Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your LAZ file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.
Convert LAZ to another file type
To convert LAZ point clouds to another format, you need LAStools or other GIS software.
Convert a file to LAZ
To convert other file formats to the "Compressed LiDAR Point Cloud" file type, you need software like LAStools or a similar tool.
About LAZ files
The .LAZ file extension represents a Compressed LiDAR Data Exchange File. It stores highly detailed 3D point cloud data captured via LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) laser scanning. These files are typically opened and managed using LAStools, CloudCompare, or QGIS. For more context on the technology, see Lidar on Wikipedia. Users frequently need to convert .LAZ files because standard 3D modeling tools and web browsers cannot natively open them. While the LASzip algorithm saves massive amounts of disk space compared to the uncompressed LAS format, the data remains inaccessible to most general-purpose software. Users also struggle with the steep learning curve of specialized GIS software and the high computational cost of rendering millions of 3D points. Recommended conversion targets include LAS for native GIS editing, XYZ or CSV for raw text data analysis, and PLY or OBJ for standard 3D rendering. Note that converting to plain text formats like XYZ drastically increases the final file size. This file format is heavily structured and requires specialized decompression libraries, meaning often only dedicated GIS software can properly read or export the geometric data. If our analysis detects a supported underlying structure, viewing or converting your LiDAR data may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your LAZ file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert LAZ file to LAS, RCP, DEM, SHP, DWG, CSV, ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ or BZ2, you can use LAStools or similar software from the "Compressed 3D Point Cloud" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert XXE, 7Z, Z, PAK, LHA, DEB, UUE, TAR, LZH, ZIP, PKG or RAR files to LAZ, try LAStools or another comparable tool in the "Compressed 3D Point Cloud" category.
The LAZ Converter Story
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our LAZ converter.