How do you import a text point cloud in MeshLab?

Question

I have an XYZ text file, generated from a Renishaw touch probe on a CNC mill, that I'm trying to open in MeshLab. I can't see anything after importing. It's a simple file of just XYZ positions. A short example:

X04.0000Y01.1374Z-01.5000
X04.5000Y00.9715Z-01.5000
X05.0000Y00.7969Z-01.5000
X05.0000Y00.8322Z-01.3356
X04.5000Y01.0022Z-01.3431
X04.0000Y01.1603Z-01.3500
X03.9000Y01.1708Z-01.3491
X03.8000Y01.1392Z-01.3472
X03.7000Y01.1236Z-01.3461

This example is so short it would just be a line if you connected the points. I tried putting spaces between each value as the import dialog box asks and nothing shows up on screen. There is little or no documentation on how to accomplish this.

Can anyone open this simple text file and provide the steps to accomplish this?

Answer 1

Replace the letters X, Y, Z with spaces. For meshlab you have to leave it like this:

24.99221 9.49049 13.06404 
25.99253 9.49049 12.77443 
25.99253 9.85957 12.66110

Answer 2

The following very simple trick worked for me.

1. Replace all the occurrences of X, Y and Z with a space (I did it in Emacs and your text editor can surely achieve the same).
2. Save your file with the extension xyz (e.g., as CNC.xyz).
3. Open it in Meshlab.

The picture below is a printscreen showing the points you provided. (note that I have made them bigger by selecting "Render > Show Vertex Dots" and by increasing the point size in the menu available after pressing the "Show Layer Dialog").