedure.

RCP

Conversion tool: LAS to RCP. Built into LixelStudio.

Autodesk Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks. Native Autodesk point cloud index format. Compatible with Recap 2020+.

Maximum 10 LAS files per conversion. Produces an.rcp index file and a data folder. Both must be transferred together. Filename must be ≤20 characters.

OBJ / OSGB

Application tool: Mesh.

Textured 3D mesh models. Mesh output has cleaner geometry, fewer holes, improved separation of fine structures, and better color fidelity and sharpness.

Source LAS data must be under 50 GB. Requires panoramic images in the result data folder. L2 Pro upsampled (Point Cloud Enhancement) chunks cannot be used as mesh input.

DXF

2D Drawing tool: Plane Draw / AI-Extract.

2D vector line work for CAD. Floor plans, section drawings, vector contours extracted from point clouds.

AI-Extract parameters (Ground Sampling Distance, Point Cloud Simplification, Snap to 90 deg, Min. Points per Segment, Max. Extension Length) affect output quality.

PNG / TIFF (slice images)

Slice tools: Horizontal Slice, Vertical Slice.

Direct image-based output for downstream drafting and documentation. Floor plans, elevation drawings, section markups.

Image-only. For point cloud data of the same slice, also export as LAS or RCP. LixelStudio added real-time slice preview, so the export reflects what you see on screen.

.ilas

Direct export (File > Export).

Internal XGRIDS format for processed point cloud data transfer between LixelStudio instances or XGRIDS ecosystem tools.

Not compatible with third-party software. Use LAS, E57, or PLY for external delivery.

Volume Calculation Report

Application tool: Volume Calculation.

Stockpile measurement: cut, fill, volume, density, weight, length, width, height. Use cases: coal inventory, material inventory, agricultural products, warehouse management.

Requires a point cloud with a measurable stockpile and a defined base plane. Report exports to the project's Report folder.

Volume Comparison Report

Application tool: Volume Comparison.

Multi-period stockpile change measurement. Compare two periods of volume data for inventory tracking, deposit/withdrawal verification, or progress monitoring.

Both periods must maintain a consistent base plane. Registration recommended before comparison. Use ICP Registration for alignment if needed.

Coordinate system is determined during processing, not during export. The coordinate transformation settings configured in 8.2 Single Scan (RTK, GCP, or both) determine the coordinate system of the output data. Export tools pass through these coordinates. LixelStudio redesigned the coordinate transformation interface with searchable common and built-in coordinate systems, but the principle is unchanged: set the coordinate system before SLAM optimization, not after.

Section 3

LAS to E57 Conversion

The LAS to E57 tool merges LAS point cloud data with panoramic photos captured along the acquisition path, producing an E57 file compatible with BubbleView in BIM platforms. This is a different operation from the direct E57 export in File > Export, which produces an unstructured E57 without panoramic data.

Three prerequisites must be met before the LAS to E57 tool will produce usable output. If any prerequisite is missing, the conversion will fail or produce an incomplete file.

1. Colored point cloud with completed coloring. The coloring step in project processing must have finished successfully. LixelStudio substantially improved coloring quality, especially in low-light environments, so re-running coloring on an older project under the current LixelStudio release may produce noticeably better E57 results.

2. Panoramic photos output. The "Output Panorama" option must have been enabled during project processing configuration. This cannot be added after processing completes.

3. Corresponding pose data. The pose CSV file must be present in the result data folder.

The pose file selection is critical and LixelStudio does not validate your choice. Selecting the wrong file produces output that appears to complete but contains incorrect coordinate data.

Absolute coordinates (RTK or GCP): Select pose_no_offset.csv.

Relative coordinates (no RTK, no GCP, local frame only): Select the standard pose file (pose.csv).

Procedure

Verify the LAS filename is ≤20 characters. If the filename exceeds this limit, the conversion will fail, hang, or crash. Shorten the filename before starting.
Click the point cloud data in the data layer to select it.
Click LAS to E57 in the data conversion tools.
Select the correct pose file corresponding to the colored point cloud. pose_no_offset.csv for absolute coordinates. Standard pose file for relative coordinates.
Select the panoramic photo output interval. This controls how panoramic images are sampled along the trajectory in the E57 output.
Click Confirm and wait for conversion to complete.
Verify the output file exists and has a reasonable file size. A zero-byte or missing file indicates a failure.

Section 4

LAS to RCP Conversion

LixelStudio includes a built-in LAS to RCP conversion tool. This converts up to 10 LAS files per operation into RCP format for use in AutoCAD and Recap 2020+. You do not need Autodesk ReCap Pro to perform this conversion.

Procedure

Verify all LAS filenames are ≤20 characters. Filenames exceeding this limit will cause the conversion to fail, hang, or crash.
Open the LAS to RCP tool. Optionally click Import External Data to add LAS files beyond those already loaded in the project (up to 10 total).
Choose the output path.
Click Confirm and wait for conversion to complete.

The conversion produces two outputs: an.rcp data index file and a corresponding data folder. Both must be copied together when transferring to another machine or delivering to a client. If only the.rcp file is transferred, the point cloud will not load.

Pro Tip: The Horizontal Slice and Vertical Slice tools also support direct export to RCP format, which is useful when delivering floor-specific or section-specific data to Autodesk users. Slices can be exported as LAS, RCP, PNG, or TIFF (the last two) directly from the slicing tool without needing a separate conversion step.

Section 5

Mesh Export (OBJ / OSGB)

The Mesh tool generates textured 3D models from point cloud and panoramic data. Output formats are .obj and .osgb. LixelStudio improved both geometry and texture quality. On the geometry side, noise resistance has been strengthened, reducing holes and improving separation of fine structures for clearer geometry. On the texture side, color fidelity and sharpness have been noticeably improved.

Requirements

Requirement

Details

Device compatibility

L1, L2: External panoramic coloring result data. L2 Pro and K2: Internal coloring with panoramic photo output.

Data size limit

Post-processed colored LAS result data must be under 50 GB.

Panoramic images

Must be present in the result data folder. Verify before starting. If missing, the Mesh tool has no texture source.

Upsampled data restriction

Point Cloud Enhancement (upsampled) chunks from L2 Pro cannot be used as mesh input.

Procedure

Click Mesh in the Application menu.
Select the scanned result data folder (the folder containing colored LAS data and panoramic images from processing). You do not need to load the result point cloud into the project first.
Select the export path and format (.obj or.osgb).
Wait for mesh generation to complete. View the result in software such as MeshLab or any OBJ/OSGB-compatible viewer.

Section 6

Volume Reports (New)

LixelStudio added two new application tools for stockpile and volumetric measurement, with their own report-format outputs. These are not point cloud exports; they are measurement reports derived from point cloud data.

Volume Calculation

Calculate stockpile volumes from point cloud data in three steps. The output is a Volume Calculation Report containing cut volume, fill volume, total volume, area, density (configurable), weight (computed from density), length, width, and height fields.

Select the point cloud containing the stockpile in the data layer.
Click Volume Calculation in the Application menu.
Draw the border around the stockpile.
Configure the base plane. The base plane is the reference surface from which volume is measured.
Configure density if weight calculation is needed.
Click Export Report and select save path and filename. The report exports to the Report folder by default.

Volume Comparison

Compare two periods of stockpile data to measure change over time. Use cases include inventory tracking, deposit and withdrawal verification, and progress monitoring on active sites.

Both point clouds must maintain a consistent base plane between the two periods. If the base plane shifted between scans, the comparison result will not be accurate. Registration is recommended before running the comparison. Use the ICP Registration tool to align the two point clouds before Volume Comparison if they were not already registered.

Select both point clouds (the two periods you want to compare) in the data layer.
Click Volume Comparison in the Application menu.
Configure the comparison parameters as prompted.
Export the comparison report when calculation completes.

Section 7

Downstream Integration

Full platform compatibility reference: For every downstream platform that accepts XGRIDS output, including both the point cloud and 3DGS pipelines, third-party hosting platforms, and the LCC for BIM Revit plugin, see 10.6 Platforms and File Types. The section below covers LixelStudio-specific integration notes for the most common delivery targets.

Autodesk Platforms (Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks)

RCP files produced by LixelStudio's built-in converter are compatible with Recap 2020 and later. E57 files can also be imported directly into Revit or converted to RCP via ReCap Pro if additional indexing options are needed.

When importing into Revit, the coordinate system of the point cloud must align with the Revit project's shared coordinates. Coordinate alignment is configured in the Revit project settings, not in LixelStudio. Establish shared coordinates in Revit before importing.

XGRIDS also offers LCC for Revit, a Revit add-in for importing LCC (Lixel CyberColor) 3DGS models directly into Revit with AI-assisted BIM modeling tools. LCC for Revit is part of the LCC Studio ecosystem covered in Module 9, not LixelStudio. If the deliverable requires photorealistic 3DGS visualization within Revit, see Module 9 for that workflow.

2D CAD (DXF and Slice Images)

DXF files exported from the 2D Drawing / Plane Draw tool can be opened in AutoCAD, BricsCAD, and other DXF-compatible CAD platforms. The AI-Extract feature produces vector contours that can be manually refined within LixelStudio's drawing tools (Line, Polyline, Arc, Rectangle, Split, Trim, Delete) before export.

For drafting workflows that prefer image overlays, the new PNG and TIFF slice exports provide direct image output from Horizontal and Vertical Slice tools. These can be brought into AutoCAD as raster underlays for 2D documentation work without DXF conversion. See 8.4 Quality and Editing for slice tool details.

Filename Checklist Before Export

Pre-Export Verification

LAS filenames ≤20 characters if the file will be used in LAS to RCP or LAS to E57 conversion. Filenames exceeding this limit cause the conversion to fail, hang, or crash.
Correct pose file identified if using LAS to E57: pose_no_offset.csv for absolute coordinates, standard pose file for relative coordinates.
Panoramic images present in result folder if using LAS to E57 or Mesh. Check before starting the tool.
Coloring completed successfully if using LAS to E57. The colored point cloud must exist. the current LixelStudio release's improved coloring may produce noticeably better E57 output than older LixelStudio releases; consider re-running coloring on legacy projects under the current LixelStudio release before exporting.
Output disk has sufficient free space. Large exports (E57, mesh) can produce files comparable in size to the source LAS data.
Recipient software confirmed. Verify the recipient can open the format you plan to deliver. RCP requires Autodesk software. LAZ support varies by platform.

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