quick_plot_lidar_data.R

#a snippet for quick plots of LIDAR data in ggplot2
#Tobias Stalder
#June 2021

#load libraries
library(tidyverse)
library(rlas)
library(gg3D) 

#load data
dat <- rlas::read.las(files = r"(C:\PATH\TO\FILE\lidaR_dat.las)")

#subset dataset
n <- 10
df_new <- dat[seq(1, nrow(dat), n), ] #only take every nth point

#check amount of points
nrow(df_new)

#angles
theta=0
phi=40

#plot
ggplot(df.new, aes(x=X, y=Y, z=Z, color=-Z),
      size = .1, alpha = .5) +
  axes_3D(theta=theta, phi=phi) +
  stat_3D(theta=theta, phi=phi)  +
  scale_color_viridis_c() + theme_void() +
  ggsave(filename = r"(C:\PATH\TO\FOLDER\lidar_scatter.png)",
         width = 15, height = 15, limitsize = FALSE)