Now Released: LPS 9.3

We are pleased to announce the release of LPS 9.3 today! This is a major milestone for ERDAS, as we're launching new releases across all product lines today, which is a first. Additionally, we've completely updated the website at www.erdas.com. Each product can be downloaded from the site from the various product sections via the "Downloads" tab. For LPS 9.3, go here and click on the Downloads tab. Note that you'll need to register to access the download. You can also get a new 9.3 license from the link on the www.erdas.com front page.


The main theme of the LPS 9.3 release is 3D feature extraction, with the introduction of "PRO600 Fundamentals for PowerMap XM": PRO600 Fundamentals is a streamlined stereo feature extraction software. Basically we've made PRO600's PROCART module (3D feature extraction) available for Bentley PowerMap XM, which is a GIS-oriented application for map production in a 2D or 3D environment. PRO600 Fundamentals also includes LPS Stereo.

I wrote about a couple of the new benefits in previous posts, but I've also included the entire list of improvements below.

In LPS Core, the following improvements have been added:

• Export to KML: This new LPS 9.3 feature exports an LPS block file or group of block files to the KML (keyhole markup language) file format. This feature allows for the export of both image footprints as well as point measurements associated with the block file.
• Improved Automatic Point Measurement (APM) point correlation quality in cases with less than 50% overlap, variable flying height, and in sidelap areas.
• Added support for NITF NCDRD format in the orbital pushbroom QuickBird/WorldView model.
• The Triangulation Point Review user interface has been extended to support Satellite Sensor Models.
• New Support for Image Chipping for NCDRD Sensor Model.
• Registration free .NET and COM: New Registry Free LPS allows users to install different versions of LPS on the same machine.
• Synchronized units of measure for the Average Flying Height (Frame Camera) and Average Elevation (Orbital Pushbroom) defined in the Block Property Setup with the units reported in the block file.
• The Average Elevation, Minimum Elevation and Maximum Elevation units in RPC Model projects are now displayed in the project vertical units in the Frame Editor.
• Synchronized units of measure for GCPs and residuals in the Refinement Report.
• Enhanced Importer for ISAT projects with multiple flight lines.
• Support for EMSEN Hand Wheels.
• Added the LHN95 Geoid model (Switzerland).
• Added Latvian Coordinate System (LKS-92) support, which includes the Latvian Gravimetric Geoid (LGG98).

LPS Automatic Terrain Extraction (ATE)

• DEM Accuracy: Added an option to enter a tolerance in the vertical units of the terrain source to set the accuracy range for the predicted surface value of the area. The Min and Max Z Search Range will change with respect to the accuracy value entered. Providing a reliable tolerance will result better matching quality.
• Added support for all currently supported sensors in Adaptive ATE (not just frame cameras and ADS sensors).
• Reliability has been improved with better memory handling.

LPS Terrain Editor

• Drive to Control Point: In 9.3 a new panel in Terrain Editor enables the display of GCPs and tie points associated with the currently loaded block file. An additional new dialog called “Control Point Display Settings” allows users to filter points in the cell array and choose the rendering settings for the Ground Control Points panel. The user can load some or all of the image pairs that a GCP is projected into. This new tool lets users check the quality of the DTM with respect to GCP, check points and the tie points. This tool can also be used for visual inspection of triangulation results after a bundle block adjustment.
• Post Editor hotkeys: allow a user to quickly move through points by using keyboard arrow keys and adjusting the Z value for selected points in gridded terrain files.
• Enhanced jpeg image display.

ERDAS MosaicPro

• Save to Script Functionality: With the release of LPS 9.2, users were able to batch script the entire MosaicPro process and then execute the script from an MSDOS prompt. In 9.3 it is possible to generate the batch script automatically from the MosaicPro user interface. The script generated from MosaicPro may also be used as a template which can be easily modified. This new feature builds a script file from a combination of the currently open MosaicPro project and/or from previously saved settings from image dodging, color balancing, seam polygons, and exclusion areas. The MosaicPro process can then be run in time-set, batch mode from the MSDOS prompt.
• Improved performance for seam polygon generation with "most nadir", "geometry", and "weighted" options.
• Various reliability improvements.

STEREO ANALYST for ERDAS IMAGINE

• Extend Features to Ground: this new feature uses a 3D Polygon Shapefile and extends the segments of each polygon (as faces) to the ground to form solid features (e.g. Buildings).

PRO600

• Ability in PRODTM for the user to specify the extent within which to load terrain data. This allows very large terrain datasets to be used in PRODTM, in a piece-wise manner.

ORIMA

• For triangulation projects using AD40 data, multiple ADS40 flown at the same time are now supported. This required the change of some file formats. This new approach leads to shorter project creation times.

• CAP-A Release 8.10: New Handling of Orientation Data for ADS40. This new data handling has two primary advantages:

o The amount of disk space to store the project is drastically reduced.
o The startup time of CAP-A is much faster as there is no need to read the *.ori files and find the corresponding orientation for each point.

Defense Productivity Module (DPM)

• Users in classified environments can now process NGA MC&G imagery in LPS photogrammetric workflows if the DPM is installed. This support includes access to AMSD ground and imagery points.
• A new Image Slicer has been created to facilitate cutting of the original imagery into smaller segments for extraction. After slicing, an RPC model may be generated to provide support in ERDAS products without a local DPM license. If an NITF module is licensed, the RPC segments may be exported to NITF with RPC00B tags for interoperability with a wide variety of software packages.