Trying to build a custom point cloud pipeline from 3D modeling – new to Blender & TD, seeking advice

General TouchDesigner Discussion
1

Hi all,
I’m quite new to both Blender and TouchDesigner, but I’ve been diving into both to challenge myself through a project that pushes beyond the usual workflows.

Specifically, I’m trying to build a custom point cloud pipeline starting from a hand-modeled 3D object — not a scan or LiDAR capture.

The goal:

  • Start from a textured 3D mesh created in Blender
  • Convert that mesh into a point cloud
  • Sample the texture color per point
  • Export the result as a .ply file containing both XYZ coordinates and RGB color data
  • Load that point cloud into TouchDesigner (using File SOP or Point File In TOP) for further animation & visualization

I know that this is quite different from the standard photogrammetry or scan-based pipelines
but I wanted to approach this as both a creative and technical learning challenge.

So far, in Blender, I’ve tried using Geometry Nodes to:

  • Distribute points across the mesh surface
  • Use Sample UV Surface to sample the texture color
  • Store RGB values as per-point attributes (red, green, blue)
  • Export as .ply with vertex attributes enabled

But when importing into TouchDesigner:

  • I get "No X, Y, Z" errors from Point File In TOP
  • And no visible color when using File SOP either

What I’m looking for:

  • Has anyone tried creating a point cloud from a polygonal model (not a scan)?
  • Is there a proper format or .ply structure that TouchDesigner expects?
  • Any tips for mapping and reading custom vertex attributes inside TD?

I’m fully aware that this is an edge-case use —
but that’s exactly why I wanted to tackle it. I’d love to get this working and share the workflow with others like me who are bridging creative 3D modeling and real-time pointcloud visualizations.

Thanks in advance for any advice, and for all the knowledge this community already provides :pray:

(Using Blender 4.4 and TouchDesigner 2023.1+)

2

Have you looked at the sprinkleSOP? Check the operator snippets section in the dialogs, it has some examples that will make it clear.