LiDAR Assignment
Concept created by Demetrio Zourarakis
Data for this assignment will be procured by the learner, the data was acquired in 2012 by a geospatial firm on contract to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The area of interest (AOI) for this assignment is a “tile” that includes Iroquois Park in Louisville Ky (tile number N083E227). In this assignment the student will ingest, manipulate, interpret, analyze and derive digital GIS layers from a LiDAR point cloud. The applications to be used for this process will be Esri ArcGIS Desktop 10.5.1, a commercial software application available to the learner, and the rapidlasso LASzip application, which will be downloaded from the same location in which the LiDAR tile resides. Each application will be used independently. Refer to the information provided in the lesson.
Data for this assignment will be procured by the learner, the data was acquired in 2012 by a geospatial firm on contract to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The area of interest (AOI) for this assignment is a “tile” that includes Iroquois Park in Louisville Ky (tile number N083E227). In this assignment the student will ingest, manipulate, interpret, analyze and derive digital GIS layers from a LiDAR point cloud. The applications to be used for this process will be Esri ArcGIS Desktop 10.5.1, a commercial software application available to the learner, and the rapidlasso LASzip application, which will be downloaded from the same location in which the LiDAR tile resides. Each application will be used independently. Refer to the information provided in the lesson.
Problem
In this assignment a Digital Elevation Model of Iroquois Park must be created using a LiDAR point cloud. The data must first be procured, then converted using ArcGIS Desktop to a LAS Dataset that can then be used to extract a terrain layer. LiDAR data being massive, the point clouds are “tiled” based on a 5,000 US Survey feet x 5,000 US Survey feet index grid. Tiles are in a .compressed format (.laz vs. .las file formats), and can be downloaded using a Web mapping application. The LASzip executable needed to decompress the .laz file can also be downloaded from the same site. Once the .las file is created, it can be used with ArcGIS Desktop to create a LAS dataset for manipulation, interpretation, analysis and the creation of data derivatives; the software provides extensive geoprocessing tools.
In this assignment a Digital Elevation Model of Iroquois Park must be created using a LiDAR point cloud. The data must first be procured, then converted using ArcGIS Desktop to a LAS Dataset that can then be used to extract a terrain layer. LiDAR data being massive, the point clouds are “tiled” based on a 5,000 US Survey feet x 5,000 US Survey feet index grid. Tiles are in a .compressed format (.laz vs. .las file formats), and can be downloaded using a Web mapping application. The LASzip executable needed to decompress the .laz file can also be downloaded from the same site. Once the .las file is created, it can be used with ArcGIS Desktop to create a LAS dataset for manipulation, interpretation, analysis and the creation of data derivatives; the software provides extensive geoprocessing tools.
Assignment Requirements
- Download the .laz file for the tile of interest, and the application (LASzip) to decompress it.
- Create a LAS dataset using the geospatial software provided
- Show point cloud (different classes) overlaid on top of aerial orthophotography
- Show a TIN surface
- Show a DEM surface and its visualization as a shaded relief
- Provide a brief report that discusses the methodology as well as the type of digital geospatial products you created
- Bonus points for Digital Surface Model creation
Rubric
- 20 percent of the grade based on the creation of a LAS Dataset, supply your instructor with an image showing the LAS Dataset
- 20 percent of the grade based on providing multiple screen shots
- the point spacing for the whole tile,
- the number of classes recognized,
- the total number of points in the point cloud,
- the elevation range for each class
- 10 percent showing the TIN built using Ground classes (screen shot)
- 20 percent showing images of:
- the contour lines using the 2016 LOJIC orthoimagery as backdrop
- the TIN as wireframe with points
- a screen capture of the 3D View
- a screen capture of the Profile View of a cross section of the point cloud at SW Campus
- 30 percent showing an images of:
- providing the DEM (as either a file or an image)
- the shaded relief of the DEM created
- the DEM classified by elevation
- the DEM slope
- the DEM aspect
- the contour lines created
- providing the DEM (as either a file or an image)