QGIS 4 Arch – LiDAR to DEM & DSM with CloudCompare (with spaghettification fix!)

Опубликовано: 17 Июль 2026
на канале: ArchaeoSquatch
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QGIS4Arch is a free online course for learning QGIS, an open source geographic information system (GIS) software package. This course is for those who works with cultural heritage resources, including archaeologists, architectural historians, and historians. The course is designed to take you from beginner to expert. This video uses QGIS version 3.18.

This lesson explores the use of CloudCompare to convert LiDAR point clouds to either a digital elevation model (DEM) or a digital surface model (DSM). These models are regularly used to identify, analyze, and interpret various aspects associated with and/or derived from the three dimensional aspects of places. The video also provides a solution for an issue that turns LiDAR points into a thin line (spaghettification) in CloudCompare.

Timestamps
0:10 - Introduction.
1:47 - Downloading LiDAR data.
6:20 - Correcting for LASZip issues (spaghettification).
13:20 - Merging and clipping tiles in CloudCompare.
18:12 - Processing and exporting the DSM.
19:57 - Processing and exporting the DEM.
22:08 - DEM vs DSM for viewshed analysis.

Related Tutorials:
Installing LASTools in QGIS -    • QGIS 4 Arch - LiDAR to DEM with LASTools  

Data Links:
NOAA Data Access Viewer - https://coast.noaa.gov/dataviewer/#/
Direct link to 1st Tile - https://noaa-nos-coastal-lidar-pds.s3...
Direct link to 2nd Tile - https://noaa-nos-coastal-lidar-pds.s3...
Direct link to 3rd Tile - https://noaa-nos-coastal-lidar-pds.s3...
Direct link to 4th Tile - https://noaa-nos-coastal-lidar-pds.s3...
Direct link to 5th Tile - https://noaa-nos-coastal-lidar-pds.s3...
Direct link to 6th Tile - https://noaa-nos-coastal-lidar-pds.s3...
Direct link to 7th Tile - https://noaa-nos-coastal-lidar-pds.s3...
Direct link to 8th Tile - https://noaa-nos-coastal-lidar-pds.s3...

2024 Update: Updated links to individual tiles.

Software Links:
CloudCompare - https://cloudcompare.org/
QGIS - https://qgis.org/en/site/
LASTools - https://rapidlasso.com/lastools/