What is a .las file listed as an ACAD Layer State file that has points in it?

[tadthurston725387]

What is a .las file listed in my file explorer as an ACAD Layer State file? How are these files used? I was told this is a LIDAR point file by the source but I tried to open the file in RECAP and I get nothing. It is supposed to be a point file. It is a very large file at 880992 KB.
TT

[CCarleton]

Yes, LAS files are a type of point file, specifically Lidar.

I don't use Recap if I can help it, but you should be able to import the lidar file into CAD via the point cloud tool in the prospector tab of toolspace (unless you're 2018...then you have to use Recap due to AutoDesk's infinite wisdom). If you wanted to see it in Recap you'd have to open Recap, start a new project, and then import and index it to be able to view it. Then you could save it out as a recap file and use the point cloud attach command in CAD to bring it in for 2018.

[Tom Beauford]

It's used as both, you can export & import Layer States as .las files.
Kinda like AutoCAD uses two kinds of .shp shape files. One for the old AutoCAD text definitions and one for shapes like we use in complex linetypes.
The original command for exporting block and attribute information required template files which had a .tmp extension. Our MIS ran a cleanup on our PC's that erased all old temporary files which have the same extension so I lost all the ones I'd created.

Unfortunately there's only so many file extensions available, with as many file types as AutoCAD uses the same extensions are going to have to be used for multiple purposes.
Easily solved by file management we should all be using anyway.

[rkmcswain]

What is a .las file listed in my file explorer as an ACAD Layer State file?

Windows has no more knowledge about the true file type than the pen on your desk does.
If you gave the file a .DWG file extension, it would tell you it's an AutoCAD drawing file.

You can open it in NOTEPAD (or other ASCII file editor) and that may give you a clue, depending on the file header and contents.