CODEWITHSUNDEEP
computer-visionpoint-cloud-librarypoint-clouds
Reborn
Reborn

Reputation: 147

Can't understand the PCL sample point clouds(.pcd) without header

I am working with point clouds and using PCL. I read about the .pcd file format from:

http://pointclouds.org/documentation/tutorials/pcd_file_format.php

The above link mentions that every .pcd file contains a header and yet I have come across many .pcd files that have no header. Yet the pcl reader is able to read the file correctly. But i can't make sense of the fields in the file without header. For example, have a look at this file:

https://i.sstatic.net/cqQoK.jpg I know the first 3 fields represent xyz cooridnates but what are the other five fields.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 953

Answers (1)

acraig5075
acraig5075

Reputation: 10756

The .pcd format can be formatted in ASCII or binary. You're looking at a binary version. The header is human-readable in the ASCII format but obviously not in the binary format. The pcl::PCDReader and pcl::PCDWriter are capable of reading or writing both types. The advantage of the binary type is small file sizes, whereas the advantage of the ASCII type is it's human-readable.

Upvotes: 2

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