The Stage class is the base class for all PDAL stages (readers, filters, and writers). It represents a single operation in a PDAL pipeline.
Constructor
Keyword arguments representing PDAL stage options. The specific options available depend on the stage type.
You typically don’t instantiate Stage directly. Instead, use the Reader, Filter, or Writer subclasses.
Properties
type
The PDAL stage type identifier (e.g., "readers.las", "filters.sort", "writers.las").
stage = pdal.Reader.las("input.las")
print(stage.type) # "readers.las"
streamable
@property
streamable -> bool
True if the stage supports streaming execution, False otherwise.
stage = pdal.Filter.sort(dimension="X")
if stage.streamable:
print("Stage supports streaming")
tag
@property
tag -> Optional[str]
None if no tag is set.
reader = pdal.Reader.las("input.las", tag="my_reader")
print(reader.tag) # "my_reader"
@property
inputs -> List[Union[Stage, str]]
merge = pdal.Filter.merge(inputs=[stage1, stage2])
print(merge.inputs) # [stage1, stage2]
options
@property
options -> Dict[str, Any]
filter = pdal.Filter.range(limits="Classification[2:2]")
print(filter.options) # {"type": "filters.range", "limits": "Classification[2:2]"}
Methods
pipeline
pipeline(*arrays: np.ndarray, loglevel: int = logging.ERROR) -> Pipeline
Variable number of Numpy structured arrays to use as input data.
loglevel
int
default:"logging.ERROR"
Logging level for the pipeline.
A new Pipeline object containing this stage.
import numpy as np
import pdal
# Create array with point data
array = np.array([(0, 0, 0), (1, 1, 1)], dtype=[('X', float), ('Y', float), ('Z', float)])
# Create pipeline from stage with input array
filter_stage = pdal.Filter.sort(dimension="X")
pipeline = filter_stage.pipeline(array)
__or__(other: Union[Stage, Pipeline]) -> Pipeline
|) for composing stages and pipelines together.
Another Stage or Pipeline to append.
A new Pipeline containing both stages/pipelines.
# Pipe stages together
pipeline = pdal.Reader.las("input.las") | pdal.Filter.sort(dimension="X") | pdal.Writer.las("output.las")
# Pipe a stage to a pipeline
base_pipeline = pdal.Reader.las("input.las") | pdal.Filter.range(limits="Intensity[100:200]")
full_pipeline = base_pipeline | pdal.Writer.las("output.las")
Usage
Basic stage creation
import pdal
# Create stages with options
reader = pdal.Reader.las(filename="input.las")
filter = pdal.Filter.sort(dimension="X", order="ASC")
writer = pdal.Writer.las(filename="output.las", compression="lazperf")
# Tag stages to reference them later
reader1 = pdal.Reader.las("file1.las", tag="input1")
reader2 = pdal.Reader.las("file2.las", tag="input2")
# Merge using tags
merge = pdal.Filter.merge(inputs=["input1", "input2"])
pipeline = pdal.Pipeline([reader1, reader2, merge])
Checking stage capabilities
stage = pdal.Filter.range(limits="Z[0:100]")
print(f"Type: {stage.type}")
print(f"Streamable: {stage.streamable}")
print(f"Options: {stage.options}")