| Questions Asked About GIS Global Mapper
3D GPS Mapping Software
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Question: Can you explain the different types of data and what I can do with them? Answer: See the Digital Grove site for a wonderful description of the various kinds of GIS data and what can be done with them. This site includes sample uses of Global Mapper with other software packages to achieve various goals. Digital Grove TOP
Question: The software keeps asking me for a user name and registration number. Where do I get a registration number? Answer: Global Mapper requires a registration number to perform some functions, such as exporting data. You can purchase a registration number from the Eagle Globe Software download page. You do not need a registration number for just viewing data, although you are limited to viewing 4 data files simultaneously without a registration key. TOP
Question: How do I change the projection that I'm viewing my data in? Answer: The current view projection can be modified on the Projection tab of the Configuration dialog. You can access the Configuration dialog either from the toolbar or under the Tools menu.
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Question: How do I change the projection that my data will be exported in? Answer: All data exports use the current view projection to export data in. The current view projection can be modified on the Projection tab of the Configuration dialog. You can access the Configuration dialog either from the toolbar or under the Tools menu. TOP
Question: Can I create new features by tracing over loaded data and then exporting a new file? Answer: Yes, with Global Mapper v5.0 and above, you can use the Digitizer tool to draw new features on top of loaded data. You can also edit existing features with this tool. New and edited features can be exported to new vector files in any of the supported formats, such as ESRI Shapefiles and DXF. TOP
Question: How do I drape raster imagery (i.e. DRGs or aerial photos) over elevation data (i.e. DEMs)? Answer: To drape raster imagery over gridded elevation data, first load the elevation data, then the raster data. Open the Control Center (found on the toolbar and under the Tools menu), highlight the raster image(s) you want to drape, and select the Options button. Select the Texture Map option and press OK. The raster image(s) should now be draped over the elevation data and shaded. Note that you will have to have hill shading enabled in order to see any difference (this is the rightmost button on the toolbar).
Question: How do I remove the collar from DRGs? Answer: To remove the collar from USGS DRGs, open the Control Center (found on the toolbar and under the Tools menu), highlight the DRG(s) that you want to remove the collar from, and select the Options button. Select the Auto-Clip Collar option and press OK. The collar should now be removed from the selected DRG(s). If for some reason the collar was not correctly removed, you may need to specify the collar bounds manually. To do this, press the Options button again and select the Customize button next to the Auto-Clip Collar option. This will display a dialog allowing you to manually specify the lat/lon bounds of the image collar. TOP
Question: How come there is a thin border around exported DRGs even after I have removed the collar in Global Mapper? Answer: The problem of an extra border around exported DRGs that have had the collar removed is caused by the fact that DRG Quads are NOT rectangular in the UTM projection after their collar has been removed. Rather, they are aligned on lat/lon grid boundaries, which makes them a little bit skewed when viewed in a UTM projection. Because the base TIFF and JPG formats only support rectangular images, something must be used to fill in the areas around the quad such that the data fills a rectangle. This extra fill causes the border to appear. The best workaround for this problem is to reproject the images to Geographic before exporting them to a new file. This way the quads will be rectangular and you won't have the extra border around the data. You can change the projection for viewing and exporting the data by using the Projection tab on the Tools->Configuration dialog. See the earlier FAQ question for more details. TOP
Question: How do I zoom or pan around when measuring something with the Distance Tool without canceling the measurement? Answer: You will need to use the keyboard to zoom and pan around while using the Distance Tool. Switching tools will cause the measurement to be canceled. The arrow keys allow you to pan around and the Page Up/Page Down keys allow you to zoom in and out. TOP
Question: How do I import and project TIFF files that have no projection or associated world files? Answer: With Global Mapper v5.0 and above, you can rectify (georeference) any TIFF imagery, regardless of whether it has a world file. If you try to load a TIFF with no positioning information, you will be prompted to rectify the image. You can also use the File->Rectify (Georeference) Imagery menu command to force the image to be rectified. TOP
Question: How do I generate a list of elevations from a list of coordinates? Answer: First load the elevation data that you wish to get the elevations from. Then use the File->Import Generic ASCII Text File(s) menu command to load a text file with a list of coordinates. Finally, use the File->Export Vector Data->Export Simple ASCII Text File menu command and make sure that the "Export Elevations for Each Vertex" option is checked. This should generate a new file with the coordinates and the elevation for each point in your original coordinate list. You can also do this using the scripting language documentation. TOP
Question: How do I generate an elevation grid (i.e. DEM) from a file containing elevation contours or 3D points? Answer: Using Global Mapper v5.08 and above, there is an easy way to do this. First, load the file(s) containing the contours and/or 3D points of interest into Global Mapper using either the File->Open Data File or File->Open Generic ASCII Text File menu command, depending on which is appropriate for the type of data that you are loading. Then, open the Overlay Control Center (under the Tools menu or press Alt+C) and select the layer(s) from which you want to generate the elevation grid. Finally, right click and select the Create Elevation Grid from 3D Vector Data option on the menu that pops up and away you go! TOP
Question: How do I create a true-color image from LandSat imagery in which each color channel (red, green, and blue) is stored in separate TIFF files? Answer: Using Global Mapper v5.08 and above, you can do this using the blend mode functionality accessible from the Overlay Control Center. First, load the three TIFF files containing the separate color channels. Then, open the Overlay Control Center (under the Tools menu or press Alt+C) and select the layer containing the red colors. Press the Options button and change the Blend Mode selection to Keep Red, then press OK. Repeat this for the blue and green layers (selecting the Keep Blue and Keep Green blend modes respectively). After doing that you should have a color image in the main view area, but it may still be hard to see. To improve that, select all three of the layers and press Options, then enable the Auto-Adjust Contrast setting and press OK. In many cases this will generate a very visually appearing image, that can then be saved to a single full-color image using the GeoTIFF, BIL/BIP/BSQ or JPG export options. TOP
Question: Are there any plans for Unix or Macintosh versions of Global Mapper? Answer: At this time a version of Global Mapper than can natively run on a Unix or Macintosh system is not available. However, it is likely that Global Mapper can run on VirtualPC on Macintosh systems. TOP
Question: Is there a student discount available for Global Mapper? Answer: At this time, there is no special student or academic pricing available for Global Mapper. TOP
Question: If I already have dlgv32 Pro installed, how do I install Global Mapper? Answer: dlgv32 Pro is a version of Global Mapper distributed by the USGS. For all intents and purposes the software packages are identical. If you wish to replace dlgv32 Pro with Global Mapper but maintain your settings, you need to follow the following steps. First download and install the latest version of Global Mapper. Then run Global Mapper and exit it. This will insure that your dlgv32 Pro settings are copied to Global Mapper. Finally, uninstall dlgv32 Pro from the Add/Remove Programs option on the Control Panel. TOP
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