--- title: "Panoramas from .e57 Files" slug: "panoramas-from-e57-files" description: "NavVis IVION extracts and reconstructs panoramas from .e57 files, ensuring quality with specific requirements for point cloud data and organization." tags: ["panos"] updated: 2026-09-29T13:25:31Z published: 2026-09-29T13:25:31Z canonical: "knowledge.navvis.com/panoramas-from-e57-files" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.navvis.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Panoramas from .e57 Files IVION can extract or reconstruct panoramas from `.e57` Point clouds taken by a static laser scanner. When you [import a point cloud in .e57 format](/v1/docs/dataset-management-1), IVION checks if there are panorama images embedded directly in the file. If the file does not contain embedded images, IVION tries to reconstruct panoramas from the point cloud data based on intensity values or color (RGB) information. ## Requirements for Panorama Extraction IVION supports importing cube map images in the pinhole representation. If an `.e57` file contains embedded panorama images, IVION extracts these images and converts them to equirectangular images. Each successfully extracted panorama will correspond to a Location marker in IVION. ## General Requirements for Panorama Reconstruction If an `.e57` file does not contain embedded panorama images, IVION tries to reconstruct panoramas for every scan location listed in the file. A scan location is the point at which a static laser scanner was placed while scanning the area. Each scan location where a panorama was successfully reconstructed will correspond to a Location marker in IVION. To reconstruct panoramas from an `.e57` point cloud, the point cloud for each scan location must: - Contain either color (RGB) information or intensity values. Otherwise panorama reconstruction is skipped for that scan location. Individual points without color information lead to black pixels in the resulting panorama. - Be arranged in a grid with a height and width of at least 700x700 points. Otherwise panorama reconstruction is skipped for that scan location. - Contain points across 360° horizontally. Otherwise the result will look distorted. > [!NOTE] > **Note:** .e57 projects containing RGB values must be exported separately from `.e57` projects containing intensity values. ## Structure Requirements for Panorama Reconstruction To reconstruct panoramas from an `.e57` point cloud, the point cloud must be structured. For IVION, structured means that: - The points are assigned to the scan locations from which they were taken (scan-centric). A single `.e57` file can contain points from multiple scan locations. - The points for each scan location are arranged in a grid form with a height and width. - The point cloud file contains metadata about the height and width of each grid. You can export structured `.e57` point clouds from standard point cloud processing applications for static laser scanners. Different applications have different names for this export option, but the results all work for import in IVION. ## Organizational Requirements for Panorama Reconstruction To reconstruct panoramas from an `.e57` point cloud, the point cloud for each scan location **should** be *organized* to achieve the best quality. If the point cloud is unorganized, the points **must** be in either *Cartesian* or *spherical* coordinates. Otherwise panorama reconstruction is skipped for that scan location. For IVION, organized means that: - There is a point in the point cloud for every pixel of the grid. - The number of points for the scan location is equal to the height and width of the grid. If the point cloud is unorganized, IVION works around that and tries to fill in the missing pixels, but the result may contain some artifacts and black areas. > [!NOTE] > **Note:** `.e57` point clouds can become unorganized if the processing software removes "invalid" points when exporting. Invalid points occur if the laser scanner does not find coordinates for the point. However, points without coordinates still contain color information which helps to reconstruct the panorama. Some processing applications remove these points when exporting, others do not. To export an organized `.e57` point cloud, you may need to use a different processing software. > [!NOTE] > **Note:** Scanners with a tripod do not record points of a small circle on the floor at their own position while at that scan location. This circle cannot be filled in during panorama reconstruction, even if the point cloud is organized. ## Importing .e57 Files To import `.e57` files, follow the instructions in [Importing External Point Clouds](https://knowledge.navvis.com/v1/docs/dataset-management-1#importing-external-point-clouds). The panorama extraction and reconstruction starts automatically after processing the point clouds. --- ### FAQ #### What is IVION used for? IVION can extract or reconstruct panoramas from .e57 point clouds taken by a static laser scanner. #### How does IVION handle .e57 files with embedded panorama images? If the .e57 file contains embedded panorama images, IVION extracts these images and converts them to equirectangular images. #### What are the requirements for panorama reconstruction in IVION? The point cloud must contain color (RGB) information or intensity values, be arranged in a grid of at least 700x700 points, and contain points across 360° horizontally. #### Can I import unstructured .e57 files into IVION? Yes, but if the point cloud is unorganized, it must be in either Cartesian or spherical coordinates for successful panorama reconstruction. #### What happens if the point cloud does not meet the reconstruction requirements? If the point cloud does not meet the requirements, panorama reconstruction will be skipped for that scan location. A Point Cloud is as a collection of data points in space that typically represent the external surface of an object or environment. Point clouds are used in various applications, including 3D scanning and mapping, and can be visualized and manipulated using Navvis IVION. You can perform actions such as panning, orbiting, cleaning up noise, cropping, and downloading data in formats like .e57 or .ply. The resolution of point clouds processed with NavVis Software achieves a minimum detail of 5mm, indicating the precision of the spatial data points. Location markers are the white discs displayed on the floor in the panoramic images. They correspond to the locations where the mapping device captured panoramic images. Clicking on one of them moves the panorama view to the location it stands for.