3D Point Cloud Processing
Sensors, Algorithms, Applications.
The reference book for engineers, researchers and students. LiDAR physics to neural rendering, paired with a hands-on video course.
§ 01The book
A reference for the whole pipeline
Nineteen chapters across five parts, from LiDAR sensor physics to neural rendering. Each chapter follows the same arc: the idea first, then the mathematics, then practical guidance.
Part I
Foundations
What a point cloud is, the physics of laser ranging, how scans are acquired, and the formats that store them.
Part II
Preprocessing
Turning raw scans into clean, aligned data: sampling, denoising, normal estimation, and registration.
Part III
Core Processing
The workhorse algorithms: ground extraction, local features, segmentation, classification, and descriptors.
Part IV
Advanced Processing
Change detection, surface reconstruction, and object reconstruction toward BIM-ready geometry.
Part V
Frontiers
Where the field is heading: applications, deep learning, and neural rendering with Gaussian splatting.
§ 02On the platform
What you can do today
01 · Read online
The whole book, in your browser
All 19 chapters render online with typeset mathematics, highlights, notes and progress that sync across devices. Four chapters are free in full.
Start with chapter 1→
02 · Free software
PCToolbox runs the book's algorithms
A free desktop studio built on PDAL: 26 processing tools, a streaming 3D viewer, and the Algorithm Lab following the chapters. Open source under MIT.
See the toolbox→
03 · Free service
Your scan, classified with AI
Upload a LAS or LAZ file and get it back with ground, vegetation, buildings, power lines, poles, vehicles and fences as ASPRS codes. Reviewed by hand, returned within one business day of acceptance.
Upload a point cloud→
§ 03Free preview
Read four chapters in your browser
No signup required. Paid chapters open with a free preview of their opening section as their web versions go live.
- 01Introduction to 3D Point CloudsWhat a point cloud is, where it comes from, and the pipeline this book follows.
- 02LiDAR PrinciplesThe physics of laser ranging, from the pulse outward to the georeferenced point.
- 03Acquisition SystemsAirborne, terrestrial, mobile, UAV, handheld: how to choose, and what each one quietly fails at.
- 17ApplicationsWhere the algorithms go to work: mapping, infrastructure, heritage, autonomous systems.
§ 04Stay in the loop
Hear when the full book ships
You get an email when the book is ready.
§ 05Pricing
Three tiers, no recurring charges
Buy once, own forever, with a 30-day refund if it is not for you.
Book
The complete reference PDF.
One payment, lifetime access
- Included: Read chapters online as they are published
- Included: The complete book PDF on release
- Included: Free updates for life
- Included: Reading progress, synced across your devices
- Included: 30-day money-back guarantee
- Not included: Companion video course (22 videos, in production)
- Not included: Video progress tracking in your dashboard
- Not included: Practice kit: real LiDAR datasets per chapter (in production)
- Not included: Worked notebooks for the book's algorithms (in production)
- Not included: A 45-minute 1:1 working session on your own data
Book + Videos
Theory and hands-on practice.
One payment, lifetime access
- Included: Read chapters online as they are published
- Included: The complete book PDF on release
- Included: Free updates for life
- Included: Reading progress, synced across your devices
- Included: 30-day money-back guarantee
- Included: Companion video course (22 videos, in production)
- Included: Video progress tracking in your dashboard
- Not included: Practice kit: real LiDAR datasets per chapter (in production)
- Not included: Worked notebooks for the book's algorithms (in production)
- Not included: A 45-minute 1:1 working session on your own data
Practitioner
The book, the videos, and working on your own data.
One payment, lifetime access
- Included: Read chapters online as they are published
- Included: The complete book PDF on release
- Included: Free updates for life
- Included: Reading progress, synced across your devices
- Included: 30-day money-back guarantee
- Included: Companion video course (22 videos, in production)
- Included: Video progress tracking in your dashboard
- Included: Practice kit: real LiDAR datasets per chapter (in production)
- Included: Worked notebooks for the book's algorithms (in production)
- Included: A 45-minute 1:1 working session on your own data