Mesh or splat: visual, or measurable?

A photogrammetric mesh is explicit: triangles, texture, real geometry you can cut, measure and export. It is not always pretty on foliage or reflective surfaces, and it is heavy to put in a browser.

A 3D Gaussian Splat is the opposite trade. It looks close to the real place, streams nicely, and is a pleasure to explore — but its geometry is implicit, so measuring in it needs care.

So the choice is not about which is newer. If someone needs to know where a wall is, take the mesh or the point cloud. If someone needs to understand what a place feels like, take the splat.

• Mesh: editable, measurable, explicit — but heavier and less photoreal.
• 3DGS: photoreal, interactive, presentation-ready — but not a measurement tool.
• Same photos, two deliverables. Pick per job.