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17 posts about file formats, written by people who have actually been down a mine with a scanner.
Most drone video is 10-bit HEVC (H.265), which won't play in browsers or many editors. Here's what the codec, bit depth, and resolution mean for sharing footage with clients.
June 19, 2026Your DJI video is almost certainly 10-bit HEVC (H.265). Windows needs a paid codec, and many chips lack hardware decode. Here's the fix.
June 19, 20263D Tiles 1.1 was ratified by the OGC in 2023. Implicit tiling, metadata, and multi-content tiles explained — and what surveyors actually need to care about.
May 18, 20263D Tiles streams massive survey scenes progressively. OBJ, GLB, and FBX are single-asset formats. Here is how they differ and when to deliver each to clients.
May 18, 2026Gaussian splat formats compared: PLY, SOG, SPZ, KSplat, and SuperSplat compressed PLY. Compression ratios, browser viewer support, and when to use each format.
May 18, 2026FARO and Leica terrestrial scanners produce massive E57 and LAS files clients can't open. The complete pipeline from scan to browser-viewable delivery.
April 17, 2026Drone surveys produce LAS point clouds, GeoTIFF orthomosaics, OBJ/GLB 3D models, DEMs, videos, and more. Every format explained with file sizes and viewers.
April 15, 2026LAS, LAZ, and E57 are the three main point cloud formats. How they compare on file size, software compatibility, and when to use each for client delivery.
April 10, 2026A Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG) uses internal tiling and overviews for progressive loading via HTTP range requests. How to create, use, and share COGs online.
April 7, 2026IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is the open standard for BIM data exchange. What surveyors need to know about IFC files and how to deliver them to clients.
April 2, 2026DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) is an open CAD file format from Autodesk. What is inside a DXF, how it is used in surveying, and how to view one online.
March 31, 2026A GeoTIFF is a TIFF image with embedded geospatial metadata. Here's how georeferencing works, what COGs are, and how to view and share GeoTIFFs online.
March 24, 2026Sharing 3D models with clients who lack modelling software is a common challenge. The best browser-based options for GLB, OBJ, and FBX delivery to clients.
March 15, 2025E57 is the ASTM standard format for terrestrial LiDAR point clouds and scanner imagery. What it contains, how to open it, and how to deliver it to clients.
February 25, 2025LAZ is the compressed version of LAS — the standard format for LiDAR and photogrammetry point clouds. What it contains, how to open it, and how to share it.
February 20, 2025View LAS and LAZ point clouds directly in a browser using Potree or 3D Tiles streaming. How it works and how to share point clouds with clients the same way.
January 20, 2025LAS files need specialist software most clients don't have. Your options for sharing point clouds — from Dropbox workarounds to seamless in-browser viewing.
January 15, 2025