A point cloud is a set of vertices in a three-dimensional coordinate system usually defined by X, Y, and Z coordinates. The vertices are typically intended to represent the external surface of an object. 
Point clouds are created by 3D scanning devices that measure a large number of points on the surface of an object. The output of the scan is a point cloud that is saved as a data file. The point cloud represents the set of points that the device has measured.
Before a point cloud can be attached to a part or assembly, it must first be indexed with the Autodesk ReCap. For detailed information on indexing scan files and using Autodesk ReCap, refer to the Autodesk ReCap help: http://www.autodesk.com/recaphelp
Inventor can index 3D point clouds from the following point cloud data file types:
- .asc
- .cl3
- .clr
- .fls
- .fws
- .las
- .ptg
- .pts
- .ptx
- .txt
- .xyb
- .xyz
Index a file of one of these types to create a .rcs or .rcp file which can then be attached in Inventor. You can collect multiple scans into a single Reality Capture Project (.rcp) file, and then attach them as a group within Inventor. When processing multiple related scan files, Autodesk ReCap associates them through a project (.rcp) file, and saves them along with the .rcs files.