All about PTS Files

The PTS file type is primarily associated with CloudCompare.

PTS	File extension: PTS
	File type:	data file

What is a PTS file?

PTS files mostly belong to CloudCompare. A PTS file holds raw coordinate data, usually from a 3D scan or survey. It stores point cloud data that records the position of many points in three-dimensional space.
This format is common in fields where measurement of physical spaces is done using methods like LiDAR. Many PTS files are plain text, sometimes encoded in UTF-8 or even JSON, which makes it possible to read them with a text editor if needed.
Specialized software such as CloudCompare or tools from companies like Leica Cyclone and FARO Scene open these files to visualize and process spatial data.
The usage varies slightly across industries. For example:

3D Scanning: Capturing detailed point coordinates of buildings, terrain, or objects.

Surveying: Collecting precise survey data for mapping or design purposes.

Project Files: In fewer cases, the PTS extension is used to store project data in applications like PTGui or even game progress files in Unity3D.

FilExt.com tip: Understanding the file’s structure—the delimiter, encoding, and coordinate system—is key for proper use. This file is best handled by applications that specialize in point cloud data.

How to open a PTS file

You need a suitable software like CloudCompare to open a PTS file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your PTS file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a PTS file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online PTS Text Viewer

Choose your .pts file to view

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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How to convert a PTS file to JPG, PDF, HTML, DOC, ...

1. To do so, click the "Choose your .pts file to view" button above.
2. Your PTS file will then be displayed in the browser.
3. Now click on "Save as..." at the top of the page.
4. Then click the file format (e.g. PDF, JPG, DOCX, TXT, ...) you want.
5. Download the converted file.

PTS file format:

Every file has a defined file format, i.e. how the data is arranged in the file. The file format can be deduced from the file extension and the signature. If the file extension does not match the file format, double-clicking on the file will cause an error upon opening. When there is a problem with a file, the first step to solving it is to determine the file format. Our evaluation of the PTS files looks like this:

The PTS extension is very commonly used. This PTS file itself is among the most popular common file types and includes very many different file formats. The file formats most commonly found in PTS files are:

• 8% of all PTS files start with the magic bytes version: 1, which are always the first bytes of this file format. The content consists of readable text data, which can be read using a text editor. The files are often between 800 bytes and 1 KB in size. This is an old file type which is rarely used today. Certain words are almost always found in the files, such as version: 1 and n_points: 68. Some examples of file names are indoor_001.pts or image_0001.pts. Files like these are about outdoor.
• 3% of all PTS files have the same signature 30 2E. These files are plain text, which means they can be viewed with any text editor such as Windows Editor, Nano for Linux, and TextEdit for macOS. PTS files are between 8 KB and 71 KB in size. Certain words are almost always found in the files, such as 0.07388 0.16975 -0.19326, 0.08752 0.16975 0.25815 and 0.12514 -0.12518 0.08684. The file name 1a04e3eab45ca15dd86060f189eb133.pts is typical for these files.

The remaining 89% of all PTS files are different files with different signatures, the following 50 formats exist: PTGui project, PTGui Pro 11 project, Expe PointSet, XML, ACCDB, PNG, Version, BEGIN, ENVI and PTTDFILE. Files like these are sometimes linked to cloud, point, line, points, scan or margin. If you want to find out what your PTS file contains, drag and drop it onto this page.