Supported Data & File Types

Overview

Nira accepts 3D meshes, point clouds, 3D Gaussian splats, 2D imagery, camera alignment data, and volumetric video. This guide covers what's supported, common failure modes, and what to do if your file type isn't listed.

Quick Reference: Support Status

3D Meshes

What They Are

A 3D mesh is a collection of vertices, edges, and faces that define the surface of a 3D object. Nira renders meshes in real time with full navigation, measurements, and annotations.

Supported Formats

Enterprise-only formats (request enablement):

• ZBrush (.zpr / .ztl) — High-poly sculpts

• Blender (.blend) — Basic polygonal geometry only

• Maya/Autodesk (.ma / .mb) — Complex rigs and materials

• USD/USDZ — Pixar Universal Scene Description

Common Failure Modes

Best Practices

• OBJ is recommended for photogrammetry models from Metashape, RealityCapture, or DJI Terra

• Upload mesh and textures together — select both in the file picker, not one at a time

• Use power-of-2 texture resolutions (512, 1024, 2048, 4096) for optimal performance

• Verify exact filename matching before uploading (this is the #1 cause of blank models)

Point Clouds

What They Are

A point cloud is a collection of 3D points, each with x, y, z coordinates and often additional data like color, intensity, or classification. Nira supports unlimited point counts and displays them with pan, zoom, and measurement tools.

Supported Formats

Point Cloud-Specific Features

Georeferencing & Coordinates

Point clouds can be georeferenced (include real-world latitude/longitude). Nira displays coordinates in:

• WGS84 (EPSG 4326) — Latitude/longitude (global reference)

• Projected CRS — UTM zones or regional coordinate systems (more accurate for measurements)

If your point cloud includes CRS information, enable Map View to see asset location on a geographic map.

E57 Panoramic Views (Bubble Views)

E57 files can embed spherical panoramic images from each scan position. When supported:

• Click on a scan location to view the 360-degree panoramic photo

• Mark up photos with callouts (if edit access granted)

• Navigate between scan positions via "photo navigation"

Common E57 issue: Cyclone REGISTER 360 exports may not include panoramic data if saved with incorrect settings. See Photo Inspection (E57 Guide) for export settings.

Important Limitations

⚠️ Warning: Point clouds cannot be appended. Once you upload a point cloud asset, you cannot add or merge additional point cloud files into it. Each point cloud must be a separate asset. If you have multiple scans to combine, merge them in source software (Cyclone REGISTER 360, CloudCompare, etc.) before uploading.

⚠️ Warning: COPC LAZ is not supported. Cloud-Optimized Point Cloud (COPC) LAZ files will fail to upload. Use standard LAZ or LAS instead. If your software exports COPC, save as regular LAZ.

Common Failure Modes

3D Gaussian Splats (3DGS)

What They Are

3D Gaussian Splats (3DGS) are a modern 3D representation using millions of small Gaussian distributions instead of triangular geometry. They render extremely fast and preserve fine detail. Nira supports viewing and basic optimization.

Supported Format

Unsupported Compressed Formats

These compressed formats are NOT supported and must be converted:

• .splat (compressed format)

• .spz (zstandard compression)

• .ksplat (another compression scheme)

• Compressed .ply files

To convert compressed formats: Use the free SuperSpl.at Convert tool to convert to uncompressed PLY. This takes ~5 minutes.

3DGS Multiple File Behavior

When uploading multiple .ply 3DGS files:

• Auto-merge: All PLY files are automatically merged into a single viewable asset

• Cannot split after upload: You cannot toggle individual splats on/off or append new splats after creation

• Plan ahead: If you may add more data later, keep splats in separate assets and use Asset Compare instead

3DGS Rendering Optimization

The View Settings panel (gear icon) offers:

• Splat Size — Adjust rendering scale (smaller = more detail but slower)

• Max Spherical Harmonic Degree — Reduce for performance on slower devices

Common Failure Modes

Photos & Imagery

2D Textures (for 3D Meshes)

Best practice: Use JPG for textures (best file size; good quality). PNG works for transparency. Avoid TIFF (too large for web).

Source Photographs (for Photo Inspection)

JPG, PNG, and TIFF photographs used in Photo Inspection workflows:

• Source photos from drone or camera

• Must be paired with camera alignment data (CSV/XML/ABC/FBX)

• Nira syncs 3D camera with photo click — allows markup of original imagery

See Photo Inspection Guide for setup.

Orthomosaics (2D Georeferenced Maps)

Critical requirement: GeoTIFF files must have an alpha channel to avoid black or white borders. If your GeoTIFF appears with a border, re-export with alpha channel from source software (Metashape, DJI Terra, Pix4D).

Orthomosaic limitations:

• View only (no editing in orthomosaic viewer)

• Top-down only (no viewing angle control)

• Cannot view measurements from 3D viewer overlay

• No auto-generation of orthomosaic thumbnails

Enable 2D mode to view orthomosaic as a georeferenced map.

Camera Alignment Data

What It Is

Camera alignment data links source photographs to 3D camera positions, enabling "photo inspection" — clicking on the 3D model shows which source photo was taken at that location.

Supported Formats

Upload together: Select photographs + camera alignment file together in a single upload.

See Photo Inspection Guide for detailed setup instructions per software.

Volumetric Video

What It Is

Volumetric video is a sequence of 3D meshes captured over time (like a video, but 3D). Useful for dynamic scenes (moving machinery, construction progress, deformation).

Supported Format

Texture requirements:

• Power-of-2 resolution only (512, 1024, 2048, 4096 pixels)

• JPG recommended for performance

• Filenames must match mesh exactly

Expected future support: Alembic (.abc), USD (.usd), MVX, MP4, 4DS

Limitation: PLY volumetric video is technically possible but not recommended; use OBJ instead.

Design Overlays

DXF Linework

DXF files (CAD linework) can be overlaid on 2D orthomosaics:

• Enable in orthomosaic viewer (2D mode)

• Display color, line weight, and layer visibility adjustable

• Not supported in 3D viewer

PLY File Triple-Identity Warning

⚠️ Critical: PLY files have three distinct uses in 3D. How Nira interprets your PLY depends on your upload method:

Three Ways PLY is Used:

1. PLY as a 3D Mesh — Triangle-based static geometry (one face per 3 vertices)

   • Source: Metashape, RealityCapture, CloudCompare

   • Upload behavior: Renders as mesh with navigation and measurements

   • Textures: No (color embedded in PLY)

2. PLY as a Point Cloud — Unorganized point data (one point per vertex)

   • Source: Terrestrial laser scanners (exported as PLY for interchange)

   • Upload behavior: FAILS — Nira does not accept point clouds as PLY

   • Solution: Use LAS, LAZ, or E57 instead

3. PLY as 3D Gaussian Splats (3DGS) — Gaussian basis functions (not geometry)

   • Source: Gaussian splatting training software (SIBR, Nerfstudio, etc.)

   • Upload behavior: Renders as fast, high-quality 3DGS

   • Compressed: Not supported (.splat, .spz, .ksplat require conversion)

If your PLY upload fails: Check the source software. If it's a point cloud, convert to LAS/LAZ/E57 instead. If it's a compressed splat, use SuperSpl.at Convert.

Unsupported Formats & Alternatives

The following formats are not supported. See Unsupported Formats & Alternatives for conversion paths:

• Point cloud formats: PTS, PTX, XYZ, RCP/RCS, LGS, FLS

• Compressed 3DGS: .splat, .spz, .ksplat

• COPC LAZ (cloud-optimized point cloud)

• IFC (temporarily disabled)

• Metashape Tiled Models (export as OBJ instead)

File Size & Upload Limits

Upload continues in background: If your browser closes during upload, the upload will not resume when you log back in. Ensure the uploading browser tab remains open. The browser can be closed after upload once “Processing” phase begins.

Troubleshooting: "What Format Should I Use?"

I have a photogrammetry model from Metashape

→ Export as OBJ + JPG textures. This is the best format for Nira.

I have a point cloud from DJI or Faro

→ Export as LAZ (compressed) or LAS (uncompressed). LAZ is smaller.

I have a 3D Gaussian Splat model

→ Ensure it's uncompressed PLY. If it's .splat, .spz, or .ksplat, use SuperSpl.at Convert first.

I have scans with panoramic views from Cyclone REGISTER 360

→ Export as E57 with panorama export enabled. See Photo Inspection Guide.

I have a Sketchfab model

→ Download as GLB and upload directly.

I'm not sure what I have

→ See Supported Data & File Types quick reference or Unsupported Formats & Alternatives.

Technical Notes

• No client-side GPU required: Nira uses server-side rendering, so old devices and mobile browsers work fine

• Color space: Nira assumes sRGB color space for textures; linear images may appear washed out

• Normal maps: Not currently supported; baked lighting works better in most cases

• Mesh decimation: Very high-poly meshes (>100M triangles) may see slight decimation during processing; this is normal

• Point cloud colors: RGB, intensity, and classification data are preserved

• CRS data: WGS84 latitude/longitude and projected CRS (UTM, etc.) are both supported in point clouds