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	RiverTools	22 Feb 2014	Software Suite
Keywords: DEMs, terrain, river network extraction, contributing area, curvature License: Commercial License Description: RiverTools is a user-friendly GIS application that contains a wide variety of tools specifically designed for terrain and watershed analysis and visualization. Version 4.0 supports the latest versions of Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
2	Whitebox Geospatial Analysis Tools	27 May 2014	Software Suite
Keywords: GIS, LAS file reader, interpolation, geospatial analysis License: GNU General Public License Description: Whitebox GAT is a full-blown GIS with extensive analysis capabilities for handling LiDAR data, including specialized interpolation algorithms for LAS data, removal of off-terrain objects, and plenty of tools for processing DEMs, e.g. hydrological tools, geomorphometry, etc. Here is a description for handling LiDAR: http://whiteboxgeospatial.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/working-with-lidar-data-in-whitebox-gat/
3	Geomorphic Change Detection Software	4 Sep 2014	DEM Analysis
Keywords: DEM error modelling, change detection, DEM uncertainty, geomorphic interpretation License: Other Description: The GCD software was developed primarily for morphological sediment budgeting in rivers. The volumetric change in storage is calculated from the difference in surface elevations from digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from repeat topographic surveys. As each DEM has an uncertain surface representation (which might vary in space and time), our ability to detect changes between surveys is highly dependent on surface representation uncertainties inherent in the individual DEMs. The fundamental problem is separating out the changes between the surveys that are due to geomorphic change as opposed to noise in the survey data. GCD provides a suite of tools for quantifying those uncertainties independently in each DEM and propagating them through to the DEM of difference. The program also provides ways for segregating the best estimates of change spatially using different types of masks. The overall suite of tools is more generically applicable to many different spatial raster-based change detection problems.
4	Geographic Calculator	5 Mar 2015	DEM Analysis, Data Management / Handling
Keywords: vertical datum transformation, horizontal datum, image resampling, geoid support, HTDP License: Commercial License Description: The Geographic Calculator is THE Global Coordinate Transformation tool for any coordinate or geomatic challenge. A powerful windows solution with particular strength in survey, seismic and energy exploration, it is available in 32 or 64 bit versions. This highly accurate transformation software includes tools such as Canadian DLS (Dominion Land Survey) Land Grid tools, Seismic Survey Conversion tools, Area of Use tools for guiding users, and much more. The Geographic Calculator supports a wide range of file formats with support from the largest geodetic parameter database available anywhere. Display and reproject your DEMs into the right coordinate systems.
5	lidar2dems	29 Jul 2015	DEM generation
Keywords: DEM, DSM, DTM, CHM, PDAL, points2grid, gridding License: BSD license Description: The lidar2dems project is a collection open-source (FreeBSD license) command line utilities for supporting the easy creation of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) from LiDAR data. lidar2dems uses the PDAL library (and associated dependencies) for doing the actual point processing and gridding of point clouds into raster data.
6	Points2Grid	23 Jun 2011	DEM generation
Keywords: gridding, P2G, point cloud, binning, local gridding, DEM License: BSD license Description: Points2Grid is a robust and scalable tool for gridding LIDAR point cloud data to generate Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). Points2Grid uses a local gridding method to compute grid cell elevation using a neighborhood defined around each cell based on a search radius provided by the user (see image below). Points2Grid offers two processing modes - in-core and out-of-core - to allow it to handle generation of rasters larger than available memory.
7	scarplet	3 Dec 2018	DEM Analysis
Keywords: Python, fault scarp, edge detection, image processing, diffusion dating License: MIT license / X11 license Description: scarplet is a Python package for detecting and relatively dating landforms like fault scarps in DEMs. It implements curvature based landform templates that can be used to estimate the maturity of a feature by diffusion dating or detect distinctive topographic features.
8	River Bathymetry Toolkit (RBT)	18 Mar 2011	Software Suite
Keywords: LiDAR, bathymetry, river, raster, detrending, water, RBT License: Free to use/Unspecified Description: The (RBT) is available for free and is under active development. Tools exist for cutting cross sections and longitudinal profiles into high resolution DEMs to extract hydrologic parameters such as wetted area, bankfull width, hydraulic radius, gradient and sinuosity. It is possible to save the cross section properties as a ShapeFile and then add them to a map. Using an automated detrending algorithm we are able to remove the overall valley slope. Tools are being created that use the detrended raster to investigate flooding outside a main channel at any prescribed discharge or flow stage.
9	Points2Grid Utility (winP2G)	20 Nov 2010	DEM generation
Keywords: point cloud, lidar, DEM, gridding, binning License: Free to use/Unspecified Description: The Points2Grid Utility is a simple tool for the generation of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) from lidar point cloud data. The Points2Grid Utility is a Windows application that utilizes the same local binning algorithm deployed in the OpenTopography lidar system to offer rapid generation of DEMs from large volumes of LiDAR point return data. Note that winP2G is no longer supported - information about newer implementations of the algorithm can be found here: https://opentopography.org/otsoftware/points2grid
10	uniDEM	29 May 2019	Visualization, Point Cloud Analysis, DEM generation, DEM Analysis, Data Management / Handling
Keywords: DEM editing, automated workflows, Point Cloud Classification and DEM generation, DTM creation, QC License: Commercial License Description: uniDEM specializes in post-processing DEMs of all resolutions. This release includes the capability to automate workflows based on graphical programming (scripting), the automated “Bare Ground Classification” tool and the “LiDAR Point Cloud Classification” tool. uniDEM is an efficient but comprehensive solution for standardized large-area DEM creation as well as for generating customer tailored DEMs over small areas. Creates DEMs from LIDAR (las, laz, e57) and completes a DSM or DTM in minutes.
11	NERC-ARF DEM Scripts	7 Jul 2016	DEM generation
Keywords: DTM, DSM, LAS, GRASS License: GNU General Public License Description: A collection of scripts developed by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Airborne Research Facility Data Analysis Node (NERC-ARF-DAN; formerly ARSF) for generating DEMs from point clouds. Through command line tools or Python functions the ARSF DEM Scripts provide a common interface to generate DSMs or DTMs from LAS files using GRASS, SPDLib, points2grid, FUSION or LAStools. When using SPDLib, FUSION or LAStools will classify ground returns to produce a DTM (note license required to produce a DTM using LAStools). Additional utilities are available for manipulating DEMs (e.g., patching with a courser resolution DEM to fill in gaps) using GRASS.