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How to transform and download a number of large LAS files in an FME script from the attributes of a feature class hyperlink. The download should be executed based on an intersect and the LAS file should be removed from the SSD after the transformatio


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Is this possible to automate in FME?

 

Is it also possible to run a script at an interval in fme, e.g. once per week?

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Best answer by kailinatsafe 20 March 2023, 18:22

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Hello @sibe​, thanks for posting! This sounds like a suitable use case for FME. Automating the process will be one of the easier tasks, you might find yourself spending most time in FME Desktop designing the workflow. I’ll try my best to ask questions and make suggestions where possible.

 

May I ask what format reader you’re using? The first task would be to extract the LAS hyperlinks from the feature class. Out of curiousity, where are your LAS files stored? (eg. on the SSD, on the web?)

 

Once extracted, you can likely use a FeatureReader (LAS Reader > Read data from URL) with a spatial filter to read in the LAS files that fall within your intersection. Enabling Authentication if required. You also could perhaps consider replacing the FeatureReader with a HTTPCaller, clipping data upon read and then writing to disk.

 

If the LAS’s are already on disk, to delete them try using a SystemCaller. Out of curiousity, if only a part of the LAS falls within an intersected area? (eg. only part of the LAS file intersects)? Will you delete the entire file? How will you handle this?

 

To schedule this task, I suggest using FME Server’s Scheduling options(allows you to run workspaces at specific times in the future on a repeating or non-repeating basis) or windows task scheduler. Let me know if you have any questions about this - might take some trial/error. Happy to help, Kailin.

 

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Hello @kailinatsafe , thank you for this very detailed answer. As a reader I'm using an Esri file geodatabase polygon feature class. The las files are stored on the web but can be downloaded for usage depending on the intersect. I will need a specific part of the LAS which is determined by a clipping operation which uses a buffer. Once the LAS is clipped on the buffer I will use the surface draper to join the nearest Z value from the LAS points to a polyline. After that the entire LAS can be deleted from the SSD. In the coming weeks/months I will try this workflow. Thank you for helping me. Kind regards, Sibe

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