The LAS file format is a widely used public file format for exchanging 3D point cloud data between various data users. Originally developed for lidar point cloud data exchange and maintained by ASPRS, it also supports the transfer of any 3D x, y, z tuple. This binary file format offers a solution to the limitations of proprietary systems or generic ASCII file interchange formats used by many companies.
Proprietary systems often restrict the transfer of data from one system to another, making it difficult to access data. On the other hand, ASCII file interchange formats face performance issues with slow reading and interpretation speed and large file sizes even for small amounts of data. Additionally, all information specific to the lidar data is lost when using ASCII.
The LAS file format addresses these issues by providing a binary file format that preserves information specific to lidar data without being overly complicated. It balances data accessibility with fast processing speeds, making it a reliable and efficient choice for storing and processing your point cloud data.
there are 2 compessed extensions for LAS formats :
- LAZ format uses optimized compression and is open source.
- zLAS is a proprietary ESRI format.
The most common extensions for LAS is .las and .laz or zlas for compressed files.
CAD Interop distributes several solutions to prepare, convert and visualize your LAS data. Find below the list of our solutions compatible with the LAS format: