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RayRender

RayRender is a tool for creating 2D images from ray cloud data using various viewpoints and rendering styles. It supports multiple output formats and can generate georeferenced images for GIS applications.

Usage

rayrender <raycloud_file> <viewpoint> <style> [options]
  • <raycloud_file>: Input ray cloud file (.ply)
  • <viewpoint>: Camera viewing direction
  • <style>: Rendering style for the visualization

Viewpoints

top

Plan view rendering from above:

rayrender scan.ply top ends

left

Side view facing negative X axis:

rayrender scan.ply left density

right

Side view facing positive X axis:

rayrender scan.ply right height

front

Side view facing negative Y axis:

rayrender scan.ply front rays

back

Side view facing positive Y axis:

rayrender scan.ply back starts

Rendering Styles

ends

Renders ray endpoint locations (default):

rayrender scan.ply top ends

starts

Renders ray start points (sensor positions):

rayrender scan.ply top starts

rays

Renders complete rays from start to end:

rayrender scan.ply left rays

mean

Average color values along the viewing axis:

rayrender scan.ply top mean

sum

Sum of color values (globally scaled):

rayrender scan.ply top sum

height

Maximum heights in the view direction:

rayrender scan.ply top height

density

Shading based on estimated point density:

rayrender scan.ply top density

density_rgb

Color-coded density (red→green→blue):

rayrender scan.ply top density_rgb

Options

Resolution and Sizing

  • --resolution <pixels> or -r <pixels>: Long axis resolution (default: 512)
  • --pixel_width <meters> or -p <meters>: Specify pixel width instead of resolution
  • --grid_width <meters> or -g <meters>: Align to grid with cell center at origin

Output Options

  • --output <filename> or -o <filename>: Custom output filename
  • --mark_origin: Place magenta pixel at coordinate origin
  • --output_transform <file> or -t <file>: Generate YAML transform file (top view only)

Geospatial Options

  • --georeference <proj_file>: Create georeferenced TIFF with projection file

Supported Output Formats

  • PNG: Default format for most visualizations
  • TIF: Required for georeferenced outputs
  • TGA: Targa image format
  • HDR: High dynamic range format
  • JPG: JPEG compressed format
  • BMP: Bitmap format

Examples

Create plan view density visualization:

rayrender forest_scan.ply top density --resolution 1024

Generate georeferenced overview image:

rayrender survey.ply top ends --georeference survey.proj --output overview.tif

Create side profile with custom pixel width:

rayrender building.ply left height --pixel_width 0.05

Render ray trajectories with origin marker:

rayrender trajectory.ply top starts --mark_origin

Generate high-resolution plan view:

rayrender scan.ply top density_rgb --resolution 2048 --output high_res.png

Georeferencing

For georeferenced outputs:

  • Requires build with WITH_TIFF flag enabled
  • Output must be in TIFF format (.tif)
  • Only works with top view
  • Projection file defines coordinate system and location

Additional Information

  • Default output filename is <input>_<viewpoint>_<style>.png
  • Grid width option ensures alignment with survey grids
  • Transform files provide pixel-to-world coordinate mappings
  • For more detailed information on rendering algorithms, refer to the RayRender source code at raycloudtools/rayrender/rayrender.cpp.