A to Z GIS | Explore this related guide, featuring updated terms and graphics and developed in coordination with Esri’s GIS Dictionary team.
Learn more about A to Z GIS
GIS Dictionary
Browse dictionary
point cloud
URL copiedShare URL
[photogrammetry]
A (typically) large collection of x, y, z coordinates in three-dimensional space representing the real-world surface dimensions of objects and the ground. Point clouds are collected photogrammetrically using multiple overlapping images taken from different viewpoints or with a three-dimensional scanning device, such as a lidar.