Civil 3D and support for LAS files

[joshua.geoghegan]

Hi there,

I realise Civil 3D no longer supports LAS files and there is a workaround.

I was wondering if this will be fixed in future versions?

Regards,

Josh

[TerryDotson]

The previously removed functionality has been gone for five years (still missing in v2023).  The Autodesk path is through Recap and it's likely to remain that way.  Hopefully you are aware of this freeware alternative that works inside Civil3D.

DotSoft LidarTools Freeware on Autodesk App Store

Of course, there is also the more powerful MassPoints Processor found in the DotSoft C3DTools package which is an all-in-one command that takes various surface content (including LAS, LAZ, BigTiff, and many more formats), projects it to different coordinate systems if needed and contains multiple outputs and filters, including a Civil3D TinSurface.

[ChicagoLooper · Accepted solution]

AFAIK LiDAR data was never consumed by Civil 3D.

You can use Autodesk Recap to import various point clouds (las, laz, e57) and produce RCP/RCS files, which can be imported into Civil 3D.

[samir.rezk]

Hi @joshua.geoghegan 

Wanted to add that LAS and LAZ files can be imported directly in InfraWorks.

InfraWorks also has easier ways of creating a point cloud terrain from the ground classification specifically. Civil 3D can then import an already made surface from InfraWorks.

Hope this helps,

[pperales2]

You can use LASTOOLS to export a surface and import that to civil3d. Then go through the usual process of transforming coordinate systems. I will not go through the whole solution because I believe there are spy's amongst us!!!! cough :autodesk employees" cough!!!!!

[joshua.geoghegan]

Thanks to all of your replies. I will discuss this with our civil engineer.

[fernando.arzadun]

I am sorely dissapointed about this issue.

After 10 years I´ve convinced my boss to buy a new license of civil 3D, just to find I can NOT do the job I´ve been doing all this time, with the "same" program. I´m sorry to say the "solution" provided, buying another aplication, it´s going to sound more as a scam than as a real solution.

Will my company buy a new license, Recap; or will they try to look for an alternative to autodesk? Who knows..¡

A very bad situation anyway.

[fernando.arzadun]

Thank you, but I can´t find this app in the app store. May it have been removed?

[TerryDotson]

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Thank you, but I can´t find this app in the app store. May it have been removed?

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We just submitted a revision to the app store yesterday for 2023 compatibility, but I don't think it's been removed (for 2022 and previous).  This link below still works for the AppStore:

DotSoft LidarTools on Autodesk App Store

The AppStore build includes an install for easy add/remove, tested by store review team.
If these tools make you more productive, please consider leaving a brief review with a ranking (up to five stars).

The 2023 build is available on the DotSoft Blog with the link below:

Civil3D: Lidar Straight To TinSurface

It doesn't have an install but it's easy to NETLOAD  the DLL, then CUILOAD the included ribbon.

[fernando.arzadun]

Thank you 🖐

Eager to try it.

[neilyj666]

@TerryDotson I've been looking for the 2023 version of these tools...!!!

I unblocked the 2023 dll by ticking the Unblock box but the tools still won't install - is this unblocking restricted to admin users only (I am a standard user)

EDIT: Closed and restarted C3D and the dll has loaded 

NEW EDIT: Just clicked on LidarTiles icon and nothing happens - no dialog box to select the tiles. Any ideas?

NEWER EDIT: Just installed on C3D 2021 from the latest zip file (unblocking and loading no issues) and it all works as expected. Is there perhaps an issue with the 2023 version?

[fernando.arzadun]

A life saver ¡¡¡ Thank you😅

[TerryDotson]

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Is there perhaps an issue with the 2023 version?

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Yes, sorry about that.  The Blog ZIP version was just updated.  Anyone downloading yesterday (that runs 2023) should grab the ZIP again and extract (replace) the files.

LidarTools2023.dll should be 7/20/2022 8:40 AM EST

[neilyj666]

@TerryDotson thanks for the quick response - seems to be ok in 2023 now