# Pcx

**Repository Path**: liangzz/Pcx

## Basic Information

- **Project Name**: Pcx
- **Description**: Point cloud importer & renderer for Unity
- **Primary Language**: C#
- **License**: MIT
- **Default Branch**: master
- **Homepage**: None
- **GVP Project**: No

## Statistics

- **Stars**: 1
- **Forks**: 0
- **Created**: 2019-03-13
- **Last Updated**: 2022-03-01

## Categories & Tags

**Categories**: Uncategorized

**Tags**: None

## README

Pcx - Point Cloud Importer/Renderer for Unity
=============================================

![GIF](https://i.imgur.com/zc6P96x.gif)
![GIF](https://i.imgur.com/lpWIiXu.gif)

**Pcx** is a custom importer and renderer that allows handling point cloud data
in Unity.

System Requirements
-------------------

- Unity 2017.3

Pcx uses the 32-bit vertex index format that is newly introduced in Unity
2017.3, so it's not compatible with the previous versions of Unity.

Supported Formats
-----------------

Currently Pcx only supports PLY binary little-endian format.

Installation
------------

Download and import one of the `.unitypackage` files from [Releases] page.

You can also use [Git support on Package Manager] to import the package. Add
the following line to the `dependencies` section in the package manifest file
(`Packages/manifest.json`). Note that this feature is only available from
Unity 2018.3. See [the forum thread][Git support on Package Manager] for
futher details.

```
"jp.keijiro.pcx": "https://github.com/keijiro/Pcx.git#upm"
```

[Releases]: https://github.com/keijiro/Pcx/releases
[Git support on Package Manager]:
    https://forum.unity.com/threads/git-support-on-package-manager.573673/

Container Types
---------------

![Inspector](https://i.imgur.com/Da0p6uV.png)

There are three types of container for point clouds.

### Mesh

Points are to be contained in a `Mesh` object. They can be rendered with the
standard `MeshRenderer` component. It's recommended to use the custom shaders
included in Pcx (`Point Cloud/Point` and `Point Cloud/Disk`).

### ComputeBuffer

Points are to be contained in a `PointCloudData` object, which uses
`ComputeBuffer` to store point data. It can be rendered with using the
`PointCloudRenderer` component.

### Texture

Points are baked into `Texture2D` objects that can be used as attribute maps
in [Visual Effect Graph].

[Visual Effect Graph]: https://unity.com/visual-effect-graph

Rendering Methods
-----------------

There are two types of rendering methods in Pcx.

### Point (point primitives)

Points are rendered as point primitives when using the `Point Cloud/Point`
shader.

![Points](https://i.imgur.com/aY4QMtb.png)
![Points](https://i.imgur.com/jJAhLI2.png)

The size of points can be adjusted by the material properties.

![Inspector](https://i.imgur.com/gEMmxTH.png)

These size properties are only supported on some platforms; It may work with
OpenGLCore and Metal, but never work with D3D11/12.

This methods is also used when the point size is set to zero in
`PointCloudRenderer`.

### Disk (geometry shader)

Points are rendered as small disks when using the `Point Cloud/Disk` shader or
`PointCloudRenderer`.

![Disks](https://i.imgur.com/fcq5E3m.png)

This method requires geometry shader support.

Acknowledgements
----------------

The point cloud files used in the examples of Pcx are created by authors listed
below. These files are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution license
([CC BY 4.0]). Please see the following original pages for further details.

- richmond-azaelias.ply - Azaleas, Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park.
  Created by [Thomas Flynn].
  https://sketchfab.com/models/188576acfe89480f90c38d9df9a4b19a

- anthidium-forcipatum.ply - Anthidium forcipatum ♀ (Point Cloud).
  Created by [Thomas Flynn].
  https://sketchfab.com/models/3493da15a8db4f34929fc38d9d0fcb2c

- Guanyin.ply - Guanyin (Avalokitesvara). Created by [Geoffrey Marchal].
  https://sketchfab.com/models/9db9a5dfb6744a5586dfcb96cb8a7dc5

[Thomas Flynn]: https://sketchfab.com/nebulousflynn
[Geoffrey Marchal]: https://sketchfab.com/geoffreymarchal
[CC BY 4.0]: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

License
-------

[MIT](LICENSE.txt)