# Show a PLY Pointcloud

**URL:** <https://discourse.vtk.org/t/show-a-ply-pointcloud/10889>\
**Category:** Development\
**Created:** [March 5, 2023, 5:55pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/show-a-ply-pointcloud/10889 "2023-03-05T17:55:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![juanilogo](https://discourse.vtk.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@juanilogo](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/juanilogo)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2023, 5:55pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/show-a-ply-pointcloud/10889/1 "2023-03-05T17:55:15Z")

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Hello,  
I want to see my pointcloud from a .ply file comming from a 3D scanner. (no cells)

With the curren configuration I kan see something but not what desired.

I want to see every point as a small sphere or point.

Do you know any similar example?

Here is the code:

```
    vtkNew<vtkNamedColors> colors;

    std::string inputFilename = "C:/Users/Juan/Desktop/MSA1.ply";

    vtkNew<vtkPLYReader> reader;
    reader->SetFileName(inputFilename.c_str());

    // Visualize
    //vtkNew<vtkPolyDataMapper> mapper;
    vtkNew<vtkPointGaussianMapper> mapper;
    mapper->SetInputConnection(reader->GetOutputPort());
    mapper->EmissiveOff();
    

    vtkNew<vtkActor> actor;
    actor->SetMapper(mapper);
    actor->GetProperty()->SetColor(colors->GetColor3d("Black").GetData());

    vtkNew<vtkRenderer> renderer;
    vtkNew<vtkRenderWindow> renderWindow;
    renderWindow->AddRenderer(renderer);
    vtkNew<vtkRenderWindowInteractor> renderWindowInteractor;
    renderWindowInteractor->SetRenderWindow(renderWindow);

    renderer->AddActor(actor);
    renderer->SetBackground(colors->GetColor3d("White").GetData());

    renderWindow->SetWindowName("ReadPLY");
    renderWindow->Render();
    renderWindowInteractor->Start();

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jens\_Munk\_Hansen](https://discourse.vtk.org/user_avatar/discourse.vtk.org/jens_munk_hansen/32/1215_2.png) [@Jens\_Munk\_Hansen](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/Jens_Munk_Hansen)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2023, 8:38pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/show-a-ply-pointcloud/10889/2 "2023-03-16T20:38:04Z")

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Have you tried RenderPointAsSpheres on the property of the actor. Otherwise use vtkGlyph3DMapper. There should be an example on the site for using this mapper