SPECIFICATIONS

OF
LIDAR DATA
PROCESSING

LIDAR DATA PROCESSING

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About the Documentation.

Introduction and General overview of Lidar.
LIDAR Project Workflow.
Introduction of TerraMatch.
Introduction of TerraScan.
Introduction of TerraModel.
Introduction of TerraPhoto.
LIDAR Projects Applications.

About the Documentation:

This document serves as a user's guide for executing projects involving Lidar data processing.
This will cover the project workflow and the required software and their installation, functions
and operations.

Introduction and General overview of LIDAR:

Before we discuss Lidar, let us have a look on the virtual reality of the land and surface.
The following pictures show the difference between the virtual reality made possible by
Lidar and a photographic image.

(Virtual Reality vs. photographic image)

(Virtual City from 3-D City modeling)

(Virtual Elevation Model)

(Laser Scanning Surface Model at Coastal Area)

(Laser Scanning Surface Model at Forest Area.)

The following figure illustrates the principle of height data capture through Lidar.
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Airborne Laser Scanning works on the principle of Laser pulse. Laser pulse get reflected
back to the sensor after hitting the terrain objects. There can be single, double or multiple
returns of the each laser pulse as shown below:

LIDAR Principle:

LIDAR has the following main components:

.
.
.
.
.

GPS
INS
Laser Transceiver
Control Points
Calibration

1.

Lidar Transceiver -

2.
3.
4.
5.

Scanner
POS
Operator I/F
Data Storage

6.

Computer

Generates Laser beam and captures Laser energy

scattered/reflected from target.
Moves Laser beam across aircraft track.
Measures sensor position and orientation.
Permits operator interaction (control/monitor) with systems
Captures all airborne system data required for generation of
X, Y, Z target coordinates.
Integrates/Controls interaction of all of the above.

Single return:
Laser pulse will return directly to the sensor after hitting the building tops.

Multiple returns:
The same pulse returns n number of times after hitting the ground. Single returns are
obtained when the entire foot-print of laser beam hits one surface (viz., building roof
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top). Whereas multiple returns are obtained when the same foot-print hits multiple
sutfaces as shown in the figure.

These are the returns for high vegetation area. We can observe here multiple returns of
laser pulse. Blue color pulse is the first pulse returns and red color pulse is the last pulse.

This figure illustrates the capability of penetration of vegetation by laser pulse.

LIDAR Project Workflow:

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(First and Last returns shaded surface.)

(Last returns shaded surface)

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TerraMatch:
TerraMatch solves systematic errors in position, orientation or mirror scale.
TerraMatch is employed to correct the following errors:

Errors in laser distance measurement

Scanning mirror errors
Errors in position (GPS)
Errors in orientation (INS):
o Scanner / IMU misalignment (H, R, P)
o Heading, roll, pitch (H,R,P) and dz correction for each flight line / whole data
set.

Requirement for solving these Errors

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Multiple flightlines with overlap

Time stamped trajectory information
(a) Time x y z [h r p]
Laser points linked to trajectory position
(a) Flight line number matching trajectory number
(b) Time stamp
Trajectories
Laser points
Linked to trajectories
Surfaces classified
Optional known points

It solves the following Algorithm Parameters.

Easting shift
Easting drift
Northing shift
Northing drift
Elevation shift
Elevation drift
Heading shift
Heading drift
Roll shift
Roll drift
Pitch shift
Pitch drift
Mirror scale
Process of solving TerraMatch Corrections.
1. Open the corresponding MicroStation Dgn file.
2. Load TerraScan and TerraMatch Through MDL application or key in mdl load
TerraScan and mdl load TerraMatch.
TerraMatch Tool

TerraScan Tool

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3. Load LAS model or Point cloud through File/Read points from TerraScan main
window.

4. After loading the points, view the points by flight line so that we can clearly
identify the number of flight lines involved in particular project.
5. For viewing go to TerraScan Main Window/View/Display mode.

6. We need Preliminary Classification and Ground classification for better result of

Tmatch Corrections.
7. We should classify the Raw Data into Ground and Non Ground points. These
Ground points are the reference of known points. For Ground classification click
here. Building classification is the Preliminary Classification.
8. For classification of Buildings attach the Geo referenced image or make the crosssection view, so that we can identify the buildings in isometric view. And go for
classification tool Classify Fence. Manually classify a few buildings to act as
reference (known points).

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9. Load Trajectories folder by Manage Trajectories of TerraScan tool.

10. These Trajectories are obtained while flying (This is included in flight planning).
11. After loading the Trajectories go for Tmatch correction tool Find Match from
TerraMatch Main tool. It will display Find Match window. Set the parameters as
shown in the screen shot and apply OK. System will take a few minute and then will
give the corrected values of corrections to parameters like Easting shift; Northing
shift; Z shift; and H, R, P shifts. Save these changes at asecure place and apply the
corrections.

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This will yield the rectified point cloud or ALS Data for further processing. Click here for
more information on TerraMatch.

TerraScan:
TerraScan is used mainly for classification purpose. The main task involved in a Lidar
project is the classification of point cloud.
General classification of the Lidar data is as follows.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Ground.
Buildings.
Vegetation.
Low points.

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Ground classification is for getting the bare ground from the raw data. The sequence of
steps for extraction of ground are given hereunder:
Go to TerraScan main window and click the Classify/Routine/Ground

Buildings classification tool can classify the buildings automatically. However, the
accuracy of classification depends on project information like flying height, iteration
angle etc. Even then the results are likely to be only 60% accurate. Further improvement
in classification is carried out interactively (manually). The Buildings classification
should be taken up only after Ground classification.
For Buildings classification, go to TerraScan main window and click the
Classify/Routine/Buildings..

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For Vegetation classification we take the Ground points as reference base points. The
point cloud is classified into Vegetation class by removing vegetation points from Ground
to Vegetation layer with the help of specified height limit from ground.
For Vegetation classification, go to TerraScan tool and click the Remove Vegetation.

Low point classification can remove the low and bad points according to given distance
and height with reference to ground points.
For Low point classification, go to TerraScan tool and click the Classify/Routine/Low
points

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After classification of Ground level, Vegetation level, Building level and Low points
(Error Points), we should clean the Ground level as per the required accuracy of the
project. In this step, called as surface cleaning, the surface is generated with TerraScan
and surface displayed with TerraModel.
Surface generation:
Go to Terrascan main window Output/Create surface model.

Surface display:
Go to TerraModel tool and click Display shaded surface.

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Surface cleaning:
It is the process of removing of bad and noise points from the Ground level. For this
TerraScan is having tools like Assign Point class, Classify using brush, Classify fence,
Classify below line and Classify above line. Supportive tool like Draw Section is used for
obtaining cross-sectional view of the selected area to facilitate identification of features,
viz., trees, buildings, ground or bad points.

Draw Section:
Go to TerraScan tool and click the Draw Section. Make the section at required place, and
accept by mouse right button in View 2.

Final output of surface cleaned data is the cleaned bare earth data. Now we can generate
the contours and DTM Grid with this data. For contour generation we need Key Points
from bare earth data.

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Key point generation:

Go to Classify/Routine/Model key points in TerraScan main window.

With the help of Model key points we can generate the surface. This surface is the input
for the Display Contour in TerraModel.
DTM Grid Generation:
Go to Output/Export lattice model in TerraScan main window.

Final outputs of contours and DTM Grid depend on the client requirement. Contour
interval and grid interval may vary as per the client specifications. Click here for more
information on TerraScan.
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TerraModel:
TerraModel is basically required for generation of contours / DTM grid and display of
surface at the time of surface cleaning.
TerraModel Tool:

Contour generation:
Go to Display contours from TerraModel Tool. Now indicate parameters / options as per
the screen-shots given hereunder according to the clients specifications:

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Display Surface:
Go to TerraModel main tool and select the Display Shaded Surface. And give the color
cycles according to terrain density.

Click here for more details on TerraModel.

TerraPhoto:
TerraPhoto module is used to generate orthophotos by using Lidar Ground points (bare
earth) data. Four major steps are involved in orthophoto generation.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Create the Mission.

Load points from TerraScan.
Load images
Rectify.

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TerraPhoto Tool Bar:

Creation of Mission:
Go to TerraPhoto, click Mission / New mission, key-in parameters and indicate path for
images, camera file and output as per the screen shot and press OK.

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Load Ground points:

Click Points / Load from TerraScan from TerraPhoto tool. Load the Ground points by
selecting Ground.

Load images:
Load the image information from image information file (.iml), by clicking Load list
from TerraPhoto tool.

Rectify:
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Click Rectify / Rectify from TerraPhoto tool and select the appropriate tiles for
rectification as given in the screen shot.

The quality activity plan for Lidar data processing:

A document has been prepared which contains the quality activity plan of KIL for Lidar data
processing. The objective of preparing this document is to ensure that the quality of the final
Lidar data product is in accordance with the agreements entered into by KIL with the specific
client, including adherence to schedules.
This document also serves as a tool for processing of laser scanning data.

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LIDAR Applications:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Generation of DTM / DSM and contours.

Determination of height of forest canopy.
Mapping of urban areas with high-rise buildings.
Power line mapping.
3-D town / city modeling.
Costal Zone management.
Pipeline planning.
Planimetric mapping.

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