How to Share FARO and Leica Scan Data with Clients Online

To share FARO or Leica scan data with clients online, you need to export your registered scans as E57 or LAS/LAZ, then either convert them for browser-based viewing using a platform like Swyvl or host a Potree viewer yourself. The core challenge is that terrestrial scan files are enormous (10-200 GB is common), clients do not have FARO SCENE or Leica Cyclone, and generic file-sharing tools like Dropbox give your client a file they cannot open.

Here is the complete pipeline from scan to client-viewable delivery.

The terrestrial scanning delivery problem

Terrestrial laser scanners from FARO and Leica produce the highest-density point cloud data in the industry. A single FARO Focus scan position captures 40-500 million points. A typical building survey might include 30-100 scan positions. After registration, you are looking at billions of points and files measured in tens or hundreds of gigabytes.

This data lives in proprietary project formats:

• FARO: .fls (raw scan), .fws (SCENE workspace), .lsproj (SCENE project)
• Leica: .ptx (raw scan), .imp (Cyclone import), .pts (ASCII point cloud)

Your client does not have SCENE or Cyclone. These are expensive, specialist applications:

Even if your client installs CloudCompare (the free option), loading a 50 GB point cloud on a standard office laptop is not a practical experience. The file takes minutes to load, navigation is sluggish, and the interface is not intuitive for someone who has never used a point cloud viewer.

The solution is a pipeline that converts your scan data into a format that streams progressively in a browser — so the client clicks a link and explores the data without downloading or installing anything.

Step 1: Export from FARO SCENE or Leica Cyclone

The first step is exporting your registered, cleaned scan data to an exchange format. You have two main options: E57 and LAS/LAZ.

Exporting from FARO SCENE

FARO SCENE exports registered scans in several formats. For client delivery pipelines, the recommended options are:

Export to E57:

1. Open your SCENE project
2. Select the scans you want to export (or select all)
3. File > Export > E57
4. Choose coordinate system (project coordinates or a geographic CRS)
5. Select point attributes: XYZ, RGB colour, intensity
6. Export

Export to LAS/LAZ:

1. Same scan selection
2. File > Export > LAS or LAZ
3. Choose coordinate system
4. Select classification settings if applicable
5. Export

Recommended SCENE export settings:

A note on decimation: If your registered scan has 2 billion points and the client needs a general visual overview (not sub-millimetre measurement), consider exporting at reduced density. A 10x decimation still gives you 200 million points — more than enough for visual exploration — and reduces file sizes dramatically.

Exporting from Leica Cyclone

Leica Cyclone REGISTER 360 and Cyclone 3DR support similar exports:

Export to E57:

1. Open your registered project
2. Select the point cloud(s)
3. File > Export > E57
4. Configure coordinate system and attributes
5. Export

Export to LAS/LAZ:

1. Select point cloud
2. Export > LAS format (Cyclone 3DR) or use CloudCompare to convert
3. If Cyclone does not offer direct LAZ export, export as LAS and compress with LAStools or CloudCompare

Export to PTX (then convert): Cyclone’s native PTX export is an ASCII format that preserves scan positions. It is large and slow to process but can be converted to LAS/LAZ via CloudCompare or PDAL.

Step 2: Convert to a browser-viewable format

Raw E57 and LAS/LAZ files cannot be loaded directly into a browser. They need to be converted to a streaming format that loads progressively — showing a low-resolution overview first, then loading detail as you zoom in.

The Potree pipeline

Potree is the standard technology for browser-based point cloud viewing. It uses an octree data structure that divides the point cloud into hierarchical tiles, loading only what is visible at the current zoom level.

The conversion pipeline:

1. Input: LAZ file (exported from SCENE/Cyclone)
2. Tool: PotreeConverter (open source, command line)
3. Output: A folder of octree tiles + a metadata file
4. Hosting: Serve the folder from a web server with HTTPS

PotreeConverter input.laz -o output_potree/

This works but requires you to maintain server infrastructure, configure HTTPS, handle access control, and manage storage.

COPC: Cloud-Optimised Point Clouds

COPC (Cloud-Optimised Point Cloud) is a newer format that reorganises LAZ data for efficient HTTP range-request streaming. Instead of converting to a separate octree format, COPC rearranges the points within a single LAZ-compatible file so that a viewer can request just the points it needs for the current view.

Advantages of COPC:

• Single file (no folder of tiles)
• LAZ-compatible (can still be opened in CloudCompare, QGIS)
• Progressive loading via HTTP range requests
• Simpler hosting (just serve a single file)

Converting to COPC:

# Using PDAL
pdal translate input.laz output.copc.laz --writers.copc.forward=all

# Using untwine
untwine --single_file -i input.laz -o output.copc.laz

COPC is gaining adoption as a simpler alternative to the Potree octree conversion, though Potree’s octree format still offers better streaming performance for very large point clouds (1 billion+ points).

Using a platform

The simplest option is to upload your LAZ export to a platform like Swyvl that handles the conversion automatically. Upload the file, and the platform runs the conversion pipeline, hosts the tiles, and gives you a shareable URL. No PotreeConverter, no server management, no COPC conversion.

Step 3: Deliver to the client

Once your scan data is in a browser-viewable format, you need to share it with your client in a way that is professional and organised.

What the client should see

A good terrestrial scan delivery includes:

• The point cloud viewer: Interactive, browser-based, with rotation/zoom/pan controls
• Colour modes: RGB (photo-realistic), intensity (material contrast), elevation (height gradient)
• Download option: The client should be able to download the raw LAZ if they need it for their own tools
• Context: Which building/site/area this scan covers, the date of capture, and any notes
• Your branding: Your company name and logo, not the name of whatever file-sharing platform you used

What to avoid

• Sending a raw E57 file via Dropbox or WeTransfer. The client receives a 50 GB file they cannot open. For why this does not work, see our comparison of Dropbox, WeTransfer, and purpose-built platforms.
• Sending screenshots or video renders only. These are supplementary, not a substitute for interactive access. A screenshot of a scan is a picture of data, not data.
• Asking the client to install CloudCompare. Some will. Most will not. And those who do will struggle with the interface.

Practical file size expectations

Understanding file sizes helps you plan your delivery pipeline and set client expectations:

These sizes assume full-density exports. Decimation reduces sizes proportionally.

Key insight: E57 files are typically 3-5x larger than LAZ for the same data. If your pipeline supports LAZ, prefer it over E57 for delivery. E57 is valuable as an archival/exchange format (it preserves scan positions and scanner metadata), but LAZ is better for the delivery pipeline due to its superior compression.

For a deeper dive into E57 specifically, see our E57 format explainer.

The E57 to LAZ conversion pipeline

If your scanner software only exports E57 (or if you prefer E57 as your archival format), here is the conversion path to browser-viewable delivery:

Using CloudCompare (free)

1. Open CloudCompare
2. File > Open > select the E57 file
3. If the E57 contains multiple scans, CloudCompare will ask how to import them — select “merge” for a single combined cloud
4. File > Save As > choose LAZ format
5. Save

For very large E57 files (50 GB+), CloudCompare may struggle with memory. In that case, use PDAL:

Using PDAL (command line, free)

pdal translate input.e57 output.laz \
  --writers.las.compression=true \
  --writers.las.minor_version=4

PDAL handles large files efficiently through streaming and does not require loading the entire file into memory.

Using LAStools

las2las -i input.e57 -o output.laz

LAStools is fast but note that the open-source version has limitations on point count. The licensed version handles files of any size.

Tips for optimising scan delivery

Decimate strategically

Not every delivery needs full scanner resolution. A FARO Focus at its highest setting captures points every 1.5mm at 10 metres. For a client who needs to see the general condition of a building, 10mm point spacing is more than sufficient — and the file is 50x smaller.

Export two versions if needed: a full-density LAZ for archival/technical use, and a decimated version for the browser viewer.

Clean before exporting

Remove noise, stray points, and scanner artefacts before export. A clean point cloud loads faster, renders better, and looks more professional in a viewer. SCENE and Cyclone both have filtering tools for this.

Use LAZ, not LAS

Always export compressed (LAZ) rather than uncompressed (LAS). The data is identical — LAZ is lossless compression — but the file is 5-10x smaller. This matters enormously for upload times, storage costs, and streaming performance.

Include RGB colour

If your scanner captured colour (most modern FARO and Leica scanners have integrated cameras), include it in the export. A coloured point cloud is dramatically more readable to a non-technical client than a monochrome one. Clients understand a photo-realistic view of their building; they do not understand a grey intensity-shaded cloud without context.

Set coordinate reference system

If the scan is georeferenced (aligned to a real-world coordinate system rather than just a local project origin), ensure the CRS is set correctly in the export. This allows the point cloud to be positioned correctly on a map and enables meaningful coordinate readouts in the viewer.

What about TruView and WebShare?

Leica offers TruView (now part of Hexagon) and FARO offers WebShare as vendor-specific solutions for sharing scan data online. These tools create browser-viewable panoramic views of scan positions.

Pros: They are well-integrated with their respective scanner ecosystems. If you are a pure Leica or pure FARO shop, they work.

Cons: They are vendor-locked (FARO WebShare only works with FARO data), they show panoramic views rather than true 3D point cloud navigation, and they add another subscription cost on top of your scanner software. They also do not handle the other deliverables you might include alongside the scan — orthomosaics, 3D models, reports, DXF drawings.

A platform-agnostic approach — export to LAZ, view via Potree-based streaming — works regardless of which scanner you use and lets you deliver all your spatial data types in one place.

Summary

The path from terrestrial scanner to client browser:

1. Register and clean your scans in FARO SCENE or Leica Cyclone
2. Export as LAZ (preferred) or E57 — include RGB, intensity, and set the CRS
3. Convert to a streaming format (Potree octree or COPC) or upload to a platform that handles conversion
4. Deliver via a branded, permanent link with browser-based viewing and download options

The scanner hardware and registration software are the expensive, complex parts of the workflow. The delivery step should not be another complex problem. Export your LAZ, upload it, share the link. Your client clicks and sees the scan in their browser — no SCENE, no Cyclone, no CloudCompare, no friction.