Creating a Layer from LAS Files in LP360 for ArcMap

*This page covers creating layers in ArcMap. For creating layers in LP360 for Windows click here.

The Add LAS Files dialog box is used to open LAS files and add them as one or more layers to the map. See Add LAS Files Dialog Box for more information. Once a layer is added, you can view it, along with any other opened layers, in the Table of Contents (TOC). You can use the TOC list to display or turn off display of layers, organize the list of opened layers, and modify the layer's properties using the right-click menu. 

Learn more about the LIDAR Layer

How to Create a LIDAR Layer

Creating a LIDAR Layer from one LAS file

Click the Add Data command on the Standard ArcMap toolbar.

• Navigate to the folder containing the LAS file.

• Select the LAS file and click Add.
  
  

  Note If you choose not to build pyramids for the LAS file during this process, you may still do so later. To repyramid the files with another thinning factor or to later pyramid the files if you decide not to at this point, follow the instructions in Pyramiding LAS Files.

  Tip If you have selected more than one LAS file and the files are intended to behave cohesively as one data layer, use the Add LIDAR Data Layer command in the LP360 toolbar. Otherwise, the standard Add Data command in ArcMap will create one LIDAR Layer for each selected LAS file.

Creating a LIDAR Layer from multiple LAS files

Click the Add LIDAR Data Layer command on the LP360 toolbar.

• Select the LAS files to add by doing one of the following:

  1. Click Add Files to select one or more LAS files. 

  2. If you have one or more folders from which you want to add all LAS files contained within them, click Add Folder.

     Note  The Add Folder command allows you to add all the LAS files of one folder or of multiple folders. You can use the Ctrl and Shift keys to select more than one folder at a time. All LAS files in all the folders selected will be added as one layer.

• Look at the file list in the Add LAS Files dialog box. You will see the header information for each LAS file selected. Each column represents a field in each LAS file, so with the file list, you can see much information about the file: the file size, the date of acquisition, the layer that the LAS file is displayed in, the coordinate system used, etc. For more information and details about fields contained in the files, see the Add LAS Files File List.

• In the Open Setting area, select whether you want the LAS files you selected to open with a Read-Only restriction or if you want the LAS files to be opened Read-Write access after the files are loaded into the map layer.

• In the Load Setting area, select either Load Files to display the points in the files or Load Footprints Only to display outlines or placeholders of the individual LAS files. In this case, the areas inside the footprints will be empty (i.e., no points will be displayed).

• In the Options area, select any of the following options for the display of the LAS files.

  1. Click Append to Compatible Layers if you want any files selected to add that have the same required criteria as files in existing map layers to be automatically added to the open layer. Leaving this item unselected will create a new layer even if the files' criteria match an existing layer.

  2. Click Ignore Incompatible CRS if you want to ignore the LAS file Coordinate System when computing compatible Map Layers.

  3. Click Pyramid if you would like the LAS Files pyramided upon being added to the layer. See Pyramiding LAS Files for more information on pyramiding LAS files or if you would like to pyramid the files at a later time.

  4. Enter Thinning Factor to determine the number of layers in the pyramid, if you selected Pyramid. An intermediate thinning factor of 16 is recommended.

• Click OK to complete the adding LAS files process. 

  Notes If you choose not to build pyramids for the LAS file during this process, you may still do so later. To repyramid the files with another thinning factor or to later pyramid the files if you decide not to at this point, follow the instructions in Pyramiding LAS Files. If using more than one LAS file, the created LIDAR Layer will only display the LAS file boundaries. To see points, you must first load the LAS files. Learn how to load and unload LAS files within a LIDAR Layer