Forest Design uses FJD Trion LiDAR scanners to create measurable digital records of complex forest environments. A walk through the forest becomes a 3D point cloud, LAS file, density map, or GIS dataset.
“You spend a few hours in the forest and capture everything that is there. When I finish the scan, I have the LAS file.”
Bogdan Congra, Founder, Forest Design
Turning Forestry Experience into Digital Evidence
Forest Design is a forestry technology company based in Brașov, Romania. Founded in 2004, the company combines forestry expertise with GIS, GNSS, remote sensing, and LiDAR-based workflows.
Founder Bogdan Congra is both a forester and a technology practitioner. His goal is not to replace professional judgement. It is to give forestry teams a more complete and reusable record of the trees, terrain, and vegetation they observe in the field.
Forest Design uses FJD Trion P1, S1, and S2 LiDAR scanners for forest reality capture. The company also uses V4e LiDAR for individual-tree applications, including the documentation of ancient trees.
The Challenge: A Forest Cannot Be Reduced to Isolated Measurements
Traditional forestry tools remain essential, but each manual reading captures only part of the environment. Tree diameter, height, location, canopy structure, terrain, and surrounding vegetation are connected. Recording those relationships one measurement at a time can be slow and dependent on individual interpretation.
Dense vegetation, uneven ground, and limited visibility under the canopy add another layer of difficulty. Forest Design needed a way to capture the wider environment while preserving enough detail for later measurement and analysis.
As Bogdan explains, the aim is to make forestry information more objective: create a digital record that professionals can inspect, measure, compare, and reuse.
From Forest Walk to Usable Forestry Data
FJD Trion connects field scanning with the digital outputs Forest Design needs for forestry and GIS work.
1
Capture the Forest in 3D
The operator walks through the site with an FJD Trion LiDAR scanner. Instead of recording trees only as separate field measurements, the scanner captures a three-dimensional representation of the surrounding trees, vegetation, and terrain.
For larger or more complex forest environments, Forest Design uses scanners including the FJD Trion P1, S1, and S2. The S2 can generate georeferenced point clouds and supports RTK and PPK workflows in signal-challenging areas such as dense tree canopies.
2
Check and Process the Point Cloud
According to Bogdan, the scanning application gives the operator a practical field workflow without requiring extensive training. Captured data can then be processed into a structured 3D point cloud for measurement, documentation, and analysis.
3
Export the Data for Forestry Analysis
Forest Design exports LAS files and uses the captured information to create density maps, support GIS workflows, and add qualitative information for forestry analysis.
The scan is therefore not the final deliverable. It becomes a reusable source of spatial data for forest inventory, tree documentation, mapping, monitoring, and management.
The Results: A Reusable Record, Not Just a Field Note
More Complete Information About the Forest
A 3D point cloud preserves the spatial relationship between trees, vegetation, and terrain. Forestry professionals can return to the dataset, review the site from different perspectives, and use the same capture for several analytical tasks.
Field Data That Moves into GIS Workflows
Forest Design does not stop at visualization. The team exports LAS files, creates density maps, and incorporates scan data into GIS-based analysis. This turns field capture into information that can support planning and management decisions.
Faster Capture for Specific Forestry Tasks
Forest Design reports capturing an ancient tree in less than one minute and a log in 10–20 seconds. These examples show where mobile LiDAR can reduce field time when recording complex geometry.
A Workflow Forestry Teams Can Learn
Bogdan describes the mobile application as user-friendly and says comprehensive training is not required for the basic workflow. That accessibility helps forestry professionals introduce LiDAR without making every user a scanning specialist.
Field Applications in Romania
Mapping Under the Canopy
Forest Design has tested FJD Trion scanning technology in Romania’s primary forests. Bogdan describes them as one of the most demanding forest ecosystems in which he has worked.
The ability to capture beneath the canopy helps the team document relationships that are difficult to represent through isolated measurements alone. The resulting point cloud provides a spatial record of the trees, terrain, and surrounding vegetation for further analysis.
Documenting an Ancient Tree in Less Than One Minute
For individual-tree documentation, Forest Design uses V4e LiDAR. Bogdan reports that the team can walk around an ancient tree, capture its structure in less than one minute, and preserve it as a digital record.
That record can support documentation, research, conservation, and long-term monitoring without relying only on photographs or written measurements.
Capturing an Entire Log in 10–20 Seconds
Forest Design also applies LiDAR to individual logs. Bogdan reports that an entire log can be captured in 10–20 seconds, creating a detailed digital dataset for later measurement and analysis.
Compared with traditional manual measurement methods, this workflow provides a faster and more objective way to document log dimensions and physical characteristics. The resulting point cloud data can support more accurate assessment, digital records, and further forestry analysis.
These times and workflow results were reported by Forest Design. Actual capture time and outputs depend on the site, vegetation, scanning setup, and project requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is LiDAR used for in forestry?
LiDAR captures three-dimensional information about trees, vegetation, and terrain. Forestry teams can use the resulting point cloud for inventory, mapping, tree documentation, spatial analysis, monitoring, MRV, and management projects.
What data can FJD Trion scanners produce for forestry work?
Forest Design uses FJD Trion scan data to create 3D point clouds, export LAS files, generate density maps, and support GIS workflows.
Can LiDAR scanning work under a forest canopy?
Forest Design identifies under-canopy mapping as an important part of its workflow. Results depend on vegetation density, terrain, scanner configuration, positioning method, and project requirements.
Can LiDAR be used to document individual trees?
Yes. A mobile LiDAR scanner can capture the three-dimensional structure of an individual tree. Forest Design uses V4e LiDAR to document ancient trees and reports completing an individual-tree capture in less than one minute.
Build a Forestry Workflow Around the Data You Need
The right setup depends on the environment you need to capture and the result you need to deliver. A tree inventory, under-canopy survey, ancient-tree record, and GIS dataset may require different hardware, positioning, and processing choices.
Tell us about your site, current measurement process, and required outputs. An FJD Trion specialist can help you select a scanner and build the appropriate field-to-analysis workflow.
