Extractor Module
The Extractor module is a set of tools designed for configuring and executing filters
and extractors (i.e., point cloud tasks) on lidar data. The module includes a system to configure and
preview how a filter will execute on lidar data before modifying the underlying files. Currently
there are six types of filters and extractors that are available in the
Extractor module:
Basic Point Filter (Classify License): Classify points using classifications, and return values.
Height Filter (Classify License): Classify points using vertical distance(s) from a ground surface.
Macro (Standard License): An ordered collection of filters and extractors that can be executed on points.
Building Filter (Extractor License): Planar based filter that can be configured to locate and classify
rooftops.
Building Extractor (Extractor License): Extracts outlines by grouping points from a specific classification(s),
tracing their outlines, and squaring the traced lines.
Statistics Extractor (Standard License): Extracts summary statistics about LiDAR data and
stores the information in a shapefile along with the geometry used to produce those statistics.
The Extractor module includes tools for executing point cloud tasks on data using defined rectangles,
circles, or polygons drawn on the map, as well as, executing tasks over an entire project using
polygon layers to define the areas to execute tasks over and/or what tasks to define for
polygons.
Standalone Application Developments
Shapefile Layer: The user may now add a point, multipoint, polyline, and polygon shapefiles
as a layer in the standalone application.
Tiff Layer: The user may now add tiff files that are accompanied by a world file as
a layer in the standalone application.
Export Wizard: The Export Wizard (as seen in the ArcGIS plug-in) has been fully integrated
into the standalone application.
Profile Export: The user may now export profiles into shapefiles, or Dxf/Dgn datasets
within the standalone application similar to how the ArcGIS plug-in exports profiles.
QA/QC Toolbar Toolset: The QA/QC Toolbar tools from the ArcGIS plug-in has been integrated
into the standalone application. The QA/QC Toolbar contains tools specifically organized and
designed to facilitate the consistent QA/QC of lidar data.
Map Context Menu: A context menu has been added when right clicking in the map. The context
menu contains items for LAS file management such as loading and unloading, opening,
and zooming to the las file currently under the cursor.
Save Project to XML: The state of the application (i.e., map, profile, and 3d viewer) can
now be saved to an XML project.
Modifications to Existing Features
Classify by 3D Features
The Classify by Features utility has been modified to perform z enabled classifications
of lidar points. The user can classify points within 3d distances to point or polyline
feature classes. Polygon feature classes that are z aware can classify points that are above,
below or within a distance to a surface generated from the 3d polygons.
Switch and Clear LAS File Selections
Two new context items have been added to the context menu within the LAS Files tab.
The new items allow you to switch the selected las files and clear the selected
las files. The items are available in the standalone and ArcGIS plug-in products.
Attempt to check out license if disconnected
If your floating license was disconnected from the license server, three
attempts are made in 5 minute increments to reconnect to the server. If
after these three attempts a license cannot be secured you will notified
and your license will be terminated. If you can successfully check-out another
license you may continue your work.
Z Lock Capability added to Custom Sketch Tool in ArcGIS
The 'L' key can now be toggled when using the custom LP360 sketch tool in ArcGIS. Toggling
this option will toggle Z Lock options when digitizing features in LP360. The
Z Lock option allows the user to specify constant z values or z values for
specific vertices while using the sketch tool. The z values specified are preserved
after the feature has been conflated or draped to the lidar surface. This option can
be used in conjunction with any of the conflation methods. The method used to calculate
a z value used for a vertex or as a constant can be chosen from Surface Z, Closest Z,
Lowest Z, Highest Z, or Average Z within the users snapping tolerance. The 'I' key is used
to switch from one interpolation method to the next. Once the z value has been assigned
to a feature or vertex, the z value can be modified using the 'U' and 'D' keys to nudge
the values up and down respectively. Right click context menus items have been added to the
sketch tool to input specific z values as well as to edit previously assigned z values
to vertices within the sketch geometry.
On-the-Fly Surface Updates as Sketch Geometry is Modified
The 'F' key can now be used to toggle on-the-fly updates of the surface
as the sketch geometry changes. This is particular useful for previewing the
surface and proposed breakline before completing/finishing the sketch.
Displacements from the Hydrology Constraint Captured
In the Hydrology Constraint conflation method the user may select to capture
displacement/delta information. This information can be captured for the purpose
of warning the analyst, and/or placing delta summary information in the attributes
of the features. If the feature class can store m values the individual vertices
will be populated with the delta values.
Load and Save Legend Buttons
Load and Save buttons have been added to the unique value classification legend
property pages. This allows users to save and load the legend from an XML file
for quick loading in the future or sharing of legend information to other users.
Appears in build 78 and greater.
Defect Fixes
ArcGIS crashes when digitizing very large polygonal areas
Error appeared in build: 62 Fix appears in build: 67
After finishing the sketch for a very large polygonal area, ArcGIS crashes
after the points are only partially classified. This has been resolved, and
the user will be prompted when classifying large geometries using the
sketch tool. The user may continue to classify the points however they will be
unable to undo the results.
To Point for Line of Sight Line not placed right when using XY dialog
Error appeared in build: 62 Fix appears in build: 69
The XY coordinates defined by the user using the XY dialog was begin inadvertently ignored
and thus not used in the line of sight line. This has now been resolved and the to point
for the line of sight can be placed correctly using the XY dialog.
Export produces large gaps or no-datas in large areas of sparse lidar points
Error appeared in build: 62 Fix appears in build: 70
When exporting to surfaces over areas void of lidar points such as water bodies, no-datas can be
prevalent in the exported surface. It was found that the thin extent options in the registry that
control the search area to locate points around processing blocks in the export was not working
as designed. A fix was made to better generate the critical surface points
around processing blocks that are void of points. This fix now allows the thin extent options
in the registry to behave more appropriately.
Points in Unloaded LAS Files export
Error appeared in build: 62 Fix appears in build: 71
When performing point exports, points within unloaded LAS files were begin exported. This was
not intended behavior, and has been fixed. Only points within loaded files will be exported.
Point feature classes used as breakline sources ignored
Error appeared in build: 72 Fix appears in build: 73
Despite activating point feature classes in the breakline enforcement configuration,
points within point feature classes were ignored in the resulting tin surface. Changes
have been made to insert the points as mass points in the tin surface.
Selecting cookie cut by polygon in export crashes LP360 Standalone
Error appeared in build: 72 Fix appears in build: 74
If the polygon layer was not at the top of the layer stack in the table of contents when
selecting the cookie cut option in the export wizard, a crash was experienced. Fixes
were made to allow the polygon layer to appear at any position in the layer stack.
Crashing of ArcGIS on shut down after using the export wizard
Error appeared in build: 74 Fix appears in build: 75
An leak was discovered in build 73 and fixed in build 74. Not all related changes was
made to completely fix the leak. Therefore if the user used the export wizard
to cookie cut by polygons or select a layer extent, ArcGIS would crash during shut down.
This behavior only occurs in ArcGIS, not the LP360 Standalone. Necessary changes
was made and ArcGIS should shutdown properly.
Export producing empty rasters for small polygons
Error appeared in build: 74 Fix appears in build: 75
Export was producing empty rasters for small polygons when using the cookie cutting option in
the export wizard. Small polygons is defined as polygons that were smaller than the
processing blocks dynamically allocated by the export.
LAS File Header Corruption when updating extent using LPObjects
Error appeared in build: 75 Fix appears in build: 76
When updating the LAS File Header extent after modifying or adjusting z values using
LPObjects, the header extent values were corrupted. A defect was found in the
ILASPublicHeaderBlock::put_Extent() code and has been fixed.
Geometry z values incorrect when using locking option for Drape or Downstream methods
Error appeared in build: 75 Fix appears in build: 77
The resulting z values for some vertices in geometry sketched using the drape or downstream
conflation methods in conjunction with z locking were incorrect. This defect would only
appear if using the densify option of the drape settings for a conflation method.
Classify within Interior on Point Tracing and Grouping Point Cloud Task
Error appeared in build: 1.7.0.77 Fix appears in build: 1.7.0.78
Points were not being classified properly within the interior of traced lines. This has now
been fixed and should work correctly.
Stitching of polygons between Processing Blocks Improved
Error appeared in build: 1.7.0.77 Fix appears in build: 1.7.0.78
When using the Point Group and Tracing Point Cloud Task, some polygons that were traced
did not get stitched properly between the boundaries of processing blocks. Overlap between
the blocks has been increased to better represent the density of the dataset and allow
the stitching og polygons along the boundari9es to be more successful.
Fixes in Point Group and Tracing Point Cloud Task
Error appeared in build: 1.7.0.77 Fix appears in build: 1.7.0.78
Various changes have been made in the point group and tracing point cloud task
to catch errors within the regularize routine that will allow the task to
continue after an unsuccessful tracing of some polygons.
Reading of Point Source Values in LAS Version 1.0 Files
Error appeared in build: 1.6.2.62 Fix appears in build: 1.7.0.79
Point source values were not being read correctly when using the point source legend
for LAS version 1.0 files.
No-datas returned for control points when loading very large datasets
Error appeared in build: Fix appears in build: 1.7.0.81
No-data values were being reported for control points within the loaded extent of las files
when using very large lidar datasets. This behavior only appeared when using the TIN surface
option. Modifications were made for better construction of the tin surface around control
points to prevent no-datas.
Point Cloud Tasks Window not visible in ArcGIS extension
Error appeared in build: 1.7.0.81 Fix appears in build: 1.7.0.82
The point cloud tasks window is not visible when starting ArcMap. This issue was only
replicated when using floating licenses, with the ArcGIS extension turned off upon
start up of ArcMap. Start-up of the standalone produced a visible and operable point cloud tasks
window. This defect has been fixed to the point that the point cloud tasks window will now appear
if the extension is turned off upon start up of ArcMap, but will be disabled until the extension
is enabled.
