Using Lidar Data in ArcGIS 10

Description

This course covers essential concepts needed to efficiently use lidar data for visualization and analysis in ArcGIS. Because of its massive size, lidar data can be difficult to use as-is. In this course, you will learn techniques to create smaller, derived datasets from lidar data to support specific applications and how to integrate lidar data with other data sources to create more complete three-dimensional topographic surfaces.

Who Should Attend

GIS analysts, specialists, and others who want to work with lidar data in ArcGIS for visualization and analysis. GIS professionals working in the forestry, hydrology, environmental management, urban planning, defense and intelligence, and mining industries may find the course of particular benefit.

Learn How To

• Find the key properties of a lidar dataset you need to know in order to create accurate data products from it.
• Create a terrain dataset from lidar data to achieve efficient data storage, fast rendering, and scalability.
• Generate terrain pyramids to improve performance for data visualization and surface analysis operations.
• Use a terrain dataset to perform a 3D line-of-sight analysis.
• Create high-quality surface derivatives including contours, digital elevation models (DEM), and TINs from terrain datasets.
• Extract intensity values from a lidar dataset to create intensity images that support visualization and feature detection.
• Combine lidar data with other data sources to improve 3D visualization.

To complete course exercises, you need the following software:

• ArcGIS 10.0 for Desktop (ArcEditor or ArcInfo)
• ArcGIS 10.0 3D Analyst

Creating functional surfaces using lidar data

• What is a terrain dataset?
• Using terrain pyramids to improve terrain dataset efficiency
• Generating terrain pyramids
• Terrain dataset analysis
• Generating rasters and TINs from terrain datasets
• Perform a line-of-sight analysis using a terrain dataset

Creating intensity images using lidar data

• What is lidar intensity data?
• Lidar intensity imagery vs. aerial imagery
• Create intensity images from lidar data

Combining data sources in ArcGIS

• What are the benefits of data fusion?
• What are the potential problems of data fusion?
• Use data from different sources to study the coastline

• Completion of Getting Started with Lidar in ArcGIS and Learning ArcGIS Desktop or equivalent knowledge is required.
• Familiarity with ArcGIS, the geodatabase, raster data, 3D analysis, and lidar data is assumed.