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.

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Typical Uses

Reducing the data volume of a point cloud feature to meet processing or storage requirements.
Creating a sample point cloud dataset for testing

How does it work?

The PointCloudThinner receives point cloud features and outputs them with fewer points than the original.

The points to keep are identified by a fixed interval, a maximum number of points, or by specifying a first or last number of points:

Thinning Type	Amount	Result
Every Nth Point (Interval)	5	Every 5th point of the input cloud feature will be present in the output point cloud.
Every Nth Point (Maximum Number of Points)	100	The output cloud will have a maximum of 100 points, evenly spaced throughout the input.
First N Points	100	The first 100 points from the input will be kept.
Last N Points	500	The last 500 points from the input will be kept.

Usage Notes

For finer control over how a point cloud is reduced, consider using the PointCloudSimplifier transformer. It reduces while maintaining the overall shape of the original point cloud feature, however, may take considerably more processing time.

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	Coerces point cloud geometries into points or multipoints.
PointCloudCombiner	Combines multiple geometries into a single point cloud. Point cloud features will be accumulated as is. PointCloudCombiner is often used to accumulate multiple point clouds into a single point cloud feature, but can also convert other geometries into point clouds and merge them.
PointCloudComponentAdder	Adds new components with constant values to a point cloud.
PointCloudComponentCopier	Copies an existing component to a new component with the specified name. The existing component remains and a new component is created that has a different name, but the same values.
PointCloudComponentKeeper	Removes all components from a point cloud, except for the specified ones.
PointCloudComponentRemover	Removes specified components from a point cloud.
PointCloudComponentRenamer	Renames an existing component.
PointCloudComponentTypeCoercer	Converts the type of point cloud components.
PointCloudConsumer	Requests the point(s) from the point cloud geometry but no actual operations are performed on the point(s).
PointCloudCreator	Creates a new point cloud feature with the specified size and components and sends it into the workspace for processing.
PointCloudExpressionEvaluator	Evaluates expressions, such as algebraic operations or conditional statements, to set point cloud component values.
PointCloudExtractor	Serializes the geometry of the feature into the Blob Attribute based on the selected writer format.
PointCloudFilter	Filters a point-cloud feature into one or more parts, output via separate ports, based on evaluating expressions.
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 will be set 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	Replaces the geometry of the feature with the geometry held in the Blob Attribute. The blob is decoded according to the selected point cloud format.
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	Splits a single point cloud feature into multiple point cloud features, each having a homogeneous value for the point component that governs the split.
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

Points to Keep

Select the method for identifying points to keep. Options include:

Every Nth Point (Interval)	Keeps every <interval>th point.
Every Nth Point (Maximum Number of Points)	Keeps at most <maximum number of points> points that are more evenly spaced throughout the dataset.
First N Points	Keeps at most <maximum number of points> points from the start of the dataset. This likely will perform faster but produce a less even distribution of points than the Every Nth Point thinning type.
Last N Points	Keeps at most <maximum number of points> points from the end of the dataset. This likely will perform faster but produce a less even distribution of points than the Every Nth Point thinning type.

Interval

When Points to Keep is Every Nth Point (Interval), specify how often the points are retained.

For example, an Interval of 10 will result in every tenth point of the input cloud feature being kept in the output point cloud.

Maximum Number of Points

When Points to Keep is Every Nth Point (Maximum Number of Points) or First/Last N Points, specify the maximum points in the output point cloud.

This value may be set explicitly or defined with an attribute value or an expression.

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.

Reference

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

FME Community

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