Create presentation images from Pointools views.
Export a Bentley Pointools view as a 2D image; RENDERCAD receives no project or POD data. The demo uses general architectural images in RENDERCAD, not Pointools footage.
Bentley Pointools was a desktop application used for point-cloud workflows. Development and general availability ended September 1, 2023; bug and security support ended December 31, 2025. RENDERCAD turns an exported 2D view into a separate presentation still; the point-cloud data remains the technical source.
Use a focused viewport capture to help a client or project team understand an existing condition without opening the point cloud. A plant area can clarify access; a corridor, facade, bridge approach, interior, or terrain view can support a proposal, owner update, scan review, or retrofit discussion.
Export a clean view rather than the POD data. Keep enough context to orient the viewer, and return to Pointools for classifications, coordinates, measurements, and other technical decisions. Product status and current Bentley alternatives are covered in the questions below.
In Pointools, frame one question. If a POD is unusually dense, Bentley’s archived guidance describes uniform filtering to remove duplicate or closely spaced points. For a very large area, it recommends segmenting the data; the documented Pointools method is the Grid tool. Named layers can be exported as classes in a POD. Hide selections and other interface clutter before capture.
Upload a clean 2D capture. RENDERCAD does not open POD or PTL, carry classifications, inspect coordinates, or measure the scan. Describe the visual direction, compare the result with the original viewport, and use the point cloud for technical evidence.
This is a general RENDERCAD image-to-video example, not Pointools footage. The video step begins after the presentation image has been created.
Brush over the presentation image and describe the change. This edits the 2D image, not the Pointools project or POD.
Try another image model for a different surface treatment or atmosphere. Compare the result with the source view so generated detail is not confused with captured existing conditions.
| Feature | RENDERCAD | Bentley Pointools (legacy) |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Generative image models | Legacy point-cloud processing |
| Output | Images + video | Point-cloud views + exports |
| Resolution | HD / 4K | Viewport/export dependent |
| Image Speed | Varies by model | User-prepared view |
| Optional video | Image-to-video | Legacy workflow |
| Scene Set Up | Image + prompt | Filter + segment + frame |
| Input | 2D image only | Point-cloud project/POD |
| Hardware | Cloud processing | Legacy desktop application |
| Install | Web app | Entitled existing version |
| Cost | From $9/mo | No new licenses |
Pointools works with point-cloud and POD data. RENDERCAD receives a flat 2D image and produces a separate presentation image or optional video.
Choose a view that isolates one subject while retaining enough structure, ground, or equipment for orientation. Remove toolbars, selections, and measurement overlays before capture.
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RENDERCAD™
Upload or capture a clean 2D image. RENDERCAD does not open the Pointools project, POD, or PTL data.
Get StartedBentley Pointools files, view preparation, and output
No. RENDERCAD accepts only a 2D image or screenshot. It cannot open the project, read classifications, preserve coordinates, or measure the scan.
Frame one subject, keep enough nearby structure, ground, or equipment for orientation, and remove selections, measurements, and interface clutter before capture.
Yes. After creating the still, you can use it as the starting image for an optional image-to-video step. The video remains a presentation output, not point-cloud data.
Compare the generated image with the original viewport. Use Pointools and the POD data for classifications, coordinates, measurements, and technical decisions.
Development and general availability ended on September 1, 2023. Bentley ended bug and security support on December 31, 2025, and offers no new licenses.
Bentley says entitled SELECT users may continue their existing version. Existing E365 users could continue running Pointools, but it was removed from the Software Download Center and cannot be redownloaded after removal; no new users can be authorized. Use Bentley channels for entitlement and download questions.
No. Bentley lists Pointools View Pro as a separately named discontinued Pointools product. Bentley View is a different product documented for formats including DGN, DWG, and DXF; Bentley does not name it as a Pointools migration path.
Bentley recommends iTwin Capture Manage & Extract for point-cloud management and classification, and LumenRT for tours and video.