Available with Standard or Advanced license.
Overview
The LAS Dataset To Raster function is used to render lidar data managed using the LAS dataset. The function will be used when you add lidar data to a mosaic dataset using the LAS Dataset raster type. With this function, you need to specify both input and output properties. Due to the resolution of the data and the time it can take to convert the point data to raster data, this function will write preprocessed raster data files to an output location (as cache).
Notes
The function will be used when you add multipoint data to a mosaic dataset. When adding the data to a mosaic dataset, you need to open the properties to define some of the input and output properties, such as pixel size.
LAS is an industry format created and maintained by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS). This function supports version 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3.
Input Properties control the selection of different aspects of the LAS dataset to be processed, such as the type of return, classification type, and data type.
It's important to understand that the point spacing estimates are for either all points or only the points per return type or class type. For example, with first or last return types, the point density is high, whereas if you select fifth return types only, the point density will be much less and the average point spacing will be much higher. Typically, the Ground class type has many points, but there will be many voids due to buildings or trees that are removed. If you select buildings only or large trees only, there are even more voids and, therefore, a smaller point density and larger average point spacing.
It is better to go with a pixel size that is several times larger than the average point spacing but small enough to identify gaps or voids. A reasonable size is four times the point spacing. For example, if your data is sampled at 1 meter and your pixel size is 4, you can expect, on average, to get 16 points in a pixel.
The point spacing can be obtained from the properties of the LAS dataset.
Output Properties affect how the LAS dataset is displayed and how it converted from points to raster.
The output properties are unique to the LAS, LAS dataset, and Terrain raster types. Since the inputs involve some sort of interpolation from points, this can be quite computationally intensive and therefore slow to display. The option to create caches at the base pixel size for the inputs exists to improve performance. Without the cache, you may have to wait several minutes for some surfaces to display.
The output location for the preprocessed raster data files defaults to the location next to the geodatabase where the mosaic dataset is stored for file geodatabases. When using an enterprise geodatabase, the files are stored in the geodatabase by default.
The Z Factor parameter is used to convert elevation units such as between feet and meters.
To convert from feet to meters or vice versa, see the table below. For example, if your z-units are feet and your mosaic dataset's units are meters, you would use a value of 0.3048 to convert your z-units from feet to meters (1 foot = 0.3048 meters).
This is also useful when you have geographic data (such as GCS_WGS84 using latitude and longitude coordinates) where the z-units are in meters. In this case, you need to convert from meters to degrees (0.00001; see below). The values for degree conversions are approximations.
Conversion factor between feet and meters
| From | To | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Feet | Meters | ||
Feet | 1 | 0.3048 | |
Meters | 3.28084 | 1 | |
To apply vertical exaggeration, you must multiply the conversion factor by the exaggeration factor. For example, if both z-values and dataset coordinates are meters and you want to exaggerate by a multiple of 10, the scaling factor would be the unit conversion factor (1 from the table) multiplied by the vertical exaggeration factor (10), or 10. As another example, if the z-values are meters and the dataset is geographic (degrees), you would multiply the unit conversion factor (0.00001) by 10 to get 0.0001.
When you specify a Z factor value, the Arithmetic function is added to the function chain for the item in the mosaic dataset.
Rendering the LAS dataset can be computationally intensive. Without the cache, you may have to wait several minutes for some surfaces to display. The cache is generated when the following occur:
- You view the mosaic dataset where the LAS dataset is used to generate the mosaicked image.
- The overviews are built.
- The Synchronize Mosaic Dataset tool is run with Build Item Cache checked.
The cache will be updated in the following scenarios:
- The input has been updated.
- The cache has been deleted or is missing.
- The function parameters are set to define a different surface than the one that matches the cache (for example, use a different Return type).