LiDAR, an acronym for Light Detection and Ranging, is a technique employed to calculate variable distances by directing a laser at an object and gauging the duration it takes for the reflected light to reach the LiDAR sensor. It is used to generate digital 3D depictions of terrestrial and aquatic surfaces.

LiDAR data is captured in a variety of ways including from airborne planes and drones, vehicles on the ground, and in carried backpacks.

Neara supports the import of LiDAR data stored in .laz, .las, and .txt file formats.

A point cloud is a collection of numerous dots (points) in a 3D space, where those data points are populated by sources such as, but not exclusively, LiDAR data. For example, point clouds may be also produced using photogrammetry.

Neara supports the production of point clouds from LiDAR.

When you import LiDAR into Neara, it is automatically processed into a Neara point cloud dataset - a data structure optimised for working with large scale point clouds.

You generally be interacting with a point cloud dataset when classifying and viewing imported LiDAR data in Neara, however you can export classified LiDAR data in .laz format.