Converting Lidar SDF file to surface

[rustysilo]

I guess you'd have to email, then I can reply which would allow you to reply back and attach via your email client.

[miken]

I think you're working with DEM (digital elevation model) data. Is it a grayscale image? Each grayscale represents an elevation, the program just de-codes that. Are you using Civil3d. If so, once imported just create the contours, the surface is already made.
Mike -

[JerryG]

Right mike.
I was able to get that far fairly easily. But the contours
are not picking up all the grade slopes as they really exist.
Is there a way to put the contours in at say a 2' intervale
as opposed to 5' and 10' ? There are allot of areas on the image where I can see a small hill etc. but the contours are not picking it up.

[miken]

Yes, in the toolspace, under Surfaces, right click and select Create Surface. On the dialog you should see a Style and to the right it should say Standard, click the little box and another dialog opens. Click the little box with the pencil and the Surface Style editor opens. Find the words Contour Intervals on the Contour tab. For minor set it to 2 feet. You can save various styles. 2 and 5's, 5's and 10's etc.
Hope this helps.
Mike -

[giraffeking]

Hi guys, I know this is an old thread but I was hoping for a little bit of clarification. I'm loading massive point cloud files (.las) to my Civil3d drawings and it's taking forever. I really only need small parts and am planning on clipping them (I'm also not sure of how I'm going to do this), but really, should I be waiting 30min for these point clouds to load? Any other way I could do this? I am also going to be turning them into contour lines..

Thanks in advance

[Emigrato]

Which commands do you use to load that .LAS file?

[miken]

Hi guys, I know this is an old thread but I was hoping for a little bit of clarification. I'm loading massive point cloud files (.las) to my Civil3d drawings and it's taking forever. I really only need small parts and am planning on clipping them (I'm also not sure of how I'm going to do this), but really, should I be waiting 30min for these point clouds to load? Any other way I could do this? I am also going to be turning them into contour lines..

Thanks in advance

In my experience it does take a huge amount of time to load .las files. We have a guy with Merrick Mars Explorer software, which is used to edit and process our .las point cloud data prior to importing directly into Cad. Applied Imagery Terrain Modeler is another software.
Mike -

[giraffeking]

I'm just entering it in through the Home tabCreate Ground Data panelCreate Point Cloud. And it really does take a really long time to update after I've entered it. Miken, I think I'll look into that software, but I'm curious if you know how to clip point data to certain lats/longs? I've tried the conventional methods and it doesn't work (not that I thought I would but I thought I'd give it a shot) I Just need a small section so even if after the long loading time if I could cut out 90% of the point cloud it would really help in not bogging down the program so much.