Rapidly advancing 3D sensing technologies provide us with dense and accurate point cloud data. Reverse engineering techniques are based on point clouds scanned from the real-world objects. In addition, the increasingly complex 3D geometric models, which are widely used in product development, have spurred the growing need for point-based computational techniques. Point-based computational techniques support the use of points as a basic geometric primitive in computer-aided design, analysis and manufacturing, bypassing laborious and error-prone CAD model reconstruction typically involved in the current product development processes. Research on point-based computational techniques can potentially lead to quantum-leap progress in bringing physical objects into digital space for direct engineering processing. In this emerging area, concepts from applied mathematics, computer science, and engineering are used to design computational techniques for acquiring, processing and simulating complex point-based 3D models. The growing applications of such computational techniques include product development in automotive, aerospace, biomedical, and consumer product industries, mass customization, and many other 3D sensing applications such as digital archival and animation. Herewith we announce a Special Issue on Point-based Computational Techniques. Objectives are to survey and merit affording technologies, computational solutions, and best applications from an industry perspective, and to explore scientific development tracks into the future. Emphasis will be on computational techniques related to the use of points as a basic primitive in modeling, processing, analysis and application of acquired geometry. Researchers and experts from academia, government, and industry are invited to share their knowledge and experience, by submitting survey, research and application papers for this Special Issue. We invite authors to submit fully reported and sufficiently validated papers related to, but not limited to, the following topics in point-based computational techniques