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1. DEM Creation

Summary 

GCD 6 makes it easy to create DEM from point cloud files. This page explains how to use the Data Preparation Menu in GCD to easily create TINs and DEM.

ET-AL Recommendation to IPC

ETAL recommends IPC creating a 2 foot resolution DEM from the raw point cloud using the 1) Raw Point Cloud To Feature Class , 2)Create Survey Extent Polygon, and then the 3) Point Cloud to TIN and/or DEM commands from the Survey Preparation Menu in Geomorphic Change Detection Software 6.

Creating DEM in MBES Tools

Create TIN from Point Cloud File

  1. First use the Raw Point Cloud To Feature Class command from the Survey Preparation Menu in GCD 6 to convert the point cloud into a point shapefile.
  2. Create an extent polygon using the Create Survey Extent Polygon command from the Survey Preparation Menu in GCD 6.  This will be used to better constrain where surveyed points exist and limit the amount of unnecessary interpolation when creating a TIN and/or DEM.
  3. Once the original point cloud has been converted to a point shapefile and a survey extent polygon has been created they can be used to create a DEM. The video below details how to use the Point Cloud to TIN and/or DEM command from the Survey Preparation Menu in GCD 6 to create a DEM from a point cloud shapefile.
This video tutorial illustrates the application of the Raw Point Cloud To Feature Class tool to convert a raw MBES point cloud into a point feature class and the application of the  Point Cloud to TIN and/or DEMs tool to derive a DEM.

Create DEM and/or TIN Tool


NOTE: Standard geoprocessing in ArcGIS can be substituted in place of the above tools. Also, the raw point cloud can be substituted with a decimated point cloud zMin output from ToPCAT.

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