Visualize

Quick Terrain Modeler allows you to visualize vast amounts of data using the best data representations for your analysis and exploitation. Quick Terrain Modeler can visualize the points as collected in a Point Cloud, as a gridded surface in a DEM, or display both simultaneously. Once you have the data displayed, the user can enhance the view using visualization tools such as custom lighting, custom elevation palettes, model coloration, and elevation exaggeration.

Point Cloud Benefits LiDAR data is collected on an individual point basis. A typical LiDAR sensor sends out a laser pulse and waits for the light energy to bounce back to the sensor. This energy is called a "return". Returns are collected very rapidly, frequently at a rate of 100,000 (100 kHz) times per second or higher. The resulting data files, typically distributed in LAS format, contain millions, and sometimes even billions, of individual points. The 3D visualization of all the points together is called a "point cloud". The benefits of visualizing your LiDAR data in point cloud format are:
Quality Assurance: See actual data as collected -- no interpolation or surfacing. Gain a better grasp of actual survey coverage and data anomalies. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis of point clouds can greatly assist in QA/QC processes, finding objects, spotting patterns, and many other research and operational tasks. Statistical analysis is best performed on the "raw" data - i.e., the original point cloud prior to surface creation or any other filtering and/or smoothing process. Foliage Penetration: See objects and other evidence of human activity under jungle/foliage canopy. QTM can temporarily remove canopy to further investigate, measure, and annotate these objects. Vertical Obstructions (VO's): VO analysis is best performed on a point cloud, where a single point can represent the very top of a tower, tree, or other obstruction. Also, power lines become very obvious in a point cloud.
Surface Model Benefits After collecting LiDAR data in a pointwise fashion as noted above, LiDAR data is frequently converted to a surface representation, frequently referred to as a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), a digital Surface Model (DSM), or Digital Terrain Model (DTM). While a DEM loses some of the information contained in the original point cloud, it also gains usefulness for many types of terrain analysis and exploitation because it has been gridded into a continuous surface (i.e., rasterized). Key benefits of surface models are:
More visually intuitive, better for varied lighting conditions and overlaying imagery. Better for Line of Sight calculation, slope/mobility analysis, HLZ maps, volume calculations, change detection, shadow maps, and many other types of analysis that rely on a continuous raster surface being defined. More compact from a memory perspective. Gridded data sets are more compatible with GIS, ELT, and other raster-based software tools.
Data Fusion: Everything in the Same Interactive 3D Scene LiDAR is just one tool in the geospatial toolbox. Frequently, though, it is very useful to add 2D imagery to the scene to dramatically enhance realism. Quick Terrain Modeler can overlay most available formats of 2D raster imagery and vector layers. Key benefits of data fusion are:
Significant enhancement of situational awareness in DoD applications. Spatial context provided by adding color imagery, GIS layers, and other georeferenced information. Permanently "burning" color values into point clouds and DEM's, thus creating a single colorized 3D product.

Build

QT Modeler can work with both pre-built models (DEM's, DTED's, etc.) or with raw point data. When starting with raw point data, typically in LAS format, users can either build point clouds or surface models (or both) from these files. When creating surface models, QT Modeler offers a wide variety of gridding and triangulation options.

The img below show a point cloud and a DEM created from the same source LAS file.

3D point data in multiple input formats LAS 1.0, LAS 1.1, LAS 1.2. LAS 1.3 ASCII Binary ESRI Grid ASCII

Pre-built surface models in multiple input formats GeoTIFF DEM IMG DEM DTED SRTM USGS DEM

Although Quick Terrain Modeler builds enormous DEMs and point clouds, maximum model sizes will be subject to available system memory. Quick Terrain Modeler offers tools to decimate, downsample, and compress data to work within system constraints.

Quick Terrain Modeler Maximum Practical Model Size Based on Windows Memory Allocation in Windows 32-bit OS
Data/Model Type		Memory Allocated by Windows (GB)
		32-Bit
		1 GB	2 GB
Point Clouds (Measured in Number of Points)	Point Cloud: Compressed Points - No Intensity	100M Points	200M Points
	Point Cloud: Uncompressed Points - No Intensity	50M Points	100M Points
	Point Cloud: Uncompressed Points with Intensity	36M Points	72M Points
Surface Models (Measured in Area or Number of Vertices)	DEM: Compressed with No Intensity (1m posting)	102 sqkm	204 sqkm
	DEM: Compressed with Intensity (1m posting)	65 sqkm	130 sqkm
	DEM: Uncompressed with No Intensity (1m posting)	62 sqkm	124 sqkm

Quick Terrain Modeler Maximum Practical Model Size Based on Windows Memory Allocation in Windows 64-bit OS
Data/Model Type		Memory Allocated by Windows (GB)
		64-Bit
		3 GB	7 GB	15 GB
Point Clouds (Measured in Number of Points)	Point Cloud: Compressed Points - No Intensity	300M Points	700M Points	1.5B Points
	Point Cloud: Uncompressed Points - No Intensity	150M Points	350M Points	750M Points
	Point Cloud: Uncompressed Points with Intensity	108M Points	252M Points	540M Points
Surface Models (Measured in Area or Number of Vertices)	DEM: Compressed with No Intensity (1m posting)	306 sqkm	714 sqkm	1534 sqkm
	DEM: Compressed with Intensity (1m posting)	195 sqkm	465 sqkm	975 sqkm
	DEM: Uncompressed with No Intensity (1m posting)	186 sqkm	434 sqkm	930 sqkm

Edit

Quick Terrain Modeler offers a wide variety of editing tools that assist in editing both Point Clouds and Surface Models (DEM's). They range from simple cutting and cropping, to sophisticated statistically-based editing tools.

Point Clouds

• Cut/Crop: Cut and/or crop models based on spatial extents of a selection area.
• Removing individual points.
• Statistical Editing: Cutting/Cropping Decimation based on a statistical result (e.g., thin out points in areas with low Z deviation).
• Reclassification: Change LAS classification values interactively.
• Filtering/Coloring by LAS attributes: Quickly alter the appearance of point clouds based on LAS point attributes.
• Above Ground Level Filtering (Foliage Penetration): Filter by a point's height above the ground to reveal objects and features under dense canopy.
• Georegistration: Georegister unregistered (or poorly registered) data.
• Alignment in the Z axis: Shift point clouds in Z to align to other point clouds or to a reference model.
• Clipping Planes: Interactively clip points above or below user defined X/Y/Z values.

Surface Models/DEM's

• Cut/Crop/Smooth/Flatten models based on spatial extents of a selection area.
• Merging and Downsampling DEM's: Merge multiple DEM's together and downsample if necessary.
• Recolor/edit raster analysis results (e.g., HLZ, Line of Sight)

Mount St. Helens - Cropped and uncropped

Understand

QT Modeler's powerful, interactive, interface makes understanding your data very easy. For DoD users, this means understanding the terrain, achieving situational awareness, and an interactive 3D planning tool. For scientists and researchers, this means powerful statistical analyses that can be performed in seconds and immediately visualized. For those in the LiDAR production workflow, this means visual and statistical Quality Assurance tools. In fact, for any user of LiDAR data, there are useful tools to help you understand your data and subsequently make decisions based on your new found understanding.

QT Modeler allows users to quickly overlay imagery, vector data, and other geospatial information, then interact with it in 3D. Since QT Modeler is one tool in the toolbox, flexible exporting tools enable further analysis in GIS, imagery, and other external analysis software.

Images below:

A point cloud (height colored), the same point cloud with an overlaid image, the same point cloud colored by return number (highlighting power lines and vegetation).

Other useful tools for understanding your data:

Interactive layer tree (table of contents) and a mini-map to understand what part of the point cloud/DEM you are currently viewing:

Integration with Google Earth to synchronize view extents/camera positions, move coverage footprints quickly to KML, and export analysis results and vectors quickly to the Google Earth scene. This allows the user to understand their data, which can sometimes be relatively small extents, in a larger context.

Exploit

"Exploitation", a word that is fraught with negative connotations in most sectors of society, is precisely the end game for most users of LiDAR and high resolution 3D terrain data. To the end user, exploitation means turning data into useful information. This useful information can then answer questions, assist in decision making, and contribute to planning. The questions being asked and decisions being made will vary widely between user sectors, but a consistent theme is that the exploitation must be fast, accurate, interactive, easy to learn, and easy to share with others. Quick Terrain Modeler is all of these things.

DoD Exploitation

DoD exploitation of LiDAR data revolves around the superior situational awareness that an accurate, interactive 3D scene delivers, especially when overlaid with high resolution imagery. From this start point, some of the more commonly used DoD exploitation tools are:

• Slope/Mobility Analysis: Using a DEM (e.g., BuckEye), quickly perform slope analysis across an entire scene to determine corridors of mobility and potential obstructions to mobility (based only on slope).
• Terrain Profiles: Instantly see terrain cross sections/profiles.
• Building Height Measurement: Measure how high roofs, walls, and other objects are above the ground.
• Line of Sight Analysis: Quickly determine visibility from point(s) on or above the ground. This analysis can be omnidirectional (look in all directions) or directional (e.g., simulate line of sight communications)
• Helicopter Landing Zone (HLZ) Analysis: Similar to slope analysis, but also combines maximum tolerable slope, minimum radius, and maximum obstruction size (i.e., ground clearance)
• Vertical Obstruction (VO) Analysis: Best performed on a point cloud, VO analysis identifies potential obstructions to aircraft approach (e.g., power lines, towers, etc.)
• Foliage Penetration (FOPEN) Analysis: Must be used on a point cloud, FOPEN analysis gives the user the ability to remove vegetation canopy to see objects underneath.

Line of Sight Analysis from a Rooftop:	Result of HLZ Analysis:
Vertical Obstruction Analysis using LAS point attributes to help identify power lines:	Measuring a Building's height relative to the ground (6.74m)

Share

Once a user completes their exploitation phase, results almost always need to be shared with others. Quick Terrain Modeler offers not only a wide variety of export options, but also a free companion software, the Quick Terrain Reader, that will enable colleagues to experience the same immersive and interactive 3D visualization that the Quick Terrain Modeler offers. QT Modeler's sharing tools include:

Export formats:

• 3D Formats: LAS, GeoTIFF DEM, GridASCII, ASCII, etc. (for exporting point clouds and DEM's)
• 2D Raster Formats: GeoTIFF's, TIFF's, KMZ (for exporting raster results and 2D imagery)
• 3D/2D Vector Formats: KML/KMZ, SHP, DXF (for exporting vector products like contour lines, grid lines, routes, etc.)
• GPS Formats: GPX, KMZ (for exporting routes and georegistered imagery as routes, waypoints, and base maps to hand held Garmin GPS)
• QT Modeler Formats: QTT, QTC, Tile Sets, Markers, Routes/Missions, Bookmarks
• Other Formats: Export directly to PowerPoint, AVI movies

Quick Terrain Reader (free download)

• Send DEM's and point clouds to downstream users.
• Share markers and points of interest to those working on the same data sets.

Exporting markers for use in Google Earth

QT Reader has the same "look and feel" of QT Modeler, as well as the same rendering capabilities.

Find

For geospatial professionals, there is no shortage of data. The challenge is to find the data you need, when you need it. Searching multiple directories, multiple drives, and/or multiple networks for relevant data is time consuming and unproductive. Quick Terrain Modeler contains tools to assist not only in organizing and indexing your geospatial holdings, but also to help find data "on the fly" - as you are working in a time-constrained environment. The key tools for finding data are:

Model Search Input a coordinate (e.g., UTM, lat/long, or MGRS grid), point to a directory or drive, and QT Modeler will find any relevant 3D data (LAS, GeoTIFF DEM, DTED, SRTM, etc.)

Image Search Search for 2D image to overlay on the scene based on the spatial extents of the loaded 3D data.

Search Caching Search large inventories once, create a cache file (a small file that catalogs the location of all geospatial data), then subsequent searches are instantaneous.

Indexing Index all of your geospatial holdings - not just LiDAR. Index results will include GeoTIFF DEM's, LAS files, KML, Shape Files, 2D Imagery, and any type of geospatial file that has a readable header. QT Modeler's indexes can be exported as a KML file to be viewed in Google Earth or as a SHP file to be viewed in ARCMap. Each file will have its own extents footprint and metadata entry as part of the overall index.

A QT Modeler generated index, exported as KML, and opened in Google Earth:

Produce

LiDAR point clouds and DEM's are wonderful achievements by themselves, but ultimately the data was collected to assist in planning and decision making. For those users whose responsibility is to exploit LiDAR, you know that showing someone a point cloud or DEM is not enough. What is required is a standard product in a format that the end user can understand and use. Most typically, this means highly annotated PowerPoint presentations, Grid Referenced Graphics (GRG's), routes exported to Garmin GPS, AVI movies, and other standard products. Quick Terrain Modeler takes the time and the trouble out of creating these standard products with tools like direct export to pre-made PowerPoint templates, useful 3D annotation tools, markers that can display images and/or symbology, direct export to GPX/Garmin GPS devices, and AVI video fly-through tools.

QT Modeler sends the scene to a PowerPoint slide with one click:

Annotating an HLZ showing length, width, and elevation of the HLZ along with azimuth/slope of the primary HLZ axes:

Plan routes in 3D, export directly to Garmin GPS: