LiDAR Module vs. Global Mapper

Do I Need the LiDAR Module?

Coinciding with the rapidly expanding availability of LiDAR data, the LiDAR Module supplements the standard version of Global Mapper with an array of powerful point cloud processing tools and superior terrain creation capability. This affordable add-on component exponentially increases the value of the software by providing the means to fully utilize significantly more points in any point cloud dataset.

Software Comparison
Pixels-to-Points® tool for creating 3D point clouds from overlapping images			✔
Read/Write support for LAS/LAZ files	✔		✔
Support for Leica PTS format			✔
Support for working with over one billion points [64-bit only]	✔		✔
Option to render point cloud by elevation shader	✔		✔
Option to render point cloud by RGB values embedded in point cloud	✔		✔
Option to render point cloud by intensity	✔		✔
Option to render point cloud by classification	✔		✔
Option to render point cloud by return number	✔		✔
Option to render point cloud by point index	✔		✔
Option to render point cloud by point source ID	✔		✔
Option to render point cloud by the difference in height between the first and last return	✔		✔
Option to render point cloud by calculated NDVI or NDWI value (requires NIR attribute)	✔		✔
Option to render point cloud by height above ground			✔
Option to render point cloud by point density			✔
Ability to interactively change rendering method from Toolbar			✔
One-button point cloud colorization from raster imagery			✔
Ability to calculate statistics for point cloud data using a script			✔
Ability to reproject LiDAR point clouds	✔		✔
Ability to transform point cloud coordinates (including rectification)			✔
Ability to crop point clouds	✔		✔
Ability to manually edit or delete points	✔		✔
Easy filtering for separating point classes			✔
Ability to filter selected LiDAR points by elevation/color range			✔
Ability to manually adjust elevations in entire point cloud			✔
LiDAR QC to vertically correct LIDAR elevations from ground control points			✔
Ability to display and edit LiDAR points in Path Profile (cross-sectional view)			✔
One-button point reclassification tools			✔
Automatic ground point classification			✔
Automatic identification of noise points			✔
Automatic reclassification of building, tree, and power line points			✔
Ability to create custom keyboard shortcuts for reclassification			✔
Building, tree, and powerline extraction from classified LiDAR points			✔
Custom 3D digitizing and feature extraction using perpendicular path profile views			✔
Elevation grid creation using Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) method	✔		✔
Elevation grid creation using local minimum elevation (DTM)			✔
Elevation grid creation using local maximum elevation (DSM)			✔
Elevation grid creation using local average elevation			✔
Option to filter points applied in gridding process			✔
Ability to create grid from heights above ground rather than elevation			✔
Ability to create grid based on intensity rather than elevation			✔
Ability to create grid from color values to create an image layer			✔
Option to export LiDAR points within elevation range			✔
Option to export LAS files using height above ground instead of elevation			✔