lasinfo

lasinfo is a command-line utility used to inspect and report metadata and statistics about LAS and LAZ LiDAR data files. It is part of the LAStools software suite, and similar tools exist in other LiDAR libraries such as libLAS. The primary function of lasinfo is to read the file header and provide a concise summary of the point cloud’s characteristics.

Key information reported by lasinfo includes the LAS specification version, the point data format (as defined by LAS 1.x), the total number of points, and the counts by return when available. It also prints the bounding box coordinates (minimum and maximum for X, Y, and Z), the scale factors and offsets used to convert integer coordinates to real values, and the file creation date along with the system and generating software identifiers stored in the header. In addition, lasinfo reveals the coordinate reference system information if present (such as WKT or EPSG codes), whether the file is stored in a compressed LAZ format, and whether waveform data or extra dimensions are included. For files that contain GPS time, this may also be reported. Depending on the implementation, extended statistics or additional header fields may be displayed.

Usage typically involves running lasinfo on one or more LAS/LAZ files to obtain a human-readable summary. The tool is commonly used to verify file integrity, inventory datasets, and inform subsequent processing steps such as filtering, classification, or tiling. Because multiple implementations exist, output formats and detail levels can vary slightly between tools, though the core metadata described above remains consistent.