[Live-demo] Re: we are running out of time to have libLAS on OSGeo-Live?

[Howard Butler]

On Jul 31, 2011, at 4:07 PM, Cameron Shorter wrote:

> Howard,
> We have some hard deadlines which we are getting very close to related to getting libLAS on OSGeo-Live.
> We need a Quickstart ASAP.

I was cribbing from GeoTools, something very similar in scope and intent as libLAS, which does not have a Quickstart.  Yes, libLAS has some commandline-tools, but that is not its primary focus.  It's focus is for something like GRASS to use it is a data access library (available in the development version of GRASS, but I don't know if the LiveDVD version takes advantage of it yet).


> As mentioned earlier, this can be based upon your doc at http://liblas.org/start.html.
> Also, we need an image in your Project Overview, as per my comments, and ideally action my other comments.

I already committed a project logo.  Does the image you refer to here mean a rendered elevation model as per below, or a project logo/icon?

> Without either of these very soon, we will need to hold back libLAS until the next release.
> (I'm also happy for someone else to address these issues).
> 
> . Cameron Comment: Please include a suitable graphic. In this case, probably a pretty picture of LiDAR data over a coverage? Maybe something like this: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/911/images/lg-map-lidar1.jpg . Make sure you have rights to publish the image.

I do not want to give any impression that libLAS is a LiDAR exploitation or visualization tool.  Putting a picture of a rendered elevation model or some such visualization on the quickstart might give that impression.  libLAS is water pipes and plumbing, not Trevi Fountain :)
 
> 
> .. Cameron Comment: Note that many (most?) readers won't know what LIDAR, or ASPRS LAS is. They also might not be connected to the internet, so won't be able to follow links you provide. Hence, please add a sentence or two here explaining what they are and why you would use it.

Can one call oneself a GIS practitioner these days an not know what LiDAR is?

I will commit some of the text from libLAS' getting started document into the quickstart.  This seems like such an unfortunate fork of my docs though.  It's too bad we can't figure out a way to just suck in libLAS' sphinx docs directly and use those.  Next time, I guess.

Howard