What is the PTS file format?
A .pts file is a plain-text point cloud originating from Leica Geosystems' Cyclone software and now widely used as a de-facto interchange format across terrestrial LiDAR workflows. Each file begins with a single integer on the first line declaring the total number of points, followed by one point per line with space-delimited columns.
The column count defines the data schema: 3 columns give XYZ coordinates only; 4 add intensity; 6 give XYZ plus RGB color; the canonical 7-column Leica layout provides X Y Z Intensity R G B. Coordinates are floating-point values in metres. Intensity spans Leica's native 0-2047 range (many applications normalize this to 0-1 on import); RGB channels are 0-255.
Because .pts is plain ASCII with no binary header or coordinate-system metadata, it is sometimes called the "dumb" sibling of the .ptx format - .ptx adds per-scan transformation matrices and registration metadata that .pts omits. Very large scans produce files measuring tens of gigabytes; most software imports them in streaming mode. For archival use, the ISO-standardized .e57 format is preferred; for geospatial/aerial work, .las/.laz is standard. .pts remains popular for its simplicity and broad software support.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWPlain ASCII text file; poses no executable risk. Very large .pts files (multi-GB) can cause memory issues if an application tries to load all points at once - use streaming-capable software such as CloudCompare for large files.
Format details
in a nutshell- Avid Pro Tools Session Template - Avid Pro Tools uses .pts for session template files (audio project blueprints); entirely unrelated to point clouds.
- ProStores / eBay Store Template - eBay ProStores (discontinued e-commerce service) used .pts for storefront templates.
Programs that open PTS files
Windows4 apps
CloudCompare
Open-source File → Open, select the .pts file; CloudCompare auto-detects column layout and displays the point cloud.
Autodesk ReCap Pro
Paid Import → Point Cloud → select .pts; creates a .rcp project for use in AutoCAD/Revit. 
macOS1 app
Linux1 app
Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | Plain ASCII text; entirely human-readable, no binary structures or binary header |
| Point-count header | First line of the file: a single integer declaring the total number of points in the following data block |
| Column layouts | 3 cols = XYZ only; 4 cols = XYZ + intensity; 6 cols = XYZ + RGB; 7 cols = XYZ + intensity + RGB (canonical Leica format); column count auto-detected by software |
| Coordinate units | Metres, floating-point; no embedded coordinate reference system (CRS) or georeferencing metadata |
| Intensity range | 0-2047 (Leica native 11-bit integer); most import tools normalize this to 0-1 on read |
| Color depth | 24-bit RGB, 8 bits per channel (0-255 per component) for colorized scans |
| Typical file size | 10 MB - 50 GB; approximately 30-70 bytes per point at ASCII encoding |
| Compression | None within the format; external compression (ZIP, 7z) is commonly applied for storage and transfer of large files |
| Registration metadata | PTS omits per-scan transformation matrices and scanner position data; the companion PTX format includes those, making PTS the simpler interchange-only variant |
| Multi-scan blocks | A single .pts file may contain multiple scan blocks, each preceded by its own point-count integer header line |
| Platform | Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux); readable by any text editor or point-cloud processing application |
| Standardized successors | E57 (ISO 24118:2010) for archival; LAS/LAZ (ASPRS) for geospatial/aerial; PTS remains in wide use for its simplicity and universal software support |
| Released | Late 1990s / early 2000s with Leica Cyclone point cloud processing software |
| Latest version | No versioned spec; format is stable ASCII interchange |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | www.cadinterop.com |
PTS conversions
Community Q&A
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