Bug#797126: RFP: pdal -- Point Data Abstraction Library

[Bas Couwenberg]

Package: wnpp
Severity: wishlist

* Package name    : pdal
  Version         : 1.0.0b1
  Upstream Author : Howard Butler, Michael Gerlek, Andrew Bell,
                    Brad Chambers and others
* URL             : http://www.pdal.io/
* License         : BSD-3-Clause
  Programming Lang: C++
  Description     : Point Data Abstraction Library

PDAL is a BSD licensed library for translating and manipulating point
cloud data of various formats. PDAL can be used to read, write and
translate point cloud data in many formats. Support is included for
input files of LAS, LAZ, SBET, BPF, QFIT and others. PDAL can also read
from and write to databases that support point cloud storage, including
Oracle, Postgres and SQLite.

PDAL should not be confused with `PCL`_ (Point Cloud Library). PCL is a
library specifically designed to provide algorithmic analysis and
modification of point clouds. PDAL provides a limited interface to the
facilities of PCL, but does not in general attempt to duplicate its
capabilites.


PDAL is a good alternative to liblas, PDAL support LAS 1.4 whereas liblas
only supports 1.2. liblas development is not very active anymore, pdal
is very much alive.

The Debian GIS team is a good home for pdal package.