Work with Point Cloud Database based on

The point cloud storage architecture developed to support point cloud operations allows for its implementation over various data storage technologies. In the basic part of nanoCAD, it is used over the memory of the application process. This approach limits the amount of data that can be accessed when working with nanoCAD. To address the limitations of working with extremely large point clouds, a database implementation using the above-described architecture was developed over the PostgreSQL DBMS. The functions described below represent the first step in supporting the storage of extremely large point clouds using this technology. At this stage, an infrastructure was created for exporting point clouds uploaded to nanoCAD to the new database, importing data from this database back, and utilities for administering the database based on the PostgreSQL DBMS. Importing extremely large clouds is expected to be performed on a computer with high performance characteristics and a large RAM. The database itself will be deployed on the user’s local network using the PostgreSQL DBMS. Under such conditions, all computers on the same local network with nanoCAD installations (provided they have access to the deployed database) will be able to work with portions of the cloud uploaded to the database, but with significantly reduced RAM and performance. This is achieved because when importing a portion of a cloud from the database to the local computer, only the data that makes up the selected fragment will be transferred.

Furthermore, the database design incorporates versioning principles for storing point clouds. This allows for incremental updates to the storage data during processing of the point clouds stored there.

One database with storage can store an unlimited number of point clouds and their versions (limits are imposed only by the capabilities of the DBMS and server characteristics).

Future development of this technology will enable direct operation of the Point Cloud object in storage on top of the PostgreSQL DBMS in future versions of nanoCAD.

To work with Point Cloud Databases, the PostGis extension for PostgreSQL is required.