I cant find a way to import .asc format lidar data

[cjrwil]

i recently purchased some lidar data which came in a .asc format. i have since downloaded a plugin to import ascii files (called .stl importer i think), however this will only allow me to import .stl files not .asc. consequently i have also tried to convert the .asc file to .stl but havent had much luck either.

i have also tried the plugin 'cloudv8' however i can only assume that the format of the .asc file is wrong as it does not find objects to display and triangulate. (i am pretty certain that in this case, the data is there but in the wrong format).

i have also used a program called microdem and have converted the .asc file into a .dem, however, when i import this into sketchup the data is horribly distorted and is displayed in a tall, thin column (clearly not representing the actual data).

i imagine i need to somehow alter the .asc file so that it becomes recognisable to the cloud v8 plugin or .stl importer.

any help would be greatly appreciated as i am tearing my hair out over this.

Chris

[unearthed]

Hi Chris

Here's a Sketchup workflow from a very qualified contributor here http://www.chrisfullmer.com/tutorials/sudem/index.html - you might want run a cleaner plugin on it as the resulting TIN can be a bit chunky.

However if that doesn't float your boat my workflow would include microdem - I've successfully used it in the past with SRTM (lidar) data, you've often got to fiddle with the setttings including the projection.

Another freeware route is Landserf http://www.landserf.org/ (13Mb java-based) which is deceptively simple but can handle quite big data sets, and can import and exports
the formats .bil, .flt, .grd, .asc, .dem, .bin, .hgt, .ter... and more. I've used it for mountainous viewshed work here and it handles large datasets fine.

[timinder]

Apologies for resurrecting a very old thread, but I have a similar problem, but on a Mac.
I've downloaded Landserf and it gives a very good representation of the landform I have downloaded as an .asc file, but I can't find a way to get it into Sketchup (or Artlantis, or Rhino...)
Does anyone have a workflow for this on a Mac?

[Tandem]

You could try SimleDEMViewer available at www.jizoh.jp/english.html and generate an image height-map using the Grascale Image tool and then use thomthom's Bitmap To Mesh plugin.

Link to topic discussing the plugin.

[timinder]

Great idea, I'l give it a try, thanks!

[Jakeypoos]

@timinder said:

Apologies for resurrecting a very old thread, but I have a similar problem, but on a Mac.
I've downloaded Landserf and it gives a very good representation of the landform I have downloaded as an .asc file, but I can't find a way to get it into Sketchup (or Artlantis, or Rhino...)
Does anyone have a workflow for this on a Mac?

I've downloaded it but it won't save to .dem
It saves to many other file formats though and I'm looking at converters but still no luck.

[unearthed]

Write a bit about your data - file size, format, source ie is it from a scanner, from nasa, etc. Also why do I've also started using meshlab - http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/ - as it handles things better than landserf. Meshlab doesn't do dem but it does a nice dxf which is you need for cad

[driven]

three 3d converters you may not have tried are
meshlabserver:
similar options to Meshlab from a scrpt i.e. from ruby...
import:PLY, STL, OFF, OBJ, 3DS, COLLADA, PTX, V3D, PTS, APTS, XYZ, GTS, TRI, ASC, X3D, X3DV, VRML, ALN
export:PLY, STL, OFF, OBJ, 3DS, COLLADA, VRML, DXF, GTS, U3D, IDTF, X3D
Point Clouds support.
meshconverter:
Supported input filetpyes: dxf obj off ply stl 3ds wrl (VRML 2.0 only)
Supported output filetypes: dxf js obj off ply stl wrl (VRML 1.0 and 2.0)
assimp:
Supported input filetpyes:
Collada ( .dae )
Blender 3D ( .blend )
3ds Max 3DS ( .3ds )
3ds Max ASE ( .ase )
Wavefront Object ( .obj )
Industry Foundation Classes (IFC/Step) ( .ifc )
XGL ( .xgl,.zgl )
Stanford Polygon Library ( .ply )
*AutoCAD DXF ( .dxf )
LightWave ( .lwo )
LightWave Scene ( .lws )
Modo ( .lxo )
Stereolithography ( .stl )
DirectX X ( .x )
AC3D ( .ac )
Milkshape 3D ( .ms3d )

• TrueSpace ( .cob,.scn )
  Supported output filetypes:
  Collada ( .dae )
  Wavefront Object ( .obj )
  Stereolithography ( .stl )
  Stanford Polygon Library ( .ply )

there are others out there...
john