Final Publication of LAS 1.5 Revision 00 (Aug/Sept 2025)

.github/FUNDING.yml

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+custom: ['https://www.asprsfoundation.org/donate']

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+blank_issues_enabled: true
+contact_links:
+- name: How to contribute
+  url: https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/wiki/Get-Involved
+  about: Learn how to participate in the ASPRS LAS Committee
+- name: ASPRS LiDAR Division
+  url: https://www.asprs.org/divisions-committees/lidar-division
+  about: Visit the LiDAR Division homepage
+

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/issue.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+name: Issue
+description: A standard issue or inquiry about the ASPRS LAS specification
+body:
+  - type: dropdown
+    id: browsers
+    attributes:
+      label: What is the issue about?
+      multiple: true
+      options:
+        - Software implementation
+        - Inquiry about the specification
+        - Committee efforts
+        - Other
+  - type: textarea
+    id: buginfo
+    attributes:
+      label: Issue description
+      description: Describe the issue or question
+    validations:
+      required: true

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/vlr.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+name: Variable Length Record Community Description
+description: Describe a VLR in use in the community
+title: "[VLR Description]: "
+labels: ["vlr"]
+body:
+  - type: markdown
+    attributes:
+      value: |
+        Please enter a description of a community LAS VLR
+  - type: input
+    id: contact
+    attributes:
+      label: Contact Details
+      description: Who knows about this VLR and could answer questions about it?
+      placeholder: ex. email@example.com
+    validations:
+      required: false
+  - type: input
+    id: user_id
+    attributes:
+      label: LAS User ID
+      description: The LAS User ID in use for this VLR
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: checkboxes
+    id: is_registered
+    attributes:
+      label: User ID registration
+      description: Is the LAS User ID registered with the [ASPRS VLR Key List](https://www.asprs.org/misc/las-key-list.html).
+      options:
+        - label: Registered?
+  - type: input
+    id: record_id
+    attributes:
+      label: LAS Record ID
+      description: The LAS Record ID in use for this VLR
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: application
+    attributes:
+      label: What application(s) is the VLR used with?
+  - type: textarea
+    id: usage
+    attributes:
+      label: Please describe what the VLR is used for
+  - type: textarea
+    id: definition
+    attributes:
+      label: Please provide a definition of the VLR's contents

.github/workflows/pdf.yml

@@ -8,17 +8,19 @@ jobs:
   docs:
     name: Docs
 
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       fail-fast: true
-    container: osgeo/proj-docs
+    container: ghcr.io/osgeo/proj-docs
 
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
     - name: Print versions
       run: |
           python3 --version
           sphinx-build --version
+          DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get update  -y
+          DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install texlive-fonts-recommended -y
     - name: Lint .rst files
       run: |
         if find . -name '*.rst' | xargs grep -P '\t'; then echo 'Tabs are bad, please use four spaces in .rst files.'; false; fi
@@ -28,14 +30,18 @@ jobs:
     - name: Spelling
       run: |
         make spelling
-    - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+    - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       with:
         name: PDF
         path: build/latex/LAS.pdf
-    - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        if-no-files-found: error
+    - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: TEX
+        path: build/latex/LAS.tex
+        if-no-files-found: error
+    - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       with:
         name: Misspelled
         path: build/spelling/output.txt
-
-
-
+        if-no-files-found: ignore

.gitignore

@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 build/
+.vscode

.readthedocs.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# .readthedocs.yaml
+# Read the Docs configuration file
+# See https://docs.readthedocs.io/en/stable/config-file/v2.html for details
+
+# Required
+version: 2
+
+build:
+  os: "ubuntu-lts-latest"
+  tools:
+    python: "mambaforge-latest"
+
+sphinx:
+  builder: html
+  configuration: source/conf.py
+  fail_on_warning: false
+
+python:
+  install:
+    - requirements: source/requirements.txt
+
+conda:
+  environment: source/environment.yml
+
+formats:
+  - pdf
+  - epub

source/01_intro.txt

@@ -12,144 +12,39 @@ produce points with X, Y, and Z coordinates. The purpose of LAS is to provide
 an open format that allows different hardware and software tools to
 exchange point cloud data in a common format.
 
-This document reflects the fourth revision of the LAS format specification
+This document reflects the fifth version of the LAS file specification
 since its initial version 1.0 release.
 
 
-LAS 1.4 Revision History
+LAS 1.5 Revision History
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-Summary of LAS 1.4 revisions (GitHub Issue numbers included when applicable):
-
-* R11 - Approved Version (Nov 2011).
-* R12 - Errata (June 2012) - Typographical corrections:
-
-  * Corrected Public Header Size in descriptive paragraph to 375 bytes.
-  * Corrected two instances of Scan Angle Rank from "Unsigned Char" to "Char".
-
-* R13 - Added Domain Profile Section (July 2013).
-* R14 - Multiple updates (March 2019):
-
-  * Aesthetic changes from migration to GitHub.
-  * Multiple capitalization & typo corrections.
-  * Updated ASPRS contact info.
-    (`I-30 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/30>`_)
-  * Additional standard classifications 19-22 for PDRFs 6-10:
-    (`I-11 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/11>`_,
-    `I-26 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/26>`_)
-
-    * Class 19 -- Overhead Structure in PDRFs 6-10.
-    * Class 20 -- Ignored Ground.
-    * Class 21 -- Snow.
-    * Class 22 -- Temporal Exclusion.
-
-  * Added OGC endorsement.
-    (`I-31 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/31>`_)
-  * Added minimum PDRF sizes to attribute tables.
-    (`I-47 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/47>`_)
-  * Section reorganization:
-    (`I-57 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/57>`_)
-
-    * Addition of Table of Contents with section numbers. (c.f. 
-      `I-27 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/27>`_,
-      `I-49 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/49>`_)
-    * Divided Defined Variable Length Records section into Coordinate
-      Reference System VLRs section (s3) and Other Specification Defined
-      VLRs (s4).
-    * Expanded EVLR discussion in Legacy Compatibility section (s2.1) and moved
-      Legacy Compatibility section to EVLR definition (now s2.7.1).
-    * Swapped order of LAS 1.4 Revision History (now s1.1.1) and
-      LAS 1.4 Additions (now s1.1.2).
-    * Rearranged paragraphs in Extra Bytes VLR description.
-
-  * Deprecated "tuple" and "triple" extra byte data types.
-    (`I-1 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/1>`_)
-
-    * Added explanation and example of implicit arrays from descriptor names.
-
-  * Clarified that ExtraByte min/max should be an untransformed value.
-    (`I-4 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/4>`_)
-  * Clarified that Legacy Point Counts should be set to zero if using non-legacy
-    PDRFs. (`I-12 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/12>`_)
-  * Clarified Full Waveform descriptions and added wiki link.
-    (`I-9 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/9>`_)
-  * Renamed X(t), Y(t), and Z(t) from waveform packets to Parametric dx/dy/dz.
-  * PDRF9 now correctly requires Scanner Channel like other PDRFs.
-    (`I-29 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/29>`_)
-  * Clarified origin date/time for Adjusted Standard GPS Time.
-    (`I-40 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/40>`_)
-  * Clarified null-termination of fixed-length ``char`` arrays, especially VLR
-    Description. (`I-46 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/46>`_)
-  * Clarified relationship between FileSourceID and PointSourceID.
-    (`I-59 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/59>`_)
-  * Added language to support technologies other than conventional linear-mode
-    lidar scanners. (`I-35 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/35>`_)
-
-    * Clarified and renamed Synthetic Return Numbers Global Encoding bit.
-    * Clarified Synthetic point classification flag.
-    * Clarified validity of zero-value PointSourceID.
-    * Unified Return Number and Number of Returns descriptions between
-      legacy and non-legacy PDRFs.
-    * Clarified Scan Direction and Edge of Flight Line Flags for non-rotational systems.
-
-  * Added wiki link for Project ID examples.
-    (`I-38 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/38>`_)
-
-* R15 - Errata and typo corrections for R14 (July 2019):
-
-  * Minor editorial punctuation corrections.
-    (`I-78 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/78>`_)
-  * Fixed unintended reordering of Min/Max XYZ in R14 LAS header.
-    (`I-79 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/79>`_)
-  * Added missing Scanner Channel field in note about PDRF6-10 bit field.
-    (`I-80 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/80>`_)
-
-* R16 - DRAFT
-
-  * Clarified uniformity of GPS Time for all returns of a pulse.
-    (`I-81 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/81>`_)
-  * Added example usage of Overlap bit.
-    (`I-5 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/5>`_)
-  * Reworded mandatory zero Classification for Synthetic PDRF0-5.
-    (`I-86 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/86>`_)
-  * Added Byte Offset columns to Header, VLR, EVLR, and PDRF tables.
-    (`I-55 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/55>`_)
-  * Clarified how and when certain header fields should be zero-filled.
-    (`I-101 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/101>`_)
-  * More closely aligned data types with C99 definitions.
-    (`I-115 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/115>`_)
-
-For detailed information on changes in revisions R14 and newer, review the
-inline differencing provided on the `GitHub page <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS>`_.
-
-
-Comparison of LAS 1.4 to Previous Versions
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-The additions of LAS 1.4 include:
+Summary of LAS 1.5 revisions (topic links included when applicable):
 
-* Backward compatibility with LAS 1.1 – LAS 1.3 when payloads consist of only
-  legacy content.
-* LAS 1.4 mode which supports:
+* R00 - Approved Version (August 2025). 
 
-  * Extension of offsets and field sizes to support full 64 bit.
-  * Support for up to 15 returns per outgoing pulse.
-  * Extension of the Point Class field to support 256 classes.
-  * Definition of several new ASPRS standard classes.
-  * Extension of the Scan Angle field to 2 bytes to support finer angle resolution.
-  * Addition of a Sensor Channel bit field to support mobile mapping systems.
-  * Addition of Well Known Text (WKT) definitions for Coordinate Reference
-    Systems.
-  * Addition of an Overlap bit to indicate points in the overlap
-    region while maintaining the class definition.
-  * Addition of an (optional) :ref:`extrabytes_vlr_label` Variable Length Record to describe
-    "extra bytes" stored with each point.
 
-* Other minor changes:
+Comparison of LAS 1.5 to Previous Versions
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-  * Added definitions for "LAS Domain Profile" and "LAS Domain Profile
-    Description".
-  * Added links to official LAS wiki: https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/wiki
+The additions of LAS 1.5 include (topic links included when applicable):
+
+  * Backward compatibility with 64-bit LAS 1.4 files.
+  * Header compatibility with LAS 1.1 - 1.4 files.
+  * Removed support for legacy Point Data Record Formats 0-5.
+    (`I-128 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/128>`_)
+  * Added Max/Min GPS Time fields to header block.
+    (`I-118 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/118>`_)
+  * Added Offset GPS Time definition.
+    (`I-6 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/6>`_)
+  * CRS support expanded to all published WKT versions, removing support for GeoTIFF CRS encoding.
+    (`I-95 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/95>`_,
+    `I-104 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/104>`_,
+    `I-129 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/129>`_)
+  * Clarify requirement that the Extra Bytes VLR must be unique.
+    (`I-150 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/150>`_)
+  * Deprecated Classification Lookup VLR.
+    (`I-82 <https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/issues/82>`_)
 
 
 Conformance
@@ -171,24 +66,29 @@ organization as directed by the ASPRS Board of Directors. Questions related to
 this standard can be directed to ASPRS:
 
 * Online at https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS
-* By phone at 301-493-0290
+* By phone at 225-408-4747
 * By email at las@asprs.org or asprs@asprs.org
-* By mail at 8550 United Plaza Blvd, Suite 1001 Baton Rouge, LA 70809
+* By mail at 8550 United Plaza Blvd, Suite 1001, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
 
 OGC
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-LAS has been recognized by the Open Geospatial Consortium (`OGC`_) in 2018 as an
+LAS has been recognized by the Open Geospatial Consortium (`OGC`_) since 2018 as an
 OGC Community Standard. The OGC version of the document with forward material
 about standards that LAS references and its status within the standard body can
-be found at https://portal.opengeospatial.org/files/17-030r1.
+be found at https://www.ogc.org/publications/standard/las/.
 
 Future recognition and activity on OGC referencing activities of LAS can be
-followed at http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/community.
+followed at https://www.ogc.org/publications/.
 
-.. _`OGC`: http://www.opengeospatial.org
+.. _`OGC`: https://www.ogc.org
 
-.. raw:: latex
 
-    \newpage
+.. _laswiki_link:
+
+Official LAS Wiki
+................................................................................
 
+The official LAS wiki hosts supplemental guidance pages, links to external
+resources, public registries, and more LAS-related resources.
+The wiki can be found at https://github.com/ASPRSorg/LAS/wiki.