Converting LAS Points to Point Features

[MitchellWade]

I am trying to use the XY Table to Point operator to create point features; however, it doesn't appear on the map. My end goal is to intersect these point features with a polygon layer, but the projection or spatial location of the points doesn't show up. This causes the intersect between the points and the polygons to return an empty set. What is the proper way to convert LAS points to point features?

[DanPatterson_Retired]

LAS To Multipoint—Help | ArcGIS Desktop 

Shows as the option, then you could use Multipart to Singlepart tool

If the coordinates are just in a table, you would have to provide the coordinate syste.

What is the projection of the point file (assuming it became points)?

If the coordinate system is undefined, you need to define it using the Define Projection tool.

If you then need make it some other coordinate system, then you use the Project tool in arctoolbox to get files into a common coordinate system

[MitchellWade]

Thanks for your help. I tried to use LAS to multipoint, but the attributes of each point cloud are lost.

Output from LAS to Multipoint:

LAS file csv:

The XY Table to Point and Make XY Event Layer will create point features; however, they do not appear on the map. I don't think it's a projection issue. I tried all of the things you said, but the intersect between the points that don't appear on the map and polygons always comes back empty.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

well the x,y values are in some sort of projection... maybe web Mercator. 

Did you use

XY Table To Point—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS Desktop or

Make XY Event Layer—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS Desktop 

to make a mappable layer? or did you just bring in the table?

What is the coordinate system of the polygon layer?

[MitchellWade]

My workflow is LAS to csv, table to point features, and then define or reproject to the correct projection. However, the points don't show up when converted from table to point features using XY Table to Point and Make XY Event Layer. I cannot zoom to the layer, flash points inside the attribute table, and it doesn't show up at all in the map. Here is a snippet of the point features:

The coordinate system I need is NAD_1983_2011_StatePlane_Indiana_East_FIPS_1301_Ft_US.

I can send you the csv, table, point features, and polygon layer.

[JayJohnson6]

I tried defining the projection as WGS84 on a dataset that a coworker had trouble with. Out of frustration, I used QGIS to do this.  Once that was set on these points, it was possible to use them to create a point shapefile.  Make sure the .prj file accompanies any result.  Likewise, a way to unset the projection is to delete it...and to set it manually one can take a copy of a .prj and rename it to match the .shp name.  The .prj can be opened in Notepad to prove it matches, and you can also do that with world files.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

I don't see an objectid field in the table, so I suspect it is just a table and not an event layer nor a featureclass yet

[MitchellWade]

I added the point feature table in a comment on your other post

[MitchellWade]

I don't have projection files for my point feature layer. Are there projection files for feature layers or is it inherient in the metadata?

[DanPatterson_Retired]

prj files are only for shapefiles.  For event layers and undefined featureclasses, you have to define the projection using the  Define Projection tool (arctoolbox, data management tools, Projections and transformations).

It is not done automatically