Supported Formats
Gaussian splats offer a new way to visualize captured environments in Prevu3D — richer detail with fewer meshing artifacts, displayed as a standalone visual layer alongside mesh and point cloud data.
Availability
Section titled “Availability”Gaussian splats are in Beta — available on demand. Contact your organization administrator if this capability is not yet enabled for your account.
Supported formats
Section titled “Supported formats”Prevu3D accepts the following Gaussian splat input formats:
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
.ply | Standard Gaussian splat PLY |
.sog | Bundled super-compressed format |
.ksplat | Compressed splat format |
.splat | Legacy compressed splat format |
.spz | Compressed splat format |
Upload and processing
Section titled “Upload and processing”-
Upload your Gaussian splat file through the standard upload workflow.
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After upload, generate the Gaussian splat visual representation from the Data Bundle processing options — the same way you would for point cloud, mesh, or photosphere outputs.
During processing, Prevu3D optimizes the splat with an internal level-of-detail (LOD) technology to deliver the best viewing experience across devices. This is why a processing step is required before a splat becomes viewable.
Best practices
Section titled “Best practices”These recommendations are similar in spirit to other capture workflows in Prevu3D: preparation before upload has a direct impact on how well the splat aligns and performs in the platform.
Set the correct scale before upload
Section titled “Set the correct scale before upload”Prevu3D does not rescale Gaussian splats after upload. For optimal alignment with mesh, point cloud, and other layers in a Twin or Data Bundle, export your splat at the correct real-world scale from your capture or processing tool before uploading.
Verify scale and orientation in your capture or processing pipeline before uploading. Prevu3D may offer scale and orientation adjustment capabilities in the future, but they are not available right now.
Capture and processing quality
Section titled “Capture and processing quality”Visual quality and spatial accuracy depend on:
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The quality of the original capture (coverage, overlap, lighting, and movement in the scene)
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The device and software used to collect and process the splat
Recommendations:
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Prefer complete, well-overlapped captures over sparse or partial scans
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Use a consistent processing pipeline so exports remain comparable across projects
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Validate the result in your viewer or processing tool before upload — check scale, orientation, and overall visual quality
Accuracy expectations
Section titled “Accuracy expectations”Gaussian splats prioritize visual fidelity over survey-grade geometry. Accuracy varies with capture and processing quality; do not expect the same metrological precision as a high-end TLS point cloud unless your pipeline was designed for it.
Where to view splats
Section titled “Where to view splats”Once processed, Gaussian splats are available in the web applications below. Each product article covers navigation and workflow details for that context:
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3D Data Viewer — navigate splat captures in the bundle viewer
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RealityTwin — open twins that use Gaussian splats as the environment; navigate the scene and create RealityAssets, zones, and points of interest
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RealityComposer — align splat layers, manage layer order, and use inclusion/exclusion boxes; splat layers default to blending layers