Yes, you can open E57 files on an iPad or iPhone. Pointscape opens .e57 laser-scanner point clouds directly from Files or a cloud drive and renders them in 3D on-device — no desktop and no file conversion. It is a free download on the App Store.
E57 on iOS
The E57 format (.e57) is the vendor-neutral standard for storing 3D point clouds from laser scanners and reality-capture systems. It packs point coordinates, color, and intensity into a single file, which is why surveyors, AEC teams, and scanning professionals rely on it every day.
Until now, opening an E57 usually meant a desktop workstation. Pointscape changes that: it imports and renders E57 point clouds natively on iPad and iPhone, processing everything on-device so you can review a scan in the field, on site, or anywhere you have your iPad — no laptop, no internet connection required.
Scanners & standards
E57 is an open, vendor-neutral format standardized as ASTM E2807, which is exactly why most professional laser scanners can write it. That makes it the safest format for moving a scan between tools and onto your iPad.
Hardware and software that export E57 include Leica (BLK360, RTC360, Cyclone REGISTER 360), FARO (Focus, SCENE), Matterport (Pro3), Trimble, NavVis, and Riegl. After registering and exporting your scan as E57, copy it to your iPhone or iPad and open it in Pointscape — no desktop session required to review the result.
An E57 file can store point coordinates, per-point color and intensity, and the panoramic imagery captured by the scanner. Pointscape reads the point and color data so the cloud looks the way it did on the workstation.
E57 vs LAS
Both are open formats that Pointscape opens on iPad and iPhone. The right one depends on where the scan came from.
| E57 | LAS / LAZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Best source | Terrestrial / tripod laser scanners | Aerial and mobile LiDAR |
| Standard | ASTM E2807 | ASPRS LAS |
| Stores imagery | Yes (scanner panoramas) | No |
| Point classification | Limited | Yes (ground, building, vegetation…) |
| Compression | Built in | LAZ is the compressed form |
Rule of thumb: choose E57 for tripod-scanner exchange with color; choose LAS/LAZ for survey and GIS LiDAR.
Step by step
Download Pointscape free from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad.
Open Pointscape and import your E57 scan from the Files app, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box.
Pointscape renders the E57 point cloud on-device. Pan, zoom, and rotate, then fine-tune coloring and quality modes to inspect every detail.
See it in action
Import sources
Import E57 files straight from the apps your scans already live in — and open other point cloud formats too.
Pointscape also opens PLY, COPC, LAS, LAZ, and XYZ point clouds.
FAQ
Yes. Pointscape opens and renders E57 point cloud files directly on iPad and iPhone, entirely on-device. Download Pointscape free on the App Store, import your E57 scan from Files or a cloud drive, and view it in 3D.
Yes. Pointscape renders E57 point clouds entirely on-device, so it works completely offline with no internet connection and no cloud account required. Your scans stay on your iPhone or iPad — ideal for secure, on-premise work. Cloud streaming and upload are optional.
E57 (.e57) is a vendor-neutral file format for storing 3D point cloud data from laser scanners and other 3D imaging systems. It can hold point coordinates, color, intensity, and associated imagery, and is widely used in surveying, construction, and reality capture.
Pointscape is a free download on the App Store and you can open and view E57 files on your iPhone or iPad. Pro and Cloud plans unlock larger files, advanced visualization, cloud streaming, and team workspaces.
Pointscape uses adaptive level of detail to render large E57 scans smoothly on-device, and can stream massive point clouds from the cloud so you can explore billions of points without downloading the full file.
You can import E57 files into Pointscape from the Files app, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box on your iPhone or iPad.
More formats
