What are the output file formats available in Site Scan Manager for ArcGIS?

Answer

Site Scan Manager for ArcGIS generates several types of files, some of which come in multiple formats. All are available for sharing and downloading from within the Site Scan for ArcGIS mobile and web apps.

Images (.jpg)

These are the raw images from the drone camera that have been augmented with geolocation metadata from the drone.

Orthomosaics (.tiff)

This is the georeferenced, orthomosaic map of the flight area. Orthomosaics can be opened and manipulated in Google Earth Pro, ArcGIS, QGIS, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Infraworks, and many other GIS programs.

DSM (.tiff)

This is the georeferenced Digital Elevation Model associated with the orthomosaic. The value of each pixel corresponds to an elevation above the ground. DSMs can be opened and manipulated in Google Earth Pro, ArcGIS, QGIS, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Infraworks, and many other GIS programs.

DTM (.tiff)

This is a vector data set composed of regularly spaced points and natural features such as ridges and break lines. A DTM augments a DSM by including linear features of the bare-earth terrain.

Mesh (.slpk, .rcm, .fbx, .obj)

The primary mesh format generated by Site Scan is .slpk. This is an Esri native format that can be used in ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online. When processing a mission, if you selected Autodesk Recap option for Mesh Engine, Site Scan only generates .rcm, .fbx, and .obj mesh formats and not .slpk.

• .rcm is the Autodesk ReMake native format, optimized for viewing, flythrough videos, and simple volume measurements.
• .fbx is a second Autodesk mesh format optimized for media and entertainment.
• .obj is the open mesh format shared across many platforms.

Point cloud (.laz, .las.zip)

These are the two-point cloud formats generated by Site Scan for ArcGIS. .laz is a compressed point cloud format that requires decompression in order to open it in other software. .las.zip is a zipped format containing individual .las files for the point cloud. This is a larger file size, but .las files can be opened in ArcGIS Pro or any CAD software, including Autodesk products.

Contours (.dxf, .shp.zip)

Contours are lines that connect locations of equal value in a raster dataset representing continuous phenomena such as elevation, temperature, precipitation, pollution, or atmospheric pressure.