LiDAR Studio (v1.2.0)

Desktop GUI for turning a small Area of Interest (AOI) into ground-only LAZ, a TIN DEM, and hillshade/slope visualizations using USGS/AWS LiDAR. Built by Bill Fleming (TechBill).

Highlights

• Auto-discovers intersecting USGS/AWS LiDAR datasets; falls back to older collections when coverage is thin.
• Clips AOI to ground points only (Classification 2) and builds a TIN DEM via pdal_wrench.
• Multiple visualization modes: standard hillshade, archaeology presets, custom hillshade, and slope.
• Re-run visualization on existing DEMs without re-downloading data.
• KMZ export for quick Google Earth viewing.
• Configurable paths for PDAL and pdal_wrench; remembers recent projects and UI settings.
• Modal progress dialog with cancel button, elapsed time, and optional live log window.

Requirements

• Python 3.10+ with tkinter (usually bundled).
• GDAL/pygdal tools available on PATH (gdaldem, gdal_calc.py).
• PDAL and pdal_wrench installed (QGIS ships both; make sure they are on PATH or configure via Settings).
• macOS/Windows/Linux supported; internet access needed the first time to download the USGS coverage index.

Quick Start

1. Install QGIS (for PDAL + pdal_wrench) and GDAL so pdal, pdal_wrench, gdaldem, and gdal_calc.py are on PATH. If needed, set explicit paths with ⚙️ Settings (Software Paths) inside the app.
2. Clone the repo and launch:

   python maingui.py

3. Follow the UI steps:
   • Step 1: Pick a project folder (app will create laz/, dem/, gis/, kmz/ under it).
   • Step 2: Enter AOI center lat/lon and square miles (0.1–1.0). Choose auto dataset selection or manual pick.
   • Step 3: Choose DEM resolution (auto by LiDAR spacing, fixed 1 m, or custom) and optional advanced tile size/threads.
   • Step 4: Pick visualization mode (standard/custom/archaeology presets/slope). Use Re-run Visualization Only to regenerate GIS outputs from existing DEMs.
   • Step 5: Run the pipeline. Watch progress/cancel, and open the log if you want details.
   • Google Earth Export: Convert GIS GeoTIFFs to KMZ when GDAL is available.

Outputs

• laz/ – AOI-clipped ground-only LAZ.
• dem/ – TIN DEM GeoTIFF from pdal_wrench.
• gis/ – Hillshade/slope rasters matching the selected visualization mode.
• kmz/ – Optional KMZ exports from GIS rasters.

Notes

• The AWS/USGS coverage index is cached locally; the app refreshes it every 30 days and falls back to the cached copy if offline.
• Archaeology presets mirror the dem2shade presets and show descriptive labels directly in the dropdown.
• Cancel stops between major steps; partial outputs may exist in the project folder.

License & Use

Personal and educational use are free. Commercial/business use requires permission. See LICENSE.txt for full terms. Donations: PayPal | Buy Me a Coffee.

Version History

• 1.01 – First public snapshot of LiDAR Studio with progress dialog, dataset fallback, visualization presets, KMZ export, and config support.