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PDAL - Point Data Abstraction Library
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PDAL is a `BSD licensed`_ library for translating and manipulating `point cloud
data`_ of various formats.  PDAL can be used to read, write and translate
point cloud data in many formats.  Support is included for input files of
LAS, LAZ, SBET, BPF, QFIT and others.  PDAL can also read from and write to
databases that support point cloud storage, including Oracle, Postgres
and SQLite.

PDAL should not be confused with `PCL`_ (Point Cloud Library).  PCL is a
library specifically designed
to provide algorithmic analysis and modification of point clouds.  PDAL
provides a limited interface to the facilities of PCL, but does not in
general attempt to duplicate its capabilites.  See :ref:`filters.pclblock`
for more background


Developers and Sponsorship
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PDAL is developed by `Howard Butler`_, `Michael Gerlek`_, `Andrew Bell`_,
`Brad Chambers`_ and others.

PDAL's development is in coordination with efforts by the
`U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory`_.

.. _`Aerial Services, Inc`: http://www.asi-gis.com/
.. _`Point Cloud Library (PCL)`: http://pointclouds.org
.. _`GDAL`: http://www.gdal.org
.. _`BSD licensed`: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php
.. _`point cloud data`: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_cloud
.. _`LIDAR`: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LIDAR
.. _`U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory` : http://www.crrel.usace.army.mil/
.. _`PDL`: http://pointclouds.org
.. _`Howard Butler`: http://hobu.co
.. _`Andrew Bell`: http://hobu.co
.. _`Michael Gerlek`: http://www.radiantblue.com
.. _`Brad Chambers`: http://www.radiantblue.com



