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Frequently Asked Questions
Getting Started
Do I need to install any software?
No. Lidarvisor runs entirely in your web browser. You just need a modern browser (Google Chrome is recommended) and an internet connection.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. When you create an account, you automatically receive the Freemium plan with 10 hectares of free processing credits, up to 5 projects, and 2 GB of storage. No credit card required.
What file formats can I upload?
Lidarvisor accepts LAS, LAZ, and COPC files for point cloud data. You can also optionally add GeoTIFF (.tif) orthophotos. See Creating a Project for details.
How long does it take to upload and process my data?
- Upload time depends on your file size and internet speed. A 1 GB file typically takes about 10 minutes on a standard connection.
- Processing time depends on the area size. A 10-hectare dataset typically processes in a few minutes. A 100-hectare dataset may take up to an hour.
The upload is resumable — if your connection drops, it will continue from where it left off.
Can I upload multiple LiDAR files to one project?
Currently, each project supports one LAS/LAZ file. If you have multiple files covering the same area, you will need to merge them before uploading using a free tool like CloudCompare or LAStools.
You can, however, upload multiple TIFF orthophoto files per project (up to 100 files, 5 GB total).
What happens to my data after I upload it?
Your data is stored securely on Google Cloud Platform. You retain full ownership. Lidarvisor does not share your data with third parties. See the Privacy Policy for full details.
My file has no coordinate system — what do I do?
Lidarvisor will prompt you to specify one. You can either search for the EPSG code directly, or use the auto-detect feature by entering an address or GPS coordinates of your survey area. If you do not know the coordinate system, ask the person who collected the data. See Creating a Project for details.
Does Lidarvisor support coordinate systems in feet?
Yes. Both meter-based and foot-based coordinate systems (US Survey Feet, International Feet) are fully supported.
Processing and Classification
How accurate is the automatic classification?
Lidarvisor achieves 95%+ accuracy for common classes like Ground, Buildings, and High Vegetation. Accuracy varies by data quality, terrain complexity, and the class in question. Less common classes (like solar panels or hedges) may have slightly lower accuracy.
Can I manually fix classification errors?
Yes. Lidarvisor includes a full set of Classification Editing tools. You can select and reclassify points using brush, box, height, color, and intensity selection tools.
What classification classes are supported?
Lidarvisor recognizes 25+ classes including: Ground, Low/Medium/High Vegetation, Building, Water, Road, Rail, Power Lines, Towers, Poles, Vehicles, Bridge, Fence/Wall, Hedge, Solar Panel, and more. See Understanding Your Results for the full list.
Does processing cost more if I enable more options?
No. The credit cost is based solely on the area of your dataset (in hectares), regardless of how many processing options you enable. Feel free to enable everything you need.
Can I re-process a project with different options?
Yes. You can run processing again on the same project with different options. Each processing run consumes credits based on the area. Re-processing replaces the previous results — the new classified point cloud, terrain models, and vectors overwrite the previous ones.
Important: If you have made manual classification edits, re-processing will overwrite those changes. Download your edited point cloud before re-processing if you want to keep it.
How long is my data stored?
Your projects and all processed results remain in your account as long as your subscription is active. If your subscription expires or is cancelled, your data is retained for 90 days after the end of the billing period, during which you can still view (but not process) your projects.
Temporary download files (format conversions, filtered exports) have a limited availability period — you will see a countdown in the "Ready downloads" section. Download them promptly after generation.
What does "priority processing" mean?
Premium and Advanced subscribers get priority processing, which means your jobs are placed ahead of Freemium users in the processing queue. In practice, this means shorter wait times, especially during peak usage periods. The actual processing speed (once your job starts running) is the same for all plans.
What happens if processing fails?
Your credits are automatically refunded. You do not need to contact support. If the failure persists, try uploading the file again or contact support at contact@lidarvisor.com.
What is the difference between the original and classified point cloud?
The original point cloud is your uploaded file with no modifications. The classified point cloud is a copy where every point has been assigned a class label (Ground, Building, Vegetation, etc.) by Lidarvisor's AI, along with any preprocessing you selected (smoothing, thinning, colorization).
Terrain Models
What is the difference between DTM and DSM?
- DTM (Digital Terrain Model) shows the bare ground — trees and buildings are removed.
- DSM (Digital Surface Model) shows the top surface — including trees and buildings.
See Terrain Models for a full explanation.
What resolution should I choose?
It depends on your use case:
- Detailed engineering: 25–50 cm
- General mapping: 50–100 cm
- Large-area overview: 100–300 cm
The resolution cannot be finer than your point spacing. See Terrain Models for guidance.
Can I generate both a DTM and a DSM for the same project?
Yes. You can enable any combination of terrain models during processing. They are generated independently.
Vectorization
What formats can I download vectors in?
All vectors are available in GeoJSON, Shapefile (.shp), and DXF. See Downloading and Exporting for details.
How good is the building detection?
Building detection works best with clear, well-separated buildings. Complex roof shapes and buildings under heavy vegetation may not be fully captured. You can choose between Rural, Urban, and Natural simplification modes to match your environment.
Can Lidarvisor detect individual trees?
Yes. The Tree Tops feature detects individual tree locations and heights. The Tree Crowns feature outlines each tree's canopy. These work best when trees are reasonably separated — in very dense, closed-canopy forests, some individual trees may be merged.
What is the road extraction beta?
Road extraction is an experimental feature that uses AI image recognition to detect roads. Results vary depending on road visibility in the LiDAR data. Roads under heavy tree cover may not be fully detected.
Sharing and Collaboration
Can I share a project with someone who does not have a Lidarvisor account?
Yes. Click the Share button in the toolbar to generate a shareable link. Anyone with the link can view the project in 3D without logging in or creating an account.
What can the person I share with do?
They can explore the 3D viewer, toggle layers, rotate, zoom, and switch visualization modes. They cannot download files, edit classifications, or start processing.
Is my shared data secure?
Yes. Data is transmitted over HTTPS and stored in enterprise-grade cloud storage. The share link contains a unique token — it is not guessable, but anyone with the link can view the project. Only share the link with intended recipients.
Account and Billing
How do credits work?
1 credit = 1 hectare of processed data. Credits are allocated at the start of each billing period (monthly or yearly). Unused credits roll over while your subscription is active. See Account and Subscription for details.
Can I buy more credits?
Yes. Premium and Advanced subscribers can purchase credit packs ranging from 100 credits ($99) to 10,000 credits ($3,499). See Account and Subscription for pricing.
What happens when I cancel my subscription?
- Your subscription stays active until the end of the current billing period.
- Remaining credits are valid for 90 days after that.
- Your projects and data remain in your account — you can view them, but cannot process new data without credits.
- You can reactivate at any time before the subscription expires.
Can I pause my subscription instead of cancelling?
Yes — for monthly plans. During the cancellation flow, choose "Temporary break" and select a pause duration (1, 2, or 3 months). Your subscription suspends during the pause and auto-resumes afterward. Annual plans cannot be paused.
Can I switch from monthly to annual billing?
Contact support at contact@lidarvisor.com to change your billing interval.
Do you offer enterprise plans?
Yes. For large-scale needs, Lidarvisor offers custom enterprise plans. Contact contact@lidarvisor.com to discuss.
Technical
Which browsers are supported?
Google Chrome (recommended), Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Apple Safari. Chrome generally provides the best 3D rendering performance.
Do I need a powerful computer?
A computer with a dedicated graphics card will provide the smoothest 3D experience, but it is not strictly required. Any modern computer with an integrated GPU should work. If you experience slow performance, try:
- Closing other browser tabs
- Switching to 2D mode for large datasets
- Hiding layers you are not actively viewing
- Making sure your graphics drivers are up to date
The point cloud does not display / the viewer is blank
Try these steps:
- Refresh the page (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R)
- Check your browser — make sure you are using a supported browser (Chrome recommended)
- Enable hardware acceleration — go to your browser settings and make sure hardware/GPU acceleration is enabled
- Update your graphics drivers — outdated drivers can cause WebGL rendering issues
- Try another browser — if the issue persists in one browser, try Chrome
- If none of these help, contact support with details about your browser, operating system, and any error messages in the browser console (press F12 to open it)
Can I use Lidarvisor on a tablet or phone?
Lidarvisor is designed for desktop use. While it may load on a tablet, the 3D viewer requires significant graphics processing power and is best experienced on a computer with a mouse.
How can I suggest a new feature?
Contact the team at contact@lidarvisor.com with your suggestion. The team actively reviews user feedback and uses it to prioritize the product roadmap.
I found a bug — how do I report it?
Contact contact@lidarvisor.com with:
- A description of the issue
- The steps to reproduce it
- Your browser name and version
- Screenshots if possible
- Share the affected project using the Share feature so the team can investigate
LiDAR Basics
What is a point cloud?
A collection of millions (or billions) of 3D points created by a LiDAR sensor. Each point has X, Y, Z coordinates representing its position in space, and may include additional data like color, intensity, or classification. See What Is Lidarvisor? for an introduction.
What is the difference between LAS and LAZ?
Both store point cloud data. LAS is the uncompressed format — larger files, but immediately usable. LAZ is a compressed version — same data, much smaller files (typically 5–10x smaller). Lidarvisor accepts both.
What is COPC?
COPC stands for Cloud-Optimized Point Cloud. It is a modern format based on LAZ that allows efficient streaming — software can load just the part of the data it needs, rather than the entire file. Lidarvisor generates COPC files internally and also accepts them as input.
What is an EPSG code?
A standardized numerical identifier for a coordinate reference system. For example, EPSG:4326 is the standard latitude/longitude system (WGS84), and EPSG:32632 is UTM Zone 32N. Every georeferenced dataset uses a specific EPSG code to define how its coordinates map to real-world positions.
What is a hectare?
A unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters (100 m × 100 m), or approximately 2.47 acres. Lidarvisor uses hectares to measure dataset area and credit consumption.
For more terms, see the Glossary.