GXP Mosaic

SOCET SET^® v5.4.1 was released one year ago. Following the November 2007 release, several patches have been posted for download, which include bug fixes and enhancements. Over the next few months, SOCET SET v5.4.1 will continue to be patched. Some of the most substantial patches to date are listed below.

• NVIDA driver version 178 supports Microsoft^® Vista for stereo. Initial testing results with SOCET SET v5.4.1 look promising. Check the BAE Systems GXP Web site, www.baesystems.com/gxp, for further updates and news regarding hardware supported.
• Import WorldView-1 and GeoEye^®-1 imagery in NCDRD format; WorldView-1 launched September 2007 and GeoEye-1 in September 2008, both with a spatial resolution of approximately 0.5 m.
• Import Radarsat-2 for RPC and rigorous sensor modeling; launched December 2007 with a spatial resolution of 3 to 100 meters.
• Import TerraSAR-X; launched June 2007 with a spatial resolution 1 to 18 meters.
• Import orthos with MAPLOB/GEOLOB metadata.
• Numerous bug fixes and enhancements for the FPE replacement.
• CIB-like* and DPPDB-like* product certification by the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) for NITF 2.0.

* SOCET SET Digital Point Positioning Data Base (DPPDB) format production module [which uses MIL-PRF-89034, March 1999 format specifications] and SOCET SET Controlled Image Base^® (CIB) format production module [which uses MIL-PRF-89041, May 15, 1999, format specifications].

The SOCET SET v5.5 release is planned for April 2009. New functionality scheduled for this release includes:

• Capability to import COSMO-SkyMed constellation data. Satellites were launched in June and December 2007, and October 2008, all with a spatial resolution less than one meter.
• New frame sensor model for ingest of exterior orientation data into non-LSR grid coordinate systems.
• Improved self-calibration and IMU/GPS constraints for frame imagery in Multi-sensor Triangulation module.
• Interface to GAIT (Geospatial Analysis Integrity Tool) for quality assurance and validation of collected feature vectors.
• Integration with the USB version of the Leica TopoMouse™.

NOAA NGS has updated the FAA surface model library to include the new AC18 surface. Therefore, BAE Systems has implemented the new source code into the SOCET SET^® ClearFlite^® module, and the changes are included in the 2008_1015 patch.

BINGO is compatible with SOCET SET^® v5.4.1, and new BINGO dongles were issued for BINGO v5.5. This version includes a new software protection module and requires new dongles for all BINGO users who wish to upgrade. New dongles have been distributed to customers with active Upgrade Entitlement (UE) status. However, to fully convert the permanent BINGO licenses to the new dongles, UE customers must return old dongles to BAE Systems GXP and Dr. Erwin Kruck.

For a BINGO user who is not covered by a current UE agreement and finds that an old-style dongle has become inoperable, BAE Systems can replace that dongle with another old-style dongle from inventory. Erwin supports the old dongles and will generate license files for approximately two more years to fulfill warranty obligations. At the end of the two-year period (approximately June 2010), old-style dongles that are broken or damaged will not be replaced.

Cardinal Systems has built VrOne^® v3.6.00 for SOCET SET v5.4.1. This update is now available to SOCET SET^® VrOne users with current UE status.

BAE Systems discovered that VrOne for SOCET SET must be installed and executed on a Windows^® XP English system. It runs without problems if language localization is activated, but odd behavior occurs with VrOne for SOCET SET on Windows XP systems that have used the native language installation rather than the localization. This problem appears to the related to the use of the two-byte character set common with Asian languages, so it may not be an issue with other one-byte, non-English character sets (for example, German, French, and Spanish).

It’s possible that the problem resides within VrOne, SOCET SET, QT, or Windows XP Korean. The “Windows XP English with Korean Localization” configuration eliminates the problem. However, it is still documented as an outstanding issue to resolve.

The SOCET GXP v3.0 Multiport image viewing and exploitation window, shown with the new Ribbon user interface.

SOCET GXP v3.0 features new design

SOCET GXP^® v3.0 features a brand new look and feel based on the Microsoft^® Office Fluent™ user interface. The new user interface — the way it looks, the way it’s organized, and the way users interact with it — is designed to simplify workflows and make the software easier to use for every kind of task.

Before reviewing the details of the new SOCET GXP v3.0 user interface, it is important to understand why it has changed, and the goals for adopting the new user interface. The main reason for changing the user interface is that SOCET GXP had outgrown the traditional menu and toolbar system. With each release, as new features were added, the software was becoming progressively more difficult to navigate. The SOCET GXP v2.3.1 Multiport had more than 1,000 commands on nearly 40 toolbars, menus, and submenus that were four-to-five levels deep. To keep the software from overwhelming the user, less frequently used toolbars and individual tools had to be turned off as part of the default toolbar configuration. As a result, users did not recognize many advanced features and customers were asking BAE Systems to add features that the software already had.

Furthermore, it was becoming more challenging to add new functionality to SOCET GXP. Each new release added additional menus and toolbars to the clutter. As SOCET SET^® functionality was transferred to SOCET GXP v3.0, the engineering team noticed that there was no room to accommodate the functionality. The menu and toolbar system was full.

Fortunately, Microsoft had identified similar problems with Microsoft Office and was working on a solution — a new user interface for robust applications. The Microsoft Office Fluent user interface introduces a new way of working with large-scale applications. It organizes tools and uses contextualization to simplify the number of choices available at any given time, and provides a scalable platform to build on for the future.

A tour of the new SOCET GXP^® user interface

The main component of the new user interface is called the Ribbon. The Ribbon organizes tools in tabs that correspond to each task. The tools on each tab are grouped by function, and many of the tools are labeled to make them easy to identify.

Ribbon components include: (1) SOCET GXP button, (2) tabs, (3) groups, (4) commands, and (5) Quick Access Toolbar.

The Ribbon

The main component of the new user interface is called the Ribbon. The Ribbon user interface organizes tools by tabs that correspond to each task. The tools on each tab are grouped by function, and many of the tools are labeled to make them easy to identify.

Ribbon components include: (1) SOCET GXP Button, (2) tabs, (3) groups, (4) commands, and (5) Quick Access Toolbar.

The Ribbon stretches across the top of the Multiport viewing window and includes the following components:

1. The SOCET GXP Button is the round button with the SOCET GXP logo on it, located in the upper-left corner of the Ribbon. It replaces the File menu. All workflows begin and end here.
2. Tabs are designed to be task-oriented. The Home tab contains basic commands for using the application. Other tabs are organized by task.
3. Groups within each tab break tasks into subtasks. Each group contains a set of related commands that support the selected tab and tasks.
4. Commands within each group are represented by controls like buttons, sliders, and combo boxes. The controls work the same as they did in earlier versions of SOCET GXP.
5. The Quick Access Toolbar is the only customizable portion of the Ribbon. It is used to display the commands used most often in a particular workflow. The user can add any command on the Ribbon to the Quick Access Toolbar by right-clicking on it and selecting the Add to Quick Access Toolbar option.

Contextual tabs

To maintain an organized workspace, some tabs are contextual and are displayed only when relevant to the current task. For example, the Graphic Tools tab, which contains commands for changing a graphic’s color, line style, or fill pattern, appears when a graphic is selected. Therefore, if a graphic is not selected, these commands are not shown on the Ribbon. Contextual tabs bring functionality to the user’s attention at the most appropriate time, and keep functionality out of the way when it is not needed.

Contextual tabs are a different color to make them easy to identify when they appear. The top screen features regular tabs, the bottom screen highlights contextual tabs.

Dialog Launchers

Some groups on the Ribbon include a small icon in the bottom right corner called a Dialog Launcher. A Dialog Launcher provides additional options or advanced functionality related to a group of commands.

Dialog Launcher icon.

For example, to draw a graphic, the user refers to the Shapes group on the Draw tab. All graphics associated with drawing shapes are located here. If the desired shape is not displayed, the user can click the Dialog Launcher to see the full set of shapes available in the Drawing Toolbox.

Scalability

SOCET GXP v3.0 operates on many different systems, from laptops with small screens to desktop systems with multiple 30-inch monitors. Therefore, the Ribbon is designed to be scalable. It can automatically scale up or down depending on the size of the Multiport window. If the window is wide, the Ribbon makes use of the extra space by labeling commands and replacing small icons with large icons to eliminate excessive mouse clicks. If the window is smaller, the Ribbon packs more information into less space by dropping labels, replacing large icons with small icons, and ultimately collapsing groups into a single drop-down button.

Unlike the former toolbar configuration, no matter how large or small the Multiport window is, the Ribbon height never varies. Previously, when a user resized the window, toolbars would often wrap to the next line, which shifted the tools. When a user resizes a window that has a Ribbon, all of the commands remain in the same relative position. This makes it easy to find and select commands, no matter what size the window is.

Minimizing the Ribbon

For people who use SOCET GXP v3.0 on a computer with a small screen, such as a compact laptop, the Ribbon can take up valuable screen space. In previous versions of SOCET GXP, you could turn off most or all of the toolbars to minimize the footprint of the user interface and maximize the viewing area. In SOCET GXP v3.0, this can be accomplished by minimizing the Ribbon.

Conclusion

One of the goals of SOCET GXP v3.0 is to help users do their jobs more efficiently. The new user interface achieves this by organizing the tools in a way that makes sense to users. The Ribbon gives users the tools they need when they need them, and hides tools that are not relevant to the task at hand. There are many other new tools that help users navigate the SOCET GXP v3.0 application. For example, the Quick Access Toolbar and Mini Toolbars make command access quick and efficient for mouse users, while KeyTips allow keyboard users to access commands with a minimum of keystrokes. As a result, users will find it much easier to do their jobs with SOCET GXP v3.0.

FPE workflow in SOCET SET.

The front-end processing Environment (FPE), which has been in use by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) since 1997, is due to be replaced by SOCET SET^® v5.4.1 at the end of September. FPE, which is a UNIX^®-only system, currently provides the vital NGA requirement for geopositioning, and creates Digital Point Positioning Data Base (DPPDB) format production module* and Controlled Image Base (CIB)^® format production module* products for U.S. troops in the field. These digital map products are used for terrain analysis, and to determine precise image coordinates such as latitude, longitude, elevation, and other image data for simulation, targeting, and mission planning operations.

SOCET SET^® engineers have been steadfastly porting more than 200,000 lines of FPE code into the product’s baseline since SOCET SET v5.2, and have provided a multitude of improvements over the current FPE software along the way. Not only will the new system be Windows^® compatible, but the workflows have been streamlined to provide a much easier means of creating the DPPDB-like and CIB-like products. SOCET SET also introduced the use of the Condor^® distributed processing system to improve throughput for computation-intensive portions of the workflows.

The NGA is integrating SOCET SET software into its integrated exploitation capability (IEC) workstations for the version 6.1.2 release. IEC recently received NGA approval for its Initial Operating Capability to replace FPE. The next step is for NGA to approve Final Operating Capability (FOC), which is expected at the end of September, 2008. There is still a lot of hard work left to do, but if FOC is approved, the entire FPE system soon will be retired and replaced by SOCET SET.

* SOCET SET Digital Point Positioning Data Base (DPPDB) format production module [which uses MIL-PRF-89034, March 1999 format specifications] and SOCET SET Controlled Image Base^® (CIB) format production module [which uses MIL-PRF-89041, 15 May 1999 format specifications]

Are you ready to become an eXtreme Analyst^™ (XA)?

SOCET GXP v3.0, scheduled for release in August 2008, fuses image analysis and geospatial analysis into one flexible software package designed for ease of use, enhanced performance, and unprecedented accuracy. All of the functionality you need for comprehensive analysis, geospatial production, and mapping is available in one complete package. Notable additions in SOCET GXP v3.0 include photogrammetric functionality, the intuitive Microsoft^® Office 2007 Ribbon user interface, and workflows designed to maximize productivity. Enhancements range from simple tools such as the drag-and-drop glove cursor, which aligns images and features, to more complex tools for fully automated triangulation (image registration). The new Ortho On-the-Fly orthorectification and mosaic process allows imagery to be corrected for accurate exploitation of registered imagery, terrain, and vector data.

Enhance your performance and become an XA with SOCET GXP v3.0 — the ultimate software for rapid mapping, visualization, and analysis.

SOCET GXP customers will be pleased to learn that we have developed a new, four-tiered system to simplify licensing. We understand that the methodology currently used for licensing is confusing — not only to customers, but for GXP Sales and Support teams as well. With as many as 70 modules to account for, the current system for managing licenses is not ideal.

Therefore, starting with SOCET GXP v3.0, we are introducing a new license schema, with add-on modules at the top two tiers. In this new scenario, licenses will be issued with or without dongles. SOCET SET v5.4.1 licenses are compatible with SOCET GXP v3.0.

The four license tiers are as follows:

• SOCET GXP GeoFoundation^™
  Advanced; replaces SOCET GXP v2.3.1 Base and Core
  Advanced viewer with linked panels, area of interest, basic analysis, annotation, auto roam, chipping, clipboard, load, print, SEE Basic Extraction, pan-sharpening, terrain loading/display, histogram, advanced/classified sensor models, Ruler, Control point editor, advanced query and attribution for feature extraction, GeoPDF^®*, and Metadata Editor.
  * Requires a license from TerraGo
• SOCET GXP GeoFusion^™
  Replaces SOCET GXP IA Bundle and SOCET SET Core
  Visual Coverage Tool (VCT), Image Comparison, Registration, Video Play and Capture.
• SOCET GXP GeoAnalysis^™
  Replaces SOCET GXP v2.3.1 IA Advanced
  Stereo, HSI/MSI, Map Finishing, Flythrough, and Ortho On-the-Fly.
• SOCET GXP eXtreme Analysis^™
  Includes all GeoFusion / GeoAnalysis functionality, click here for more information.

Look for more information on new licensing in the coming months.

A SOCET SET v5.4.1 patch is available which includes an enhancement to read MAPLOB/GEOLOB georeferencing information for NITF orthophotos from AGP/ADSS. It also contains FPE replacement fixes to support dual ops.

UrbanModeler includes special volumetric topology tools: snap to roof, grouping, snap to face, face and vertex sharing.

UrbanModeler is a new add-on module used to construct 3-D building and city models from imagery. The module offers a quick and easy way to create, measure, and store 3-D models. Completed site models can be exported in a variety of formats including shapefiles, SOCET SET/SOCET GXP feature database (FDB), OpenFlight, and Open Inventor.

UrbanModeler has a built-in 3-D stereo viewer; an impressive suite of volumetric tools for many building and road types; and pre-defined templates. Cue cards are employed as interactive instructional aids to assist users in dropping points in the correct sequence. Currently in the final testing phase, UrbanModeler for SOCET SET v5.4.1 will be available in June 2008.

Cardinal Systems has built VrOne v3.6.00 for SOCET SET v5.4.1. VrOne SOCET SET users with active Upgrade Entitlement (UE) should have received the email announcement stating the details of this update.

  

Sample images from WorldView-1 satellite. SOCET SET and SOCET GXP are capable of ingesting and exploiting DigitalGlobe’s satellite data for analysis and feature extraction, triangulation, terrain extraction, orthophoto generation and other image and mapping products.

Sample images from WorldView-1 satellite. SOCET SET and SOCET GXP are capable of ingesting and exploiting DigitalGlobe’s satellite data for analysis and feature extraction, triangulation, terrain extraction, orthophoto generation and other image and mapping products.

DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-1 satellite, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on September 18, 2007, operates at an altitude of 496 kilometers, with an average revisit time of 1.7 days. It is capable of collecting up to 750,000 square kilometers (290,000 square miles) per day of half-meter imagery. The satellite is also equipped with state-of-the-art geolocation accuracy capabilities, 6.5 m (21 ft) CE 90%, and exhibits stunning agility with rapid targeting and efficient in-track stereo collection.

WorldView-1′s 50-centimeter panchromatic imagery is designed to support applications ranging from map publishing and land management to asset monitoring and emergency response planning. Because DigitalGlobe’s system features allow it to efficiently collect over 475 million square kilometers of imagery data annually, DigitalGlobe populates and updates its image library with impressive speed. Stereo data collected from WorldView-1 will be available soon.

GXP products, SOCET SET and SOCET GXP, are capable of ingesting and exploiting DigitalGlobe’s satellite data for analysis and feature extraction, triangulation, terrain extraction, orthophoto generation and other image and mapping products. The imagery from DigitalGlobe is provided to GXP users in Standard and Basic product formats as well as NCDRD (RPC or Rigorous).

For more information about WorldView-1:
www.digitalglobe.com/index.php/86/WorldView-1

For more information about DigitalGlobe imagery:
www.digitalglobe.com/index.php/48/Products?product_category_id=9

Synchronized viewing with SOCET GXP and Google Earth

SOCET GXP v2.3.1 features all of the functionality required to satisfy typical image analysis production workflows. This release adds seamless integration and synchronized viewing with Google Earth, and introduces a direct, bidirectional link to the ESRI geodatabase or SOCET SET feature database for dynamic viewing and editing of feature data. New in SOCET GXP v2.3.1 is Spatially Enabled Exploitation (SEE), designed to enhance image exploitation by creating attributed ground space graphics in a connected enterprise geodatabase environment. SEE allows the analyst to answer critical questions using spatial, attribute, and temporal queries. In addition, smart vector attribution supports external ESRI multi-user/personal databases, shapefiles, and SOCET SET feature databases. AutoSOCET adds an autonomous geospatial analysis workflow: automated triangulation, terrain data generation, orthorectification, and mosaicking.

SOCET GXP’s fundamental photogrammetric architecture is complete, and we are well on the way to full integration, moving the remainder of SOCET SET’s functionality into SOCET GXP, which has the same rigorous sensor models as SOCET SET, for highly accurate georeferencing.

ALOS

SOCET SET v5.4.1 features a wealth of productivity enhancements for creating and editing high-resolution terrain and surface models, including improvements to the Next-Generation Automatic Terrain Extraction (NGATE), which was introduced in v5.4.0.

The NGATE module, which produces near LIDAR quality terrain models from optical imagery, has been shown to reduce editing time by more than 30%. Numerous new tools for the Interactive Terrain Editor (ITE) module increase productivity for creating bare-earth terrain models from NGATE and LIDAR data. In addition, enhancements to SOCET SET’s Feature Extraction (FE) and SOCET for ArcGIS® (SFA) modules have been implemented based on customer requests. For example, automatic height attribution includes an option to measure a point to set height attributes when terrain data is not available. Moreover, SOCET SET’s unrivaled provision of advanced sensor models continues with new models for the NextView satellites, WorldView-1 and GeoEye^™-1, as well as ALOS, EROS B, and FORMOSAT-2. Further productivity improvements have been made throughout the SOCET SET workflow. All of these new capabilities reduce labor hours through optimized, end-to-end workflows, resulting in significant cost savings throughout the mapping process.

SOCET GXP v2.3 features all of the functionality required to satisfy typical image analysis production workflows. This release adds seamless integration and synchronized viewing with Google Earth, and introduces a direct, bidirectional link to the ESRI geodatabase or SOCET SET feature database for dynamic viewing and editing of feature data. Also new in SOCET GXP v2.3 is Spatially Enabled Exploitation (SEE), the NGA initiative designed to enhance image exploitation by creating attributed ground space graphics in a connected enterprise geodatabase environment. SEE allows the analyst to answer critical questions using spatial, attribute, and temporal queries. In addition, smart vector attribution supports external ESRI multi-user/personal databases, shapefiles, and SOCET SET feature databases.

AutoSOCET adds an autonomous geospatial analysis workflow: automated triangulation, terrain data generation, orthorectification, and mosaicking.

Other notable features include:

• Graphical situational display (GSD) capabilities and import, editing, and export for Graphrep/IRR MIL STD 2525 symbols
• NITF image ingest and NITF format file save with SPIA tags; image products can be ingested by the NGA Image Product Library (IPL)
• Auto-populated templates, Ruler, CGS and stereo mensuration, and image chipping
• Multispectral imagery (MSI) container creation in combination with custom per band or per image LUT application offers additional flexibility for image analysis
• New terrain visualization tools for thorough image analysis

SOCET GXP’s fundamental photogrammetric architecture is complete, and we are well on the way to full integration, moving the remainder of SOCET SET’s full functionality into SOCET GXP, which has the same rigorous sensor models as SOCET SET for highly accurate georeferencing.

Click here for a comprehensive summary of SOCET GXP v2.3 release enhancements, as well as those planned for SOCET GXP v2.3.1.

With the release of SOCET SET v5.4, we are proud to offer the much anticipated Next-Generation Automatic Terrain Extraction (NGATE) module. NGATE provides users with the capability to create surface and terrain models from stereo imagery at a level of accuracy not previously available from a fully automatic algorithm without assistance from manual editing. NGATE is licensed as an add-on to SOCET SET’s Automatic Terrain Extraction (ATE) module. By allowing terrain to be generated down to the pixel level of the input imagery, NGATE provides detail that would otherwise be left out of a surface or terrain model derived from stereo imagery. The benefits to you are a more accurate product with less manual editing. BAE Systems has used NGATE for almost a year now, including very early versions, in our service work for the U.S. government, and project managers report that the time spent on manual editing has been reduced by more than 30%.

This new release includes additional enhancements for handling georeferenced imagery and products derived from imagery. Sensor models imported and optionally triangulated within SOCET SET can be easily exported to Rational Polynomial Coefficient (RPC) georeferenced images in NITF format as a product that can be used with other image applications. The Universal Triangulation (UTri) within SOCET SET’s Multi-sensor Triangulation (MST) application can now support the adjustment of thousands of images. Furthermore, MST can now accommodate triangulation of Leica ADS40 imagery (Level 1 data). We continue to provide enhancements to legacy SOCET SET features such as data import, extraction, and product generation, based on your suggestions.

Click here for a detailed list of SOCET SET v5.4 release enhancements.

The release of SOCET SET v5.4.0 did not include a developer’s kit environment for export. Therefore, third party products such as ORIMA and PRO600 will not be available until SOCET SET v5.4.1. SOCET SET v5.4.1, is scheduled for release in October 2007.

Software patches are now only available for download via FTP access. Please contact a customer support representative for your region for assistance:

Americas: socetgxp.support@baesystems.com
Europe, Middle East, and Africa: socetgxp.emea.sales@baesystems.com
Asia-Pacific: socetgxp.asia.sales@baesystems.com

Ribbon user interface NEW!

SOCET GXP v3.0 features the new Microsoft^® Office 2007 Ribbon user interface. The customizable Ribbon organizes tasks by category to reduce the number of toolbars and buttons visible to the user. SOCET GXP v3.0′s photogrammetric functionality, previously available in SOCET SET, is completely redesigned, with updated GUIs and workflows to maximize productivity and enhance user experience.

Google^™ Earth with synchronized viewing NEW!

Locate and preview imagery geographically using SOCET GXP and Google Earth as quick visual reference and discovery tools. Synchronized views update dynamically. Zoom, rotate, pan, roam, overlay images, and export graphics and image footprints.

SEE NEW!

SOCET GXP v2.3 contains a direct connection to the ESRI geodatabase. BAE Systems software supports this National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency initiative for storing graphics and features with their ground coordinates and attributes in a geodatabase for future retrieval and updating.

NGATE NEW!

NGATE uses new algorithms to produce extremely accurate elevation models for a wide variety of image and terrain types. More robust than previous technologies, NGATE dramatically reduces manual editing time and costs associated with producing terrain surface models. To test this exciting new product, contact the local GXP sales representative in your region for details (available with SOCET GXP v3.0, summer 2008).

Advanced sensor models NEW!

The NextView satellites are scheduled for launch in late 2007 with imagery provided six weeks after launch. Currently GeoEye-1 is scheduled first followed by WorldView-1; both satellites will be launched from Vandenberg AFB, California. There are also new sensor models for ALOS, ASTER, and FORMOSAT-2.

Terrain precision ENHANCED

Batch processing now allows creation of a terrain file based on coordinates in the batch processing settings file and enhanced performance for bare earth processing in Merge, ITE, NGATE and ATE.

SOCET for ArcGIS ENHANCED

Enhancements to auto-attribution and ArcMap synchronization.

SOCET GXP v2.3, scheduled to launch early this summer, features spatially-enabled exploitation (SEE) through vector analysis with a direct bidirectional link to the ESRI® database and the SOCET SET v5.4 feature database; MIL STD 2525 graphics; and Advanced Geospatial Intelligence (AGI) capabilities (formerly MASINT). Other exciting updates planned for SOCET GXP v3.0 include intuitive, easy-to-use Office 2007 style Ribbon user interface and photogrammetric capabilities.

And remember, SOCET SET users with active Upgrade Entitlement migrate to equivalent photogrammetric functionality in SOCET GXP v3.x free of charge!

Enhancements to SOCET SET v5.4, to be released in early spring 2007, include the same NGATE and grid processing functionality planned for SOCET GXP v3.0.

NGATE

Dr. Bingcai Zhang

Last quarter, we unveiled development efforts under way for a new SOCET SET module, NGATE, led by GXP’s Dr. Bingcai Zhang. We are now excited to announce that NGATE will be available in the forthcoming SOCET SET v5.4 release.

NGATE’s performance has exceeded our expectations. Originally, we were scheduled to introduce NGATE in SOCET GXP, our next generation software package. However, with the excellent results we’ve seen, we have decided to include it with SOCET SET as well, so that all of our users can experience the quality, high-resolution terrain output generated from NGATE.

While SOCET SET’s Automatic Terrain Extraction (ATE) feature works well with natural terrain, NGATE is far superior in extracting structures such as buildings in urban areas. NGATE is designed to work with both natural terrain and urban areas by employing a hybrid matching process. DTMs of urban areas generated from NGATE need very little editing.

Some of the benefits of NGATE include the following:

• On small to medium scale imagery, DTM editing is minimal
• On large scale imagery in urban areas, DTM editing is significantly reduced
• On large scale imagery in natural terrain, DTM editing is minimal
• Building edges are preserved
• Water bodies are flattened
• Streets and featureless areas are precisely modelled

The main cost of DTM generation is manual editing: NGATE reduces editing time significantly.

For details about NGATE, http://www.socetgxp.com.

Grid Processing

Grid processing, using the Condor^® (http://www.cs.wisc.edu/condor/) grid computing software for distributed processing, will be available in SOCET SET v5.4 for the complex tasks of TFRD decompression and VQ compression for the CIB and DPPDB production workflows (SOCET SET Controlled Image Base^® Format Production Module, which uses MIL-PRF-89041, 15 May 1999 format specifications and SOCET SET Digital Point Positioning Data Base Format Production Module, which uses MIL-PRF-89034, March 1999 format specifications).

Grid processing will be expanded to increase performance of the CPU-intensive tasks ATE, NGATE and Orthomosaic (Mosaic Manager). Currently, each of these applications uses multiple CPUs within a single computer or server for distributed processing, but v5.4.1 will take advantage of unused network resources to break up the processing. Documentation on the performance improvements for multi-CPU processing of orthomosaics can be found at http://www.socetgxp.com.

SOCET SET and ArcGIS^® 9.2 integrated

With the launch of SOCET SET v5.4, ESRI’s ArcGIS 9.2 software, which debuted in November 2006, will be integrated fully with SOCET SET. ArcGIS 9.2 includes new productivity tools, data visualization and analysis capabilities, sophisticated cartographic tools, high-precision coordinate storage, and expanded support for standards. According to Jack Dangermond, president of ESRI, “This is one of the biggest, most significant software releases in ESRI’s history. Version 9.2 represents a major advance in improving the tools that make GIS professionals more productive.”

Read more on ArcGIS 9.2 >>

Other SOCET SET v5.4 updates

Both new releases of SOCET GXP and SOCET SET will support the NextView sensors, GeoEye^™-1 and WorldView 1, 0.5 meter resolution satellites, scheduled for launch in late spring 2007. And SOCET SET v5.4.0 will be included in the IEC 6.1 baseline.

BAE Systems is excited to announce to users of ESRI products that SOCET GXP v2.3, scheduled for release in 2007, will contain a direct connection to the ESRI Geodatabase. The capability to store graphics and features with attributes in the Geodatabase, and to retrieve them for update or future analysis, creates benefits across the geospatial analysis and imagery analysis communities.

SOCET GXP v2.3 will include the following capabilities:

• Connect to an established ESRI Geodatabase or SOCET SET Feature Database
• Use query tool to pull information out of the database, and to populate or update attributes
• Customize, organize and display annotation graphics, feature graphics and shapefiles
• Sort layers of graphics for animation
• Direct access to MIL-STD 2525 symbols and graphics

Download the pdf for more information >>

SOCET SET v5.3.1 has been released to IEC for inclusion in the 6.0 baseline. Significant items in the v5.3.1 release include import, export and processing of terrain precision, NITF and GeoTIFF header updates, Sensor Model Factory updates, triangulation rework for government sensors as well as triangulation outputs for shear analysis, USMSD, and export data compatible with subsequent FHE triangulation. In addition, orthomosaic processing has been improved to allow for pixel void fill from overlapping imagery. These enhancement details along with the multitude of SOCET SET v5.3.0 enhancements will be part of the IEC 6.0 baseline.

SOCET SET Mosaic Manager updated to provide increased performance for orthomosaic production.

The GXP product focus on productivity and accuracy are essential to help shorten the timelines between image acquisition and product generation. The enhanced SOCET SET Mosaic Manager is one example of timelines being reduced without additional software cost and without sacrificing quality or accuracy of the final orthomosaic product.

The Mosaic Manager is an optional module available in SOCET SET, which is licensed and sold as SOCET SET Ortho. The Mosaic Manager application creates large area coverage orthomosaics, orthomosaic sheets or tiles, or individual orthophotos using input georeferenced imagery and terrain data. In addition to creating a nearly seamless output product, there are processing options for automatic seamline generation, seamline feathering and image balancing.

In conjunction with enhancements to the Mosaic Manager application, a new licensing system allows for the production of mosaics on multiple processors.
Significant improvements in processing mosaics can be achieved by distributing the processing across multiple CPUs. Upgrading from SOCET SET v5.2 to v5.3 provides productivity improvements of up to 40% without additional software cost.

For more information on Mosaic Manager, view or download the white paper.