We need to be fully compliant with LAS 1.4 with all point record formats since many vendors provide their lidar data with all of the point record formats available in LAS version 1.4. Full waveform support is not required at this time (although I don't think anyone would object), but full access to the data in LAS version 1.4, e.g., full range of class codes and record formats, would benefit the community of users of lidar data and ArcGIS's LAS Dataset.

Currently, from the ArcGIS resource center:

"ArcGIS supports LAS versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3. The waveform information that is available when using LAS version 1.3 is not supported. Additionally, LAS version 1.4 files that are 1.3 compliant, containing point record formats 0 through 5, are supported. LAS version 1.4 files containing point record formats 6 through 10 are not supported. "

 

At the moment there is simply no excuse why the Topo to Raster tool used for creating a DEM is still limited to creating a DEM no greater than roughly 6500 by 6500 pixels! The memory resources are there so we should be able to use it.

The current method of getting around this problem (to mosaic DEM tiles together) creates problems in the resultant DEM let alone the amount of unnecessary time it takes to get this sort of result!

Just like editing feature classes it would be nice to be able to edit raster values in a raster dataset.  This would come in handy for modeling/modifying the earth’s surface and for classifying land use type.  Landuse often changes and with high resolution imagery commercially available one could streamline the process by simply updating their landuse raster rather than redoing the whole classification.  Editing elevation values would be helpful for a number of reasons. One example is calculating volume of land needing to be removed for a construction site. This typically requires a ‘before’ and ‘after’ surface for input, but ArcGIS has no easy tools for calculating the ‘after’ surface to be used as input.  The editing environment should support  multiband edits too.