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Splitting up a las file into chunks containing 100,000 points

This article describes a workaround to overcome the 100,000 point limit on las file imports in RiSCAN PRO, when using a Serial Number Licence (SNL)

The Serial Number Licence in RiSCAN PRO, introduced with version 2.15, is designed to give the user the flexibility to add their licence on an unlimited number of machines, in return for being restricted to importing data from a single RIEGL laser scanner.

As part of this restriction, the import of third-party data is limited to files containing 100,000 points.

However, if you have an occasional need to import las files larger than this, it is possible to work around this limitation by using lastools to split the las files up into smaller (<100,000 points) files. These can then be imported into RiSCAN PRO individually.

Download LAStools

LAStools is available from https://rapidlasso.de/product-overview/

Download the latest version and install it.

Run LASlook

LASlook provides a graphical user interface, which makes working with LAStools somewhat easier. Search for it from the Windows start menu:

Once open, find lassplit in the list of tools in the panel at the top-left, and double-click it. You will see lassplit64 in the console at the bottom right:

Now, find the folder containing your las file, for example:

Paste the path to the folder here, and you will see the las file within the folder listed below:

Now LASlook knows which tool to run, and which file to run it on. The next step is to tell it what operations to perform.

In the console, type the following after lassplit64: filename.las -split 100000

For this example, the command would read:

lassplit64 pointcloud.las -split 100000

This tells LASlook to run the tool lassplit on the file called pointcloud.las, and split it into separate files containing a maximum of 100,000 points.

Once you have typed the command, press the "Run all" button:

Note - the last file created will almost certainly have fewer than 100,000 points.

As the task is running, you will see the new files being generated in the lower part of the console:

You will also see them appear in the folder:

You can now import these las files into RiSCAN PRO. Normally, you would import them into the OBJECTS > POINTCLOUDS folder, where they will be converted into the native RISCAN PRO pointcloud format for further processing.