Contributing to ACloudViewer#

We welcome contributions from the community! This guide will help you get started with contributing to ACloudViewer.

Getting Started#

  1. Fork the Repository

    Fork the ACloudViewer repository on GitHub.

  2. Clone Your Fork

    git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/ACloudViewer.git
cd ACloudViewer

  3. Set Up Development Environment

    Follow the Building from Source guide to build ACloudViewer from source.

Development Workflow#

Creating a Branch#

Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix:

git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

Making Changes#

  1. Make your changes to the codebase

  2. Follow the coding style guidelines (see below)

  3. Add tests for new features

  4. Update documentation as needed

Running Tests#

Before submitting your changes, run the test suite:

cd build
make tests -j$(nproc)
ctest

For Python tests:

pytest python/test/

Code Style Guidelines#

C++ Code Style#

  • Follow the Google C++ Style Guide

  • Use 4 spaces for indentation (no tabs)

  • Maximum line length: 120 characters

  • Use clang-format for automatic formatting

Python Code Style#

  • Follow PEP 8

  • Use 4 spaces for indentation

  • Maximum line length: 88 characters (Black formatter)

  • Use type hints where appropriate

Documentation#

  • Document all public APIs with clear docstrings

  • Use Doxygen comments for C++ code

  • Use Google-style docstrings for Python code

  • Update relevant documentation in docs/ directory

Commit Guidelines#

Commit Messages#

Follow the Conventional Commits specification:

<type>(<scope>): <subject>

<body>

<footer>

Types:

  • feat: New feature

  • fix: Bug fix

  • docs: Documentation changes

  • style: Code style changes (formatting, etc.)

  • refactor: Code refactoring

  • test: Adding or updating tests

  • chore: Maintenance tasks

Examples:

feat(io): add support for LAZ format

fix(visualization): correct point cloud rendering issue

docs: update installation instructions

Submitting Changes#

Creating a Pull Request#

  1. Push your changes to your fork:

    git push origin feature/your-feature-name

  2. Go to the ACloudViewer repository and create a pull request

  3. Fill out the pull request template with:

    • Clear description of changes

    • Related issue numbers

    • Testing performed

    • Screenshots (if applicable)

Pull Request Review#

  • Maintainers will review your PR

  • Address feedback and update your branch as needed

  • Once approved, your PR will be merged

Community Guidelines#

Code of Conduct#

We follow the Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct.

Be respectful and constructive in all interactions.

Getting Help#

Types of Contributions#

Bug Reports#

When reporting bugs, please include:

  • ACloudViewer version

  • Operating system and version

  • Steps to reproduce

  • Expected vs actual behavior

  • Error messages or logs

Feature Requests#

For feature requests:

  • Clearly describe the proposed feature

  • Explain use cases and benefits

  • Provide examples if possible

Documentation Improvements#

Documentation contributions are highly valued:

  • Fix typos or unclear explanations

  • Add examples and tutorials

  • Improve API documentation

  • Translate documentation

Code Contributions#

Areas where contributions are welcome:

  • Core Library: Point cloud processing, mesh algorithms, I/O support

  • Visualization: Rendering improvements, GUI enhancements

  • ML/DL: Machine learning integrations, neural network support

  • Plugins: New plugin development

  • Python Bindings: Python API improvements

  • Performance: Optimization and GPU acceleration

Recognition#

Contributors will be acknowledged in:

  • CHANGELOG.md

  • GitHub contributors page

  • Release notes

Thank you for contributing to ACloudViewer! 🎉