PointCab Origins vs RIEGL RiSCAN PRO

PointCab Origins evaluates laser-scanner point clouds and transfers results to CAD and BIM systems. It automatically creates front, side, and top orthophoto views; users can also make floor plans and sections and measure areas, distances, and volumes. The desktop software processes data from drone, terrestrial, and SLAM scanners, can merge point clouds, and exports 3D information in formats such as DWG and DXF. Its listed capabilities include point-cloud registration, E57 and LAS/LAZ support, geospatial analysis, and point-cloud-to-mesh processing. Origins runs on Windows and macOS. PointCab offers Origins Core and Origins 3D with perpetual, subscription, and rental license options, plus plugins for Archicad, AutoCAD, BricsCAD, Revit, Vectorworks, and ZWCAD. The Core monthly rental is €420.00 per month. A free trial lasts 24 working hours and allows up to three test projects; activation requires installation, a form, an emailed code, and a request through LicTrust Manager. Tutorials are available, and academic licenses are limited to non-commercial educational use.

RIEGL RiSCAN PRO is operating and processing software for terrestrial laser scanning projects on Windows 11. It supports data acquisition, visualization, and processing for RIEGL VZ-Line and VZ-i series scanners, with real-time field streaming and automated batch processing. Point-cloud tools cover automatic registration, multi-station adjustment, filtering, merging, colorization, meshing, and volume calculation, plus volume measurement. Data from multiple sensors, including external cameras, can be combined into colorized point clouds with added attributes. Projects can be exported in formats including .e57, .las, .laz, .obj, .stl, .dxf, .csv, .pts, and .ptx. A documented XML project structure supports transfer to third-party post-processing software. Plugins include RiPANO, LIS GeoTec, LIS TreeAnalyzer, and an AI anonymizer for faces and license plates. Listed applications include façade measurement, as-built surveying, forestry, topography, archaeology, and city modeling. Pricing is on request, and downloads are restricted to RIEGL customers.