Importing Ascii (.asc) lidar data to create 3d terrain?

[MrMurren]

First of all, I should mention that I have no experience with height or point data at all. I have an Ascii file of lidar data that I want to create 3d terrain from. I tried to import the file into meshlab and also into a CAD program, but the results differed and were not what I expected at all. So I thought I would try ArcGis Pro. I have not been able to work out how to do it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. The .asc file is here if you'd like to take a look: ShareFile

[DanPatterson_Retired]

your data was proven to work and the tools to create the images were given. That was the ascii to raster tool which both darren and xander used to produce their images as did i.

Did you try the ascii to raster tool? there was no indication that you even tried it. Continuing on to the 3d display you may as well continue with darren's link.  My link was perhaps less direct but it contained other pertinent information which might have been useful for the novice.

Once I had your data converted from ascii to raster, the process can be followed.  Perhaps Darren or someone else will continue.

Alternately, you might want to Geographic Information Systems Stack Exchange they are somewhat less busy over there.  Good luck.

Xander Bakker​, Robert Scheitlin, GISP​ or a mod with privileges to this place, could you move the thread to

Spatial Analyst or New to GIS  don't think there is enough traffic on ArcGIS Pro  to be of much use. It certainly isn't a server question.

[MrMurren]

Do you work for Esri?

This is as far as I got to:

[DanPatterson_Retired]

no i don't

If you have no experience with gis, why are you using Pro instead of ArMap

[MrMurren]

Because I have no experience with gis.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

then you are going to have to read ... at least this... Maps and layers—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS for Desktop  ... and probably more on offshoots like in the one I sent you...but a step down Symbolize your data—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS for Desktop that will give you the colours, then you just need to use your raster as your heights and use a 2x vertical (aka Z) exaggeration to stretch the elevations relative to the x,y coordinates.

[XanderBakker]

To add to the explanation by Dan, you will have to use a custom elevation surface: see Elevation surfaces—Properties of maps | ArcGIS for Desktop and set the elevation type to the custom surface: see Define height characteristics for layers—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS for Desktop . This can be done in the by setting the elevation properties of the layer: see Set layer properties—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS for Desktop

Don't forget to define the projection for the DEM (the raster): see Define Projection—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS for Desktop

[Anonymous User]

Mr Murren, what is the projection of this data?

[DanPatterson_Retired]

the units are planar, not geographic.  the units in the data frame just haven't been set properly to reflect this