The Scope of GIS Software in 2025

In 2024, Blue Marble Geographics introduced two GIS software offerings that represent key milestones for the next generation of our robust geospatial products. We released our first cloud-based software offering — Geographic Calculator Cloud — and a beta version of the Global Mapper Insight and Learning Engine™ which is currently available complementary in Global Mapper Pro®. In fact, Geographic Calculator Cloud is available for current users of the Geographic Calculator desktop software. We are excited about our next phase of development and can’t wait to see what we achieve in 2025.

Global Mapper Insight and Learning Engine™

The Global Mapper Insight and Learning Engine™ introduced deep learning analysis tools to our renowned geospatial software, Global Mapper Pro. These tools mark a deeper foray into object detection and learning algorithms. However, these are not our first set of machine-learning tools.

Global Mapper Pro’s machine learning capabilities enable users to develop training tools for lidar point cloud feature identification. Using a technique of semantic and geometric segmentation, Global Mapper Pro accurately identifies the objects you want to isolate in a point cloud. This encourages users to explore and analyze their imagery further. Those tools are part and parcel of our new Global Mapper Insight and Learning Engine™ which uses deep-learning techniques for this work on imagery.

The Global Mapper Insight and Learning Engine™ provides deep learning models for training on a variety of datasets. These tools allow for improved automatic land classification and object detection — specifically building extraction and vehicle detection — on high-resolution imagery. This tool identifies the pixels that make up the relevant object(s) and creates a vectorized layer of those objects for extraction and further analysis or processing.

Users also have the ability to adjust built-in models with fine-tuning. As we develop these tools, we plan to expand object detection so users can identify more types of objects. Our users should also leverage the UAV and drone imagery processing capabilities available with Pixels to Points® for higher-resolution data generation and processing.

Geographic Calculator Cloud

In the initial release of Geographic Calculator Cloud, users have access to the full GeoCalc coordinate system library, and with the flexibility of the cloud, they can accomplish powerful and complex coordinate conversion anywhere and everywhere they want, on any device. This version offers some of the functionality from the powerful desktop version of Geographic Calculator, including point-to-point, a spreadsheet of points, and vector file translation jobs.

Future versions of this cloud-based platform will include a map file viewer and more powerful tools from Geographic Calculator Desktop as we gradually release a full feature match. We’re excited about taking this first foray into cloud-based software solutions. We are leveraging this opportunity to lay the groundwork to create more tools like this for our GIS software users, including for the Global Mapper suite.

GIS Software in 2025

This year, we’re establishing a foundation to integrate machine and deep learning functionality into the cloud across our geospatial products, alongside the cloud-based tools already available in Geographic Calculator Cloud. These tools would be a companion to our Global Mapper Suite. They would enable our users to introduce new deep learning algorithms, larger datasets, and more powerful computing in the future.

This year, we’re thrilled to continue the development of our deep-learning and cloud-based toolsets. Blue Marble Geographics’ GIS software offerings in 2025 will enable our users to refine their deep-learning workflows, work with larger datasets, and experience powerful computing. We can’t wait to share more about this next phase of development.

To learn even more about Geographic Calculator Cloud, you can register for the GEOTalks User Conference on January 29, 2025. Sam Knight’s session Geographic Calculator Cloud: A Versatile Resource for Geodetics Professionals will provide an informative perspective on this cloud-based platform.

Blue Marble Geographics GIS Software Training

Another key milestone that represents what’s to come for our software users is the introduction of premium GIS software training in the Blue Marble Geographics Online Classroom. We host instructor-led training opportunities, however, we also offer alternative options for users who can’t fit these courses into their busy schedules. Right now, the premium course offerings include the Basics of Python in Global Mapper Pro and Principles of Global Mapper Scripting.

Blue Marble GEOTalks® User Conference

GEOTalks 2025 is on the horizon, and it’s turning out to be quite the event. This day of free, insight-driven sessions will explore numerous uses of Global Mapper Pro and Geographic Calculator, as well as our other software products. I’ll be kicking off the event with my opening remarks at 10 AM ET. Register and join us on January 29, 2025, from 10 AM – 2:45 PM ET.

Experiment with Global Mapper by downloading a free 14-day trial license. If you have any questions, please contact us!

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