ArcGIS Desktop

  • ArcGIS Pro
  • ArcMap

  • My Profile
  • Help
  • Sign Out
ArcGIS Desktop

ArcGIS Online

The mapping platform for your organization

ArcGIS Desktop

A complete professional GIS

ArcGIS Enterprise

GIS in your enterprise

ArcGIS Developers

Tools to build location-aware apps

ArcGIS Solutions

Free template maps and apps for your industry

ArcGIS Marketplace

Get apps and data for your organization

  • Documentation
  • Support
Esri
  • Sign In
user
  • My Profile
  • Sign Out

ArcMap

  • Home
  • Get Started
  • Map
  • Analyze
  • Manage Data
  • Tools
  • Extensions

Data import and load tools for terrain datasets

Available with 3D Analyst license.

Surface data comes in many formats. ArcGIS is capable of reading a wide variety, and terrain datasets can take advantage of this. ASCII-formatted points, lines, and polygons with z-values can be read. The lidar standard, LAS, is supported as well.

The following graphic shows the location of the ASCII 3D To Feature Class and LAS To Multipoint tools in the 3D Analyst toolbox. For more information on implementing these tools, see Importing terrain dataset source measurements.

Geoprocessing import tools for terrains
ArcGIS 3D Analyst extension tools for loading measurements into feature classes. Terrains are built from the feature classes.

Lidar attributes in LAS files can be loaded along with the point geometry. The attribution is handled differently than you might expect because, for efficiency, lidar points are grouped into multipoints. Each multipoint stores many points using only one database row. Since there's only one row for many points, the attribution must be grouped in a similar way. Attributes are loaded into binary large objects (BLOBs), one BLOB per attribute per shape.

lidar attributes and multipoints
Points are loaded as multipoints for efficiency. LAS lidar attributes are recorded in BLOB fields.

Related topics

  • Importing terrain dataset source measurements
  • Types of source data supported in terrain datasets
  • Representing terrain source data in feature classes

ArcGIS Desktop

  • Home
  • Documentation
  • Support

ArcGIS

  • ArcGIS Online
  • ArcGIS Desktop
  • ArcGIS Enterprise
  • ArcGIS
  • ArcGIS Developer
  • ArcGIS Solutions
  • ArcGIS Marketplace

About Esri

  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Esri Blog
  • User Conference
  • Developer Summit
Esri
Tell us what you think.
Copyright © 2021 Esri. | Privacy | Legal