The OpenTopography Tool Registry provides a community populated clearinghouse of software, utilities, and tools oriented towards high-resolution topography data (e.g. collected with lidar technology) handling, processing, and analysis. Tools registered below range from source code to full-featured software applications. We welcome contributions to the registry via the Contribute a Tool page.

	Tool Name	Date	Tool Type	Rating
1	LViz: 3D LiDAR Visualization Tool	19 Nov 2010	Visualization
Keywords: point cloud, lidar, viz, ascii License: GNU General Public License Description: LViz is a tool designed for 3D visualization of LiDAR point cloud and interpolated data, the tool offers import of LiDAR point cloud data (delimited text file) or interpolated surfaces (in ascii or arc ascii grid formats). LViz also offers texture mapping and user control over display settings such as data and background color. LViz was originally written for visualization of outputs from the GEON LiDAR Workflow system and is designed to run on Windows platforms. Although originally conceived for the 3D visualization of LiDAR data, LViz can be used to view any 3D point cloud data such as seismicity or gravity.
2	SAGA GIS	3 Apr 2011	Software Suite
Keywords: GIS, Terrain Analysis, Visualization, Raster, Vector, Pointcloud, LAS License: GNU General Public License Description: SAGA GIS is a FOSS which is, besides common GIS tasks, specialized on digital terrain analysis. The software provides a lot of analysis tools which you will not find in any other software package, e.g. for morphometric or hydrologic analysis. SAGA supports various raster and vector (including LAS and SAGA point clouds) formats, DEM generation, analysis and visualization (e.g. 3D point cloud viewer, bare earth extraction). One of SAGA's main objectives is to provide scientists an easy to use API to implement own algorithms (C++) but it is also used in commercial environments. SAGA provides a GUI and can be scripted in various ways (e.g. batch/bash, python). SAGA runs on Windows, Linux and FreeBSD, both 32 and 64bit. The software is licensed under the GPL (GUI, most of the modules) and the LGPL (API).
3	Makai Voyager	18 Aug 2011	Visualization
Keywords: visualization, terrain, lidar, volume License: Commercial License Description: Makai Voyager is an advanced 3D/4D visualization platform that allows you to fly anwhere in the world to view geospatial data, including: terrain imagery, elevation, LIDAR, volumetric and flow data, and more.
4	CloudCompare	3 Nov 2011	Point Cloud Analysis
Keywords: 3D point cloud mesh comparison editing processing lidar laser scanner License: GNU General Public License Description: CloudCompare is a 3D point cloud and triangular mesh processing software. It has been originally designed to perform fast cloud/cloud or cloud/mesh comparison on huge datasets such as those acquired by laser scanners). Afterwards, it has been extended to a more generic 3D data editing and processing software.
5	LIDAR Analyst	20 Mar 2014	Software Suite
Keywords: LIDAR, Automated Feature Extraction License: Commercial License Description: LIDAR Analyst® software is the premier feature extraction solution for airborne LIDAR data, allowing geospatial analysts to unlock the value of LIDAR by automatically extracting 3D objects such as bare earth, trees or buildings. Now the software has been upgraded with a major enhancement: an integrated 3D Viewer that delivers mission-critical high-resolution 3D exploitation and further establishes LIDAR Analyst as the Gold Standard. Enjoy the performance of viewing and manipulating LIDAR data containing over a billion points. LIDAR Analyst has eight years of proven heritage as one of the first commercially released LIDAR applications. The power, speed, accuracy and broad selection of tools enable users to get real work accomplished. Thats why LIDAR Analyst is so widely respected and used daily by military forces, federal agencies, local governments, academic universities and GIS services providers around the globe. Since LIDAR Analyst is an extension for Esri ArcGIS®, the products familiar environment makes it easy to install and learn. Use the 3D Viewer to manipulate, filter and edit LIDAR point clouds displayed in stunning color. Rapidly inventory all the buildings across a city or area of interest by using LIDAR Analysts advanced algorithms to detect, recognize, and extract complex 3D building shapes. Count the trees in a forest or scattered throughout a neighborhood. Strip away the buildings and shrubbery to reveal the true ground level for detailed terrain.
6	ENVI LiDAR	17 Dec 2012	Software Suite
Keywords: LiDAR, Point Cloud, DSm, DTM, Feature Extraction License: Commercial License Description: ENVI LiDAR is an interactive geospatial software environment that allows you to create realistic 3D visualizations and easily extract important features (trees, powerlines, buildings) from LiDAR point cloud data. Elevation information contained within LiDAR can be included in your geospatial analysis projects such as viewshed and line-of-sight studies, forest inventories, right-of-way analyses, and urban planning applications. With ENVI LiDAR, you have the software tool to quickly prepare LiDAR data, accurately extract 3D features, fine-tune results, and export your results to your existing tools, such as ENVI or ArcMap, for further analysis or inclusion in your geospatial products.
7	PointCloudViz Free Edition	25 Nov 2014	Visualization, DEM generation
Keywords: 3D, LiDAR, DEM, orthoimage, WMS, LiDAR server License: Free to use/Unspecified Description: PointCloudViz is a free 3D LiDAR display and processing tool supporting input LAS, LAZ and ASCII formats. It provides very interactive visualization and attribute symbology without data size limits, as well as single or multiple orthoimage draping and grid DEM export. LiDAR data can be imported from multiple files, and also multiple processed datasets can be displayed simultaneously. PointCloudViz FE is available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. Version 2.0 includes linear measurement and information tools, Web Map Service image draping and connection to Mirage's Web LiDAR server.
8	Global Mapper	26 Jan 2015	Visualization, Point Cloud Analysis, DEM generation, DEM Analysis
Keywords: GIS, LiDAR, file format translation, data analysis, 3D, Vector Raster, image rectification, contour License: Commercial License Description: Global Mapper is an affordable and easy-to-use GIS application that offers access to an unparalleled variety of spatial datasets and provides just the right level of functionality to satisfy both experienced GIS professionals and beginning users. Equally well suited as a standalone spatial data management tool and as an integral component of an enterprise-wide GIS, Global Mapper is a must-have for anyone who deals with maps or spatial data. Global Mapper is more than just a utility; it has built in functionality for distance and area calculations, raster blending, feathering, spectral analysis, elevation querying, line of sight calculations, cut-and-fill volume calculations, as well as advanced capabilities like image rectification, contour generation from surface data, view shed analysis, watershed delineation, sea level rise modeling, terrain layer comparison, and triangulation and gridding of 3D point data. Users can now simulate fly-through recordings in high-definition with various sky models in the 3D viewer. This new Skybox tool enables users to choose from a handful of existing sky templates or custom designs. Support for 3D textures and meshes have also been added to give data a more realistic look, including support for a host of new 3D formats. Live GPS data can also now be viewed and tracked in the 3D Viewer. Version 16 features dramatically faster processing speeds for analyzing large amounts of data.
9	Civil Maps	19 Mar 2015	Visualization, Point Cloud Analysis, Data Management / Handling
Keywords: deep learning, artificial intelligence, point cloud streaming protocol License: Other Description: Civil Maps allows users to upload their survey data, then specify the assets of interest and mapping specification. Upon upload, Civil Maps indexes all of the spatial information as defined in the mapping specification into a query-able format. The maps can then be dynamically generated on demand and exported to various tools such as AutoDesk Map3D from Civil Maps, which is useful for integrating into the customers workflow. The biggest pain point in the industry is the time to annotate 3D scans. Currently, processing huge 3D survey datasets is limited by the point­ and ­click annotation speed of the user and the limited resources of the users computer (I/O, CPU, Network, Memory). By circumventing these bottlenecks, Civil Maps is introducing a paradigm shift in the workflow of annotating 3D survey data. Advancements in parallel computing and deep learning allows Civil Maps to reduce 2 years of manual annotation work down to 2 days of processing using our cloud infrastructure
10	FUSION	4 Aug 2015	Visualization, Point Cloud Analysis, DEM generation, DEM Analysis, Software Suite
Keywords: LIDAR, visualization, processing License: Free to use/Unspecified Description: The FUSION/LDV analysis and visualization system consists of two main programs, FUSION and LDV (LIDAR data viewer), and a collection of task-specific command line programs. The primary interface, provided by FUSION, consists of a graphical display window and a control window. The FUSION display presents all project data using a 2D display typical of geographic information systems. It supports a variety of data types and formats including shapefiles, images, digital terrain models, canopy surface models, and LIDAR return data. LDV provides the 3D visualization environment for the examination and measurement of spatially-explicit data subsets. Command line programs provide specific analysis and data processing capabilities designed to make FUSION suitable for processing large LIDAR acquisitions. Command line utilities and processing programs, called the FUSION LIDAR Toolkit or FUSION-LTK, provide extensive processing capabilities including bare-earth point filtering, surface fitting, data conversion, and quality assessment for large LIDAR acquisitions. These programs are designed to run from a command prompt or using batch programs. FUSION runs on all current versions of Windows and has been successfully used on LINUX systems using WINE. The FUSION/LDV visualization system is GUI based. The command line tools require the use of batch files to be most effective.
11	l3dt	26 Nov 2015	Visualization, Point Cloud Analysis, DEM generation, DEM Analysis, Data Management / Handling, Software Suite
Keywords: solo License: Other Description: esto es una muy buena idea
12	GeoSync - Z tools	5 Feb 2020	Visualization, DEM generation, Data Management / Handling, Software Suite
Keywords: Find, Download, Colorize, Visualize, Extract and Filter Point Cloud and public domain lidar data License: Commercial License Description: Easy to use 3D toolbox for finding, filtering, clipping and visualizing point cloud data. Designed by surveying professionals to streamline point cloud workflows and reduce processing time, often by 50% or more. Find, Download, Colorize, Visualize, Extract and Filter Point Cloud and public domain lidar data for all 50 states
13	DEM.Net Elevation API	21 Apr 2019	Visualization, DEM Analysis, Data Management / Handling
Keywords: 3D, heightmaps, elevation, gpx License: MIT license / X11 license Description: Free .Net Open Source library for DEM access and analysis (elevation queries, height maps, 3D exports textured)
14	uniTank	4 Nov 2019	Visualization, Point Cloud Analysis, Data Management / Handling
Keywords: laser scan data, LIDAR, point cloud, data registration, classification, storage tank analysis, tank License: Commercial License Description: uniTank is a comprehensive, highly automated software solution for near real-time 3D storage tank analysis and reporting based on 3D LiDAR data. The data registration tool is robust and versatile and does not rely on targets in field. uniTank‘s in-depth structural tank analysis includes precise data classification and feature extraction, manway and nozzle detection for tank calibration and all features to perform the analysis of shell roundness, verticality, peaking and bending, shell and edge settlement, roof, floor and floating roof settlement, floating roof rim space, girder, rafter and column deflection as well as tank calibration and berm survey. The graphic and textual reports are generated instantly and offer rapid access to critical decision making information the same day.
15	LIDAR Widgets	6 May 2016	Visualization, Point Cloud Analysis, DEM generation, DEM Analysis, Data Management / Handling, Software Suite
Keywords: contour map, mesh, grid, DXF, AutoCAD, ArcInfo, ESRI, point cloud, terrain, LAS, LAZ License: Commercial License Description: LIDAR Widgets is a suite of programs that will process LAS/LAZ point files and generate 3D terrain models and contour maps. Output formats include AutoCAD DXF, ESRI ArcInfo grids, and QwtPlot3D viewable meshes with real-time pan, zoom and rotation. Converts LAS/LAZ point clouds into DXF point clouds. Also batch converts LAS/LAZ files into viewable mesh files, contour maps, 3D models, DXF point clouds or ArcInfo meshes.
16	terrainShadingMask	6 Jul 2016	Visualization, DEM Analysis
Keywords: terrain, shading, mask, profile, horizon, angle, Meteonorm, PVSOL, PVsyst, IES VE, Trnsys 3D License: GNU General Public License Description: terrainShadingMask is a free collection of terrain masks for various locations. They are given in geometrical (.obj files) and textual (.hor files) forms. A terrain shading mask is a diagram which maps the silhouette of the surrounding terrain (hills, valleys, mountains, tree tops...) around the chosen location. Building simulation softwares (IES VE, Trnsys 3D, Design Builder...) can use the .obj geometry files, while solar-photovoltaic-thermal software (PV*SOL, PVsyst...) can use .hor files.