Table of Contents
Overview
LIDAR is a technology where a scanner emits pulses of light energy (using a laser) at buildings and other objects in an area, and measures how long it takes for the pulse to return. The laser pulse travels at the speed of light. Accordingly, the distance it travels can be calculated by multiplying the amount of time it takes for the pulse to arrive back at the scanner, with the speed of light, and dividing that figure by two (since the pulse makes a round trip).
Settings
To toggle LIDAR on or off, navigate to your project and design, and click the LIDAR button:
You will now see a number of settings on the right side of the screen:
Source
Choose whether to use the Aurora LIDAR imagery or Google 3D imagery (More information on sources at Where is LIDAR available in Aurora?):
Source Date
Users can discover the date when LIDAR was collected in order to guide their design process. Please see the table below that lists the sources where the date is available and how they are provided. Users are able to switch between LIDAR sources to pick the data sources that are most useful for them.
| Source | What is available |
| Google (both High and Medium) | Specific Date |
| Vexcel | Specific Date |
| Aurora LIDAR | Range of years or specific year |
Style
Choose how you want to see the LIDAR data:
Mesh
Point Cloud
Textured
Toggle to change the LIDAR data coloration between irradiance and map imagery.
Offset
These tools allow you to move the LIDAR data points in order to line them up more accurately:
X - moves the LIDAR data points East and West
Y - moves the LIDAR data points North and South
Z - moves the LIDAR data points up and down vertically
Note: Changes made to the default LIDAR offsets via the inspector are reset back to the default LIDAR to image alignment when you switch between LIDAR or map imagery sources
How to Use LIDAR
- After completing your design, click on the LIDAR button on the top menu.
- Toggle into the 3D view by clicking the 3D box icon (or holding right click) and moving your cursor up.
- Click the LIDAR Settings button to toggle between Mesh or Point Cloud.
- Adjust the LIDAR data by using the x, y, and z coordinate fields.
- After calibrating LIDAR, click on the Fit Buildings to LIDAR button to fit your design to the LIDAR data. Or, manually adjust the height and pitch of your site model to match the LIDAR data.
Related Articles
Where is LIDAR available in Aurora?