[Liblas-devel] [liblas] Hello world

[Howard Butler]

On Apr 9, 2008, at 12:53 PM, Martín RV (OPENGeoMap) wrote:
> Hi:
>
>>
>> Would you have any comments to the liblas?
> This days i am working in other programming task projects, but in a  
> couple a weeks i will go back to the viewer.
> We have to create a desktop viewer with your library , but a web  
> viewer also. We are thinking in a web software similar to :
>
> http://archive.cyark.org/sites.php?v=media&t=3D%20Point%20Cloud
>
> This was build by java3d. I want implement it in shockwave 3d.
>
> With our lidar viewer we want have a Lasedit free software. ;-)
>
> In my job we use terrasolid software to work. I would like create  
> similar free software :-D  using your library.

cool

>
>
>> Have you tried to build/run/use it?
> I was working only 2 days, but with Martin Isenburg library, because  
> i don´t know your library. I had many problems, because i could´t  
> compile the library in mingw, only with visual 6 compiler.  I want  
> develop software in a easy portable way. Using c++ cookbook from  
> orrealy i am learning techniques to create crossplatform software in  
> c++.
>

libLAS also sports a C API.  It is rather laborious and verbose to  
use, but if C is your thing, it should fit the bill quite well.  See  
the applications like lasinfo and txt2las to see how to use it.

libLAS in known to build on gcc4+ (linux and osx) and msvc 2003/2005.

>
>> How do you like its API?
> Well i am not a c++ expert by now, but i promise learn hehe. In my  
> job we work with ruby(ruby-gnome), C/gobject/gtk, c#/.NET  
> (Microstation, Autocad, arcgis). I have  with good OOP skills and  
> can understand your code well. I only can say this hehehe
> By know i solve my c++ problems (templates, overload) with glib (http://library.gnome.org/devel/glib/stable/glib-data-types.html 
> ) and VALA (http://live.gnome.org/Vala).
> I know c++, but can be  my first c++ professional work :-[ .
>
> I can see Martin Isenburg library very easy to understand and use,  
> but yours library is more complete and portable, and it´s a open  
> community project.

libLAS started with Martin's library, and in fact, the command line  
utilities like las2las and lasinfo in http://liblas.org/browser/trunk/apps 
  are direct ports of his utilities.

We (well, Mateusz mostly) rewrote most of the internal library stuff  
that actually handles manipulating the LAS format data, however.  The  
major reason for this is that Martin's code was not really organized  
as a library that was expected to be embedded in other applications.   
There were no facilities for error handling other than printf  
statements, for example.  I think libLAS has a really nice  
architecture (Martin's library code was little more than some structs)  
and provides some great flexibility (working with std::streams for  
example).  I am quite satisfied with it.

BTW, libLAS is growing another API as we speak -- Python, which builds  
on the C API and uses Python's ctypes for a direct interface.
http://liblas.org/browser/trunk/python

Howard