Point Cloud Processing with QGIS & PDAL

This workshop provides comprehensive instruction on working with point cloud data within the QGIS environment. Participants will explore QGIS's new features for point cloud processing, including its native tools and advanced 3D rendering capabilities. A significant portion of the course focuses on PDAL wrench, a suite of user-friendly command-line tools integrated into the QGIS Processing framework. These tools are built upon PDAL pipelines and are designed for fast, multi-threaded processing, making efficient use of available CPU resources.

By completing this workshop, individuals will gain the skills to download and preprocess point cloud data from various sources such as LiDAR, photogrammetry, or drones. They will learn to create digital surface models using different interpolation methods and to explore point cloud data in 3D through the QGIS 3D view and the Elevation Profile tool. The curriculum also covers applying filters to derive specific features, automating point cloud processing workflows with PDAL wrench, and performing direct edits on point clouds.

To participate, users need at least QGIS 3.34 Prizren, with QGIS 3.44 Solothurn recommended for the newest features like point cloud editing. The workshop allows for the use of personal point cloud data or provides access to open datasets for practice.