EVS-Islands

Yes, I am cheap. If I can get something for free, that is my best price. It pains me to spend money, yet, I spent over $300 on my versions of Global Mapper. Now why would a tightwad like me spend money on something he could get free. (I am assuming that some of the open-source GIS packages could accomodate Landsat imagery and digitizing.) Many months ago, I downloaded the free trial version of Global Mapper and figured I give it a try. I was skeptical. I had my Landsat (MrSid format) and within seconds I had a 250MB file loaded and viewing it. It was cool! I was so impressed, I immediately got myself a working copy of the software and have been extemely pleased ever since.

The above slideshow details how one would load six Landsat images (about 1GB) in seconds. Within in one minute, you could be digitizing a shoreline of a target island. Global Mapper loads Landsat lightening fast. I know there are other packages that claim to be fast, but when I can load the image and begin digitizing within a minute, I'll spend my money with that company.

The pictures walk you through the steps to follow in order to load Landsat into Global Mapper. I was a bit careless when I first amassed my original collection of Landsat images and deleted all of the supporting files that allow for auto-georectifying. My extra steps involve, selecting the appropriate projection (UTM zone 28 for these images) and Datum (WGS-84 for Landsat ETM+).

Another plus is the excellent support a licensed user receives from Mike. Mike is Global Mapper and he personally makes sure everything works the way it is supposed to. Great service. Slick product, worth every cent!

Enjoy!

Labels: digitize, Global Mapper, Landsat

Posted by Mr Minton on Friday, June 15, 2007 at 6/15/2007 03:11:00 PM | Permalink