Introduction to LiDAR in GIS: Fundamentals and Applications

The presentation and step-by-step handout can be viewed/downloaded using the links below. The ArcMap document, LAS files, and other data are located on the Clemson libstorage drive in the IntroToLidar folder. Instructions to connect to the libstorage drive can be viewed/downloaded below.

LiDAR point-cloud data contain high-resolution information about the earth’s surface – terrain, hardscape, and vegetation. These data can be applied to virtually any field of study and are a useful addition to your GIS analysis. The purpose of this 3 hour, hands-on workshop is to gain basic skills in loading, viewing, manipulating, and processing LiDAR data in ArcGIS Desktop 10.3.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

  • Create an LAS Dataset

  • Calculate and view data statistics

  • Visualize the data in 2D and 3D in a variety of ways

  • Construct high-resolution digital elevation models (DEM) and digital surface models (DSM)

  • Be familiar with several applications of LiDAR data for problem solving