Global Mapper LiDAR Module v18.1 Now Available with New LiDAR Quality Control Tool

For over two decades, Blue Marble’s affordable, user-friendly GIS software has been meeting the needs of hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers throughout the world. Users come from all industries including software, oil and gas, mining, civil engineering, surveying, and technology companies, as well as government departments and academic institutions.

The Global Mapper LiDAR Module is an optional add-on to the software providing numerous advanced point cloud management and analysis tools, including automatic ground point detection and classification; feature extraction; cross-sectional viewing and point editing; significantly faster terrain surface generation; and much more.

Version 18.1 of the Module introduces a new feature for assessing and adjusting the vertical accuracy of LiDAR or point cloud data. This Quality Control function calculates the difference between the elevation at known ground control points and the elevation values associated with nearby LiDAR points. An interpolated vertical offset can subsequently be applied to the entire point cloud.

Also added in the latest release is an option to apply colors to the point cloud that reflect the local point density. This density calculation is assigned as an attribute to each point in the layer and can be used to filter the data or to create a density grid reflecting point clustering within the extent of the point cloud.

The LiDAR Module now includes an option to add the colors from an underlying gridded raster layer, such as an NDVI grid or land cover layer, as an attribute for each point. A new LiDAR statistics function generates a detailed report of the characteristics of selected points, such as those that fall within a defined boundary. This information includes the overall elevation range, the number of points assigned to each LiDAR class, and the number and percentage of returns types such as first of many, second of many, etc.

“Over the last several years, Global Mapper’s point cloud processing capabilities have captured the attention of the LiDAR community,” stated Blue Marble’s President, Patrick Cunningham. “At a fraction of the cost of comparable software, the LiDAR Module adds value to any point cloud data with its filtering and automatic reclassification tools. With the introduction of the LiDAR QC function, the Module has further established itself as a must-have for anyone working with LiDAR data.”

Current users of Global Mapper can activate a free two-week trial of the LiDAR Module from the Module/Extension License Manager in the software. To download a trial of the standard version of Global Mapper, visit: www.bluemarblegeo.com/products/global-mapper.php.