Easy Point Cloud Processing and Terrain Analysis with Global Mapper Pro v25 

Sponsored by Blue Marble Geographic

Blue Marble Geographic’s flagship software, Global Mapper Pro, is an all-in-one GIS package for analyzing and processing vector, terrain, image, and point cloud data. A comprehensive and easy-to-use GIS application that provides an extensive collection of tools, Global Mapper Pro is suited for any GIS user, from novice to expert. The software provides the tools for complete workflows, such as handling point cloud data from collection and cleaning to 3D data generation and measurements. You can generate photogrammetric data in one workspace, classify the point cloud, create a digital elevation model, contour the data, and much more. 

Compatible with over 380 different file formats, Global Mapper can be seamlessly brought into your existing workflow. New updates to the software include the ability to calculate and model an optimal flattened site plan in the terrain, plot the least cost path across a landscape, and significantly improved processing speed in pixels to points tool. 

Creating an Optimal Flattened Site Plan 

Many construction plans begin with finding or building a relatively flat location to minimize the required earthworks for digging a foundation or setting a concrete pad. Modeling these sites ahead of time with Global Mapper’s expensive terrain analysis tools can help users save time, money, and effort by providing a way to begin planning without using limited resources on field visits and surveys. Of this toolset, Flattened Site Plan is a popular tool for preplanning the best location, elevation, and required earthworks for the creation of a flat surface. Requiring a polygon to designate the area where the flattened site is to be constructed and a terrain layer to represent current ground conditions, Global Mapper can create a 3D model representing the best elevation for the pad that limits the amount of soil moved. 

A new option in the tool, Create an Optimal Flattened Site Plan, can take advantage of any flexibility in the exact placement and orientation of the flattened site. Global Mapper assesses the terrain in a specified location to find the optimal placement and orientation for the site that requires the least amount of earthwork. Once the optimal site has been calculated, the tool will provide measurements of the soil volume to be added or removed to create a level surface and a break-even elevation. The flattened site plan and other volume tools optimize the cut-and-fill values and even out the landscape into a flat surface using only the soil on site, minimizing soil or fill transportation costs. 

Modeling the position of a flattened site can provide the opportunity to optimize the use of existing soil, creating a site that doesn’t require additional fill or removal. 

Conducting A Least Cost Path Analysis 

Forging a new path through terrain often requires navigation around existing structures and difficult areas. New in Global Mapper version 25, the Least Cost Path tool provides a terrain analysis method for finding the shortest and most efficient path between locations. By iterating through all possible options, it identifies the best route between specified point features across a terrain layer based on minimized terrain slope angle and avoiding unwanted areas. This simple tool can connect two locations, map multiple locations into a single path, or discover the most accessible location. Great for planning roads through a construction site, this tool is a quick and easy way to avoid the pitfalls of poor road planning. 

Generating A Photogrammetric Point Cloud 

Pixels to Points is a photogrammetric processing tool within Global Mapper Pro that creates photo-textured 3D models, orthoimages, and high-resolution point clouds via Structure from Motion (SFM) and Multi-View Stereovision. Using overlapping UAV-collected images, these generated data models can be used in Global Mapper to measure terrain volume, asses structures, create detailed base maps, and more. The new version 25 release improves the Pixels to Points tool, including significant speed advancements to decrease the processing time and revisions to the Input Wizard to streamline your workflow further than before. 

The Pixels to Points Input Wizard is designed to increase ease of use for existing users and make photogrammetric processing more approachable to new users by streamlining settings choices. Simply import your images and choose your most important output, including the option to run a quick output for quality assessment. Global Mapper adjusts the Pixel to Points settings to match your input, providing an optional follow-up option to tweak the settings if desired. Use the primary dialog to add control points and assess more advanced settings such as masking and color harmonization. With Global Mapper Pro’s powerful point cloud processing tools, Pixels to Points provides a powerful and streamlined option for creating and editing your spatial data. 

Point clouds of all types, from lidar to photogrammetric, can be processed in Global Mapper Pro. 

Classifying A Dynamic Point Cloud 

Global Mapper Pro’s point cloud classification and editing tools are used in the workflows of many industries, from surveying and construction to agriculture. These built-in and scripable tools allow you to classify, extract vector features, create terrain data, and more, all within the same workspace in which the point cloud was generated. Along with accurate automatic classification tools within Global Mapper for buildings, ground, noise, and more, the Segmentation tool allows you to create dynamic, custom lidar classifications. Many objects represented in point cloud data have a ‘fingerprint’ of shared characteristics between the points made up of attributes such as intensity values, return number, normal, curvature, etc. The Segmentation tool lets you classify by these parameters to extract desired features from the point cloud. Segment a cloud by color to extract paint lines from roads, intensity values to distinguish cars, or by curvature to separate areas based on changes in slope. After classification, vector feature extraction tools can create 3D point, line, and area features to display structures, trees, and powerlines present in the data. 

Whether working with lidar data, complex terrain surfaces, vector features, or looking to streamline workflows with Python, Global Mapper Pro can significantly improve your workflow. Download a free trial today to explore all the features available in Global Mapper Pro 25 at bluemarblegeo.com