Standardizing 3D Point Cloud Language with OpenLSEF

April 12, 2018
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Updated February 9, 2026
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2 min read

ASPRS logo featuring a globe, representing the imaging and geospatial information society.
A fresh initiative to develop a common language for extracting information from a 3D point cloud is being referred to as OpenLSEF. The ASPRS is hosting a free webinar to explain this effort on April 27, 2018 at 12 PM EDT.

The people involved with this believe that while many tools are being created to extract features from 3D point clouds, there is currently no agreed upon standards for how these 3D features are to be defined. This greatly limits the ability to transfer information between applications and utilize it in subsequent analyses. It can be frustrating to be a drafter (or an Artificial Intelligence engine) trying to learn what curbs (or kerbs) look like if no one can agree, for instance, whether flow line or back-of-curb is the defining feature.

This ASPRS GeoByte webinar will present a new common language, OpenLSEF, that describes how features in 3D point clouds should be categorized. By establishing definitions and terminology, products from providers can be standardized; designers can expect consistency; self-driving cars can share high-definition maps and software tool-makers can focus on ensuring extraction algorithms return expected results.

OpenLSEF is a user-created initiative focusing on standardizing extraction definitions in the AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) field, as well as power transmission, utilities and BIM (building information management). These are intended to be living standards relating to the meaning of extracted data, as opposed to simply focusing on actual file format standards. As such, OpenLSEF is data-format agnostic and is meaningful whether you deal in DWG, DGN or SHP files.

The webinar will also include information regarding how to become involved in the OpenLSEF Working groups.

You can register here. It would be great if we could get some of the software developers to support this.

PRESENTERS

Michael Olsen is an Associate Professor of Geomatics in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Oregon State University.

Kevin Konynenbelt is the CEO of Solv3D, an innovation leader in 3D point cloud processing (3DPointLogic) and visualization (SiteVisit360).

Robert Radovanovic is the Manager of New Technology Ventures at McElhanney Geomatics Engineering Ltd.

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