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What is LizardTech LiDAR Compressor?
LizardTech LiDAR Compressor enables you to turn giant point cloud data sets into efficient MrSID files that retain 100 percent of the raw data at just 25 percent or less of the original file size (lossless compression). If storage requirements are critical, you can reduce your LiDAR file sizes by 90 percent or more by choosing a higher compression ratio and letting LiDAR Compressor select the best way to reach a desired file size (lossy compression). Unlike raw LAS or ASCII data, LiDAR files compressed to MrSID are easily managed resources you can extract derivatives from over and over again.
How do you compress LiDAR data?
We've revised the MrSID file format to support compression of random data present in LiDAR point clouds. This groundbreaking technology, called MrSID Generation 4 (MG4) is a new version of MrSID that will allow LizardTech to build many new features into our compression and delivery products.
How much does LiDAR Compressor cost?
List with discounts available by quarter from GIS Services $2,995.00
Who are your competitors?
No one on the market currently offers LiDAR compression the way we do it. In fact, the compression technology we've developed is so advanced that it's being patented. While you can certainly zip your LiDAR files up and decompress them later, the files are unusable while they're compressed. With LiDAR Compressor, your files are always usable when they're stored in the efficient MrSID format.
Are there any cartridge size limitations?
No. LiDAR Compressor doesn't use a data cartridge. Just install it and compress as much data as you want.
Do the license options include multiuser, server-based, floating license options?
No. This version of LiDAR Compressor is a standalone product licensed on a per-machine basis.
Are there any unique licensing restrictions?
No. LiDAR Compressor is a standalone product licensed on a per-machine basis.
Is there a no-cost SDK available so I can add support for MG4 to my application?
Yes!
What versions of LAS do you support?
LiDAR Compressor supports LAS versions 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2.
How is this related to your existing "MrSID" format? Will existing MrSID-enabled applications work with your new LiDAR Compressor?
With the release of LiDAR Compressor LizardTech unveiled a new and improved version of the format, MrSID Generation 4 (MG4). It's still LizardTech and it's still MrSID, so you know you're using the highest quality file format with the most advanced compression technology available. Existing applications won't be able to read these files until vendors update to our latest SDK, but that's already happening. MG4 is supported in Global Mapper, MARS and ArcGIS 3D Analyst, and more third-party support is on the way.
When you say "lossy", what do you mean? What are the artifacts I'll see at high compression?
At higher compression ratios than lossless, LiDAR Compressor actually discards points (hence the term "lossy" compression) but each point that is retained remains identical to its counterpart in the raw data. Thus there is no loss in accuracy, only in density. This allows you to create LiDAR files that are a mere fraction of their original size.
Is it faster to load up a 10:1 MG4 file than to load up the full LiDAR LAS (or ASCII) file? Does it require a lot of memory?
MG4 files load extremely quickly, typically 10 times faster than raw LAS files! And due to the efficient wavelet encoding of LiDAR data to MG4, they require a very small memory footprint for visualization.
Are there command line tools for batch encoding and decoding?
LiDAR Compressor is a GUI application for encoding MG4 files, and beginning with version 1.1, LiDAR Compressor includes MG4 Decode, a GUI application for decoding MG4 files back out to LAS text. Both support batch operations. Additionally, LiDAR Compressor includes a command line tool for decoding MG4 files. As with any command line utility, you can write a script to batch decode files.
Can I edit a file once it is in MG4 format?
This version of LiDAR Compressor does not support editing. If you need to make changes to your point cloud, you'll need to extract the MG4 file back to LAS or ASCII using the included tools, make your changes, and then recompress to MG4. We'll be listening to our customers to understand what features they want included in future versions of LiDAR Compressor.