ImagizerIII Data Prep

Installation Guide and Users Guide

December 2010

Copyright 2010 ERDAS, Inc.

All rights reserved.
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ERDAS, Inc.
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The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.
Government Reserved Rights. MrSID technology incorporated in the Software was developed in part through a project
at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, funded by the U.S. Government, managed under contract by the University of
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii
Installation Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Solaris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Users Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Create ViewerDirectory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Imagizer Data Prep Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Starting Imagizer Data Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Using Imagizer Data Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Creating File Sets for Imagizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Create View Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Replacing the Default Bitmaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Using Custom Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Creating a CDROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Tour Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Initialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Annotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Hyperlinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Creating a Hyperlink Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Add Hyperlink Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Enter Hyperlink Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Providing a Hyperlink Legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Table of Contents
Table of Contents

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iii

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Table of Contents

Installation Guide
Windows

Imagizer Data Prep Module is a licensed add-on module to ERDAS

IMAGINE. You must have a current codeword for Imagizer Data Prep
for the module to function correctly.
The versions of Windows supported by Imagizer Data Prep are:

Installation

Windows XP

Windows 2000

The Imagizer Data Prep software may be installed when IMAGINE is

installed. Simply select it from the Components list.

See the Configuration Guide For Windows

(Win_ConfigGuide.pdf).

Solaris

Imagizer Data Prep Module is a licensed add-on module to ERDAS

IMAGINE. You must have a current codeword for Imagizer Data Prep
for the module to function correctly.
The versions of Solaris supported by Imagizer Data Prep are:

Installation Guide
Installation Guide

1
1

Solaris 9

Solaris 8

See the Configuration Guide For Solaris (Unix_ConfigGuide.pdf).

Installation Guide

Users Guide
Introduction

The Imagizer Data Prep User Guide is a tutorial designed to help you
learn how to use the ERDAS Imagizer Data Prep tools. This is a
comprehensive manual that explains each function within the ERDAS
Imagizer Data Prep software and tools within IMAGINE to take full
advantage of Imagizer functionality.
In this guide, the following topics are discussed:

Getting Started

Starting/Using Imagizer Data Prep

Bitmaps

Prepare View files

Creating Hyperlinks

Creating a CDROM

After getting Imagizer Data Prep installed, if you haven't done so

already, it will be advantageous to become familiar with the
IMAGIZER_CD folder. The IMAGIZER_CD folder is the model for all
CDROMs that are produced with the IMAGINE Imagizer Data Prep
tools.
The data structure of newly created Imagizer Viewer CDROMs must
mirror that of this folder with one exception. The producing facility must
create data sets for distribution and create their own logos in the form
of bitmaps. All files created by the producing facility are placed in the
data directory.

Create ViewerDirectory

Copy the entire contents of the IMAGIZER_CD folder into a local

directory on the system on which Imagizer Data Prep is installed. This
directory is referred to in this manual as the ViewerDirectory.
Upon creation of each new Imagizer Viewer project, delete the contents
of the ViewerDirectory/imagizer_viewer/data subdirectory.

Imagizer Data Prep

Preferences

Users Guide
Users Guide

A new preference category, Imagizer Data Prep, is created upon

installation of Imagizer Data Prep. This new category has only one
preference. This preference is $IMAGIZER_HOME, which by default is
the directory $IMAGINE_HOME/imagizer_cd/imagizer_viewer.

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Set this preference before running Imagizer Data Prep for the first time.
The final path component must be imagizer_viewer.

Starting Imagizer Data

Prep

Start ERDAS IMAGINE and select the Data Prep icon.

From the Data Prep dialog, select Imagizer Data Prep.

After Selecting Imagizer Data Prep, the main dialog is displayed:

Users Guide

Using Imagizer Data Prep

Preparing data for an Imagizer CDROM is a simple function of taking

the data you want and putting it where you want. Follow the five (5)
steps below to prepare your data for distribution.

1. Create the data directory in which all the Imagizer Viewer data is
placed. The default is the value set in the $IMAGIZER_HOME
preference. You can enter any path you wish as long as the last folder
is imagizer_viewer.
All interface elements are disabled until you click in this field. You
must click here even if the default $IMAGIZER_HOME is correct.

Verify that the directory selected for $IMAGIZER_HOME (from

preferences) is correct and select enter on your keyboard. When you
have done this, the following dialog is displayed:

Users Guide

The data directory is created for you. All subsequent data processed
with Imagizer Data Prep is copied or created in this directory. If the data
directory can not be created (i.e. permission problems), you are given
a error message.

2. Select the IMAGINE View files that are to be distributed. See Creating
File Sets for Imagizer. You must select a file to enable the Add All > button.

Upon selection of view files, a dynamic list of selected view files is

created:

Users Guide

Once a file has been selected from the Input Files list, you may also use
the Add All -> and
<- Remove from list tools.
Adds all view files in the selected
directory to the list. This button is not
enabled until you select a file.
Removes the selected file from list. You
can remove only one file at a time from the
list.
NOTE: The minimum number of view files is one with no maximum,
however current CDROM technology limits the amount of data included
in those views for distribution to about 550 MB (650 MB CD capacity 100 MB Imagizer Viewer software).
3. Define which view file is to be loaded into the left and right view panes
upon startup of the Imagizer Viewer. This may be the same file in both
panes.
You must click on one of the files in the Selected Files list in order to
enable the Imagizer Default Setup: interface elements even if a file
is already highlighted.
Select (click) a view file for the left view pane in the
selection list and then click the Set View 1 check box. Upon
selection, the name of the view file is displayed above the
checkbox. A tag file is also created in the data directory.
Do the same for Set View 2 (right view pane).
4. Select the three bitmap files that are used in the Imagizer Viewer
interface. The size of these bitmaps is included in the 550 MB data
space.

Users Guide

Choose a bitmap for the

button on the bottom right
corner of the Imagizer
Viewer. Upon selection
the file is copied to the data directory and is renamed
organization1.bmp.
Choose the info
bitmap. This graphic is
displayed when the
bottom right button
described above is clicked. Upon selection the file is copied to the data
directory and is renamed organization2.bmp.
Choose the classification
bitmap. Refer to Replacing
the Default Bitmaps to
create your own bitmap. Upon
selection the file is copied to the data directory and is renamed
classification.bmp.
5. Copy the view files to the data directory. To do this, select a single view
file by clicking on its file name. Then click the Copy File To
$IMAGIZER_HOME button.

Each layer of the selected view file is copied to the data directory. Upon
completion of the copy process, the view file is deleted from the
selected file list. Do this for each view file to be distributed. When
finished adding files, click the Quit button.
Now that all your data is in place, the entire ViewerDirectory can be
mastered to a CDROM for distribution. See Creating a CDROM.

Creating File Sets

for Imagizer

This section describes briefly how to prepare your IMAGINE data files
for distribution with the Imagizer Viewer. For a complete example, see
Chapter Three.

Create View Files

View files are a feature of the ERDAS IMAGINE Viewer. View files store
information defining the layers and scale of the display at the time of
creation of the view file. This offers a convenient way to open multiple
layers in a Viewer quickly and easily.
To create a view file, open an IMAGINE Viewer, then open the data to
be prepared for distribution, such as images, vector and annotation
layers.
Then select File | Save | View from the Viewer:

Users Guide

Replacing the Default

Bitmaps

To create the bitmaps used within Imagizer, you must use a program
with the ability to create proper bitmap files that are recognized by
IMAGINE.
If you are using a Windows system, it is suggested that you use
Microsoft Paint, which is provided with the operating system and freely
available. You may use any program available for creation of bitmaps,
yet it is suggested that these files are properly tested with the Imagizer
Viewer prior to distribution. If using MS Paint, it has been shown that the
file types which work correctly across both Windows and Solaris
platforms is the 16 Color Bitmap option.
The bitmap files may also be in either the xbitmap or xpixmap formats.
The xbitmap is a one-bit image that is created by either the Sun icon
editor or the X bitmap editor. The xpixmap format is a color format with
8 bits per pixel. When an xpixmap (xpm) is used, EML takes the value
of the upper left most pixel to be the "background" color. That is, it
substitutes the current background color for all pixels in the pixmap
which match the upper left most pixel. This is done because the X
pixmap format does not support a transparent color.

Using Custom Symbols

Users Guide

If you prepare data sets that use custom symbol libraries, the custom
library (.sml files) must be copied into the ViewerDirectory/etc
directory manually.

Creating a CDROM

You must have specialty software that can create a true hybrid
CDROM. A hybrid CDROM is one that can be used on both a Windows
computer along with a Solaris Workstation.
It is possible, however, to create versions of Imagizer Viewer that will
work only on a Windows system and not Solaris.
The files needed to create a CDROM reside in the IMAGIZER_CD
folder. Remember, this folder is the model for the CD creation. Your CD
should be identical except for the data subdirectory.

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Users Guide

Tour Guide
Introduction

Initialization

This tutorial is designed to show you how to prepare a data set for
distribution with the Imagizer Viewer. The data set will take advantage
of all of the features available in the Imagizer Viewer.

geographically linked data sets

roam and zoom

feature measurement

query feature attributes

annotation

hyperlinking

snapshots

Before you begin properly creating your data sets, you should decide
where you want to place the data prior to burning a CD. This temporary
workspace must contain at least 100 MB more space than your data.
The maximum needed is the maximum size of the CD; typically 650 MB.
1. Copy the entire contents of the <IMAGINE_HOME>/IMAGIZER_CD
folder to your temporary workspace.
This folder is the root directory of $IMAGIZER_HOME which must
contain a subfolder named "imagizer_viewer".
For example, $IMAGIZER_HOME may be defined as:
C:\Lanier\imagizer_viewer

In this example, the entire contents of the

<IMAGINE_HOME>/IMAGIZER_CD folder would be copied to
C:\Lanier. The default value of $IMAGIZER_HOME may be set in
the Imagizer category of the IMAGINE Preference Editor.
2. Delete the contents (if any) of the
$IMAGIZER_HOME/imagizer_viewer/data folder.

Annotation

Tour Guide
Tour Guide

Annotation may be added to your IMAGINE files for display in the

Imagizer Viewer. This annotation information is read-only. The Imagizer
Viewer does not allow you to permanently change this annotation
information although it allows you to create new annotation layers.

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1. Open <ERDAS_Data_Home>/examples/lanier.img.
2. Create a new annotation layer named lanier.ovr. The Annotation Tools
palette opens.

3. Click the
tool and set all annotation styles to yellow and line width
to 2.0 points.

Click a chooser bu
and then select Ot

Set line width

here
Select line style
here

4. Create text elements for "Lake Lanier" and "Gainsville, GA".

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Tour Guide

5. Create line element for interstate 75.

6. Select File | Save Top Layer to save the annotation layer.

7. Select File | Save View and enter the filename of the view (.vue) file.
Save your files in a temporary directory separate from the
$IMAGIZER_HOME workspace.

Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks may be added to either ESRI Shapefiles or ESRI ARC/Info

coverages. The coverage type must be point. A string type attribute
(HTTP) must be created which specifies the action to take upon
selection of the hyperlink. These can be web addresses or files.
This functionality works only on the Windows platform.

Creating a Hyperlink
Layer

This example creates an ESRI Shapefile for use as a hyperlink layer.

Once it is created, it should then be added to your view file as the top
layer.
Follow these steps:
1. Open <ERDAS_Data_Home>/examples/lnsoils.img. This
georeferenced image file covers the same geographic region as
lanier.img and thus will allow the Imagizer Viewer to link the two files
together.

Tour Guide

13

2. Create a new vector layer. Select File | New | Vector Layer from the
Viewer menu.

3. Select an output name, and set the type as Shapefile.

This dialog is displayed. Select the Point Shape type from the popup list.

4. The Vector tools palette is displayed when the new layer is created.

5. Create point features, using the point tool

palette.

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on the Vector Tools

Tour Guide

6. From the Viewer menu, select Vector | Viewing properties to select a

symbol for the hyperlink layer. The example below is using a filled red
star. Set the size large enough to be easily seen and use paper units so
the symbol remains the same size when the image is zoomed.

Click a chooser bu
and then select Oth

7. Use the Save As button to create the symbology file to be associated

with the point shapefile. This file (.evs) must be manually copied to (or
saved in) the $IMAGIZER_HOME/data directory for use with Imagizer
Viewer.

The extents of the viewer may be adjusted as you perform

symbology operations. If this occurs, first save the top layer
(shapefile) then clear the Viewer and reopen the image file and its
shapefile overlay.

Add Hyperlink Attributes

1. From the Viewer menu, select Vector | Attributes to display the
Attributes dialog

Tour Guide

15

2. Select Edit | Column Attributes. The Column Attributes dialog is

opened.

Enter
"HTTP
Specify

String.

rst click New

Set width

3. Select New.

If you have saved, closed, and reopened the shapefile, you must
enable vector editing before you can make edits. Select Vector |
Enable Editing from the Viewer menu.
4. Enter Title as HTTP (This must be all upper case)
5. Select type STRING
6. Set both Max Width and Display Width to an integer equal to the
longest text string to be used (i.e. web address).
The maximum display width is 100 characters.
7. Select OK.

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Tour Guide

Enter Hyperlink Info

Imagizer Viewer supports hyperlinks to both files and URLs. In this

exercise, only local files are used. This is the only way to ensure your
client has everything. In special cases, you may want the client to
access a web site by clicking on a symbol in your imagery. For these
cases, standard http://<address> syntax is used.
1. For each point, enter the path to the file to be associated with the point
in the HTTP column.
If you are using files, they must be manually copied to the
$IMAGIZER_HOME/data subdirectory. The HTTP path must be set to
$IMAGINE_HOME/data/file.xxx. This feature uses the registered
application for the file extension type to display the file.

In the example above, lanier2.jpg is a simple graphic depicting a scene

on the lake. You could as easily have used a URL (such as
http://lanier.sam.usace.army.mil/) to take the client directly to the
web site. The two text files simply describe the soil types found in those
locations. You must manually copy these files to
$IMAGIZER_HOME/data.
2. Select File | Close from the Attributes dialog menu.
3. Select File | Save Top Layer from the Viewer menu to save the shapefile.
4. Select File | Save View and enter the filename of the view (.vue) file.
Save your files in a temporary directory separate from the
$IMAGIZER_HOME workspace.
NOTE: When editing the HTTP column attribute ensure there is no
white space preceding the text string or the hyperlink will not work.

Providing a Hyperlink
Legend

The Imagizer Viewer cursor does not change as it passes over a

hyperlink. To clearly mark your hyperlinks select an appropriate symbol
of a color that is easily seen against the backdrop of your imagery.
Make the symbol large enough to be seen easily.
If you have provided a number of different types of information on the
same image, it would be most helpful to use different symbols and to
provide your audience with a legend showing the meaning of the
symbols.

Tour Guide

17

This could easily be accomplished by providing a bitmap image of your

legend. This bitmap could be placed in any of the three auxiliary graphic
areas. For example, if your dataset did not require a classification, you
could place your legend in this area in the bottom center of the Imagizer
Viewer.

Right click a red star to activate its hyperlink.

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Tour Guide