Cloud Compare 6: Colouring LiDAR point clouds for Sketchfab with CC and LAStools

In this video you will learn how to colour LiDAR point clouds using LASTools (in QGIS) and Cloud Compare. Initially, the LiDAR point cloud were coloured using LAScolor tool in QGIS (installation details provided) by extracting RGB values from a georeferenced very high resolution (VHR) aerial image from Nearmap. Then, point clouds were segmented and recoloured in Cloud Compare by mixing the Illuminance PCV values estimated by ShadViz (plugin) with the RGB colours assigned with LAScolor tool. Finally, I provide some tips to upload your model to Sketchfab and quick edit settings.
Dataset: ELVIS Geoscience Australia (elevation.fsdf...)
VHR aerial Image: www.nearmap.co...
Cloud Compare: www.danielgm.n...
LASTools: lastools.org/
Sketchfab model: skfb.ly/6Xquq

[@trollenz]

Beauty ! Thanks.

[@CarlosBartesaghiKoc]

Thank you too!

[@shanequek8318]

Thanks for being a wealth of resource here in AU, Carlos! Much appreciated, it's fantastic that your videos are easy to follow along, even for a complete beginner like myself. I got stuck at the LAStools step as it isn't free though, so I'm wondering if there are any other ways to colour the LiDAR point cloud since you mentioned that this was the faster option, I'm guessing that there's a slower one? Also, this may seem silly, but how does one merge different point clouds together? Cheers

[@CarlosBartesaghiKoc]

You can colour them by applying an RGB colour to segmented point clouds (I explained this in one of my videos)…you can merge point clouds using one of the tools from the top menu of CloudCompare, the icon is pretty easy to recognise.

[@tokyowarfare6729]

great vid, you should mention tho that over 3M output is distorted nless you buy the license

[@CarlosBartesaghiKoc]

Many thanks! Very interesting consideration, as we usually deal with smaller point clouds because is more practical and sometimes results equivalent to those from very large point clouds

[@roletnabih]

Great tutorial. Is georeferenced image projection part important? What I did ran lasinfo inside qgis it printed Georeferencing Information. For my case NAD83 / UTM 17N than I did what you did .tif and it didn't work :( Once imported back into cc rgb doesn't show up its empty.

[@CarlosBartesaghiKoc]

Yes georeferencing the imagery is critical otherwise you get the error you described

[@wingmanmedia6536]

Is there any free tool that can colorize a point cloud with a photo while neither have any georeference? I am just working with internal scans with a LIdar that has no IMU/GNSS so I would love to do it manually as long as the tool allows to align a photo with reference points.

[@CarlosBartesaghiKoc]

I don’t think so, images need to be georeferenced.

[@mm_vs8707]

Hi Carlos thank you for this very great video. I tried to do it step by step but when I ran the lascolor tool in QGIS it give this error: ERROR: image bands have 32 bits. not implemented. What could be the problem? Your response is much appreciated.

[@CarlosBartesaghiKoc]

Maybe you haven't georeferenced your GeoTiff

hi! do you offer virtual private server for processing & analyzing?

[@adamholland793]

Is Nearmap a paid subscription? it doesn't seem free , is there an alternative?

[@Daimo988]

nearmap is about the most overpriced crap in existence for maps

[@CarlosBartesaghiKoc]

Yes paid