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using lidar data in an ArcView project

LIDAR data are composed of elevation measurements of the beach surface and were acquired during aerial topographic surveys. The file format used to capture the LIDAR data is referred to as "x, y, z," where x is longitude, y is latitude, and z is elevation. Before you can look at the LIDAR data in ArcView, you must first acquire a data set and then load the data set into ArcView. Several options to both obtain and load LIDAR data into ArcView are listed below.

Acquiring LIDAR Data

The first step is to acquire a LIDAR data set. The easiest way to acquire a LIDAR data set is to use the Lidar Data Retrieval Tool (LDART). This is a web-based data selection tool that allows the user to pick a state, area of interest, and projection before downloading the LIDAR data. Please visit the LDART Page for more information.

Loading LIDAR Data into an ArcView Project

Once you have your LIDAR data set, there are two options for loading it into an ArcView project. The first option is to use the LIDAR Loader ArcView extension, a custom extension created for users to import LIDAR data sets directly into ArcView. The LIDAR Loader extension automatically loads the x,y,z points into a table and displays each point as a shapefile. Please visit the LIDAR Loader Extension for more information.

Another option for getting your LIDAR data into an ArcView project is to do it manually. Instructions for this procedure are outlined below.

Manually Loading LIDAR Data

To begin, open a new ArcView Project and View. In the Project Window, highlight the Tables icon. To add x, y, z (longitude, latitude, elevation) LIDAR point data to the project, click the Add button. From the List Files of Type pull-down menu, choose Delimited Text (*.txt).

add event theme

The data table will appear in the project window. It may take a few seconds for the text file to load, especially if you are working with data from a large region. You can now view the data. Change the legend to be classified based on the elevation, or convert the data to another format.

In the project window, highlight Views and activate your current view frame. From the menu bar, choose Add Event Theme from the View pull-down menu. The Add Event Theme window will appear. Choose the newly imported data table. For the x field, choose Easting (or longitude); for the y field, choose Northing (or latitude). Click OK. The data will appear as a theme in the view window. Click the theme on to view the data.

create a shapefile

In order to perform any queries or edits of the data, you will need to convert the text theme to a shapefile. Under Theme in the menu bar, choose Convert to

Shapefile. A new window will pop up; you can give the new shapefile a name or leave it at the default setting. Click OK. Choose Yes to add the shapefile to your view when the question box appears.

This data set now can be integrated with other data sets in a Geographic information system (GIS), such as boundary layers, hydrology, orthophotography, and quadrangles.

shapefile in a view

Creating Additional Data Products

Now that you have accessed LIDAR data and included it in an ArcView project, you may want additional flexibility in how the data are displayed. With the Spatial Analyst, an add-on extension to ArcView, you can create contours, or add hillshading for a more visually intuitive display. Please visit Creating Grids, Contours, and Hillshades in ArcView® Spatial Analyst® for instructions on creating contours from LIDAR data using Spatial Analyst.