Why does the "Generate floor plans from point clouds" tool only work with LAS files?

[Marc_Graham]

Hi,

You already have the "Import Indoor Images" tool that requires e57 files.  E57 is the standard for the majority of indoor scanners that you might use as a source for "Generate floor plans from point clouds" .  So why introduce the additional step of converting to LAS? Your tools should be consistent.

Or you could extend the lasd file format to support e57 files as well which would mean you could feed them into anything that support las datasets.

Thanks,

Marc

[JasonHine123]

Hi @Marc_Graham --

Thanks for your question! Yes, as of the current release (version 3.4) ArcGIS Pro supports the LAS file format for exchanging point cloud data. The Generate Floor Plan From Point Cloud tool uses some of the tools from ArcGIS Pro's LAS Dataset toolset "under the hood" during processing.

The Import Indoor Images tool supports the E57 file format for images (LAS doesn't support image data). The ability to store point cloud data and oriented images together in a single E57 file make it especially attractive for indoor GIS use cases, and I've heard as much from ArcGIS Pro users and scanning device vendors alike, so you're not alone in your opinion here!

The more Esri hears from the GIS Community about an idea, the more priority it's likely to receive. I'd encourage you to submit an idea to the ArcGIS Indoors Ideas Exchange or the ArcGIS Pro Ideas Exchange so that others in the community can find and promote your idea. (Note: I searched both those places but wasn't able to find any existing entries mentioning "E57"). You can also check with your Esri Account Manager -- they can be a strong advocate for customers' voices.