Learn what is .e57 point cloud format

As 3D imaging technologies like LiDAR and laser scanning become more integral to industries ranging from architecture to autonomous vehicles, the need for standardized data formats has grown exponentially.

One such format is the E57 file format. It was created by the ASTM E57 Committee on 3D Imaging Systems to improve interoperability between different 3D scanning systems and software platforms.

What is the E57 format?

The E57 format (file extension .e57) is a vendor-neutral, open standard specifically developed for storing 3D imaging data. This includes:

• Point cloud data (millions to billions of XYZ coordinates)
• 3D surface data
• Color and intensity information
• Sensor metadata

Benefits

• Platform-agnostic: Unlike proprietary formats tied to specific scanning hardware. This makes it great for long-term storage, data exchange, and integration across multiple systems.
• Interoperability: Supports import/export across major 3D software platforms.
• Compactness: Uses efficient compression for large point cloud datasets.
• Multimodal support: Can include both spatial and visual data (e.g., RGB imagery linked to point clouds).

Technical details

E57 files are stored in a binary format using compressed XML and binary blobs, allowing them to balance readability and performance. The format is extensible, enabling future updates without breaking backward compatibility.

A typical E57 file may contain:

• Millions of 3D points (XYZ)
• Color values (RGB)
• Intensity or reflectance
• Time-of-capture data
• Calibration parameters

Software that supports E57

Many industry-standard tools can read and write E57 files, including:

• Autodesk ReCap
• FARO Scene
• Leica Cyclone
• CloudCompare
• Trimble RealWorks
• Bentley ContextCapture