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LIDAR mapping?

MrNovice

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Joined
Jun 9, 2016
Messages
3,380
Location
Just outside Dallas, TX, 'Murica
Anyone know of any websites to see maps created by lidar? Just heard of this, but seen it's been around for a few years. Supposedly google has some of them mapping, heard there might even be a plugin for it on goolge maps.

Looks cool the way it detects patterns/outlines of old structures under the ground. I have a hard time believing they would release this type data to the likes of "normal people" like us though... :laughing:
 
Just an update...

Started to research this and found a website with some links, just a few...

http://www.lidarbasemaps.org/

Looks like the cost is outrageous, anywhere from $250 to $600 per square meter mapped depending on processing wanted. Anyone got, oh say (17 miles of greenbelt woods behind my house, times maybe 2 miles wide) only $5.28788e10th power dollars they would like to contribute?

I know there is a old truck halfway buried in them there woods, but other than that I cannot guarantee any other finds... First come, first serve! Get it while it's a deal!!!! :laughing:
 
Yeah. The data is very expensive and unavailable for the most part to us mere mortals. But, I imagine in the future the price will come down and the data availability will trickle down to us.
 
Well, best way to find out would be to Google your town.city name (or the area you are planning to hunt) and the word LiDAR. What can ya lose? Google's free.

Sage(let yer fingers do the walking)Grouse
 
Help with LIDAR

I started working on getting LIDAR mapping for my area. Got the HUGE file downloaded, wouldn't open on my computer as set up. Had to load Photo Shop, ok, now I get a mssg......can't parse file.
I'm not a computer guy, my wife is helping out. What program would one use to open this file ?
 
I started working on getting LIDAR mapping for my area. Got the HUGE file downloaded, wouldn't open on my computer as set up. Had to load Photo Shop, ok, now I get a mssg......can't parse file.
I'm not a computer guy, my wife is helping out. What program would one use to open this file ?

What is the file extension?

BCD
 
If I'm not mistaken this is the technology some lady Egyptologist is using to locate unknown pyramids... I'd love to have this myself!
 
Got it!

Yea baby!!!! Got it figured out. Actually after literally hours of hours of trying different things I can finally access the LIDAR mapping. It is in fact, worthwhile. Time consuming in that it's all visual. You just have to scan the maps looking for those telltale old roads and foundations, then relate them to current roads and locations. Already found two foundations nearby that we were totally unaware of. Mind you, our area was settled in the mid 1600's. Hopefully this will open up a whole new direction for us to search.
Resolution could be better but it is sufficient. Can easily see old trails, roads and foundations with diligent searching. For someone who is not all that computer literate, it was a time consuming, arduous journey but I'm glad I stuck with it.
Thanks to those who tried to help.
 
Yea baby!!!! Got it figured out. Actually after literally hours of hours of trying different things I can finally access the LIDAR mapping. It is in fact, worthwhile. Time consuming in that it's all visual. You just have to scan the maps looking for those telltale old roads and foundations, then relate them to current roads and locations. Already found two foundations nearby that we were totally unaware of. Mind you, our area was settled in the mid 1600's. Hopefully this will open up a whole new direction for us to search.
Resolution could be better but it is sufficient. Can easily see old trails, roads and foundations with diligent searching. For someone who is not all that computer literate, it was a time consuming, arduous journey but I'm glad I stuck with it.
Thanks to those who tried to help.


Share... How did you get it working???

BCD
 
Yea baby!!!! Got it figured out. Actually after literally hours of hours of trying different things I can finally access the LIDAR mapping. It is in fact, worthwhile. Time consuming in that it's all visual. You just have to scan the maps looking for those telltale old roads and foundations, then relate them to current roads and locations. Already found two foundations nearby that we were totally unaware of. Mind you, our area was settled in the mid 1600's. Hopefully this will open up a whole new direction for us to search.
Resolution could be better but it is sufficient. Can easily see old trails, roads and foundations with diligent searching. For someone who is not all that computer literate, it was a time consuming, arduous journey but I'm glad I stuck with it.
Thanks to those who tried to help.

Hi Fly
I would love to hear how you got it working. I have taken stabs at this in the past but always came up with no working solution.
Thank
 
Well a bit of a false start. It's working but not quite right. The resolution isn't what it should be. Have my daughter looking at it this weekend. She deals with all kinds of image software constantly, for work.
I find this stuff very confusing.
 
For PA I found the LIDAR stuff here, http://maps.psiee.psu.edu/ImageryNavigator/

The problem is, as I see it, This is an index type map. Once you download Your tile of interest.... you can't view it. At least I can't. I've had several more computer savvy people look at it for me and what we believe to be the case is that we need a much more sophisticated imaging program installed. Problem is, they're quite expensive. If you come up with a program that opens for view the individual, downloaded tiles, let me know please.
I will still fiddle with looking into other software alternatives but frankly, I just can't sit and deal with it for the amount of time it may take.
 
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