Essential software


LAStools

When dealing with point clouds, you’ll probably run into the LAS format at some point, as it is the file format most commonly used for point clouds acquired through laser scanning. LAS supports a number of useful (even essential) attributes for each point. Due to being binary, it is quicker […]


GNU Octave

During my studies in geodesy and surveying, we did a lot of linear algebra computations, as adjustment theory requires matrix computations. Naturally, Matlab was used a lot – although I preferred to stick with C++ most of the time, which necessitated writing my own matrix library. But there’s no denying […]


Notepad++

A decent text editor is one of the most important programs on your computer. I use it for coding, for looking at the results, and sometimes simply for taking notes. Since Windows still only comes with crappy Notepad, you need to find something else. Luckily, there’s Notepad++, a free text […]


QGIS

There was a time when GIS (geographic information system) was synonymous with ArcGIS, a fact that ESRI could easily exploit to ask high license fees. Luckily, there’s an Open Source project that has matured from humble beginnings to a full-blown GIS suite: QGIS. The feature list is extensive: It supports […]