What are XYZ Point Cloud files
An XYZ file is a plain text format used to store 3D point cloud data. Each line in the file typically represents a single point in 3D space, defined by:
X: Horizontal coordinate (e.g., easting or longitude)
Y: Vertical coordinate (e.g., northing or latitude)
Z: Elevation or depth (typically in meters)
Example:
349827.21 5839172.65 124.68
349827.23 5839172.68 124.70
349827.26 5839172.70 124.75
Minimum Format Requirements
To be compatible with our preview and processing tools, your file must meet the following requirements:
Must be an ASCII text file
The file extension must be
.xyz,.pts,.dat,.csvor.txtFile Encoding UTF-8
Each line must consist of three numeric values, with the decimal point represented by a
.Values must be space-separated, comma-separated, semi-colon or tab-separated
An optional header line can be provided in one of the following forms:
X Y Z,'X' 'Y' 'Z'or“X” “Y” “Z”
Valid Examples
432512.24 4567210.56 105.82
432512.36 4567210.64 105.83
432512.42 4567210.70 105.84
"X";"Y";"Z"
432512.24;4567210.56;105.82
432512.36;4567210.64;105.83
X Y Z
432512.24 4567210.56 105.82
432512.36 4567210.64 105.83
Coordinate Reference System
ASCII-XYZ files do not inherently include Coordinate Reference System (CRS) information. Therefore:
If your data uses geographic coordinates, it will automatically be interpreted using the WGS84 CRS (EPSG:4326).
Including a sidecar
.prjfile specifying the CRSIf the CRS is not evident from the file, you can manually specify the CRS after upload. Note that this does not alter the file but allows the platform to properly index it.
Format provider
This format is supported when exported from the following software packages:
Hydrographic / MBES & SSS-Focused Tools
Sonarwizz
Beamworx
Qimera
Fledermaus
CARIS
GIS & Mapping Tools
QGIS
ArcGIS
Global Mapper
Surfer
Seismic / Sub-surface Tools
MB-Systems
Kingdom
Vista
Petrel
GMT (Generic Mapping Tools)
GMT
Upload checklist
Before uploading, confirm the following:
File is in plain ASCII text format
File extension must be
.xyz,.pts,.dat,.csvor.txtEach line has exactly three numeric values
Values are separated by space-separated, comma-separated, semi-column or tab-separated
Values contain
.decimalsCRS is known and specified in a
.prjsidecar file during upload
Trouble shooting
If your preview does not show as expected:
Double-check the file for the above issues
Confirm the coordinate system used
Contact our support team with:
A sample of your file
CRS details
