Field notes

Understand the file before the handoff.

Evidence-led guides to Gaussian splat containers, schema inspection, resource planning, and safe delivery workflows.

Each guide leads with a direct answer, an article-specific technical diagram, and the product boundary it supports.

3dgs · inspectionJul 28, 2026

What to inspect before opening a Gaussian splat

Inspect the header and property layout before allocating large CPU or GPU buffers. A safe preflight identifies the real schema, estimates decoded resource needs, and preserves the source when the file cannot open safely.

Read the guide

ply · spzJul 28, 2026

PLY, SPZ, and .splat: the extension is not the schema

Treat PLY, SPZ, and .splat as different container families—not compatibility guarantees. A reliable viewer verifies each file's header, version, record layout, and decoded resource plan before rendering.

Read the guide

From guidance to product

The diagrams explain the rule. The app screens show the rule in use.

Technical diagrams remain article-specific; real product captures show how the same inspection model appears in Boreal Splat.

Captured from Boreal Splat running on an iPhone simulator. Sample files are used only to demonstrate the current interface.

Boreal Splat File Preflight screen with detected format, scene information, and resource estimates — **Preflight**Identify and estimate before full allocation.

Boreal Splat Inspector screen with detected PLY format and Gaussian count — **Inspector**Keep useful evidence available after the scene opens.