How to Reveal Surface Details: PBR & Ambient Occlusion for Point Clouds

When it comes to communicating the value of reality capture, clarity is everything. You can have the most accurate scan in the world—but if your visuals don’t highlight the right details, your audience might miss what matters most.

That’s where Physically-Based Rendering (PBR) and Ambient Occlusion (AO) make a huge difference. These advanced rendering techniques transform standard point clouds into visually compelling, detail-rich experiences—perfect for telling a story, showcasing results, or making a case for data-driven decisions.

In this post, we’ll walk through five example videos showing how PBR and AO bring new depth to your point cloud visualizations. Each video starts with a demo of the final result and then walks you through the process of getting there in NUBIGON.

⚠️ Note: These techniques best suit terrestrial or high-resolution mobile/aerial scans. If you’re working with low-res handheld or drone data, you likely won’t see the same improvement.

Why It Matters

The best way to highlight the value of accurate 3D scanning is to make its detail unmistakable—presenting it in a way that’s not just correct but compelling. NUBIGON’s unique rendering modes help you do exactly that.

Let’s dive into the examples:

Example 1: Unveiling Surface Details

We start with a high-resolution TLS scan of ground slabs. Applying custom PBR and AO settings unlocks the finest surface details—fine cracks, texture changes, and subtle elevation shifts become visible in a way standard rendering can’t deliver. It’s an instant upgrade in both precision and presentation.

Example 2: Clarity for Geospatial Data

In geospatial work, data is only as good as your ability to communicate it. With larger and more complex LiDAR datasets, decision-makers don’t have time to sift through raw data. That’s why high-quality visual outputs matter.

PBR and AO in NUBIGON add unmatched visual depth and clarity, letting you highlight geographic features, terrain anomalies, and man-made structures—all in a single, decision-ready video or snapshot.

Example 3: Reimagining Heritage with Enhanced Rendering

Thanks to PBR and AO, this beautifully captured old mill gets a dramatic upgrade. Applied to intensity-based rendering, they help differentiate between surface materials, pulling out textures that might go unnoticed. Without high-end visualization, you could miss details your scan data already captured.

Example 4: Illuminating Structural Details

This example focuses on a high-resolution TLS scan of a historic church with a wooden ceiling. The result? Not just a more attractive visual, but one that draws attention to intricate surface features—grain patterns, structure, and variations that matter to both specialists and general audiences. With PBR and AO, you’re not just presenting a scan. You’re telling the story of a space.

Example 5: Revealing the Truth of Metal Surfaces

If you’re working with reflective or metallic surfaces, you already know how hard it can be to visualize them well. Standard RGB rendering often falls short.

NUBIGON’s PBR+AO rendering shows what’s possible: thanks to enhanced depth perception, subtle surface variations become crystal clear. This clarity can be a game-changer, whether inspecting welds or showcasing fabrication quality.

See for Yourself

Each example video in this post walks through:

• The default point cloud starting point

• Step-by-step settings used in NUBIGON

• The resulting transformation using PBR and AO

Get the latest version of NUBIGON to access these rendering features and start creating point cloud visuals that speak for themselves:

👉 Download the latest version here

👉 Looking for inspiration? Visit our Community Gallery

👉 Would you like us to feature your projects? Start here.

👉 Any questions? Contact us!