ASPRS LIDAR Data Exchange Format (LAS)

Reader

FORMAT NOTES:
This format is not available in FME Base Edition.

The American Society Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) LIDAR (LAS)
Reader module allows FME to read LIDAR (data exchange format standard) LAS spec-
ifications version 1.0 from May 9, 2003 and version 1.1 from March 7, 2005 files. The
LAS file is intended to contain LIDAR point records. The data will generally be put into
this format from software (provided by LIDAR hardware vendors) which combines GPS,
IMU, and laser pulse range data to produce X, Y, and Z point data.

Overview
The format contains binary data consisting of a header block, variable length records,
and point data. A LAS file has the following file name extension:

File Name Extension Contents

.las header block, variable length records, and point

data

The extension is added to the basename of the LAS file.

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LIDAR Quick Facts
Format Type Identifier LIDAR
Reader/Writer Reader
Licensing Level Professional
Dependencies None
Dataset Type File base name
Feature Type Feature Name
Typical File Extensions .las
Automated Translation Support Yes
User-Defined Attributes No
Coordinate System Support No
Generic Color Support No
Spatial Index Never
Schema Required Not Applicable
Transaction Support No
Geometry Type Attribute lidar_type

Geometry Support
Geometry Supported? Geometry Supported?
aggregate no point yes
circles no polygon no
circular arc no raster yes
donut polygon no solid no
elliptical arc no surface no
ellipses no text no
line no z values no
none yes

Reader Overview
The Lidar reader extracts features from a file one at a time, and passes them on to the
rest of the FME for further processing. The reader finishes when it reaches the end of
the file.

Supported elements:

• PUBLIC HEADER BLOCK yes

• VARIABLE LENGTH RECORDS yes
• POINT DATA yes

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 Reader Directives
The directives listed below are processed by the LIDAR/LAS reader. The suffixes shown
are prefixed by the current <ReaderKeyword> in a mapping file. By default, the
<ReaderKeyword> for the LIDAR reader is LIDAR.

DATASET

Required/Optional: Required
The value for this keyword is the LIDAR/LAS file to be read. A typical mapping file frag-
ment specifying an input LIDAR dataset looks like:

An example of the DATASET keyword in use is:

LIDAR_DATASET /usr/data/test.las

Feature Representation
In addition to the generic FME feature attributes that FME Workbench adds to all fea-
tures (see About Feature Attributes on page 7), this format adds the format-specific
attributes described in this section.

LIDAR Element Feature Types

Feature Type fme_geometry

header fme_no_geom

variable length header fme_no_geom

point fme_point

The Lidar/LAS documentation is published at http://www.lasformat.org.

Header

fme_geometry: fme_no_geom

in LAS v 1.1
Attribute in LAS v. 1.0
(only if different to v 1.0)

File_Signature_LASF File Signature (“LASF”)

File_Source_ID - File Source ID

Reserved Reserved

GUID_data_1 GUID data 1 -

GUID_data_2 GUID data 2 -

GUID_data_3 GUID data 3 -

GUID_data_4 GUID data 4 -

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 in LAS v 1.1
Attribute in LAS v. 1.0
(only if different to v 1.0)

GUID {‘GUID data 1’ ‘GUID data 2’ -

‘GUID data 3’ ‘GUID data 4’}

Project_ID_-_GUID_data_1 - Project ID - GUID data 1

Project_ID_-_GUID_data_2 - Project ID - GUID data 2

Project_ID_-_GUID_data_3 - Project ID - GUID data 3

Project_ID_-_GUID_data_4 - Project ID - GUID data 4

Project_ID_-_GUID - {‘Project ID - GUID data 1’

‘Project ID - GUID data 2’
‘Project ID - GUID data 3’
‘Project ID - GUID data 4’}

Version Version Major + Version Mi-

nor

System_Identifier System Identifier

Generating_Software Generating Software

Flight_Date_Julian Flight Date Julian -

Year Year -

File_Creation_Day_Of_Year - File Creation Day Of Year

File_Creation_Year - File Creation Year

Header_Size Header Size

Offset_to_data Offset to data

Number_of_variable_length_ Number of variable length

records records

Point_Data_Format Point Data Format (0-99 for

spec)

Number_of_point_records Number of point records

Number_of_points_by_return_1 Number of points by return

Number_of_points_by_return_2 Number of points by return

Number_of_points_by_return_3 Number of points by return

Number_of_points_by_return_4 Number of points by return

Number_of_points_by_return_5 Number of points by return

X_scale_factor X scale factor

Y_scale_factor Y scale factor

Z_scale_factor Z scale factor

X_offset X offset

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 in LAS v 1.1
Attribute in LAS v. 1.0
(only if different to v 1.0)

Y_offset Y offset

Z_offset Z offset

Max_X Max X

Min_X Min X

Max_Y Max Y

Min_Y Min Y

Max_Z Max Z

Min_Z Min Z

Variable Length Records

fme_geometry: fme_no_geom

in LAS v 1.1
Attribute in LAS v. 1.0
(only if different to v 1.0)

Record_Signature Record Signature

User_ID User ID

Record_ID Record ID

Record_Length_After_Header Record Length After Header

Description Description

Point

fme_geometry: fme_point

in LAS v 1.1
Attribute in LAS v. 1.0
(only if different to v 1.0)

GPS_Time a GPS Time

Intensity Intensity

Return_Number Return Number

Number_of_Returns Number of Returns (given

pulse)

Scan_Direction_Flag b Scan Direction Flag

Edge_of_Flight_Line c Edge of Flight Line

Classification Classification

Classification_Name - Its classification as described

in the specifications

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 in LAS v 1.1
Attribute in LAS v. 1.0
(only if different to v 1.0)

Scan_Angle_Rank Scan Angle Rank

File_Marker File Marker -

User_Data - User Data

User_Bit_Field User Bit Field -

Point_Source_ID - Point Source ID

a. GPS_Time is supported only by Point_Data_Format = 1. When Point_Data_Format = 0, the

value of GPS_Time is not set
b. Scan_Direction_Flag is stored as logical (1=true and 0=false)
c. Edge_of_Flight_Line is stored as logical (1=true and 0=false)

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