Comparison · Scan to plan and scan to BIM
Neurones 3D vs EdgeWise
Looking for a EdgeWise alternative? Neurones 3D is free, offline point cloud and Gaussian splatting software for Windows: the free viewer runs every process, from AI classification to dimensioned floor plans, and a one-time paid edition saves the results.
EdgeWise is ClearEdge3D’s scan-to-BIM application that uses computer vision and pattern matching to extract pipes, structure, ducts, walls, conduit and cable trays from registered point clouds.
By Dr. Florent Poux, maker of Neurones 3D · EdgeWise's facts from ClearEdge3D's own documentation, checked
The short answer
Choose Neurones 3D when you need to understand and document a whole scan offline: classify it, draw floor plans, build terrain and contours, measure change with M3C2 and share a report, on a licence bought once and without registering elsewhere first. Choose EdgeWise when the deliverable is an intelligent as-built model of pipes, ducts, conduit and steel in Revit, Plant 3D or AVEVA E3D: its automated extraction and fit-to-spec QA are built for that plant and MEP work.
At a glance
| Neurones 3D | EdgeWise | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) | Windows |
| Where it runs | desktop | desktop |
| Licence | free viewer + one-time paid editions | annual subscription (Lite); Pro on request |
| Price | Free viewer; paid editions bought once, no subscription | EdgeWise Lite USD 1,995 a year; EdgeWise Pro price on request source |
| Free use | The free viewer opens, views and runs every process; writing results out needs a paid edition | Demo on request |
Feature by feature
"Not stated" means we could not find it in ClearEdge3D's documentation, not that it is missing. Each of EdgeWise's cells links to where we read it.
| Capability | Neurones 3D | EdgeWise |
|---|---|---|
| Runs fully offline | YesNo account, no internet connection, no telemetry | Not stated |
| One-time licence available | YesBought once; no subscription | Not statedLite is sold per year; Pro terms are on request |
| Opens LAS/LAZ and E57 | YesLAS, LAZ, COPC, E57, PLY, PCD and more; a 127.8 M point E57 opens in about 22 s | PartlyE57 structured and unstructured, PTS, RCP/RCS, XYZ and scanner formats; LAS and LAZ are not in the published list source |
| Scan registration | PartlyCloud-to-cloud alignment (ICP and graph matching, no initial placement needed), RMS shown with the inlier share | NoPoint clouds must be registered before loading source |
| AI point cloud classification | YesFour trained models ship in every build: indoor, aerial LiDAR, powerline, streetscape; a confidence per point | PartlyComputer vision extraction of pipes, walls, ducts, structure, conduit and cable trays (automated in Pro); not per-point classification source |
| Segmentation | YesUnsupervised segmentation, primitive decomposition, components, rooms | PartlySmart Points and Remainder Cloud exports separate modelled points from the rest source |
| Automatic floor plans | YesAutomatic, dimensioned, with sections and elevations | Not stated |
| DXF / CAD drawings | YesDXF R2000, SVG and PDF; no DWG | YesNative Revit families, Plant 3D and AVEVA E3D (Pro); STEP, COE, DXF, PCF (Pro) source |
| DTM / DSM | YesDTM, DSM, CHM, slope, aspect, hillshade on one grid | Not stated |
| Contour lines | YesContours that cannot cross | Not stated |
| Change detection | YesM3C2 with a 95 % level of detection; cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-BIM deviation | Not stated |
| Meshing | YesPoisson and clean meshing; the clean mesh is closed, not edge-manifold | Not stated |
| Gaussian splats | YesOpens PLY and SPZ splats, converts them to points, meshes them; does not train splats | Not stated |
| Reports | YesSelf-contained HTML reports with provenance | PartlySmartSheet QA/QC: coverage, spec compliance, element length and RMSE source |
| Scripting / SDK | YesEngine & SDK edition: Python package and headless command line | Not stated |
Where Neurones 3D is stronger
- Neurones 3D is bought once, with no subscription; EdgeWise Lite is USD 1,995 a year.
- Neurones 3D opens LAS, LAZ and COPC as well as E57, and aligns clouds itself (ICP and graph matching), where EdgeWise needs registered input.
- Automatic, dimensioned floor plans with sections and elevations, written to DXF, SVG and PDF.
- DTM, DSM and contours, M3C2 change detection and meshing in the same program, none of which EdgeWise lists.
- Four trained per-point classification models with a confidence per point.
Where EdgeWise is stronger
- Automated extraction of pipes, ducts, conduit, cable trays and steel into intelligent Revit, Plant 3D and AVEVA E3D objects, which Neurones 3D does not do.
- Fit-to-spec modelling with a QA/QC dashboard reporting coverage, compliance and RMSE per element.
Who should choose which
Choose Neurones 3D to take a point cloud or a splat capture to a finished deliverable on your own machine: classified LAS, a dimensioned floor plan with sections and elevations in DXF, a DTM with contours, a change map or a report, without an account, an upload or a subscription. Every figure it publishes is measured; see the benchmarks.
Choose EdgeWise: Plant, MEP and industrial as-built teams modelling piping and steel for Revit, Plant 3D or AVEVA E3D Design.
Questions
Is EdgeWise free?
EdgeWise: EdgeWise Lite USD 1,995 a year; EdgeWise Pro price on request. Free use: Demo on request. Neurones 3D’s free viewer opens, views and runs every process; writing results out needs a paid edition bought once.
Can EdgeWise classify point clouds with AI?
EdgeWise: partly. Computer vision extraction of pipes, walls, ducts, structure, conduit and cable trays (automated in Pro); not per-point classification. Neurones 3D: yes. Four trained models ship in every build: indoor, aerial LiDAR, powerline, streetscape; a confidence per point.
What is the best alternative to EdgeWise?
Choose Neurones 3D when you need to understand and document a whole scan offline: classify it, draw floor plans, build terrain and contours, measure change with M3C2 and share a report, on a licence bought once and without registering elsewhere first. Choose EdgeWise when the deliverable is an intelligent as-built model of pipes, ducts, conduit and steel in Revit, Plant 3D or AVEVA E3D: its automated extraction and fit-to-spec QA are built for that plant and MEP work.
How this comparison was made
Written by the maker of Neurones 3D, so read it as such. EdgeWise's column comes only from ClearEdge3D's published documentation and listings, read on 2026-09-24; where we found nothing, the cell says "not stated". Neurones 3D's column comes from its own guides, which give the limits too. If something here is wrong or out of date, write to howto@learngeodata.eu and it will be corrected.
Sources: