[GRASS-dev] Announcing libLAS

[Helena Mitasova]

High Mateus,

we would love to see at least a direct input of LAS data into GRASS  
using the libLAS library!
Other tools would be welcome too.

There is a growing number of GRASS users who work with lidar data (I  
have been using lidar data  with GRASS for my research for over 7  
years now, even before LAS was established).
Many general GRASS modules  are great for lidar data processing and  
analysis and there is also a set of specialized tools. But if the  
data come in LAS format we need to use external tools (e.g. LAStools  
- I see that libLAS is based on it) to convert to ascii and import  
(using v.in.ascii or r.in.xyz). Having a module that reads LAS data  
directly would be a great help.

I was just invited to USGS workshop to show some applications of  
lidar data done with open source software tools and I am sure that  
the first question I will get is whether GRASS can read LAS data - it  
would be great if I could say yes.

But this will raise a question for GRASS dev whether we want to add  
another dependency to GRASS in addition to GDAL and PROJ and a number  
of optional ones?

Thanks for asking and I hope we will see LAS support in GRASS soon (I  
have plenty of data to test it),

Helena

----------------------
Helena Mitasova
Associate Professor
Department of Marine, Earth
and Atmospheric Sciences
1125 Jordan Hall, Campus Box 8208
North Carolina State University
Raleigh NC 27695-8208
http://skagit.meas.ncsu.edu/~helena/



On May 3, 2008, at 3:22 PM, Mateusz Loskot wrote:

> Hi,
>
> My name is Mateusz Loskot (Poland). I'm writing first time to this  
> list,
> so I'd like to say hello to all!
>
> I'd like to ask if there would be a potential interest and application
> for libLAS library (http://liblas.org) in GRASS. The library provides
> implementation of the ASPRS LAS format specification as well as a  
> set of
> command line utilities to manipulate LAS files.
>
> I don't know what's the exact LIDAR toolset available in GRASS but
> perhaps there is no LAS support and libLAS could come handy here.
>
> Looking foward to hear your comments.
> -- 
> Mateusz Loskot
> http://mateusz.loskot.net
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