# LAStools/LAStools

efficient tools for LiDAR processing

Repository: https://github.com/LAStools/LAStools
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/lastools
Language: C++
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Last push: 2026-08-21T20:07:07+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 82/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 50, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4336, "days_push": 12, "days_rel": 120, "gap_med": 193, "n_releases_24m": 2}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1064, forks 404 (observed 2026-08-28T04:03:26.554807+00:00)

## What it is
LAStools is a collection of efficient, scriptable C++ command-line tools for processing LiDAR point cloud data in ASPRS LAS and compressed LAZ formats. It includes the open-source LASlib processing API and LASzip compression library, plus free and licensed tools for converting, merging, indexing, and analyzing point clouds.

## Use cases
- compress large LAS LiDAR files to smaller LAZ files
- convert LiDAR point clouds between LAS, LAZ, ASCII, E57, and Shapefile formats
- merge or clip multiple LAS/LAZ files into one
- create spatial indexes for fast point cloud queries
- validate LAS files against ASPRS specifications
- inspect and compare LiDAR file contents
- rasterize point clouds into DEMs or extract contours
- classify buildings and vegetation in point clouds

## When to choose
- you need fast, batch-scriptable processing of LAS/LAZ LiDAR data
- you want lossless compression of large point cloud files
- you work with geospatial point clouds in a command-line or GIS pipeline
- you need format conversion between LiDAR and ASCII/E57/Shapefile formats

## When to avoid
- you need a GUI-first point cloud editor
- you require fully open-source versions of advanced tools like las2dem or lasclassify, which are closed source
- you work with non-LiDAR 3D formats like PLY or OBJ

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: compression, file-system, image-processing, cli, geospatial
- domain: files, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cpp, cli
- tags: lidar, point-cloud, las-format, laz, laszip, asprs, dem, gis, geospatial, command-line, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- LAStools/LAStools (main) score 82

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:26.554807+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T06:55:44.556860+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/LAStools/LAStools (fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:26.554807+00:00, sha c5589b397f1b)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.