A point cloud records locations in three-dimensional space without necessarily connecting them into faces. The points can come from sensors, reconstruction software or a generative model.
The density and quality of the samples affect which details can be recovered. A cloud can be viewed directly, but producing a continuous surface usually requires an additional reconstruction step.
ELI5
A point cloud is a shape shown as many dots placed in three-dimensional space. The dots do not automatically form a solid surface.
For example, dots placed around a toy can show its outline. Software must decide how to connect or fit those samples before making a continuous shell.
Is a point cloud the same as a mesh?
No. A point cloud stores samples, while a mesh also describes connections and faces that form a surface.
Does every point cloud come from a scanner?
No. Software can reconstruct or generate point clouds as well as collect them from depth sensors or other measuring devices.
