OCT 30, 2018

Update chart features with bathymetric lidar

Lidar to chart in BASE Editor

A new workflow well-suited to performing quality control and building a feature set for hydrographic charting from lidar data is available in CARIS BASE Editor. Bring LAS/LAZ data into the BASE Editor environment to assess quality, adjust classification and compare against other data sources. Identify relevant features from point data and imagery and easily model as S-57 features directly in the area-based cleaning tool. Model as a DEM using CUBE or other gridding methods and combine with data from other sensors to generate a full picture of the seabed and shoreline.

Some of the new capabilities to explore:

• Creating cartographic features like rocks and obstructions directly in the Subset Editor while cleaning or QC-ing the data.
• Using the flexible expression and geometry filters to isolate data points.
• Bringing in reference data (DEMs, imagery, scanner data, etc) to help provide context and adjust flags or classifications with a single click.
• Exploring the new Subset Editor controls including new context menu options, short-cut keys and rotation controls.
• Adding uncertainty estimates to data points using the Compute Band process.

New automated techniques for generalizing bathymetry

Building on BASE Editor's industry leading bathymetry compilation toolkit, two new surface preparation techniques have been added along with several workflow improvements.

A new surface smoothing method called Restrained Laplacian was added that is generally less aggressive and results in less smoothing in X,Y and Z planes than our original (Cumulative) Laplacian smoothing. The effect is that the shape of sloped areas such as along a dredged channel remain largely in place with minimal narrowing of the channel.

The surface smoothing processes can now be run on elevation data that has been simplified in advance using a new Rolling Coin technique. This technique was developed by the Finnish Transport Agency as way of achieving an unambiguously safe for navigation contour set by imposing a pixel-based mask that pushes elevations into the shoaler depth ranges. The effect of the Rolling Coin is a double-buffered surface that produces contours that are greatly reduced in number and complexity than from the original dataset.

The Rolling Coin technique produces the best results when used in conjunction with Laplacian Smoothing and/or vector Contour Smoothing processes. These processes work together in a manual or fully-automated workflow to produce topologically sound, ‘chart ready’ and safe for navigation contours. These results hold even for high resolution contours such as on bathymetric ENC (bENC) overlays where there is little tolerance for topology issues or cartographic manipulations requiring manual adjustments.

Further enhancing the bathymetry compilation workflow are the additions of a new option to directly model shoal-biased thinned points as Sounding features in automated workflows, new safe-guards against producing crossing contours with vector Contour Smoothing and enhanced error reporting.

Manage LOTS Limits and Boundaries in Bathy DataBASE Server

Limits and boundaries in Bathy DataBASE Server

Maritime limits and boundaries generated with CARIS LOTS can now be managed in Bathy DataBASE Server. New LOTS catalogue and portrayal files are available to use to set up a database, and then data can be imported, moving your data management into a relational database environment.

New Licensing Technology

Bathy DataBASE is the first CARIS release to incorporate our new licensing technology. This upgraded licensing is softkey based, so no physical dongles are required; a license Entitlement will be created for software activation.

Key benefits of this new technology include:

• Convenient and easy softkey activation
• The elimination of physical hardware removes the possibility of damage or loss
• No more need of a separate licensing tool
• Faster software purchase and setup
• Improved license usage transparency for network license users

For more information about the new licensing technology and how it will affect your organization contact Customer Services, or visit License FAQ.

MAY 03, 2018

New Scope for BDB Server

As part of expanding the scope of activities that can be supported in BDB Server, databases now support both feature and coverage data management. The object and attribute model is now fully exposed to the user and can be customized to include any point, line or polygon feature types as required by the customer. This allows the role of BDB Server within an organization to expand beyond bathymetric DEMs and into new areas of data management.

Flexible Interface for Organizing and Interacting with Data

To support the changing needs of the modern hydrographic office, CARIS is pleased to provide a redesigned application interface that gives users new tools for managing and deriving information and products from diverse sources of data. With expanded access to GIS formats such as GeoPackage, services such as Web Feature Services, and direct connections to databases such as PostgreSQL, new possibilities emerge for integrating and expanding the use of CARIS applications within an organization. The new application interface provides a consistent user experience when connecting to different data sources, filtering, grouping, setting up display properties and portrayal instructions.