Writing Point Clouds

Files

PointCloud.zip
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Introduction

The steps below show how to create a workspace that reads from an XYZ text file and writes point cloud data to the LAS, Oracle Spatial Point Cloud, and ASTM E57 formats. Note that different point cloud formats may store values using different data types, and, though FME tries to maintain precision as much as possible, some precision can be lost.

For a complete list of point cloud formats supported by FME, refer to the documentation page and filter the category by 'Point Clouds'.

The data used in this tutorial can be downloaded from the Files section.

Video

This video was recorded using FME 2015.1. The interface may be different, but the concepts are the same.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Writing to LAS

1. Add a Point Cloud XYZ Reader

In FME Workbench, start with a blank workspace and click the Reader button in the toolbar. In the Add Reader dialog, set the following parameters:

  •      Format: Point Cloud XYZ

  •      Dataset: /PointCloud.xyz

      ◦ Click the ellipsis to browse to the downloaded dataset

Point Cloud XYZ format does not store coordinate system information so we will manually set it. Click the Parameters button to set the coordinate system:

  •      Coordinate System: UTM83-10

In the Parameter dialog, you can check that the file is being read correctly by confirming there is data populated in the File Preview section.

Click OK to add the reader to the workspace.
In FME Workbench, start with a blank workspace and click the Reader button in the toolbar. In the Add Reader dialog, set the following parameters:

  •      Format: Point Cloud XYZ

  •      Dataset: /PointCloud.xyz

      ◦ Click the ellipsis to browse to the downloaded dataset

  •      Coordinate System: UTM83-10

      ◦ Point Cloud XYZ format does not store coordinate system information so we will manually set it.

If you click Parameters, you can check that the file is being read correctly by confirming there is data populated in the File Preview section.

Click OK to add the reader to the workspace.

As of FME 2025.2, the Coordinate System parameter is now configured within the Parameters dialog of each reader/writer format. For more information, including details about the change and affected transformers, please see Coordinate System Parameter Location Change.

2. Add a LAS Writer

Click the Writer button to add a writer to the canvas and set the following parameters:

Format: ASPRS Lidar Data Exchange Format (LAS)
Dataset: /Output
- Browse to a location to save the dataset
LAS File Definition: Automatic

Click OK.

Click OK to accept the default parameters in the Feature Type dialog.

3. Run the Workspace

Connect the reader feature type to the writer feature type and then run the workspace.

View the output dataset by clicking on the writer feature type to open the pop-up menu, then clicking on View Written Data:

After clicking on the View Written Data button, a Select Dataset to View dialog will appear. This is because the writer is getting the file name from the fme_basename.

Click on the ellipsis next to Dataset and choose the output PointCloud.las, then click OK.

In Data Preview, notice that a single feature is written representing the entire point cloud. Check that a LAS file was created in the destination directory.

Also note the warnings in the FME log, which tell us that the x, y, and z values were converted to Int32. This occurs because the LAS format stores all values as an integer with a scale and offset. Depending on the number of decimal places in the XYZ source file, some precision may be lost.

Writing to Oracle Spatial Point Cloud

To write to the Oracle Spatial Point Cloud format, you need to have an Oracle client library installed on the same machine as FME. For more information on working with Oracle in FME, please see the Tutorial: Getting Started with Oracle article series.

1. Add a Point Cloud XYZ Reader

In FME Workbench, start with a blank workspace and click the Reader button in the toolbar. In the Add Reader dialog, set the following parameters:

  •      Format: Point Cloud XYZ

  •      Dataset: /PointCloud.xyz

      ◦ Click the ellipsis to browse to the downloaded dataset

Point Cloud XYZ format does not store coordinate system information so we will manually set it. Click the Parameters button to set the coordinate system:

  •      Coordinate System: UTM83-10

In the Parameter dialog, you can check that the file is being read correctly by confirming there is data populated in the File Preview section.

Click OK to add the reader to the workspace.
In FME Workbench, start with a blank workspace and click the Reader button in the toolbar. In the Add Reader dialog, set the following parameters:

  •      Format: Point Cloud XYZ

  •      Dataset: /PointCloud.xyz

      ◦ Click the ellipsis to browse to the downloaded dataset

  •      Coordinate System: UTM83-10

      ◦ Point Cloud XYZ format does not store coordinate system information so we will manually set it.

If you click Parameters, you can check that the file is being read correctly by confirming there is data populated in the File Preview section.

Click OK to add the reader to the workspace.

2. Add an Oracle Spatial Point Cloud Writer

Click the Writer button to add a writer to the canvas and set the following parameters:

Format: Oracle Spatial Point Cloud
Connection: <Your Oracle Connection>
- For information on how to connect to an Oracle database, please see Viewing and Inspecting Oracle Data.

Once the connection is set up, click on the Parameters button.

In the Parameters dialog, additional point cloud components can be added. In the Dimension/Component Map section, add intensity. Click OK twice to add the writer.

In the Feature Type dialog, set the Table Name and Table Qualifier:

Table Name: POINTCLOUD
Table Qualifier: <Set the user you will write to>
- For this example, our qualifier is SUPPORT, but yours will be different

3. Run the Workspace

Connect the reader feature type to the writer feature type and then run the workspace.

View the output dataset by clicking on the writer feature type to open the popup menu and then click on View Written Data.

In Visual Preview, click on a single point within the point cloud and view the attributes in the Feature Information Window. You will see that each point has an x, y, z, and intensity value that was set up when we added the writer.

Writing to ASTM E57

The ASTM E57 format is an exchange format that can store 3D point clouds and 2D rasters.

1. Add a Point Cloud XYZ Reader

In FME Workbench, start with a blank workspace and click the Reader button in the toolbar. In the Add Reader dialog, set the following parameters:

  •      Format: Point Cloud XYZ

  •      Dataset: /PointCloud.xyz

      ◦ Click the ellipsis to browse to the downloaded dataset

Point Cloud XYZ format does not store coordinate system information so we will manually set it. Click the Parameters button to set the coordinate system:

  •      Coordinate System: UTM83-10

In the Parameter dialog, you can check that the file is being read correctly by confirming there is data populated in the File Preview section.

Click OK to add the reader to the workspace.
In FME Workbench, start with a blank workspace and click the Reader button in the toolbar. In the Add Reader dialog, set the following parameters:

  •      Format: Point Cloud XYZ

  •      Dataset: /PointCloud.xyz

      ◦ Click the ellipsis to browse to the downloaded dataset

  •      Coordinate System: UTM83-10

      ◦ Point Cloud XYZ format does not store coordinate system information so we will manually set it.

If you click Parameters, you can check that the file is being read correctly by confirming there is data populated in the File Preview section.

Click OK to add the reader to the workspace.

2. Add an ASTM E57 Writer

Click the Writer button to add a writer to the canvas and set the following parameters:

Format: ASTM E57
Dataset: /Output
- Set output location

Click the Parameters button. In the parameters dialog, additional point cloud components can be added. For this example, we will add intensity.

Click the plus button in the Point Cloud Component Mapping section to add a new component. In the new component, click the drop-down and select intensity. The Element Name will auto-populate.

Click OK twice to add the writer. For a full list of point cloud components, please see the point cloud documentation.

In the Feature Type dialog, set the File Name and click OK.

File Name: PointCloud

3. Run the Workspace

Connect the reader feature type to the writer feature type and then run the workspace. View the output dataset by clicking on the writer feature type to open the pop-up menu and then clicking on View Written Data.