GXP Mosaic

SOCET SET® users can learn how to perform their current SOCET SET workflows in SOCET GXP®. We encourage current SOCET SET customers to attend free training classes at our regional training centers to see how SOCET GXP automates geospatial production workflows. Many complex photogrammetric processes such as aspect and slope analysis, terrain profiling, line-of-sight analysis, and creating seamlines (see example below) are automated in SOCET GXP, which is designed to simplify workflows. The three-day, hands-on SOCET GXP for the geospatial analyst course offers a comprehensive overview of SOCET GXP’s geospatial production tools, including triangulating images to improve geospatial accuracy, creating and editing terrain files and updating geodatabases with 2-D and 3-D features.

Creating and reshaping seamlines in SOCET GXP

The process for creating and reshaping seamlines is streamlined in SOCET GXP.

1. Right-click on a vertex and select Reshape a segment.
2. The cursor changed to Rubber Band mode.
3. Click on the vertex to finish the reshape graphic. The seamline is highlighted. Shift the cursor over the two segments to choose the polygon to which you wish to add your reshaped segment.
4. Right-click and select Finish Graphic.

Right-click on a vertex and select Reshape a segment.

The cursor changed to Rubber Band mode.

Click on the vertex to finish the reshape graphic. The seamline is highlighted. Shift the cursor over the two segments to choose the polygon to which you wish to add your reshaped segment.

Right-click and select Finish Graphic.

In SOCET GXP, Seamline Edit does not have its own window; it is an extension of the Workspace Manager and Multiport™ and automatically enables special editing functions in the Multiport.

• The images above are orthorectified on-the-fly and mosaicked to show the mosaicking as accurately as possible.
• Editing functions are: add vertex, delete vertex, move vertex, reshape segment, delete polygon, and select image.
• The Multiport supports dynamic image rendering during polygon editing. Therefore, as any vertex is moved or created, the image related to the polygons is redrawn.
• To save, right-click the seamline file in the Workspace Manager and select Save.

With the addition of the Microsoft® Office Fluent™ user interface, which features the customizable Ribbon, SOCET GXP streamlines product creation. Frequently used features can be added to the customizable Quick Access Toolbar and traditional menus and toolbars are replaced with tabs that display commands relevant to each task. Contextual tabs appear only when needed, revealing expanded capabilities and advanced functionality — features are never turned off or hidden by default. In addition, complex algorithms are executed behind the scenes.

SOCET SET end users can experiment with demo versions of SOCET GXP in their unique work environments and work with BAE Systems to communicate the photogrammetric processes they would like to see in future versions of SOCET GXP. In addition, to assist in making a smooth transition from SOCET SET to SOCET GXP, all SOCET SET customers with current upgrade entitlement are eligible to receive a free six-month SOCET GXP evaluation license that can be run in parallel with SOCET SET.

SOCET SET licenses can be converted to equivalent functionality in SOCET GXP.

Highlights include:

• New satellite sensor models: Cosmo-Skymed, TerraSAR-X, RADARSAT-2, EROS-B, FORMOSAT-2
• New frame sensor model, including 43 parameters for self-calibration and expanded exterior orientation
• NGATE: simultaneous bare-earth terrain-model and surface-model generation as part of the same automated extraction
• Precise high-resolution surface models of urban environments — even in urban canyons
• New enhanced tools for automatic filtering of trees and buildings from the surface model

Download the SOCET SET v5.5 Release enhancements brochure.

New Frame-Advanced sensor model

The Frame-Advanced sensor model replaces the existing Frame sensor model in its entirety. It allows exterior orientation data produced by third-party triangulation packages to be imported into coordinate systems that are not local space rectangular. The new sensor model contains 43 adjustable parameters, compared to 18 from the previous Frame sensor model. Therefore, certain types of frame cameras can be modeled more authentically, resulting in more-accurate triangulation. The new sensor model allows for self-calibration of the physical parameters and can correct for IMU boresight misalignment and GPS antenna offset.

The process of importing images for the new Frame-Advanced sensor model is exactly the same as the previous Frame sensor model, including the use of the Frame import button. All previous import file formats for the Frame sensor model are still supported, except for the SOCET SET GPS file format, which was substantially modified.

New satellite sensor models

• ALOS AVNIR
• ALOS PALSAR
• ASTER
• COSMO-SkyMed
• EROS-B
• FORMOSAT-2
• RADARSAT-2
• TerraSAR-X
• GeoEye^®-1
• WorldView-1

SOCET SET^® v5.5 overview

• Supports SOCET GXP^® v3.1
• Build environment: Microsoft^® Visual Studio 2008
• Sun^® Microsystems^® Sparc Solaris™ 10 support
• Microsoft^® Vista and XP 32/64 support
• Applanix DSS 439 digital frame camera
• New Frame-Advanced sensor model
• Numerous new satellite sensor models
• Simultaneous generation of digital terrain and surface models
• Supports Leica USB TopoMouse™, USB Stealth mouse with joystick, and ITAC Systems’ evolution Mouse-Trak™ trackball

Access the complete list of SOCET SET v5.5 release enhancements:
www.socetgxp.com/docs/products/socetset/socetset5-5_release_enhancements.pdf

SOCET SET v5.5 features new enhancements to NGATE including automatic extraction of a digital elevation model (DEM), digital terrain model (DTM), or both.

Automated terrain generation in SOCET SET v5.5

SOCET SET^® provides two options for automated terrain generation — the Automatic Terrain Extraction (ATE) and Next-Generation Automatic Terrain Extraction (NGATE) modules. In SOCET SET, ATE and NGATE are sold as separate modules (in SOCET GXP^®, ATE and NGATE are combined into one application, and sold in the Automatic Terrain Generation, or ATG module). Both ATE and NGATE are used to generate digital terrain models (DTM) and require at least two images with an image overlap region:

• Use with one or more stereo pairs
• Images do not have to be viewed in stereo
• Must be accurately triangulated

DTM generation in SOCET SET v5.5

DTM display types

SOCET SET^® v5.5 offers new functionality to increase data sharing, enhancements for the frame sensor model, additional satellite sensors, and new terrain tools. The release is scheduled for late April, with shipping to commence in May.

Enhancements to the frame sensor model allow exterior orientation data from third-party triangulation packages to be imported into non-local space rectangular (LSR) coordinate systems. The new frame sensor model includes 43 parameters for self-calibration and expanded exterior orientation. Frame import supports the new Applanix^® DSS 439 medium format, 30-megapixel, 6.8 μm pixels digital frame camera. New satellite sensor models include ALOS AVNIR, ALOS PALSAR, COSMO-SkyMed, EROS-B, FORMOSAT-2, RADARSAT-2, and TerraSAR-X.

BAE Systems continues to advance its Next-Generation Automatic Terrain Extraction (NGATE) functionality to provide simultaneous bare-earth and reflected surface model generation. In addition, Interactive Terrain Edit (ITE) tools have been enhanced for bare-earth product generation from reflected surface models. The new release supports SOCET GXP^® v3.1, Microsoft^® Visual Studio 9 (2008), and the Microsoft Vista operating system.

Frame sensor model theory: A closer look

• All Grid coordinate systems are mapped without transformation.
• Rigorous transformations through the World Geodetic System (WGS)-84 coordinate system are maintained allowing coordinate conversions to any SOCET SET supported coordinate system.
• Provides compatibility with third-party software packages for all Grid coordinate systems.

WGS is a standard used in cartography, geodesy, and navigation. The latest revision, WGS-84, is the reference coordinate system used by GPS.

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.

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]

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

BAE Systems is pleased to announce the release of SOCET SET v5.3. This new release provides additional sensor models and new features based on automatic tie-point measurement for multi-sensor triangulation. Productivity improvements have been made throughout the SOCET SET workflow, including enhancements to SOCET for ArcGIS, Sketch, Feature Extraction, Mosaic and more. Automatic Terrain Extraction (ATE) has been improved with enhancements for bare-earth and reflected surface processing using back-matching and multi-pair matching.

If your production workflow includes significant mosaic operations, be sure to check out SOCET SET v5.3. Parallel processing improvements in this area are showing large gains in productivity running on a dual processor machine. Outlined below is a list of improvements and new features included in SOCET SET v5.3.

• Improvements to Terrain Extraction for increased productivity, accuracy and blunder elimination. The data structure for both TIN and Grid terrain is now capable of handling billions of points, including LIDAR point clouds. The Automatic Terrain Extraction improvements reduce manual editing for all terrain types. These improvements allow for increased productivity with workflows requiring terrain. In addition, the ATE improvements are relevant to both terrain surface models as well as reflected surface models.
• Based on customer feedback, enhancements were added to the SOCET for ArcGIS product, which was introduced in the SOCET SET v5.2 release. Improvements include compatibility of grouped layers in the ArcMap® table of contents with SOCET SET display and collection; new snapping agent integrated with ArcMap; the addition of accelerator key mapping for commonly used SOCET for ArcGIS commands; rotation and zoom to extent of ArcMap display to match the SOCET SET Viewport and support and population of subtype attributes from ArcGIS.
• Orthomosaic enhancements provide a new pixel void fill that prevents non-image data (usually black pixels) from being included in an orthomosaic. Multiple input images allow the process to sort through overlapping pixels to determine image vs. non-image pixels.
• Product improvements for ClearFlite include the ICAO PANS-OPS surface for compliance with international standards for mapping airport obstructions.
• OrbView-3 BASIC Imagery with ephemeris can now be imported and triangulated in SOCET SET with the advanced sensor models. Rigorous modeling is used throughout the workflow for accurate mensuration and product generation using OrbView-3 imagery.

For more information on SOCET SET v5.3: http://www.baesystems.com/gxp.

SOCET SET v5.2.1 was released on November 18, 2005, and includes the following updates:

• Improvements to Automatic Terrain Extraction for increased accuracy and blunder elimination. The improvements reduce manual editing for all terrain types thus increasing productivity for workflows requiring terrain. In addition, the improvements are relevant to both terrain surface models as well as reflected surface models.
• SOCET for ArcGIS^® enhancements were added based on customer feedback for the SOCET for ArcGIS product released in v5.2. Improvements include compatibility of grouped layers in the ArcMap^® table of contents with SOCET SET display and collection; new snapping agent integrated with ArcMap; the addition of accelerator key mapping for commonly used SOCET for ArcGIS commands; and rotation of ArcMap display to match the SOCET SET Viewport.
• Product improvements for 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).

For up-to-date information, patches and downloads for all products, visit: www.socetgxp.com