las2txt

las2txt is a command-line utility within the LAStools software suite designed to convert LAS or LAZ LiDAR point cloud data into plain ASCII text. It exports selected point attributes from LAS/LAZ files to a text file, enabling analysis and processing in environments that do not support LAS/LAZ formats.

The tool supports extracting a range of common point attributes. Typical fields include X, Y, Z coordinates; intensity; return number and number of returns; classification; GPS time; and, when present, color information (red, green, blue). Users can tailor the output to include different combinations of fields and choose a text delimiter suitable for their workflow, such as a CSV-style comma or a space delimiter.

las2txt is designed to handle large datasets efficiently by streaming data from the input file, which helps to minimize memory usage. It can operate on both uncompressed LAS and compressed LAZ files, leveraging LAStools’ LASzip integration for on-the-fly decompression when needed. In addition to conversion, the tool can apply simple filters (for example by classification or return) to reduce output size or focus on specific subsets of points.

Typical use cases include exporting point data for statistical analysis, quality control, or interoperability with software that does not support LAS/LAZ formats. As part of LAStools, las2txt integrates with other utilities such as lasinfo for metadata inspection and lasmerge for combining datasets, forming a complementary workflow for LiDAR processing.

See also: LAStools, LAS, LAZ, LiDAR.