Adding Data
Import point clouds, imagery, and vector data into the Aura viewer
Aura supports multiple data formats that you can load into the viewer for visualization and analysis.
Adding Data from the Menu
Click Add Data in the top navigation bar to access the import options:
Point Clouds
Add Local COPC File
Select Add Data → Point Cloud → Add Local COPC to load a .laz file from your computer.
- File must be in COPC (Cloud-Optimized Point Cloud) format
- Regular .laz files need to be converted first
Add Remote COPC
Select Add Data → Point Cloud → Add Remote COPC to load a point cloud from a URL.
- Enter the full URL to the COPC .laz file
- Useful for loading data hosted on cloud storage
Convert LAZ to COPC
If your .laz file is not in COPC format, select Add Data → Point Cloud → Convert LAZ to COPC.
- Requires Worker to be running
- Conversion happens locally on your machine
- Output file is saved to your working directory
What is COPC? Cloud-Optimized Point Cloud is a format that allows efficient streaming of point cloud data. Unlike regular LAZ files, COPC files can be partially loaded based on the current view, enabling smooth visualization of very large datasets.
Raster Imagery
Select Add Data → Raster to add georeferenced imagery:
- Orthophotos - Top-down aerial or satellite imagery
- Oblique Imagery - Angled aerial photos
Supported format: GeoTIFF (.tif, .tiff)
Vector Data
Select Add Data → Vector to add feature data:
- GeoJSON (.geojson, .json) - Points, lines, and polygons
- KML/KMZ (.kml, .kmz) - Google Earth format
Geotagged Images
Select Add Data → Images to add photos with location data:
- Supported formats: JPG, PNG with EXIF GPS data
- Images appear as markers on the map
- Click markers to view the photo and metadata
Spatial Reference System (SRS)
When loading point cloud data, Aura will prompt you to confirm the Spatial Reference System if it can't be automatically detected.
Important: Ensure your data uses the correct coordinate system. Mismatched SRS will cause data to appear in the wrong location or not at all.
Common coordinate systems:
- EPSG:4326 - WGS 84 (lat/lon)
- EPSG:32610-32619 - UTM zones for Western US
- EPSG:32617-32619 - UTM zones for Eastern US
Managing Layers
Once data is loaded, it appears in the left sidebar organized by type:
Layer Controls
Each layer has controls for:
- Visibility Toggle - Checkbox to show/hide the layer
- Opacity Slider - Adjust transparency (0-100%)
- Settings - Click the layer name to access type-specific options
- Delete - Remove the layer from your project
Point Cloud Layer Options
Click on a point cloud layer to access View Options:
- Change color mode (RGB, Classification, Elevation, etc.)
- Adjust point size and budget
- Filter by elevation, height above ground, or classification
- Enable Eye Dome Lighting for better depth perception
See View Options for detailed information.
File Size Considerations
- Small files (< 100 MB) load quickly and are processed in the browser
- Large files (> 100 MB) use multipart upload for reliability
- Very large files (> 1 GB) benefit from COPC format for streaming
For best performance with large datasets, convert your LAZ files to COPC format and host them on fast cloud storage for remote loading.
Next Steps
After adding your data:
- Navigate the map to explore your data
- Customize view options for point clouds
- Use tools to measure and annotate