---
title: "Colorizing Point Clouds"
slug: "colorizing-point-clouds-1-1"
updated: 2026-10-13T21:44:23Z
published: 2026-10-13T21:44:23Z
canonical: "knowledge.emesent.com/colorizing-point-clouds-1-1"
stale: true
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.emesent.com/articles/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Colorizing Point Clouds

[Colorize a point cloud in Aura](https://www.youtube.com/embed/oqST-rSXYts?si=H_LbC2ZkOn_LzRSJ)

# Colorize a point cloud in Aura

This article explains how to colorize a processed point cloud in Aura using video footage captured during the scan. The result is a true-color point cloud that provides clearer visual context and makes the scan easier to understand and interpret.

Colorization in Aura is applied to the LAZ file produced by supported processing workflows (such as SLAM, RTK, or GCP). It cannot run on raw scan data. For merged scans, see [Colorize a merged dataset in Aura](/v1/docs/colorize-a-merged-dataset-in-aura). By default, Aura pauses partway through colorization to allow manual review of the extracted frames. This pause can be turned off. See [Skip the frame review pause](/articles/colorizing-point-clouds-1-1#skip-frame-review).

## What you will need

- A camera and Hovermap set up correctly following the [Colorization initial setup guide](/v1/docs/colorization-initial-setup-guide).
- A scan captured with video footage recorded during the mission using a supported, calibrated, and correctly configured camera.
- The scan pre-processed successfully using the appropriate workflow, such as [Processing scan data](/v1/docs/processing-scan-data) or the [GCP workflow](/v1/docs/process-scan-data-with-gcps-p1-9).
- The video files (.mp4 or .360) stored in the same scan folder as the processed point cloud.
- An active **Colorization** license in Aura.

## Procedure

### Step 1: Add scan data and video

1. Open Aura.
2. In the **Process** tab, click **Process Scan+**.
3. In the **Configure New Scan Job** panel, select the **Colorize** workflow.
4. Click **Add Dataset**.

![Add Dataset button in the Configure New Scan Job panel in Aura](https://cdn.document360.io/c908b593-57d7-4fc8-b409-592fc1051369/Images/Documentation/image(475).png)

In the dialog box that displays, browse for the folder that contains the point cloud to be colorized. Ensure the scan has been processed and the **.mp4** or **.360** file is in the same directory. If the video file is detected, it appears in the **Video file(s)** column. Multiple video files may appear depending on the scan duration.

![Detected video files listed in the Video file(s) column](https://cdn.document360.io/c908b593-57d7-4fc8-b409-592fc1051369/Images/Documentation/image(476).png)
5. If there are multiple output folders in the selected scan folder, click the arrow beside the output folder and select from the list.

![Output folder list expanded in the scan job configuration](https://cdn.document360.io/c908b593-57d7-4fc8-b409-592fc1051369/Images/Documentation/image(477).png)
6. In the **Scan File** column, the non-georeferenced output is selected by default. To colorize a georeferenced point cloud, click the arrow beside the scan file and select the file labeled **Scan Processed with Landmarks**.

![Scan File column with the Scan Processed with Landmarks option selected](https://cdn.document360.io/c908b593-57d7-4fc8-b409-592fc1051369/Images/Documentation/image(478).png)
7. Once the point cloud to colorize is selected, click **Save**.

### Step 2: Configure the colorization scan job

> [!WARNING]
> Frame review settings take effect only if they are changed before processing starts. A job already in progress cannot be changed.

1. In the **Location** field, enter the preferred name for the output folder. Aura creates this folder, which stores all the processed results and data, as a child directory within the raw point cloud folder.

![Location field for naming the colorization output folder](https://cdn.document360.io/c908b593-57d7-4fc8-b409-592fc1051369/Images/Documentation/image(479).png)
2. Select the processing profile to use. Refer to [Processing profiles](/v1/docs/selecting-a-processing-profile) for more information about which profiles to use and how to create a custom profile.

![Processing profile dropdown in the scan job configuration](https://cdn.document360.io/c908b593-57d7-4fc8-b409-592fc1051369/Images/Documentation/image(480).png)
3. Define colorization settings. Click **Processing Settings** to review the options on the **Colorize** tab. For instructions on creating an image mask, see [Create custom masks in Aura](/v1/docs/custom-masks-for-colorization-360-image).
4. To run colorization without stopping for frame review, click **Processing Settings**, expand **Advanced** on the **Colorize** tab, then turn off **Review frame images before colorization**. See [Skip the frame review pause](/articles/colorizing-point-clouds-1-1#skip-frame-review).

### Step 3: Start processing

1. Click **Start** to begin processing. The panel shows a progress bar indicating how far along the processing job is. The elapsed time of the processing job is shown to the right.

![Progress bar and elapsed time shown in the processing panel](https://cdn.document360.io/c908b593-57d7-4fc8-b409-592fc1051369/Images/Documentation/image(481).png)
2. By default, Aura pauses after frame extraction and prompts for frame review. When prompted, click **Review Frames**. To skip this pause, see [Skip the frame review pause](/articles/colorizing-point-clouds-1-1#skip-frame-review).
3. In the file explorer window, manually delete any unwanted frames from the video.

![Extracted video frames shown in the file explorer window for review](https://cdn.document360.io/c908b593-57d7-4fc8-b409-592fc1051369/Images/Documentation/image(484).png)
4. Once the unwanted frames are removed, return to Aura and click **Resume**.

> [!NOTE]
> If a failure occurs during processing, the **Retry** button becomes available. Click this button to attempt to process the current job from the last successful stage.

### Step 4: View the final output

1. Once processing is complete, click **Open folder** to view the output folder, or **View** to display the colorized point cloud in the Viewport.
2. Click **Close** to remove the scan information from the processing space.

> [!NOTE]
> The image frames used during colorization can be exported with the colorized point cloud. They are located in the **Intermediate files** > **frame_extraction** > **frames** folder. This folder also contains 3 CSV files with pose information in formats compatible with export to Pointerra, Cintoo, Bentley, and Prevu3D.

![Colorized point cloud displayed in the Aura Viewport](https://cdn.document360.io/c908b593-57d7-4fc8-b409-592fc1051369/Images/Documentation/image(483).png)

## Outcome

The point cloud has been colorized and is available in the specified output folder. The colorized point cloud can be viewed in the Viewport, and the extracted image frames and pose CSVs are available for export to third-party platforms.

## Additional information

### Skip the frame review pause

Aura pauses during colorization to allow manual review of the extracted frames before processing continues. Turn this pause off when frame review is not required, for example when the capture is known to be clean, or when an image mask already excludes the unwanted content.

> [!WARNING]
> With this setting turned off, all extracted frames are used for colorization, including frames that would otherwise be removed during review. Unwanted objects in those frames appear in the colorized output. To exclude content without reviewing frames manually, apply an image mask instead.

To skip the frame review pause:

1. In the **Configure New Scan Job** panel, click **Processing Settings**.
2. On the **Colorize** tab, expand **Advanced**.
3. Turn off **Review frame images before colorization**.
4. Click **Save**, then start processing.

> [!NOTE]
> This setting is saved with the processing profile. To reuse it across jobs, save a custom profile. See [Processing profiles](/v1/docs/selecting-a-processing-profile).

### Related articles

- Previous: [Capture a scan with colorization](/v1/docs/capture-a-scan-with-colorization) covers capturing the scan and video footage.
- To colorize a merged dataset, see [Colorize a merged dataset in Aura](/v1/docs/colorize-a-merged-dataset-in-aura).
- For custom image masks, see [Create custom masks in Aura](/v1/docs/custom-masks-for-colorization-360-image).
- For a full reference of the settings on the **Colorize** tab, see [Processing settings](/v1/docs/processing-settings).
- To remove the scanner from the colorized output, see [How to remove Hovermap from a colorized point cloud](/v1/docs/how-to-remove-hovermap-from-a-colorized-point-cloud).