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Use Pointcloud to establish Existing Conditions

It is common to receive existing-conditions terrain in the form of a pointcloud file.

You can use the pointcloud as a reference when you are designing a new site proposal.

If you import the pointcloud into Sketchup, you can use it in Landshape.

You can use a pointcloud as input to form new terrain. Or, you can use a pointcloud to visualise existing vegetation or buildings.

Keep Your Pointcloud Small

Note that Sketchup's performance may struggle as you approach 1 million points or more.

Currently, Landshape offers no way to simplify a pointcloud. But there are several free, third-party software programs for reducing heavy pointclouds.

If your pointcloud has too many points, use a third-party software to reduce pointcount. After you have reduced it, you can import it into Landshape.

Form New Terrain From a Pointcloud

To create new Landshape terrain from a pointcloud, do this:

1. Import your pointcloud into Sketchup via:

Landsshape > Prop > Import Pointcloud File…
Default import settings should work well in most cases.

1. Select your pointcloud group.
2. Run Form. Set a low resolution.

Limit New Terrain by Mask

Often, an acquired pointcloud covers an area that may be much larger than your project area.

To limit the area in which you form terrain from your point cloud, first create a mask group. A mask group is group containing a simple closed edge border.

With nothing selected, run Form. In Form's Pick mode, select both your pointcloud group, and your mask group.

Your selected mask perimeter should highlight in magenta.

Now, hit :Enter:.

You now should have new terrain elevated to the points in your cloud, but constrained to within the area of your mask.

Reusing Your Pointcloud

Pointcoulds are often useful at several points in the design process.

Instead of deleting the pointcloud, make it a habit to put your pointcloud group on a tag, then hide the tag.

By stashing away your pointcloud in the model, it is easy to bring back into use later.

If your pointcloud has higher resolution than your general terrain, you can reuse your pointcloud to locally reveal additional terrain details, just where needed. To do so, follow these steps:

Reveal Local Terrain Details

1. First, create a mask.

The mask should cover the local area you wish to work with. Make a mask either by copying an edgeloop from your siteplan, and paste-in-place it outside, as a separate group. Or by Drawing an edgeloop on your terrain.

1. Select your mask group.
2. Remesh the local masked area, typing in a higher resolution into the VCB.
3. Bring forth your pointcloud group.
4. Select both your pointcloud group, and your mask group.
5. Run Fit.

Now, hide the selected pointcloud and the mask, so you can see better. Also, make sure View Edge is turned on, so that you can properly see the different local resolution.

By following the steps above, you should have a higher-resolution local terrain area, snugly fitted to your input points.

More Import Formats

😳 Need other import formats? Let Holygon know what you need.

Holygon plans to support further pointcoud formats in coming releases.