LASZip Tool

LASzip

The LASzip tool compresses and decompresses LIDAR data.

The tool decides whether to zip or unzip based on the extension of the output file chosen. If it has a .laz extension, then the result will be zipped. Similarly, if the output file has a .las extension, it will be unzipped.

If no output file is specified, then the input file will be used instead. A .txt or .las input will be zipped, and a .las input will be unzipped.

Input Parameters

• Lidar file to process – A file containing LIDAR data. This can be a text file, a .las file, or a .laz file.
• Parse string – Indicates how to parse the file. See #Parse Strings below for more details. Only used when Lidar file to process is a text file.

Output Parameters

• Output name – Where to write the output file to. If left blank, the output file will be placed in the same folder as the input file, with the same name, and an extension chosen depending on whether it was zipped or unzipped.

Parse Strings

LASzip is intelligent enough to handle common field separators inside a text file, but it needs to know what the resulting numbers mean. Parse strings provide that information.

An example parse string: xyzt

This indicates that the first field on each line is the X coordinate of a point, the second field is the Y coordinate, the third is the Z coordinate, and the fourth is the GPS time. Any other fields are discarded.

Other supported characters are:

• a – Scan angle.
• B – Blue channel of RGB color.
• c – Classification.
• d – Direction of scan flag.
• e – Edge of flight line flag.
• g – Synthetic flag.
• G – Green channel of RGB color.
• h – Withheld flag.
• i – Intensity.
• I – NIR channel.
• k – Keypoint flag.
• l – Scanner channel.
• n – Number of returns of given pulse.
• o – Overlap flag.
• p – Point source ID.
• r – Return number.
• R – Red channel of RGB color.
• s – Number should be skipped.
• t – GPS time.
• u – User data.
• x – X coordinate of the point.
• y – Y coordinate of the point.
• z – Z coordinate of the point.
• 0 – First additional attribute specified.
• 1 – Second additional attribute specified.
• 2 – Third additional attribute specified.
• 8 – Nineth additional attribute specified.
• 9 – Tenth additional attribute specified.

Current Location in Toolbox

Lidar/LASzip