Welcome to LP360, a LIDAR standalone application for Windows®. This “Getting Started with LP360” article will help make your initial use of LP360 as successful as possible. LP360 is a first-of-a-kind software package that allows users of LAS files to use LIDAR data like any other data layer. The extension leverages the multitude of data sources that can be displayed with the user’s LIDAR data such as orthophotography and base map data stored in geodatabases.
LP360 is a 64-bit Windows® desktop application used for many years by the LP360 Geospatial community for processing traditional aerial, mobile, and terrestrial tripod laser scanner data. The new LP360 Graphical User Interface (GUI) makes it easier and more streamlined to complete data processing and generate high-quality deliverables in an intuitive GIS environment. Not only this, but LP360 offers a variety of visualization capabilities such as a top-down map, a scrollable profile, and an interactive 3D window, all with many display options available.
Just like feature layers such as shapefiles, LAS Layers can be colored based on the attributes of the underlying data. In the case of LiDAR data, the attributes are elevation, classification, intensity, return, and point source (to name a few). The LAS Layer Property pages, similar to that of a feature layer, allow for complete control over the display aspects (such as coloring and size) of the points for each attribute or legend.
The links below will assist you in getting started using LP360.
Installing LP360
First, review the System Requirements needed for running LP360
Next, review the How to Install LP360 article
Getting Started
The How to Start in LP360 using the Startup Dialog page can help with navigating the Startup Dialog. For the first session of LP360, it is important to open the License Manager and use your unique licensing
credentials (either subscription or perpetual) to gain access to your available licenses.
When creating a new project, be mindful of the coordinate reference system (CRS) the data is in.
In the Create a New Project dialog:
- The Project Root Folder must be set
- A unique project name must be given
- The Project CRS must be set.
Note: If a layer is added to the map prior to saving the project, the CRS of the layer will be preset in the dialog.
It is recommended to set up a Default Project Root Folder within the Project Settings dialog for LP360.
This will be the default location on a given machine that new projects will be saved to automatically.
To open the Project Settings, either click the Settings button on the Project Tab or use the File
dropdown > Project Settings. For more information on the Project Settings options available, please visit
the Project Settings Page.
How to Import ASCII and MG4 Files
Both the ASCII XYZ tool and the Import MG4 tool
can either be found on the Project ribbon or in the File drop-down.
To use ASCII XYZ text files of LIDAR points in LP360, the text files must first be imported or converted to LAS files or shapefiles. Visit the ASCII Import Wizard page for instructions and information to create LAS files from text files. Follow the four steps in the ASCII Import Wizard page to import the files.
The MrSID MG4 LIDAR Import dialog provides the ability to convert MG4 LIDAR files into LAS files. Unlike the ASCII Import wizard, which involves 4 steps, this dialog simply requires manual selection of the MG4 files for conversion, along with an output folder to write the converted files. When this is done, the "Finish" button will be enabled. The user has the choice to select one of several LAS file versions to create. Not all point attributes can be imported with each LAS file version. For example, the RGB color fields can only be imported when version 1.2 or later is selected.
LAS Files
LAS is the standard format for storing and accessing LIDAR data. The LAS format is an industry standard
recognized by ASPRS. LP360 takes advantage of the regular binary structure of the LAS format to
achieve exceptional data access performance.
Follow the instructions in the LIDAR Layer page to view existing LAS files on a given system in
LP360.
For performance reasons, we strongly recommend that LAS files be pyramided. LP360 is capable of
displaying pyramided or un-pyramided LAS files, but pyramided files display much more quickly. To
pyramid LAS files, follow the steps in the Pyramiding LAS files page.
Creating a Layer from LAS Files
LAS files are viewed through a specially designed data layer called a LIDAR Layer. The relationship
between the LIDAR Layer and the LAS files is one-to-many. The LAS files, whether tiled or in their raw
flight line state, are encapsulated within a layer so that many LAS files representing a geographic area,
such as a city or county, behave cohesively like one data layer.
The LIDAR Layer is integrated into the user interface. When a LIDAR Layer is created and added to the
map, it becomes another layer in the Table of Contents view that can be turned on or off, dragged up
and down in the layers collection, or modified to have different layer properties.
In addition to displaying points in the map, the LIDAR Layer can also display the boundaries of the LAS
files that are referenced by the layer. This is useful for large projects where LAS file management is
important, such as locating a single file spatially or determining the spatial extent of a known file using
LP360 tools. Whether adding one LAS or multiple LAS files, the LAS file boundaries will display and the
points will be loaded automatically.
For how to create a LAS Layer, visit the Adding LAS Files page.
Pyramiding LAS Files
Like many GIS data sources, LAS files can be pyramided to provide faster display of points. The pyramids
work similarly to image catalogs where the resolution or density of points increases as the user zooms in
on the map. LP360 offers two methods for pyramiding LAS files: LPLAS and QVR. To set the default
pyramiding method, open the Project Settings and navigate to the EXP tab. Depending on preference
(LPLAS or QVR), match one of the two Pyramid Setting options below, then click Apply and Ok.
For information regarding the LPLAS pyramiding option, please visit the LPLAS File Format page.
The traditional pyramiding method used is QVR. This pyramiding process requires a thinning factor that
determines the number of levels in the pyramid. The higher the thinning factor, the more changes will
be seen in the point densities as the map is zoomed in. With a lower thinning factor, point densities will
appear to change much more gradually in the map as the user zooms in. The lowest possible thinning
factor is “2”, but note that such a small thinning factor creates index data approximately equal in size to
the actual LAS files, effectively doubling the amount of data on disk. High values for thinning factors will
create much smaller index files. For QVR, we recommend an intermediate thinning factor of 16.
How to Pyramid LAS Files
- Navigate to the LAS Files tab found at the bottom of the Table of Contents
- Right-click on an individual LAS file or a selection of LAS files.
- Click the Pyramid File command. To pyramid all LAS files without selecting each file, right-click on the LAS Layer label and select "Pyramid All Files...”.
- Enter an integer greater than or equal to 2. The default is 16.
- Click OK to begin indexing.
- A confirmation dialog will display once the indexing is complete.
When pyramids are created, a file is created in the same directory as the LAS files called a LAS
pyramiding file (*.qvr). The user can choose to have LP360 automatically pyramid the LAS files when
adding them by selecting the “Pyramid” option in the “Add LAS Files” dialog.
Viewing LAS Files
LP360 provides quick and easy access to manipulating the visualization of LAS data. The user can access
the “Layer Properties” page by either clicking the Active LAS Properties tool on the Project ribbon or by right-clicking on the LAS layer and selecting Properties. This dialog is where Breaklines, Symbology,
and Performance Options for a LAS layer can be edited. The Source information for the LAS layer can
also be found in this dialog.
Viewing options for quick symbology changes are located in a drop-down list on the Map toolbar.
The Draw Types options can also be found on the Map toolbar. This is where the user can select no points (by toggling the button off), points, TIN, points on TIN, wireframe, or points on wireframe to be drawn.
Similarly, the Display Contours button initiates contours to be drawn. The user may choose between
displaying the contours and displaying the contours with smooth contours.
Contour settings can be adjusted in the LAS Layer Properties dialog by going to the Symbology > Contours tab. Contours are generated for all points active in the Map View.
If the user only wants to display ground contours, a filter can be set in the Live View Filter button found on the Navigation bar. Live View allows the user to filter LAS display by a multitude of options. Additional Symbology options can be found here as well.
Profile Viewer
The Map Tab provides controls for a profile or cross-section window. The Toggle Profile tool
opens the Profile View window. Initially, the profile window will be drawn in the lower bottom section
of LP360. Depending on the Display settings, this window may need to be enlarged for viewing.
Resizing can be accomplished by hovering over the top portion of the window until a directional arrow
appears, clicking, and adjusting the window.
The extent of points to be brought into the profile window is determined with the Draw Profile Line button and a series of three clicks, first to draw the line over the desired viewing area, then to draw “out” to define a profile depth. The Draw Profile Line can also be found on the Map toolbar.
3D Viewer
The Map tab also provides controls for the 3D window. Turning on the 3D window in a new project
places the 3D window in a default location (to the right side of LP360). The 3D window can be re-sized
and docked to a preferred location. The extent of data drawn in the 3D viewer is selected by selecting
the Draw 3D View button and dragging the box to the desired extent. The Draw 3D View
button can also be found on the Map toolbar.
Exporting
LP360 provides a wizard to export points and surfaces from the loaded LIDAR data. The Export Wizard is
opened on the Project ribbon. The Export Wizard contains options for exporting rasters, points, and
contours. LP360’s export functions handle the merging of multiple LAS files within a single LIDAR Layer.
Exports can also be clipped to an outer boundary using the Cookie Cut by Polygon option. For help to create an area of interest feature in LP360, see the How to create an AOI Feature Layer page.
Technical Support for LP360
GeoCue Group provides both e-mail and telephone support. Business hours are 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, CST excluding federal holidays. See contact information listed below.
Technical Support Contacts:
- Searchable Support Knowledgebase: support.LP360.com
- For hardware related questions, visit support.geocue.com
- E-mail: support@LP360.com
- Phone: 1-256-461-8289
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