Vpc format update

README.md

@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ This will create a grid for each data file separately in parallel and then merge
 pdal_wrench density --input=hello.vpc --resolution=1 --output=density.tif
 ```
 
-When algorithms create derived VPCs, by default they use uncompressed LAS, but `--output-format=laz` option can switch to compressed LAZ.
+When algorithms create derived VPCs, by default they use COPC, but argument `--vpc-output-format=las` (allowed values are `las`, `laz`, `copc`) can be used to switch to LAS, LAZ or COPC. COPC format is preferred so that tools like QGIS can immediately view the data, the conversion to COPC format takes time so the operation will be slower. If multiple operations are to be run one after the other, it may be better to use LAS or LAZ format for intermediate VPCs for faster processing.
 
 ## VPC support in algorithms
 

src/alg.hpp

@@ -116,12 +116,12 @@ struct Translate : public Alg
     std::string assignCrs;
     std::string transformCrs;
     std::string transformCoordOp;
-    std::string outputFormat;  // las / laz / copc
+    std::string outputFormatVpc;  // las / laz / copc
     std::string transformMatrix; // 4x4 matrix as 16 space-separated values
 
     // args - initialized in addArgs()
     pdal::Arg* argOutput = nullptr;
-    pdal::Arg* argOutputFormat = nullptr;
+    pdal::Arg* argOutputFormatVpc = nullptr;
 
     std::vector<std::string> tileOutputFiles;
 
@@ -187,11 +187,11 @@ struct Clip : public Alg
     // parameters from the user
     std::string outputFile;
     std::string polygonFile;
-    std::string outputFormat;  // las / laz / copc
+    std::string outputFormatVpc;  // las / laz / copc
 
     // args - initialized in addArgs()
     pdal::Arg* argOutput = nullptr;
-    pdal::Arg* argOutputFormat = nullptr;
+    pdal::Arg* argOutputFormatVpc = nullptr;
     pdal::Arg* argPolygon = nullptr;
 
     std::vector<std::string> tileOutputFiles;
@@ -235,14 +235,14 @@ struct Thin : public Alg
     std::string mode;  // "every-nth" or "sample"
     int stepEveryN;  // keep every N-th point
     double stepSample;  // cell size for Poisson sampling
-    std::string outputFormat;  // las / laz / copc
+    std::string outputFormatVpc;  // las / laz / copc
 
     // args - initialized in addArgs()
     pdal::Arg* argOutput = nullptr;
     pdal::Arg* argMode = nullptr;
     pdal::Arg* argStepEveryN = nullptr;
     pdal::Arg* argStepSample = nullptr;
-    pdal::Arg* argOutputFormat = nullptr;
+    pdal::Arg* argOutputFormatVpc = nullptr;
 
     std::vector<std::string> tileOutputFiles;
 
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ struct ClassifyGround : public Alg
 
     // parameters from the user
     std::string outputFile;
-    std::string outputFormat;  // las / laz / copc
+    std::string outputFormatVpc;  // las / laz / copc
 
     double cellSize = 1.0;
     double scalar = 1.25;
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ struct ClassifyGround : public Alg
 
     // args - initialized in addArgs()
     pdal::Arg* argOutput = nullptr;
-    pdal::Arg* argOutputFormat = nullptr;
+    pdal::Arg* argOutputFormatVpc = nullptr;
     pdal::Arg* argCellSize = nullptr;
 
     pdal::Arg* argScalar = nullptr;
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ struct FilterNoise: public Alg
 
     // parameters from the user
     std::string outputFile;
-    std::string outputFormat;  // las / laz / copc
+    std::string outputFormatVpc;  // las / laz / copc
     std::string algorithm = "statistical"; // "statistical" or "radius"
     bool removeNoisePoints = false;
 
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ struct FilterNoise: public Alg
 
     // args - initialized in addArgs()
     pdal::Arg* argOutput = nullptr;
-    pdal::Arg* argOutputFormat = nullptr;
+    pdal::Arg* argOutputFormatVpc = nullptr;
     pdal::Arg* argAlgorithm = nullptr;
     pdal::Arg* argRemoveNoisePoints = nullptr;
     pdal::Arg* argRadiusMinK = nullptr;
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ struct HeightAboveGround : public Alg
 
     // parameters from the user
     std::string outputFile;
-    std::string outputFormat;  // las / laz / copc / vpc
+    std::string outputFormatVpc;  // las / laz / copc
     bool replaceZWithHeightAboveGround = true;
     std::string algorithm = "nn";
 
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ struct HeightAboveGround : public Alg
 
     // args - initialized in addArgs()
     pdal::Arg* argOutput = nullptr;
-    pdal::Arg* argOutputFormat = nullptr;
+    pdal::Arg* argOutputFormatVpc = nullptr;
     pdal::Arg* argReplaceZWithHeightAboveGround = nullptr;
     pdal::Arg* argAlgorithm = nullptr;
 

src/classify_ground.cpp

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 void ClassifyGround::addArgs()
 {
     argOutput = &programArgs.add("output,o", "Output point cloud file", outputFile);
-    argOutputFormat = &programArgs.add("output-format", "Output format (las/laz/copc)", outputFormat);
+    argOutputFormatVpc = &programArgs.add("vpc-output-format", "Output format (las/laz/copc)", outputFormatVpc, "copc");
 
     argCellSize = &programArgs.add("cell-size", "Sets the grid cell size in map units. Smaller values give finer detail but may increase noise.", cellSize, 1.0);
     argScalar = &programArgs.add("scalar", "Increases the threshold on steeper slopes. Raise this for rough terrain.", scalar, 1.25);
@@ -52,17 +52,20 @@ bool ClassifyGround::checkArgs()
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (argOutputFormat->set())
+    if (argOutputFormatVpc->set())
     {
-        if (outputFormat != "las" && outputFormat != "laz" && outputFormat != "copc")
+        if (outputFormatVpc != "las" && outputFormatVpc != "laz" && outputFormatVpc != "copc")
         {
-            std::cerr << "unknown output format: " << outputFormat << std::endl;
+            std::cerr << "unknown output format: " << outputFormatVpc << std::endl;
             return false;
         }
     }
-    else
-        outputFormat = "las";  // uncompressed by default
-
+
+    if ( ends_with(outputFile, ".vpc") && outputFormatVpc == "copc" )
+    {
+        isStreaming = false;
+    }
+
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -134,14 +137,7 @@ void ClassifyGround::preparePipelines(std::vector<std::unique_ptr<PipelineManage
             ParallelJobInfo tile(ParallelJobInfo::FileBased, BOX2D(), filterExpression, filterBounds);
             tile.inputFilenames.push_back(f.filename);
 
-            // for input file /x/y/z.las that goes to /tmp/hello.vpc,
-            // individual output file will be called /tmp/hello/z.las
-            fs::path inputBasename = fileStem(f.filename);
-
-            if (!ends_with(outputFile, ".vpc"))
-                tile.outputFilename = (outputSubdir / inputBasename).string() + ".las";
-            else
-                tile.outputFilename = (outputSubdir / inputBasename).string() + "." + outputFormat;
+            tile.outputFilename = tileOutputFileName(outputFile, outputFormatVpc, outputSubdir, f.filename);
 
             tileOutputFiles.push_back(tile.outputFilename);
 

src/clip.cpp

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 void Clip::addArgs()
 {
     argOutput = &programArgs.add("output,o", "Output point cloud file", outputFile);
-    argOutputFormat = &programArgs.add("output-format", "Output format (las/laz/copc)", outputFormat);
+    argOutputFormatVpc = &programArgs.add("vpc-output-format", "Output format (las/laz/copc)", outputFormatVpc, "copc");
     argPolygon = &programArgs.add("polygon,p", "Input polygon vector file", polygonFile);
 }
 
@@ -51,17 +51,20 @@ bool Clip::checkArgs()
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (argOutputFormat->set())
+    if (argOutputFormatVpc->set())
     {
-        if (outputFormat != "las" && outputFormat != "laz")
+        if (outputFormatVpc != "las" && outputFormatVpc != "laz" && outputFormatVpc != "copc")
         {
-            std::cerr << "unknown output format: " << outputFormat << std::endl;
+            std::cerr << "unknown output format: " << outputFormatVpc << std::endl;
             return false;
         }
     }
-    else
-        outputFormat = "las";  // uncompressed by default
 
+    if ( ends_with(outputFile, ".vpc") && outputFormatVpc == "copc" )
+    {
+        isStreaming = false;
+    }
+
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -187,15 +190,7 @@ void Clip::preparePipelines(std::vector<std::unique_ptr<PipelineManager>>& pipel
             ParallelJobInfo tile(ParallelJobInfo::FileBased, BOX2D(), filterExpression, filterBounds);
             tile.inputFilenames.push_back(f.filename);
 
-            // for input file /x/y/z.las that goes to /tmp/hello.vpc,
-            // individual output file will be called /tmp/hello/z.las
-            fs::path inputBasename = fileStem(f.filename);
-
-            // if the output is not VPC  las file format is forced to avoid time spent on compression, files will be later merged into single output and removed anyways
-            if (!ends_with(outputFile, ".vpc"))
-                tile.outputFilename = (outputSubdir / inputBasename).string() + ".las";
-            else
-                tile.outputFilename = (outputSubdir / inputBasename).string() + "." + outputFormat;
+            tile.outputFilename = tileOutputFileName(outputFile, outputFormatVpc, outputSubdir, f.filename);
 
             tileOutputFiles.push_back(tile.outputFilename);
 

src/filter_noise.cpp

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 void FilterNoise::addArgs()
 {
     argOutput = &programArgs.add("output,o", "Output point cloud file", outputFile);
-    argOutputFormat = &programArgs.add("output-format", "Output format (las/laz/copc)", outputFormat);
+    argOutputFormatVpc = &programArgs.add("vpc-output-format", "Output format (las/laz/copc)", outputFormatVpc, "copc");
 
     argAlgorithm = &programArgs.add("algorithm", "Noise filtering algorithm to use: statistical or radius.", algorithm, "statistical");
     argRemoveNoisePoints = &programArgs.add("remove-noise-points", "Remove noise points from the output.", removeNoisePoints, false);
@@ -56,16 +56,19 @@ bool FilterNoise::checkArgs()
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (argOutputFormat->set())
+    if (argOutputFormatVpc->set())
     {
-        if (outputFormat != "las" && outputFormat != "laz" && outputFormat != "copc")
+        if (outputFormatVpc != "las" && outputFormatVpc != "laz" && outputFormatVpc != "copc")
         {
-            std::cerr << "unknown output format: " << outputFormat << std::endl;
+            std::cerr << "unknown output format: " << outputFormatVpc << std::endl;
             return false;
         }
     }
-    else
-        outputFormat = "las";  // uncompressed by default
+
+    if ( ends_with(outputFile, ".vpc") && outputFormatVpc == "copc" )
+    {
+        isStreaming = false;
+    }
 
     if (!argAlgorithm->set())
     {
@@ -177,14 +180,7 @@ void FilterNoise::preparePipelines(std::vector<std::unique_ptr<PipelineManager>>
             ParallelJobInfo tile(ParallelJobInfo::FileBased, BOX2D(), filterExpression, filterBounds);
             tile.inputFilenames.push_back(f.filename);
 
-            // for input file /x/y/z.las that goes to /tmp/hello.vpc,
-            // individual output file will be called /tmp/hello/z.las
-            fs::path inputBasename = fileStem(f.filename);
-
-            if (!ends_with(outputFile, ".vpc"))
-                tile.outputFilename = (outputSubdir / inputBasename).string() + ".las";
-            else
-                tile.outputFilename = (outputSubdir / inputBasename).string() + "." + outputFormat;
+            tile.outputFilename = tileOutputFileName(outputFile, outputFormatVpc, outputSubdir, f.filename);
 
             tileOutputFiles.push_back(tile.outputFilename);
 

src/height_above_ground.cpp

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 void HeightAboveGround::addArgs()
 {
     argOutput = &programArgs.add("output,o", "Output point cloud file", outputFile);
-    argOutputFormat = &programArgs.add("output-format", "Output format (las/laz/copc)", outputFormat);
+    argOutputFormatVpc = &programArgs.add("vpc-output-format", "Output format (las/laz/copc)", outputFormatVpc, "copc");
     argAlgorithm = &programArgs.add("algorithm", "Height Above Ground algorithm to use: nn (Nearest Neighbor) or delaunay (Delaunay).", algorithm, "nn");
     argReplaceZWithHeightAboveGround = &programArgs.add("replace-z", "Replace Z dimension with height above ground (true/false).", replaceZWithHeightAboveGround, true);
 
@@ -55,17 +55,20 @@ bool HeightAboveGround::checkArgs()
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (argOutputFormat->set())
+    if (argOutputFormatVpc->set())
     {
-        if (outputFormat != "las" && outputFormat != "laz" && outputFormat != "copc")
+        if (outputFormatVpc != "las" && outputFormatVpc != "laz" && outputFormatVpc != "copc")
         {
-            std::cerr << "unknown output format: " << outputFormat << std::endl;
+            std::cerr << "unknown output format: " << outputFormatVpc << std::endl;
             return false;
         }
     }
-    else
-        outputFormat = "las";  // uncompressed by default
 
+    if ( ends_with(outputFile, ".vpc") && outputFormatVpc == "copc" )
+    {
+        isStreaming = false;
+    }
+
     if (!argAlgorithm->set())
     {
         std::cerr << "missing algorithm" << std::endl;
@@ -193,14 +196,7 @@ void HeightAboveGround::preparePipelines(std::vector<std::unique_ptr<PipelineMan
             ParallelJobInfo tile(ParallelJobInfo::FileBased, BOX2D(), filterExpression, filterBounds);
             tile.inputFilenames.push_back(f.filename);
 
-            // for input file /x/y/z.las that goes to /tmp/hello.vpc,
-            // individual output file will be called /tmp/hello/z.las
-            fs::path inputBasename = fileStem(f.filename);
-
-            if (!ends_with(outputFile, ".vpc"))
-                tile.outputFilename = (outputSubdir / inputBasename).string() + ".las";
-            else
-                tile.outputFilename = (outputSubdir / inputBasename).string() + "." + outputFormat;
+            tile.outputFilename = tileOutputFileName(outputFile, outputFormatVpc, outputSubdir, f.filename);
 
             tileOutputFiles.push_back(tile.outputFilename);
 

src/main.cpp

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 extern int runTile(std::vector<std::string> arglist);  // tile/tile.cpp
 
-std::string WRENCH_VERSION = "1.3.0";
+std::string WRENCH_VERSION = "1.3.1";
 
 void printUsage()
 {

src/thin.cpp

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 void Thin::addArgs()
 {
     argOutput = &programArgs.add("output,o", "Output point cloud file", outputFile);
-    argOutputFormat = &programArgs.add("output-format", "Output format (las/laz/copc)", outputFormat);
+    argOutputFormatVpc = &programArgs.add("vpc-output-format", "Output format (las/laz/copc)", outputFormatVpc, "copc");
     argMode = &programArgs.add("mode", " 'every-nth' or 'sample' - either to keep every N-th point or to keep points based on their distance", mode);
     argStepEveryN = &programArgs.add("step-every-nth", "Keep every N-th point", stepEveryN);
     argStepSample = &programArgs.add("step-sample", "Minimum spacing between points", stepSample);
@@ -78,17 +78,20 @@ bool Thin::checkArgs()
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (argOutputFormat->set())
+    if (argOutputFormatVpc->set())
     {
-        if (outputFormat != "las" && outputFormat != "laz")
+        if (outputFormatVpc != "las" && outputFormatVpc != "laz" && outputFormatVpc != "copc")
         {
-            std::cerr << "unknown output format: " << outputFormat << std::endl;
+            std::cerr << "unknown output format: " << outputFormatVpc << std::endl;
             return false;
         }
     }
-    else
-        outputFormat = "las";  // uncompressed by default
 
+    if ( ends_with(outputFile, ".vpc") && outputFormatVpc == "copc" )
+    {
+        isStreaming = false;
+    }
+
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -163,14 +166,7 @@ void Thin::preparePipelines(std::vector<std::unique_ptr<PipelineManager>>& pipel
             ParallelJobInfo tile(ParallelJobInfo::FileBased, BOX2D(), filterExpression, filterBounds);
             tile.inputFilenames.push_back(f.filename);
 
-            // for input file /x/y/z.las that goes to /tmp/hello.vpc,
-            // individual output file will be called /tmp/hello/z.las
-            fs::path inputBasename = fileStem(f.filename);
-
-            if (!ends_with(outputFile, ".vpc"))
-                tile.outputFilename = (outputSubdir / inputBasename).string() + ".las";
-            else
-                tile.outputFilename = (outputSubdir / inputBasename).string() + "." + outputFormat;
+            tile.outputFilename = tileOutputFileName(outputFile, outputFormatVpc, outputSubdir, f.filename);
 
             tileOutputFiles.push_back(tile.outputFilename);
 

src/tile/tile.cpp

@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ void addArgs(pdal::ProgramArgs& programArgs, BaseInfo::Options& options, pdal::A
     programArgs.add("input-file-list", "Read input files from a text file", options.inputFileList);
     programArgs.add("length,l", "Tile length", options.tileLength, 1000.);
     tempArg = &(programArgs.add("temp_dir", "Temp directory", options.tempDir));
-    programArgs.add("output-format", "Output format (las/laz)", options.outputFormat);
+    programArgs.add("vpc-output-format", "Output format (las/laz/copc)", options.outputFormat);
 
     // for debugging
     programArgs.add("preserve_temp_dir", "Do not remove the temp directory before and after processing (for debugging)",