Point Cloud Data Supported
Encord supports the following formats for Point Cloud Data:- .pcd - Point Cloud Data
- .ply - Polygon File Format
- .las - LAS point cloud (up to LAS v1.3)
- .laz - Compressed LAS (up to LAS v1.3)
- .mcap - MCAP container
- .bag - ROS bag files
- .db3 - ROS2 SQLite bag files
The Encord platform supports many more Point Cloud Data file formats. If you do not see a format you want supported, contact us at support@encord.com.
Data for PCD Projects
PCD Projects use “Scenes”. Scenes are the data units that your Taskers, and possibly your Agents, work with to create and review your labels. A Scene can be one of the following:- A PCD file (.pcd, .ply, .las, .laz, and so on)
- A group of videos and PCD files bound together as a coherent group.
Encord supports the following for multimodal Scenes:
- Videos up to 1GB in size
- Up to 9 videos in a Scene
- Up to 100 frames in each video
- Up to 10 million cloud data points per frame
The Encord platform supports many more Point Cloud Data file formats. If you do not see a format you want supported, contact us at support@encord.com.
main.py
script to create Scenes in Encord for an autonomous driving project.
main.py
PCD Ontologies
PCD Projects support the following object label types:- Cuboids
- Segmentation
- Polylines
- Keypoints
Project Settings
Configure Label Editor templates to streamline the annotation and review experience for your Taskers.Settings and Controls
Toolbar
Pin new issue
Pin new issue
Hot key: Ctrl + ICreates a new issue on the data unit.
Center content
Center content
Hot key: Shift + CThe POV centers on the object (vehicle, robot, drone) that captured the PCD.
Use geometric center
Use geometric center
Use this feature together with
Center content
.ON
: All points in the PCD workspace (on all axis) are averaged. Using Center content brings the POV to the center of all axis in the workspace.OFF
: Using Center content brings to POV to the object that captured the PCD.
Zoom in
Zoom in
Hot key: Shift + up arrow.Zooms into the workspace.
Zoom out
Zoom out
Hot key: Shift + down arrowZooms out of the workspace.
Ground height
Ground height
Specifies the “ground height” in the workspace. You can specify any value between the highest and lowest points, of the PCD, on the X axis.
Radius indicators
Radius indicators
Hot key: Option + RRadius indicators are useful guides when annotating in 3D space. For example, you might only want to annotate anything that comes within 3 meters of your object (vehicle, robot, drone). You would then use a radius of three and only annotate anything within that radius.
ON
: Displays one or more radii centered on the object (vehicle, robot, drone) that captured PCD. You can select the color used for all radii.OFF
: Hides all the radii.
Toggle merged cloud point view
Toggle merged cloud point view
Hot key: Option + M
ON
: Displays all PCD from all frames in the workspace at once.OFF
: Displays the PCD for that specific frame.
Scene slicer
Scene slicer
Hot key: Option + Shift + SThe Scene slicer is a planar point cloud data selection guard. Place and rotate a Scene slicer to confine point cloud data selection. Point cloud data on the opposite side cannot be selected for annotation.
View options
View options
Display or hide various elements in the PCD space.
Show top view
: Displays view from the top in the right hand work area.Show left view
: Displays view from the left in the right hand work area.Show right view
: Displays view from the right in the right hand work area.Show control hints
: Displays workspace navigation hints.Show camera switcher
: Displays video views for the Scene.
Editor Settings - Scene
Input device
Input device
Specify using a
mouse
or trackpad
to rotate or pan in the workspace.We STRONGLY recommend using a mouse to rotate or pan in the workspace.
Display grid
Display grid
Show or hide a grid to aid in annotating PCD.
Display camera helpers
Display camera helpers
Show or hide a camera helper lines to aid in annotating PCD.
Point cloud size
Point cloud size
Specify the size of points in the workspace.
Point cloud colour
Point cloud colour
Specify the color of PCD in the workspace based on a number of options.
Display point clouds
Display point clouds
ON
: Show all PCD in the workspace.OFF
: Hide all PCD in the workspace.
Display background
Display background
ON
: Displays background in the workspace.OFF
: Hides background in the workspace.
Merged point cloud view
Merged point cloud view
ON
: Displays all PCD from all frames in the workspace at once.OFF
: Displays the PCD for that specific frame.
Point cloud opacity in 2D views
Point cloud opacity in 2D views
Specifies the opacity of PCD in 2D views.
The default value is 0. PCD does not display in 2D views with a value of 0.
Display cloud points from specific locations
Display cloud points from specific locations
Specify PCD source to display in the workspace.
Editor
Click into the PCD workspace to navigate inside the workspace. The keyboard hints display when you can navigate the workspace.Move
Move
Use the WASD keys to move along the X axis in the workspace.
Elevate
Elevate
Use the QE keys to move along the Y axis in the workspace.
Rotate
Rotate
Hold down the scroll wheel and move your mouse to rotate in the workspace.
Pan
Pan
Hold down the right mouse button and move your mouse to pan around the workspace.
Label and Review PCD Data
We strongly recommend that Taskers use a mouse when annotating or reviewing Scenes. Using a mouse makes annotating or reviewing Scenes significantly easier.
- Click Start task or Initiate to annotate a PCD data unit. The Label Editor opens with a PCD data unit ready for annotation.
- Use the Editor controls and Toolbar buttons to navigate the PCD workspace.
- Use the General Settings to customize and streamline the PCD workspace.
- Select an object label from the left-hand menu and begin annotating the PCD data unit.
- Use your input device (mouse or trackpad) to create a label in the PCD workspace.
- Select the label and adjust the label from the right-hand space and from the Toolbar.
- Copy labels from one frame to another using Command + C and Command + V.
- Copy labels from within the same frame using Command + C and Command + Shift + V.
Scene Formats
Encord supports various ways of importing/registering Scenes. All examples use the InputScene format as the root structure.URL to PCD File
A Scene consisting of a single PCD file, in cloud storage:https://example.com/left_001.pcd
This format automatically validates that the URL has a supported file extension
Stream of PCD Files without Timestamps
This format consists of multiple PCD files organized into a stream structure. For multiple PCD files without timing information, Encord assigns implicit timestamps of 1, 2, 3. At every time point T, Encord displays the last PCD available at or before T.Stream of PCD Files with Timestamps
The main difference between datasets that have timestamps and that do not is that Encord treats items in “frames” or sees time as continuous. If temporal information is missing from the PCD stream you can add the timestamp:A number of timestamp formats are supported (see Timestamp Formats).
Multiple PCD Streams (Left and Right Sensors)
Two synchronized PCD streams from different sensors:Add Frame of Reference for Ego Vehicle
Add a frame of reference stream to represent an ego vehicle’s pose over time:Sensor-Specific Frames of Reference with Calibration
Create individual frames of reference for each sensor, with calibration relative to the ego vehicle:Image Stream without Camera Parameters
Add an image stream using an existing camera reference:Image Stream with Camera Calibration
Add full camera calibration parameters with the image stream:Format Details
Pose Representations
Poses can be specified in multiple formats. Named Position + Quaternion:Timestamp Formats
Encord supports multiple timestamp formats:- Unix timestamp (float): 1634567890.123
- Unix timestamp (int): 1634567890
- ISO datetime string: “2021-10-18T10:31:30.123Z”
- Time-only string: “10:31:30.123”
Scene Configuration
You can specify coordinate system conventions:PCD Concepts
Sensor Data Streams
Streams comprise a sequence of messages coming out of a sensor (LiDAR, camera, accelerometer) at discrete moments in time.Stream Rendering and Data Access
Encord renders the latest available data per stream, where at any given time point T, the most recent data available at or before T from that stream is displayed. For streams without explicit timestamps, Encord assigns implicit sequential timestamps (1, 2, 3, etc.), allowing for consistent temporal ordering while maintaining flexibility in data ingestion.Frame of Reference Hierarchies
Hierarchical Coordinate System Organization
Frame of reference hierarchies establish spatial relationships between different coordinate systems in a tree structure, with a root frame at the top. A typical hierarchy includes:- World Frame: The global reference frame, often representing a fixed point in the environment
- Ego Vehicle Frame: The coordinate system of the primary platform (car, robot, etc.)
- Sensor Frames: Individual coordinate systems for each sensor, positioned relative to the vehicle frame
Static vs Dynamic Transformations
Frame relationships can be either static (fixed relative position/orientation) or dynamic (changing over time). Static transforms are used for rigidly mounted sensors, while dynamic transforms represent moving parts or the motion of the entire system through the world. Dynamic transforms are represented as messages in a stream.Coordinate System Conventions
Different domains use different coordinate system conventions. The format allows specification of both world and camera coordinate conventions:- World Convention: Typically right-handed systems where axes x,y,z represent directions like “right,” “forward,” and “up”
- Camera Convention: Often follows computer vision conventions where axes might represent “right,” “down,” and “forward”
Camera Calibration and Image Distortion
Intrinsic Camera Parameters
To project 3D world points onto the 2D image plane, we need camera calibration that involves determining both intrinsic and extrinsic parameters. Intrinsic parameters are specific to the camera hardware and include:- Focal Length (fx, fy): The distance between the camera lens and the image sensor, typically measured in pixels
- Principal Point (cx, cy): The coordinates of the image center where the optical axis intersects the image plane
- Skew Coefficient: Accounts for non-rectangular pixels (rarely used in modern cameras)
Extrinsic Camera Parameters
Extrinsic parameters define the camera’s position and orientation in 3D space relative to the world coordinate system:- Rotation Matrix (R): Describes the camera’s orientation using a 3x3 rotation matrix
- Translation Vector (t): Specifies the camera’s position in world coordinates
Lens Distortion Correction
Camera lenses can introduce distortions that cause straight lines to appear curved in images. The format supports distortion correction through distortion coefficients that model:- Radial Distortion: Caused by light rays bending more near the lens edges, creating barrel or pincushion effects
- Tangential Distortion: Results from lens misalignment with the image sensor