Colour vs. Black-and-White Point Clouds: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters
In the world of 3D scanning and spatial data visualization, point clouds are fundamental. They form the raw data behind everything from digital twins to construction progress monitoring and heritage preservation. But there’s often a key question that clients and stakeholders ask:
“What’s the difference between a colour point cloud and a black-and-white one — and does it matter?”
Let’s break it down.
What Is a Point Cloud?
A point cloud is a collection of individual points in 3D space, typically captured by a tripod-mounted or body-mounted LiDAR scanner or using photogrammetry, that represents the external surface geometry of an object or environment. Each point has an X, Y, and Z coordinate — essentially a digital replica of the real world.
We recently covered the difference between Point Cloud, Digital Twins and 3D (BIM) models, but for this article will focus on point cloud itself.
Black-and-White Point Clouds
Also known as intensity-based or greyscale point clouds, these datasets capture only the spatial coordinates and the reflectivity (intensity) of surfaces.
A site or building can be scanned this way without needing good lighting.
Typical greyscale point cloud presentation:
…and the same scan presented as ‘intensity’ point cloud, showing the intensity of the reflection from the scanned points:
Darker colours and materials such as brick absorb the laser beam more, while reflective surfaces such as bare metal reflect it back to the scanner better.
• Advantages: Lighter file sizes, faster to process, and still highly accurate for measurements.
• Use Cases: Ideal for fast and accurate data capture, and applications where colour is not critical.
Colour Point Clouds
Colour point clouds (also called RGB point clouds) include colour values (red, green, blue) for each point, mapped from either a built-in camera or external photogrammetry.
Colour laser scanning combines the benefits of a photo (or photogrammetry) with the precision of laser scanning. One downside is that the property must have good lighting to undertake a colour laser scan.
• Advantages: Offers visual context, easier to interpret, and more useful for presentation and asset documentation.
• Use Cases: Perfect for heritage records, detailed output creation, architects and client-facing reports.
Why It Matters
✅ Visual Clarity
Colour point clouds are more intuitive to navigate, especially for non-technical stakeholders – but bear in mind that non-technical users may only be using the outputs created from the point cloud (CAD or BIM model) rather than the point cloud itself.
The use of colour can assist the production team when creating 2D or 3D outputs, helping to identify materials and components more quickly and easily.
✅ Accuracy
Both types can be equal in accuracy where captured using the same scanner and approach. Black-and-white point clouds may appear more clinical but are equally precise.
✅ File Size and Performance
Colour point clouds are typically heavier and may require more processing power.
✅ Project Scope
If you're only interested in measurements, black-and-white might be enough. If you're capturing an environment where external stakeholders will interact with the data, colour adds value.
Final Thoughts
The choice between colour and black-and-white point clouds comes down to purpose. One isn't "better" — it's about what fits the project best.
The speed of capturing colour point cloud is increasing all the time with new equipment, including the NavVis VLX body-mounted system we use at Metron. We expect the technology available to continue to improve and will always be at the forefront of the market.
Are you working with point clouds or exploring 3D scanning for your business? We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences, just get in touch.
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