Point Cloud Tasks

What is a Point Cloud Task (PCT)? A function (Extract ground, Conflate Line) that operates on points, rasters, and/or vectors. A task can be a filter and/or an extractor. A filter classifies or changes the classification values for points (e.g. classify ground). An extractor extracts information from the point cloud data into vector, image or informational files (e.g. Point Cloud Statistics). The Point Cloud Tasks are accessible on the Point Cloud Task tab of the Table of Contents in Arc (when using the LP360 for ArcGIS extension) or in LP360. LP360 v2018.2 introduced the Point Cloud Task Manager.

See An Introduction to the Point Cloud Task tutorial for more information.

Point Cloud Task Options

LP360 Point Cloud Task Manager

LP360 Point Cloud Task Manager (v2018.2 and later)

 

Point Cloud Task Options

Point Cloud Task Options (Prior to v2018.2)

Adding a new Task

Add a new PCT to the current task list (the program has installed six default tasks)

  • Select the Point Cloud Tasks tab
  • Under the Point Cloud Tasks drop-down menu select Add Task
  • Specify the Task Type you are trying to add and provide the task with a unique name
  • After clicking OK the task is now added to the Point Cloud Task List

Removing a task

Remove the task from the current task list

  • Select the Point Cloud Tasks tab
  • Select a PCT from the task list
  • Under the Point Cloud Tasks drop-down menu select Remove Selected Task…

Rename a task

Rename the selected task

  • Select the Point Cloud Tasks tab
  • Select a PCT from the task list
  • Under the Point Cloud Tasks drop-down menu select Rename Selected Task…

Copy a task

Make a clone of the selected task

  • Select the Point Cloud Tasks tab
  • Select a PCT from the task list
  • Under the Point Cloud Tasks drop-down menu select Copy Selected Task…
  • Provide the copied task with a unique name

Import a task

Import a task in XML format

  • Select the Point Cloud Tasks tab
  • Under the Point Cloud Tasks drop-down menu select Import Task(s)…
  • Browse to the location of the task XML file

Export a specific task

Export only the task current selected in the task list in XML format

  • Select the Point Cloud Tasks tab
  • Select a PCT from the task list
  • Under the Point Cloud Tasks drop-down menu select Export Selected Task…
  • Save the exported task as an XML file

Export all tasks

Export all the tasks in the task list in XML format

  • Select the Point Cloud Tasks tab
  • Under the Point Cloud Tasks drop-down menu select Export All Tasks…
  • Save the exported tasks as an XML file

Execute a Point Cloud Task

All Point Cloud Task settings are modified on the Point Cloud Task tab, and saved using the Apply button. In order to execute the active task – the one displayed in the Point Cloud Task tab – one must use one of the execute tools located on the Point Cloud Task toolbar.

Expanded Expanded LP360 Point Cloud Tasks Toolbar from the LP360 tool guide

Expanded LP360 Point Cloud Tasks Toolbar

Available Point Cloud Task Types (v2023.1.32.0)

(SA) beside a point cloud task type denotes not applicable to the LP360 for ArcMap extension. See the latest LP360 Feature Matrix for more information on the license levels and products.

Point Cloud Task Type Minimum License Level Introduced Description
Adaptive TIN Ground Filter

LP360 Advanced

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2011.1 Classifies points based on the adaptive TIN ground classification algorithm. See LP360 Automatic Ground Classification Part I for more information.
Affine Transform LAS

LP360 Advanced

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2020.1 Use an Affine Transform to reproject LAS data (Translate, Scale, Rotate or Matrix)
Attribute Editor (SA)

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2015.1 Set attribute values to the features. In most use cases this has been replaced by Feature Analyst.
Basic Filter

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

Pre v2011.1 Classifies points based on basic point filters
Classify by Feature

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2014.1 Classifies based on Features
Classify by Statistics

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2015.1 Point classification based on point cloud statistics
Cluster by Distance (SA)

LP360 Advanced

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2022.1.9.0 Clusters points using Euclidean distance rule, and codes them using extra bytes.
Color by Image

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2021.1.47.0 Colorize LIDAR points from a registered image (three or four band orthomosaic)
Conflation

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2013.2 Computes Z value(s) for a geometry
Cross Sections

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2014.1 Generates Cross Section Profiles for a given alignment geometry
Draw Shape Features (SA)

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2015.1 Draws Shape features. Replaced by the Feature Edit Tools.
Duplicate Points Classifier

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2018.2 Identifies and classifies duplicate points
Geocode True View LIDAR Task (SA)

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2020.1 Generates LAS Files from raw LIDAR Files from a GeoCue TrueView 3DIS
Grid Generator (SA)

LP360 Basic

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2017.1 This task generates cell grid based on the input parameters
Ground CleanUp Filter (SA)

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2015.1 Ground clean up filter based on the adaptive TIN ground classification algorithm.
Height Filter

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

Pre v2011.1 Classifies points based on height from a ground surface.
Intensity from RGB

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2014.1 Populates intensity value from RGB value of the points
LAS Affine Transform (renamed)

LP360 Advanced

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2019.2.38 Introduced in v2019.2.38 and later renamed to Affine Transform LAS (see above)
Low/Isolated Points

LP360 Advanced

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2011.1 Classifies noise points based on if it is significantly lower or isolated from its neighbors. See LP360 Automatic Ground Classification Part I for more information.
Macro

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

Pre v2011.1 Executes ordered collections of tasks
Merge Point Cloud

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2020.2.22 For merging two LAS Layers. Very useful for merging data from different sensors, such as bathymetric data with True View 3DIS datasets.
Model Key Points

LP360 Advanced

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2012.1 Finds Model Key Points
Planar Point Filter (Building Filter)

LP360 Advanced

True View EVO 3DIS

LP360 Drone+BIT

Pre v2011.1 Classifies points by fitting points to user defined planes. Examples include building rooftops.
Planar Statistics

LP360 Basic

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2015.1 Computes planar statistics of a given plane and output them as attributes to a shape in shape file.
Point Cloud Statistics Extractor

LP360 Basic

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

Pre v2011.1 Extracts point cloud statistics into geographic or text files.
Point Group Tracing and Squaring (Extractor)

LP360 Advanced

True View EVO 3DIS

LP360 Drone+BIT

Pre v2011.1 Traces outlines around point groups with optional squaring. Examples include Buildings, and Vegetation.
Powerlines Extractor

LP360 Advanced

True View EVO 3DIS

LP360 Drone+BIT

v2020.2.10 Extracts power line catenaries from the point cloud, with options to classify points and vectorize the catenaries.
Proximity Classifier

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2020.1 Classifies source points based on the attributes of “close-by” points in a Proximity layer.
Rail Extractor

LP360 Advanced

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO 3DIS

LP360 Drone+BIT

v2014.1 Extracts rail points, and rail centerlines
Reproject LAS

LP360 Advanced

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2019.2.38 This task transforms the LAS points from one SRS to another, includes an option to apply a custom geoid. (Originally Introduced as Reproject SRS LAS)
Reproject Raster

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2018.1 This task reprojects a raster from one SRS to another
Reproject/Shift/Scale LAS (Deprecated)

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

v2017.2 This task transforms the LAS points from one SRS to another, with an option to shift or scale the coordinates. (Replaced by Reproject LAS and LAS Affine Transform in v2019.2.38)
Smoothing, Point Cloud

LP360 Advanced

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2020.1 Point cloud data smoothing
Smoothing-Respacing

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2014.1 Performs Smoothing and Respacing of vertices on a given geometry
Statistical Noise Point Filter

LP360 Advanced

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2011.1 Classifies noise points based on descriptive statistics
Toe Extractor

LP360 Advanced

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2015.1 Extracts the toe line from stockpiles
Volumetric Analysis

LP360 Standard

LP360 sUAS

True View EVO

LP360 Drone

v2013.2 Computes volume and optionally create a differenced LAS dataset
 

PCT I/O Manager (IOM)

This IOM allows setting of layers and files for both input and output. For our example, we are setting
data for a single output file and therefore, we click in the File/Folder field of the IOM row. For complex
tasks and/or macros, the IOM can have many rows. The row that contains the data for the selection you
are currently working will be highlighted in green. See the Point Cloud Tasks – The I/O Manager for more information.

LPRunPCT – PCT Command Line Tool

Do you ever find yourself performing the same point cloud task over and over again for larger datasets? A tool may help by allowing you to run point cloud tasks from the command line. Named “LPRunPCT.exe”, this application contains a number of command line options and associated parameters for running point cloud tasks via the Windows Command Line Interface (CLI). This has proven useful for customers who perform large numbers of routine tasks, such as classifying ground, vegetation, or buildings over large areas. All you need to do is create a point cloud task, set its parameters, and then save that task as an .xml file. Then you are ready to execute that task using LPRunPCT.exe.

It is important to note that in order to run a point cloud task from the command prompt, a separate license instance is required.

Read Complete Article: Point Cloud Task Command Line Tool

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