PointCloudExpressionEvaluator

Evaluates expressions on each point in a point cloud feature, including algebraic operations and conditional statements, and sets individual point cloud component values.

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Typical Uses

Performing calculations on individual point values within a point cloud
Updating point cloud component values
Adding new point cloud components

How does it work?

The PointCloudExpressionEvaluator receives point cloud features and evaluates defined expressions using the individual points’ component values, then outputs a point cloud feature with the calculated values applied to existing or new components.

Expressions

Expressions are defined in the right-hand column of the Component Expression(s) table. Each line in the table corresponds to one component, which may be new or existing. Component names may be selected from a list of standard components, or user-specified.

The Data Type for each component is also specified here, and may be set to automatically determine the appropriate type, or to preserve the type of an existing component. Strings are not supported.

Expressions may be as simple a constant value or simple arithmetic operation. The Arithmetic Editor is available via the Expression ellipsis (...) button to assist in the construction of expressions. Point cloud components are available in the editor.

Expressions are case-sensitive.

Examples

Constructing Expressions: Syntax and Examples

Expression Syntax

An expression consists of a combination of operands, operators, and parentheses.

White space may be used between the operands, operators, and parentheses as it is ignored by the expression processor.

Operators

See Math Operators for a complete list and documentation.

	Means...
\|\|	Or
&&	And
==	Equal
!=	Not equal
<	Less than
>	Greater than

Operands

Operands may be any of the following:

Example(s)

Description

Component

@Component(z)

@Component(color_red)

@Component(return)

@Component(<user_component>)

A component from an input point cloud.

Note that if a component has a scale/offset, the "applied" value of the component will be used in the expression.

Constant

13.5

6e4

7.91e+16

A numeric constant, either integer or floating-point.

Where possible, numeric constants are interpreted as integer values; otherwise, operands will be treated as floating-point numbers.

Attribute Value

@Value(point_cloud_id)

The value of an attribute, using @Value() notation.

Function

@sqrt(@Component(z))

@if(@Component(z) < 0,0,@Component(z))

A function whose arguments have any of the above forms for operands. Available functions include:

abs(arg)	Returns the absolute value of arg.
acos(arg)	Returns the arc cosine of arg, in the range [0,pi] radians. Arg should be in the range [-1,1].
asin(arg)	Returns the arc sine of arg, in the range [-pi/2,pi/2] radians. Arg should be in the range [-1,1].
atan(arg)	Returns the arc tangent of arg, in the range [-pi/2,pi/2] radians.
atan2(y,x)	Returns the arc tangent of y/x, in the range [-pi,pi] radians. x and y cannot both be 0.
ceil(arg)	Returns the smallest integer value not less than arg.
cos(arg)	Returns the cosine of arg, measured in radians.
cosh(arg)	Returns the hyperbolic cosine of arg. If the result would cause an overflow, an error is returned.
exp(arg)	Returns the exponential of arg, defined as e**arg. If the result would cause an overflow, an error is returned.
floor(arg)	Returns the largest integer value not greater than arg.
fmod(x,y)	Returns the floating-point remainder of the division of x by y. If y is 0, an error is returned.
hypot(x,y)	Computes the length of the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle, that is, sqrt(xx+yy).
if(c,x,y)	Returns x if c is 0, and y otherwise.
index()	Returns the point index. The first point in the point cloud is index 0, the second is index 1, etc.
int(arg)	If arg is in the range of a 64 bit integer, convert by truncation. If arg is out of range, null is returned.
int8(arg)	If arg is in the range of a 8 bit integer, convert by rounding. If arg is out of range, null is returned.
int16(arg)	If arg is in the range of a 16 bit integer, convert by rounding. If arg is out of range, null is returned.
int32(arg)	If arg is in the range of a 32 bit integer, convert by rounding. If arg is out of range, null is returned.
int64(arg)	If arg is in the range of a 64 bit integer, convert by rounding. If arg is out of range, null is returned.
log(arg)	Returns the natural logarithm of arg. Arg must be a positive value.
log10(arg)	Returns the base 10 logarithm of arg. Arg must be a positive value.
pow(x,y)	Computes the value of x raised to the power y. If x is negative, y must be an integer value.
rand()	Returns a random value between 0 and 1.
real32(arg)	If arg is in the range of a single precision float, return as a single precision float. If arg is NaN or infinity, or the negation thereof, cast as a single precision NaN or infinity. Otherwise, arg is beyond the range of a single precision float, so we return positive or negative infinity.
real64(arg)	If arg is in the range of a double precision float, return as a double precision float. If arg is NaN or infinity, or the negation thereof, cast as a double precision NaN or infinity. Otherwise, arg is beyond the range of a double precision float, so we return positive or negative infinity.
sin(arg)	Returns the sine of arg, measured in radians.
sinh(arg)	Returns the hyperbolic sine of arg. If the result would cause an overflow, an error is returned.
sqrt(arg)	Returns the square root of arg. Arg must be non-negative.
tan(arg)	Returns the tangent of arg, measured in radians.
tanh(arg)	Returns the hyperbolic tangent of arg.
uint8(arg)	If arg is in the range of a 8 bit unsigned integer, convert by rounding. If arg is out of range, null is returned.
uint16(arg)	If arg is in the range of a 16 bit unsigned integer, convert by rounding. If arg is out of range, null is returned.
uint32(arg)	If arg is in the range of a 32 bit unsigned integer, convert by rounding. If arg is out of range, null is returned.
uint64(arg)	If arg is in the range of a 64 bit unsigned integer, convert by rounding. If arg is out of range, null is returned.

Note: See Math Functions for a complete list of FME math functions and documentation. Not all functions are available in all contexts.

Private or Published Parameter

$(User_Parameter)

Published and private parameters, including user parameters. See Creating and Modifying User Parameters.

Types and Overflows

This transformer attempts to avoid overflows by changing data types through the course of evaluating an expression. For example, if two UInt8 values are added together, the internal computations will be performed with a UInt16 type; this ensures that no overflow will occur.

In general, performing an arithmetic operation on integer types will produce an integer type. The exception to this is division: it will always produce a floating-point result. Performing an arithmetic operation on floating-point types will always produce a floating-point type.

Note that when converting between different data types, a Bounded Cast is used. As a result, when a calculated value does not fit in the specified destination data type, the corresponding destination value will either be set to the minimum or maximum value possible in the destination data type. For example, a value of 300, if converted to an unsigned 8-bit integer component (UInt8), would become 255 (the maximum available value for that data type).

Example: Performing a calculation on component values

In this example, we will calculate above-ground-level (AGL) heights for a LiDAR point cloud, in an area with many tall buildings.

Note that the source feature, viewed here in the Data Inspector from an oblique angle in 3D, has a z component representing the elevation of the point - which is not necessarily the elevation of the ground. Points are returned above the ground when they encounter structures and vegetation.

We will overlay the point cloud on a DEM elevation raster in order to extract the ground elevations. Note that the elevations are stored in Band 0 of this single-band raster. Both datasets are in the same coordinate system and units.

The operation will take two steps. First, both the point cloud and DEM raster are routed into a PointCloudOnRasterComponentSetter to extract the ground elevations. Then the resulting point cloud feature is sent on to the PointCloudExpressionEvaluator to calculate the AGL heights.

Step 1 - Extracting Ground Elevations

In the parameters dialog of the PointCloudOnRasterComponentSetter, we set Components to Set to Custom.

The custom component is defined in the Components table, extracting values from Band 0 to a new component named Elevation. The Default Value is set to 0.

Note that the output point cloud feature has a new component - Elevation. The selected point shown here has a z value of about 97.57 meters -but the ground elevation at that location is only about 4.985 meters.

Step 2 - Calculating Height

In the parameters dialog of the PointCloudExpressionEvaluator a new Component is defined, named AGL. The Data Type is set to Auto, and an expression is constructed that subtracts the ground elevation from the point elevation.

The output point cloud feature has a new AGL component with the results of the expression evaluation.

The point selected here has a z value of 102.98 meters. Subtracting the ground elevation of about 4.226 meters produces a height above ground of about 98.75 meters.

Usage Notes

This transformer does not support strings. To add string components, use the PointCloudComponentAdder.
This transformer can be used to set an existing component to a constant value by setting the expression to the desired constant.
The arithmetic editor is available from the ellipsis (...) button to assist in constructing expressions. See Arithmetic Editor for full documentation.

Choosing a Point Cloud Transformer

FME has a selection of transformers for working specifically with point cloud data.

For information on point cloud geometry and properties, see Point Clouds (IFMEPointCloud).

Point Cloud Transformers

PointCloudCoercer	Converts point clouds to point or multipoint geometries, optionally retaining attribute and component values.
PointCloudCombiner	Combines features into a single point cloud. Point cloud and non-point cloud geometries are supported.
PointCloudComponentAdder	Adds new components with constant values to a point cloud.
PointCloudComponentCopier	Copies selected component values onto either a new or existing component
PointCloudComponentKeeper	Keeps only specified point cloud components, discarding all others.
PointCloudComponentRemover	Removes specified components from a point cloud.
PointCloudComponentRenamer	Renames an existing component.
PointCloudComponentTypeCoercer	Alters the data type of point cloud components, and converts component values if required.
PointCloudConsumer	Reads point cloud features for testing purposes, including any accumulated point cloud operations. No additional operations are performed, and nothing is done with the features.
PointCloudCreator	Creates a point cloud of specified size and density, with default component values.
PointCloudExpressionEvaluator	Evaluates expressions on each point in a point cloud feature, including algebraic operations and conditional statements, and sets individual point cloud component values.
PointCloudExtractor	Serializes the geometry of a point cloud feature into a Blob attribute, encoding the contents according to a choice of common binary point cloud formats.
PointCloudFilter	Separates point clouds into multiple features, based on evaluating expressions including component values, and creates a separate output port for each expression defined.
PointCloudMerger	Merges component values from one point cloud to another. Features that contain the desired components are connected through the Supplier port, and the features that will receive the components are connected through the Requestor port.
PointCloudOnRasterComponentSetter	Sets point cloud component values by overlaying a point cloud on a raster. The component values for each point are interpolated from band values at the point location.
PointCloudPropertyExtractor	Extracts the geometry properties of a point cloud feature and exposes them as attributes, optionally checking for their existence, retrieving component properties, and finding minimum and maximum values. Extents may also be recalculated and updated.
PointCloudReplacer	Decodes a binary attribute containing encoded point clouds stored as Blobs, replacing the feature’s geometry with the decoded point cloud.
PointCloudSimplifier	Reduces the number of points in a point cloud by selectively keeping points based on the shape of the point cloud. The simplified and removed points are output as two discrete point clouds.
PointCloudSorter	Sorts a point cloud by the values of components.
PointCloudSplitter	Separates point clouds into multiple features based on component values, color, or first/last return.
PointCloudStatisticsCalculator	Calculates statistics on point cloud components and adds the results as attributes.
PointCloudSurfaceBuilder	Takes an input point cloud and reconstructs it into an output mesh.
PointCloudThinner	Reduces the number of points in (thins) a point cloud by keeping points at a fixed interval, a maximum number of points, or a set quantity of first or last points. Remaining points are discarded.
PointCloudTransformationApplier	Applies transformations on a point cloud. Applying a transformation is primarily done for compatibility with other processing and writers that cannot support the transformation natively. For example, the LAS reader produces Int32 coordinates with a scale and offset. However, the POINTCLOUDXYZ writer cannot support component scale/offsets, so the transformation will be applied. The resulting coordinates will be Real64 with no transformation. Note that processing and writers that cannot support transformations will apply them automatically, but this transformer can be used to manually apply the transformation if desired.

Configuration

Input Ports

Output Ports

Parameters

Component Expression(s)

Component

Specifies the component to be set by the corresponding expression. Standard component names may be selected from the drop-down menu. Custom user component names may be entered directly.

Components may be either existing or new, and will either be updated or created, respectively.

Type

Select the type of the component in the output point cloud. Choices include:

Auto - Type is automatically determined based on the types used to perform the calculations.
Preserve - Keep the type of the component on the input point cloud.
Real64
Real32
UInt64
UInt32
UInt16
UInt8
Int64
Int32
Int16
Int8

Expression

Define an expression to be evaluated. The Arithmetic Editor may be accessed via the ellipsis (...) button to assist in creating expressions.

The result of this expression will be stored in the corresponding component on the output point cloud.

Editing Transformer Parameters

Using a set of menu options, transformer parameters can be assigned by referencing other elements in the workspace. More advanced functions, such as an advanced editor and an arithmetic editor, are also available in some transformers. To access a menu of these options, click beside the applicable parameter. For more information, see Transformer Parameter Menu Options.

Defining Values

There are several ways to define a value for use in a Transformer. The simplest is to simply type in a value or string, which can include functions of various types such as attribute references, math and string functions, and workspace parameters. There are a number of tools and shortcuts that can assist in constructing values, generally available from the drop-down context menu adjacent to the value field.

How to Set Parameter Values

Using the Text Editor

The Text Editor provides a convenient way to construct text strings (including regular expressions) from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and constants, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Text Editor

Using the Arithmetic Editor

The Arithmetic Editor provides a convenient way to construct math expressions from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and feature functions, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Arithmetic Editor

Conditional Values

Set values depending on one or more test conditions that either pass or fail.

Parameter Condition Definition Dialog

Content

Expressions and strings can include a number of functions, characters, parameters, and more.

When setting values - whether entered directly in a parameter or constructed using one of the editors - strings and expressions containing String, Math, Date/Time or FME Feature Functions will have those functions evaluated. Therefore, the names of these functions (in the form @<function_name>) should not be used as literal string values.

Content Types

String Functions	These functions manipulate and format strings.
Special Characters	A set of control characters is available in the Text Editor.
Math Functions	Math functions are available in both editors.
Date/Time Functions	Date and time functions are available in the Text Editor.
Math Operators	These operators are available in the Arithmetic Editor.
FME Feature Functions	These return primarily feature-specific values.
FME Parameters	FME and workspace-specific parameters may be used.
Creating and Modifying User Parameters	Create your own editable parameters.

Dialog Options - Tables

Transformers with table-style parameters have additional tools for populating and manipulating values.

Table Tools

Row Reordering

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

Add a row
Remove a row
Move current row up one
Move current row down one
Move current row to top
Move current row to bottom

Cut, Copy, and Paste

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

Cut a row - delete and copy to clipboard
Copy a row to the clipboard
Paste a row from the clipboard

Cut, copy, and paste may be used within a transformer, or between transformers.

Filter

Start typing a string, and the matrix will only display rows matching those characters. Searches all columns. This only affects the display of attributes within the transformer - it does not alter which attributes are output.

Import

Import populates the table with a set of new attributes read from a dataset. Specific application varies between transformers.

Reset/Refresh

Generally resets the table to its initial state, and may provide additional options to remove invalid entries. Behavior varies between transformers.

Note: Not all tools are available in all transformers.

Reference

Processing Behavior	Feature-Based
Feature Holding	No
Dependencies	None
FME Licensing Level	FME Professional Edition and above
Aliases
History

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Examples may contain information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver

Keywords: point "point cloud" cloud PointCloud LiDAR sonar