Mach9 Expands AI CAD Platform to Process Aerial LiDAR and Photogrammetry Data

Civil engineering software company Mach9 has expanded its web-based AI CAD tool to process aerial LiDAR and photogrammetric datasets captured by drones, helicopters, and aircraft. While previously focused on terrestrial laser scanning, the updated platform extracts civil features, classifies points, and generates 3D surfaces for civil engineering and GIS applications. According to Mach9, the AI produces initial drafts within hours for survey teams to check and edit before final delivery. The automated workflow extracts curbs, building footprints, pavement edges, and vegetation outlines as 3D lines and points, with Mach9 claiming centimeter-level accuracy at infrastructure scale. For utility projects, it also extracts utility poles and 3D catenary geometry from suspended wires for clearance analysis. Users can edit vertices, evaluate surface deviation heatmaps, and export LandXML, DXF, DWG, SHP, or GDB files for use in Civil 3D, OpenRoads, or downstream GIS tools. Consultancy Langan reported cut delivery times of around 40 percent on multi-thousand-acre Texas projects, while Welch Comer noted savings of four to five hours per project.

Key takeaways

• Mach9's web platform now processes aerial LiDAR and photogrammetry datasets to extract civil features, classify point clouds, and build surfaces.
• Automated recognition covers curbs, pavement edges, building outlines, vegetation, utility poles, and suspended wire catenary geometry.
• Built-in surface tools offer vertex editing, deviation heatmaps, and LandXML export for downstream civil design software.
• Consultancy Langan reported project turnaround reductions of around 40 percent on multi-thousand-acre sites in Texas.