An overview of common lidar solutions in ArcGIS

Several options are available to you when working with lidar data in ArcGIS. A few common lidar workflow examples have been discussed in the following seven topics. The terrain dataset contributes to these workflow topics by providing a data storage and visualization source for lidar. While the terrain dataset may not be discussed explicitly in a few of these topics, it can be used to work with lidar data before or after the discussed analysis is accomplished.

The following table provides an overview of each of the lidar discussions provided.

Common lidar solutions in ArcGIS

Assessing lidar coverage and sample density	One basic QA/QC process when you receive lidar data is to ensure the lidar points delivered by your data provider have the coverage and density expected.
Creating raster DEMs and DSMs from large lidar point collections	Raster elevation models are one of the most common GIS data types. Lidar provides you with the opportunity to make high-quality elevation models.
Data area delineation from lidar points	It is common for lidar or photogrammetric data for a survey to be delivered without a detailed data area boundary. ArcGIS provides tools to delineate the study area of lidar points.
Estimating forest density and height	Forest canopy density and height are used as variables in a number of forestry applications. Lidar can be used to determine both of these variables. ArcGIS provides tools to determine forest canopy density and height from lidar points.
Creating intensity images from lidar	Viewing the lidar intensity data is a common practice when acquiring lidar data. ArcGIS provides tools to generate intensity images for display.
Updating a portion of a terrain dataset with new measurements	The ability to update a surface is important to people responsible for providing accurate, up-to-date surfaces and people performing analysis on those surfaces.
Minimizing noise from lidar for contour and slope analysis	When using lidar data for surface modeling, two areas tend to be problematic: contour derivation and slope analysis. ArcGIS provides tools to limit the noise that can be caused in contour and slope analysis.