PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
September 2020
527
GIS
&
Tips Tricks
By Dave Maune, Ph.D., CP, GS, PS,
and
Al Karlin, Ph.D, CMS-L, GISP
Al Karlin, Ph.D, CMS-L, GISP
Need to Generate Multiple Profiles Quickly; Another Approach!
One of the recurring themes in this column is that when
using GIS software, there are
always
multiple ways to
accomplish the same task. Last month, I demonstrated a tip
using the GlobalMapper Path Profile tools to create multiple
perpendicular profiles along a user-defined path. [Quick tip:
When using GlobalMapper, if you have a user defined line or
line shapefile already in the project, the sequence of, (1) se-
lecting that line, right-clicking on it, (2) choosing “Analysis/
Measurement” and then the (3) PATH PROFILE option, will
invoke the same menu(s) to construct perpendicular profiles
as demonstrated last month.]
The GlobalMapper Path Profile tool works against rasters
(DEMs, DTMs, etc.) and lidar data, but it requires a Global-
Mapper Lidar License to work against a lidar point cloud.
As an alternative to the GlobalMapper Lidar License, there
are similar tools, deeply hidden in “LP360 for ArcGIS”, the
“Export Profile by Selected Features” and “Export Profile by
Selected Graphic” tools to accomplish these tasks.
The tools are included with all levels of LP360 for ArcGIS
but are not found on any of the default toolbars. To access
the Export Profile tools, an ArcGIS-user with a LP360 for
ArcGIS license activated can to add the tools to any
toolbar through the ArcGIS user interface by:
1. Double-clicking anywhere on the gray-space
of the UI (or Customize | Customize Mode…
from the Standard Toolbar) to open the Cus-
tomize dialog,
2. Choose the Commands Tab and scroll down to
LP360 (left window)
3. Scroll to the “Export Profiles by Selected Fea-
tures” (or “Export Profiles by Selected Graph-
ic”) in the right window, and
4. Drag the selected tool onto any available tool-
bar on the UI, Figure 1.
5. Dismiss the Customize dialog by pressing
“Close”
Because you can only drag one tool at a time, if you
want to use both tools, you will need to drag them
independently. [TIP: You can change the icon for the
tool. When you drag the default icon to the toolbar be-
fore you dismiss the Customize dialog, right-click and select
the “Change Button Image” option. A menu of optional but-
ton images will appear. Clicking on one will change the tool’s
icon.] You will also notice that the tools are inactive (grayed
out) until you have a point cloud loaded (through LP360 for
ArcGIS) AND line feature(s) (or line graphics) selected.
With a LP360 LAS_Layer loaded and a 2D- or 3D- line fea-
ture (shapefile or feature class) selected the “Export Profile
by Selected Feature” tool becomes active, as in Figure 2.
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing
Vol. 86, No. 9, September 2020, pp. 527–530.
0099-1112/20/527–530
© 2020 American Society for Photogrammetry
and Remote Sensing
doi: 10.14358/PERS.86.9.527
