topic Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file? in Civil 3D Forum

Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

stevenZ45DY — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 22:16:22 GMT

I have a lidar point cloud file in (.laz). I would like to create a TIN surface in Civil3D from this data but cannot directly create a surface. What is the best free method to convert this file and begin creating a surface in C3D?

Thanks!

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

Domzinator — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 06:46:05 GMT

This can be imported into recap and then you will be able to open the recap point cloud file in civil 3D

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

Pointdump — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 07:02:58 GMT

Hi Steven,
ReCap has a free version. You can use that to convert a laz point cloud into an rcp file that Civil 3D can use.
Your other free options are to convert the laz into an xyz file. For that, either las2text in lastools(also in QGIS) or CloudCompare.
Dave

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

sirjoelsph — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 12:25:51 GMT

We use DotSoft's LidarTools. They've made this portion of their great add-on tools free for everyone. Direct from LAZ to Civil 3D surface without dealing with ReCap in the middle.

https://dotsoft.com/blog/?p=508

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

RobertoJJoaquin — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 03:43:39 GMT

@stevenZ45DY You need to have the RECAP program installed, upload the point cloud, generate an rcp file, and after that in Civil 3D there is an option to create surfaces from point clouds, Another method is to change the laz file to an XYZ file but the file would be very large,

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

stevenZ45DY — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 15:43:33 GMT

My .laz file is a big square tile, much larger than my project area. Can I crop the tile down to my project area in Recap?

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

stevenZ45DY — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 15:45:12 GMT

It appears that I cannot export my needed file from the free version, only Pro. Is this correct?

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

ianjchap — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 15:57:32 GMT

Hi @stevenZ45DY

First convert your .laz to an .LAS file

https://www.google.ca/search?q=convert+laz+to+las&hl=en-US&gws_rd=cr,ssl&ei=gwKiWITVE5T0jwOS8Z_gDg

Then create a Surface from LAS:-
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/civil-3d-forum/las-to-civil-3d-surface/td-p/9792751

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

Pointdump — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 16:03:09 GMT

Hi Steven,
"Can I crop the tile down to my project area in Recap?"
Yes, use "regions" to crop.
"I cannot export my needed file from the free version..."
What happens when you try? Should work.
Dave

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

neilyj666 — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 16:21:11 GMT

@sirjoelsph Unfortunately Dotsoft made the commercial decision to stop supporting the latest version of Civil 3D (2025) with the free tools

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

sirjoelsph — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 17:13:35 GMT

Dang @neilyj666 , you're right. And they didn't make it cheap either... Time to figure out yet another workaround.

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

J-Porter — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 18:39:58 GMT

You can't do this directly in Civil 3D. If you have the AEC Collection then you have access to Recap. Take the file into Recap and the export it from there. Take a look at this: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLODyPJ02lt5-PE0GdDgZ93AyBLVGyI5XH&si=8RiW4Sv2AydOI26c

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

Pointdump — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 19:52:21 GMT

Hi Jason,
Nice cut-to-the-chase videos! Good job!
Dave

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

J-Porter — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 19:54:38 GMT

Thanks, Dave!!! I hope they still work. I only make the videos because I know I'm going to forget the process later.

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

Pointdump — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 20:09:56 GMT

Hi Joel,
I just saw >>>Here<<< that Terry Dotson died in December. I wondered why he hadn't posted recently.
Dave

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

J-Porter — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 20:26:42 GMT

Sad!!! So sad to hear this.

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

neilyj666 — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 20:34:52 GMT

@Pointdump 😲 never knew that about Terry.....

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

teerawat.pSCHYQ — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 00:58:37 GMT

Hi @stevenZ45DY please try what @Domzinator reply to you, you can use Autodesk Recap to import Laz file and then In Civil 3D you can import that recap file into Civil 3D, it like my project like this

then open Civil 3D, then go to Point Cloud panel > Select Attach

then in the home tap, go to Create Ground Data Panel then Select Surface>Create Surface from Point Cloud like this

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

fcernst — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 01:39:58 GMT

Wow.. he really helped me.. always open to implementing my Tool ideas. We had a lot of back and forth emails working on Tool ideas over the years.. will be missed tremendously. He was a good friend..

Re: Create a Tin Surface from .laz file?

sirjoelsph — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:15:38 GMT

Thanks Dave @Pointdump, I hadn't seen that yet. You're right I hadn't seen Terry post in a while, and he's usually right on top of topics like this. It looks like Carlson Software acquired Dotsoft, so his work will at least still be around and supported.