LiDAR & point clouds
LAS, LAZ and COPC files: returns, classes, density, and the surfaces you derive from them.
Everything on Spatial Workflow about lidar & point clouds, in the order that usually works: understand the idea, then run the task, then fix it when it goes wrong. 14 guides in total.
One learning path runs through this topic — follow it if you would rather work through a route than pick a single guide.
🧭 Start with the concepts
The ideas the how-to guides below assume you already have.
- LiDAR Point Clouds Explained: Returns, Classes and Intensity lidar point clouds explained
- LAS, LAZ and COPC Explained: How Point Clouds Are Stored las laz copc explained
- Point Density Explained: What Resolution a Point Cloud Supports point density explained
- DSM, DTM and CHM from LiDAR: How Each Surface Is Derived lidar surfaces dsm dtm chm explained
⚙️ Then do the task
Step-by-step walkthroughs with code you can copy and adapt.
- How to Read a LAS or LAZ File in Python with laspy read las laz python laspy
- How to Filter a Point Cloud by Class and Return Number filter point cloud class return
- How to Clip and Tile a Point Cloud in Python clip tile point cloud python
- How to Create a DTM from LiDAR Ground Points in Python create dtm from lidar python
- How to Create a Canopy Height Model from LiDAR canopy height model python
- How to Rasterise a Point Cloud to a Grid in Python rasterise point cloud python
- How to Measure Building Heights from LiDAR in Python building heights from lidar python
🔧 When it breaks
The errors this topic produces, with the cause explained rather than just the command.
Learning paths through this topic
A curated route rather than a list — the guides in the order that builds on itself.
Related topics
Subjects that keep coming up alongside this one, most overlap first.