October 4, 2021
To explore the new tools and functionalities of Global Mapper v23, Blue Marble hosted a webinar to demonstrate new features in the program, while attendees were encouraged to ask questions. Following are all the questions and answers from this webinar.
Can I get a recording of this webinar?
Yes, as an attendee, you should have received an email with a link to the recorded session posted on our YouTube channel. If you did not register for this live webinar, sign up here to see recordings of this and past webinars and check out our YouTube channel for many more helpful videos.
Can you draw a feature boundary around an area in a raster, then get a classification of cell values within the boundary?
Depending on the data loaded, you will have different digitizer editing options available. With a polygon created and selected and a raster image loaded, you will see an option in the Digitizer menu for Analysis/Measurement > Calculate Color Statistics in Selected Area(s). With a selected polygon and an elevation grid raster, you will see the option Analysis/Measurement > Calculate Elevation/Slope Statistics for Selected Area(s).
Vector Feature Classification
Are these visualization styles auto-populated within the software?
Yes, the new Classify option for styling points, lines, and polygons will create classes and apply colors from the selected color ramp, streamlining the creation of the choropleth map.
How does this new choropleth feature handle no data value in a field?
The vector classification and choropleth mapping options will use the default feature style for any features that do not contain a value for the attributes used for classification and styling. The default feature styles for any feature type can be altered in Configuration > Styles.
3D Labels
Can a label curve along a river or road? Any progress on having labels curve with a line feature?
Currently, in Global Mapper, there is no method to curve a label feature along a line, but this issue is being explored by our development team. Label features can be manually rotated, moved, and edited to better fit along lines or other features.
Can you show how to rotate a label?
Label features can be rotated through the style setup options. This can be applied to an entire layer of labels or for individual labels.
Will the 3D labels work in a 3D pdf?
Label features do not currently export to 3D PDF. Our development team is looking for methods to include labels in this format, but currently, it seems that the 3D PDF format does not support text features.
The output resolution scales the 3D label size down. Is there a way to increase the output resolution without scaling the labels as well?
Increasing the font size of the labels will increase the size in the 3D view. Doing this will help minimize the scaling of the 3D labels when you increase the output resolution of a captured 3D view.
Our development team has been notified that you would like to see the labels maintain their size even when the output resolution of the capture is increased.
Many trails are labeled multiple times. Can the labels be reduced to one label per trail?
The trail features used in the webinar contain multiple line features for each trail. Combining the trail lines may help to reduce the number of automatically populated label features. When working with a separate label layer you can also select and delete unneeded labels to remove them from the 2D and 3D views.
Spatial Operations and Scripting
Can you use attributes to filter which features that you can do the Spatial Operation on?
On the Spatial Operations Scripting tab, and in Global Mapper script, you can write lines that will filter features based on an attribute value in a similar way as the Search Vector Data tool.
If you would like to stick to the Spatial Operations tab of the tool, you can filter by feature selection. To select features that meet a specific attribute criteria, use the Search Vector Data tool and select the results of the search. You can then open Spatial Operation and use the Only Selected Features check box as a filter.
Can you export the GUI options to a script?
While you cannot export options from the GUI to a Global Mapper Script, any function that can be scripted will have all the options and settings available through Global Mapper Script.
Do you have a repository of scripting samples that users can submit custom scripts to, or have plans to host one?
In the Global Mapper Script Reference Guide there are some sample scripts to demonstrate the script structure and specific tools. We don’t host a library of scripts, but our technical support team is always ready to answer any questions you may have about Global Mapper script or any other aspect of the program. You can also check out the Global Mapper forum to connect with other Global Mapper users and see how others are using scripts in the program.
Undo/Redo
Do we get an undo button on a toolbar?
The undo and redo functions do not have toolbar buttons, but they are both easily accessible from the Edit menu or with the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+Z (undo) and Ctrl+y (redo).
Not all things can be undone, only the things being recorded?
The list of Operations to Record in the Undo Manager are all enabled by default so all operations will be tracked and able to be undone. Unchecking any of these categories will result in those actions not being recorded and therefore unable to be undone. Users may want to disable some of the Operations to Record if they are confident in certain actions and only want to use the undo/redo functions for certain types of edits or changes in the workspace.
Can you undo a split line into segments operation? That would be my number one request, easy to do it accidentally.
Yes, splitting a feature into segments falls under the category Edit Vector/Lidar Data. Actions like this will be recorded in the Undo Manager by default and a quick trip to the Edit menu or using the Ctrl+Z shortcut will undo the unwanted split of the line feature.
Viewshed Creation
Are Viewdshed transmission angle options (mid-left of dialog) a new feature too, or were they in 22.1?
The Create Viewshed tool contains many options including options to set the receiver parameters based on transmission angle. These options are not new to version 23 of Global Mapper, but make this tool applicable for many different analyses.
Can viewshed transmission heights be pulled from attributes of tower points? Are the Elevations of Transmitter and Receiver the same for all points?
The transmitter and receiver elevations for features in a Viewshed Analysis can be pulled from an attribute value. A list of specific viewshed attributes can be found here in the Global Mapper knowledge base. If any of these attributes are found in a viewpoint feature, the attribute value will be used, if not, the value from the GUI dialog will be used.
Coordinate Geometry
Can COGO handle degrees minutes seconds, like a deed would be described in?
Digitizing with the Coordinate Geometry (COGO) tool is based on entered distance and bearing values. Lists of coordinates can be loaded as a layer of point, line, or area features through the text file import options. Alternatively, you can manually digitize an approximation of a feature and in the Modify Feature Info dialog click to open the Feature Vertices to edit the coordinate position of any or all vertices.
Mesh Feature Creation
Could this work on 3D data snapped in 2D, meaning they don’t have a vertical surface?
In order to create a 3D mesh feature the areas you have selected must be 3D area features.
Can the Atlas shader be used to shade the mesh?
A 3D mesh is not the same as a digital elevation model. The former is a vector feature while the latter is a pixel-based, raster layer. Shaders can be applied to raster digital elevation models, but mesh features are colored by a texture. When creating a mesh from selected areas, the mesh will inherit the fill colors of the vector features, if the features are not styled with a specific color the mesh texture will be a single color that can be edited through the Modify Feature Info dialog box.
So can you export the mesh to raster and import again so you can use shader?
While a created mesh feature cannot be exported to a raster terrain grid, you can directly create a terrain grid from the 3D vector features, or even the generated mesh feature. Creating a raster terrain grid from the 3D area features will allow you to apply a shader.
Can you assign an image to a 3D mesh feature?
When creating a mesh from selected area features, an image texture cannot be applied, but If the mesh is created from a raster image and gridded elevation layer, the imagery will automatically be used to texture the created mesh.
Can you overlay an image to the 3d model and export to 3d PDF?
You cannot drape imagery over a 3D mesh to view in Global Mapper or export to 3D PDF. If you would like to drape terrain over a 3D surface, create a gridded elevation layer, display the imagery over it, and you should see the imagery draped in the 3D Viewer and export to 3D PDF.
Is colorizing the mesh with EO or NAIP possible?
With a mesh created from 3D vector areas, the color, or texture, will be a solid color or derived from the fill color of the area features. Currently, you cannot apply texture from an image to a mesh generated from area features.
To create a mesh feature textured with imagery, load or create a gridded elevation layer for the area and then overlay the imagery you would like to use as a texture. With these two layers, elevation and image, displayed navigate to the Layer menu and select 3D Model (Mesh) > Create Mesh Feature(s) from Raster/Terrain. This will result in a 3D mesh created from the terrain and textured from the loaded imagery.
If you are interested in more detailed information on all the tools available in Global Mapper, we do offer training classes with hands-on workflows. For more information please visit our website or contact our team at training@bluemarblegeo.com.
If you would like to explore these new tools in Global Mapper v23, download a 14-day free trial today! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
