prism-lidarcloud 1.1.0

Official Python client + CLI for PRISM LiDAR Cloud — one call turns raw LiDAR into a survey-grade deliverable set: DEM/DSM/CHM, classified cloud, per-cell uncertainty, automatic co-registration, change detection, true-colour drape, CAD bundle, and an AI-assisted accuracy report.

prism-lidarcloud

Official Python client + CLI for the PRISM LiDAR Cloud REST API — one call turns raw airborne/UAV LiDAR (.las/.laz) into a complete, survey-grade deliverable set. A single upload runs the full automated cloud pipeline:

• Automatic co-registration — double-round (H→V→H→V) alignment to USGS 3DEP or your own reference
• Bare-earth DEM, DSM, and canopy height model (GeoTIFF, to 25 cm) + a per-cell uncertainty raster
• 8-class ASPRS classified point cloud — ground · vegetation · building · water · road · power line
• NAVD88 (GEOID18) rigorous orthometric heights by default — or WGS84 ellipsoidal
• Two-epoch change detection — erosion / deposition / canopy gain-loss vs a prior survey or 3DEP
• True-colour drape for camera-less clouds, from near-flight-time public imagery (NAIP / Sentinel-2)
• CAD / survey bundle — DXF + LandXML in the correct State Plane ftUS zone
• AI-assisted accuracy report (ASPRS 2014 & 2023) with an independent USGS 3DEP cross-check
• Reproducible to the byte

Zero dependencies (Python standard library only).

Install

pip install prism-lidarcloud

Zero dependencies — pure standard library. You get the prism CLI on your PATH and the prism_lidarcloud Python package.

Get an API key

Sign in at https://app.lidarcloud.app, click your email → API access → Create API key. The key (prism_live_…) is shown once — copy it. Keep it secret; it carries your account's quota and billing.

export PRISM_API_KEY=prism_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx

CLI

# one shot: upload, wait, download the product zip
prism run scan.las --align 3dep --out products.zip

# a path with spaces (quote it; Windows or POSIX)
prism run "C:\surveys\site_42.las" --align 3dep --out site_42_products.zip

# step by step
prism submit scan.las --align 3dep            # prints {job_id, status_url, ...}
prism status <job_id>
prism download <job_id> -o products.zip
prism jobs                                     # list your jobs

Common flags: --align none|3dep|upload|existing, --reference other.las (paired change detection), --no-change, --no-classify, --no-report, --no-cad, --dem-res 25cm, --colorize auto|on|off, --colorize-source auto|sentinel|naip|fusion (true-colour drape for no-RGB clouds), --vdatum ellipsoidal (output is NAVD88 via GEOID18 by default; pass this to keep WGS84 ellipsoidal heights instead).

Python

from prism_lidarcloud import Client

c = Client()                                   # reads PRISM_API_KEY
out = c.run("scan.las", out="products.zip", align="3dep", change=True)
print("saved", out)

# or control each step
job = c.submit("scan.las", align="3dep")
final = c.wait(job["job_id"], on_progress=lambda d: print(d["status"], d["pct"]))
c.download(job["job_id"], "products.zip")

What you get back

A .zip containing the bare-earth DEM, DSM, CHM, DEM uncertainty rasters (GeoTIFF), the classified point cloud, the AOI boundary, and — unless disabled — the accuracy report (Word) and CAD bundle (DXF + LandXML). Paired/3DEP runs add alignment + change-detection products.

Notes

• Jobs run on ephemeral cloud workers; wait() polls until done/error.
• API jobs consume the same account quota as the web app and appear in your usage console tagged API (vs web).
• Full reference: https://app.lidarcloud.app/docs/api