Choose measured data
Start with a measured point cloud—preferably Enhanced Cloud for the newest workflows.
SpatialAnalyzer / point-cloud workflows
Cloud & colourization
The biggest improvements since 2023, what they change in practice, and where to find them.
The short version
SA moved from conventional scan clouds with improving filters and meshes to an Enhanced Cloud system built for large data, then added complete deviation-colour, RGB, intensity, cross-section and automation workflows around it.
01
The best changes
Ten upgrades that matter most
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01
2025.2
Enhanced Cloud format
An octree plus local surface normals makes large clouds faster to access, draw, light and search for features. Introduced as an opt-in in 2025.2.
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02
2026.1
Deviation colour maps
Cloud-to-CAD and cloud-to-mesh inspection can turn geometric differences into an immediate tolerance map instead of a table of isolated values.
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03
2026.1
Colourized cloud-to-cloud results
Comparing two scans now returns a colourized Enhanced Cloud, making before/after, station-to-station and process-change comparisons much easier to read.
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04
2026.1
Flexible cloud-to-mesh output
The result can colour the reference mesh or the measured cloud. Choose the object that best supports presentation, investigation or downstream work.
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05
2026.1
CAD-accurate inspection meshes
Construct Mesh from CAD builds a minimal-triangle reference using Chordal Distance and Max Angle controls—light enough to work with, accurate enough to inspect against.
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06
2026.1
Real RGB point data
PLY import accepts XYZ, IJK normals and RGB. Enhanced Clouds can display captured colour, while SDK commands can read RGB values globally or near a point.
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07
2026.1
Direct colour controls and filters
A cloud or mesh right-click opens colour-bar and mapping controls. RGB filtering can isolate selected colour zones for focused analysis.
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08
2023.2–2025.2
Smarter feature filtering
Threaded segmentation, iterative rejection, sigma thresholds and ring-band processing reduce noise and keep neighbouring geometry from pulling circle and slot fits off target.
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09
2025.2
Split without losing the source
Split Cloud isolates a selected area for editing, can save it as a new cloud, and can restore the complete original cloud when needed.
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10
2025.1–2026.1
Cross-sections, callouts and automation
Cross-section clouds, stored deviation/intensity callouts and expanded MP/SDK commands turn the visual result into a repeatable inspection workflow.
02
Under the hood
How colourization works
Choose a reference
Compare it with CAD, a mesh, or another cloud depending on the inspection question.
Calculate distance
SA resolves correspondence to the reference and stores local geometric deviation.
Map value to colour
The colour bar converts signed or absolute deviation bands into a visual surface map.
Inspect and report
Adjust limits, filter zones, place callouts and carry results into reports or MPs.
Enhanced Cloud
Why the octree matters
An octree divides 3D space into progressively smaller boxes. SA can load, draw or search only the branches relevant to the current view or operation instead of repeatedly walking every point. Local normals add an estimated surface direction at each neighbourhood, improving lighting, proximity searches and feature extraction.
Reference quality
Why CAD is converted to a mesh
A tessellated reference is efficient for repeated closest-surface calculations. Chordal Distance limits how far the mesh may depart from the CAD curve or surface; Max Angle limits the change in direction between facets. Tighter settings increase fidelity and triangle count.
Result choice
Why you can colour either object
Colouring the measured cloud preserves the scan as the inspection result and is ideal for finding local defects. Colouring the mesh gives a cleaner, continuous presentation on the nominal shape. Cloud-to-cloud comparisons return a colourized Enhanced Cloud.
Colour controls
What the colour bar is doing
The palette is a legend for stored values, not decoration. Changing its range or band limits changes how deviations are classified visually; it does not change the measured geometry. Set limits to the drawing tolerance before judging a map.
03
Do not mix these up
Three kinds of “colour”
Deviation / false colour
A computed inspection value is mapped to a palette. Blue might mean below nominal, green near nominal and red above—according to the active scale.
RGB
The point’s captured or imported red, green and blue values represent real surface appearance. This is what PLY RGB import and RGB-zone filtering use.
Intensity
A scanner return-strength value, usually displayed as a grayscale or palette. RTC360 sends an intensity Enhanced Cloud; voxel callouts can report the stored intensity.
04
UI map
Where the controls live
| Task | Location | Added / matured |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Enhanced Cloud | User Options › Display › Clouds & Mesh | 2025.2 |
| Isolate part of a cloud | Cloud right-click › Split Cloud | 2025.2 |
| Build a CAD reference mesh | Construct Mesh from CAD | 2026.1 |
| Generate a colour map | Inspect/Query Cloud to CAD/Mesh and choose Mesh Result | 2026.1 |
| Change palette or limits | Cloud or mesh right-click › Colorization | 2026.1 |
| Make a cross-section cloud | Clouds & Surfaces › New Clouds › Cross-Section | 2025.1; Enhanced in 2026.1 |
| Refresh feature-filtered data | Features › Extract Geometry › Auto Filter › Refresh Filtered Cloud Data | Direct ribbon entry in 2026.1 |
| Replay scan-stripe data | Scan Stripe Cloud right-click › Export RSC File, then import RSC | 2024.2 |
05
Release progression
How the capability evolved
Better display, extraction and mesh feedback
Per-cloud point size, local circle/hole extraction, deviation histograms, probing-vector display and improved real-time mesh integrity, smoothing and incidence-angle colouring.
Filtering gets faster and more reusable
Threaded segmentation accelerates feature-cloud filtering; direct cloud association, saved filter settings and slot extraction improve repeat work. Mesh display yields to point display when point selection is needed.
Large live data and meshing mature
Faster visualization while several instruments stream high-rate data, a new General Mesh engine with presets and JSON configuration, Center in View and duplicate prevention during cloud feature searches.
Cloud data becomes replayable
RSC export/import replays scan stripes with timing, instrument association and original base transform. Cloud-to-Swatch automation and richer ASCII cloud export arrive.
Cross-sections become a full workflow
Create a cross-section from multiple clouds, measure ATS600 data directly into it, preserve filtered sphere-fit clouds, and choose measured geometry or raw cloud in batch feature measurement.
Enhanced Cloud is introduced
Octree storage and local normals form the new foundation. Split Cloud, stronger rejection and ring-band filtering, automatic cloud-to-feature extraction and nearest-cloud reassociation reduce manual cleanup.
Colourization becomes end-to-end
CAD-accurate reference meshes, cloud-to-CAD/mesh/cloud colour maps, RGB PLY data, direct mapping controls, RGB-zone filters, deviation/intensity callouts and expanded MP/SDK support complete the workflow.
06
Practical cautions
What to watch for
Existing jobs may still use the legacy cloud type. Enable it under Clouds & Mesh before expecting the new RGB, cross-section and colourized-result behaviour.
Voxelization is a display/acceleration representation. SA blocks Clouds-to-Objects fitting while a cloud is in voxel display mode to avoid an inappropriate fit.
A dramatic map can simply be a narrow scale. Use drawing tolerances and confirm whether the map is signed deviation, absolute distance, RGB or intensity.
Build 2026.1.0529.7 fixes colourized cloud/mesh callouts and reports that were incorrectly forced to inches; values now follow the active units.
The 2024.1 Nexus Metrology Reporting cloud service is unrelated to point-cloud storage and was phased out in 2026.1. Do not plan a new reporting workflow around it.
The 2026.1 notes warn that firmware 7.02.2980 is incompatible with the documented wireless interface. Confirm the current supported pairing before changing scanner firmware.
Primary references
Official release material
This guide consolidates Hexagon’s release summaries and the cumulative SpatialAnalyzer readme. It covers production releases from 2023.1 through the current 2026.1 hotfix.
SpatialAnalyzer is a Hexagon product. This independent digest is not official Hexagon documentation.