what’s new for quick terrain modeler version...

Applied Imagery • www.appliedimagery.com • [email protected] • (301) 589‐4446

July 2017

What’s New for Quick Terrain Modeler Version 8.0.7.0: Applied Imagery is pleased to announce the release of Quick Terrain Modeler v8.0.7. The central themes for v8.0.7 are Imagery, Editing, Information, and Analysis. Imagery: Version 8.0.7’s introduction of Web Mapping Service (WMS) support ensures an unlimited, instantly accessible, and easy way to find and overlay imagery and maps onto 3D models (or display by itself) by tapping into network‐based WMS imagery repositories – both public and private. QT Modeler users should never be without 2D imagery and maps again! Editing: QT Modeler’s already powerful 3D editing tools are supplemented with a new DEM editing tool (Above Ground Level Flattening), easier point cloud editing from the Profile Analysis Tool, easy masking tools for editing points in the interior of a point cloud, and the ability to instantly apply many editing functions (cut, crop, flatten) to hundreds (or thousands!) of features in an imported SHP or other vector file – saving massive amounts of time. Information: Version 8.0.7’s new marker data structure turns markers into a container for an unlimited amount of information. A streamlined Marker Manager offers the ability to visualize, organize, supplement, edit, and export all the marker information – along with the markers themselves. All of this means that relevant information contained in a 3D model can be condensed to a relatively small number of points (Markers) and shared with others in universally understood formats. A marker is now much more than a 3D point in space: It is the information that exists at that point – LAS attributes, in/out of the Line of Sight, is this a good HLZ? – anything that matters to you and your specific customers. Analysis: New tools such as the Raindrop Tool, Red Relief Imagery Map, and the Flight Surface Analysis/Editing tool deliver exciting new analysis capabilities for analyzing and understanding terrain, assessing hazards, and communicating these findings to others. And, of course, there are many more upgrades and tweaks. Read on for more details. As always, we thank you for using QT Modeler and for providing your extremely valuable feedback and suggestions. Sincerely, The Applied Imagery Team


WMS – Tap into Online Imagery Repositories! (Textures Menu > Import from WMS/WKTS): Until now, Quick Terrain Modeler has relied on file‐based imagery (i.e., GeoTIFF, SID, NITF, etc. files) to overlay on top of 3D data to enhance the scene. V8.0.7 takes a significant leap forward by introducing the ability to connect to an online Web Mapping Server (WMS) and pull imagery and maps directly into the QT Modeler scene. This makes a virtually unlimited amount of imagery and map data available instantaneously to QT Modeler users – even if they do not have or maintain their own imagery. Furthermore, the spatial nature of the WMS request (i.e., QT Modeler will send a request based on the location and extents of the data loaded) eliminates the need to locate the right image in the right place, dramatically accelerating the image search process – and the exploitation timeline. Lastly, DoD users of Digital Globe’s EVWHS imagery portal can connect directly and pull Digital Globe imagery into the scene.

Marker Upgrades: Marker Manager, Marker Attributes, etc. Markers and the Marker Manager

have been completely revamped in v8.0.7

Marker Manager. (Left Click Markers Folder in Layer Tree) The marker manager has been

streamlined to provide a much more intuitive and interactive visualization, sorting, and editing tool for markers. While still in the same tabular format, users now can reorganize, sort, edit, and add attributes to markers.

Marker Attributes: Markers can now have an unlimited amount of information attached to them. Attributes can be sampled from point clouds (e.g., sample LAS attributes into markers), DEM’s (e.g., sample analytical values like slope, HLZ, and Line of Sight into markers), or created to store custom information – even hyperlinks. Attributes will remain with markers during

export to ASCII, KMZ, and SHP. Marker Manager > Attributes Tab Icon Syncing: Synchronizing with Google Earth now pushes custom marker icons and marker

attributes to Google Earth. Google Earth markers can be exported to KMZ and QTM will display the GE icon and add description text.

Absolute vs. AGL Markers: Edit Markers Window Markers are now categorized as

“Absolute” or “AGL”. Absolute markers snap to the terrain wherever they are placed or moved to. Above Ground Level (AGL) markers remain at a fixed height above ground level – no matter where they are moved.

Double clicking on a marker in the 3D scene opens the marker editor.

Markers now honor color and icon when importing from KML/KMZ (Google Earth).

New Short Cut: Holding down K while scrolling the mouse wheel, while the marker editor is open, will z‐shift that marker (lift it off the ground).


Editing Tools: QTM v807 adds a set of very powerful editing tools for both DEM’s and point clouds.

Editing #1 ‐ Multi‐feature Editing: Open a shapefile. (Right Click on Vector in Layer Tree > Vector Actions) Apply editing functions simultaneously to all features in a vector (shapefile).

Editing functions include cut, crop, flatten, and AGL flatten. Edits can be applied inside or outside the features.


Editing #2 ‐ AGL Flattening: While QT Modeler has always had a “flatten” function (flatten

terrain inside selection rea to a specific height), AGL Flatten (Above Ground Level) flattens at a

specific relative height, effectively creating a terrain hugging “wall”. Right Click on Vector in Layer Tree > Vector Actions or Edit Toolbar

Editing #3 ‐ Point Cloud Edit Masking: When using the editing toolbar, users can now mask

out an area in a point cloud using the selection area and right clicking on the “Crop” button. The area will now be masked out and users can edit only the visible area without impacting the

hidden points. Very useful for editing points on the “interior” of a point cloud. Edit Toolbar

Flight Surface Editing Tool: This is an excellent tool to help identify vertical obstructions to aircraft approach. Simply use the existing flight surface tool (Airplane button), set flight surfaces to angles and orientations desired, and push the surface to the editing plane tool, where a variety of editing and export functions are available. These can assist in identifying, marketing, and sharing

locations of objects that present a hazard to aviation. Flight Surfaces Tool Editing Planes Tool


Raindrop Tool: The Raindrop Tool identifies a downhill path of least resistance from a singular position until an obstruction is encountered. This capability can be useful for hydro flow, tracing contaminants, and other use cases. The result is a vector that can be exported to other applications. Analysis Menu > Rain Drop Tool, or Right Click on Marker in Layer Tree

Red Relief Map – A Visually Intuitive Understanding of Landforms: Like slope maps, aspect

maps, contours and other elevation derivatives, Red Relief Maps can aid in identifying landform features. Red Relief Maps differ however, in that they are created to summarize multiple derivatives themselves namely the ratio between slope and openness (concavity vs convexity). The result is an image that combines a white to red color ramp for ascending slope and a white to black shading for

convex to concave. Analysis Menu > Analysis Tools (Vertex Colors) > Red Relief Image Map


Movies: QT Modeler Movies now record Virtual Line of Sight, which can be played back in a QT Modeler movie and/or exported to an AVI movie file. Profile Analysis Tool: The Profile Analysis Tool (PAT) has added many nice enhancements:

PAT edit mode will display area/volume of selection area. Excellent tool for cut/fill volume estimations.

PAT tool “Edit Mode” now supports polygon select. Instead of drawing a box, you push the selection button, left click to place nodes, and right click to finish.

PAT includes option to color by LAS Point Source ID

Closing PAT no longer clears Mensuration Line.

Route Planning Enhancements: A few new enhancements for planning routes:

Travel Route Analysis Tool – Added Speed settings and time of route calculation (based on user‐input speed).

Markers: If user has selected status bar to show MGRS, export to KML will export an MGRS attribute instead of X and Y attributes

APASS: Consolidated vector (Overlay Files) subfolders

ATAK: Updated to new ATAK folder naming schemes (Imagery and Overlays). Also added the requirement to input “mission name” that will be appended to all export files.

GPS Routes and Waypoints (“Export Mission”): Eliminated GPX Export GUI to eliminate confusion about what to choose. Now everything (All points and routes) are exported to GPX file – as long as they are checked on in the layer tree.

Slope Readouts – More Choices! (File Menu > Options/Settings > Set Display Units) QT Modeler now offers slope readouts in Degrees, Percent, and Ratio. Slope Units now honored in:

Mensuration Line COMBO and SLOPE

Travel Route Analysis Tool (TRAT) Slope Display and Slope Tab (input and output)


Point to Point Viewing

Profile Analysis Tool (PAT) Vector Info

Global Setting can be set in Display Units dialog Huge Annoyance Eliminated! QTM no longer asks about clearing temp files when you start QTM. It automatically clears them if no other QTM processes are running. Miscellaneous Tweaks and Enhancements (v8.0.7.0)

32‐Bit: 32‐Bit versions of QT Modeler and QT Reader will no longer be available as of v8.0.7.

Google Earth Sync: Synchronize GE should support marker icons.

Batch Scripting: Added ability to export to BT in Batch Script.

ASCII: Changed many references to "ASCII" to read "ASCII Text"

Palettes: o Added color wheel as palette option to: AGL Analyst, GridStats, Height Colors, Slope

Map, Color by Attribute, QTA Continuous Analysis o Added red‐to‐blue to standard palette list.

Selection Areas: BKSPC now removes the last selection node when placing a selection area

Textures: o You should no longer be able to drag textures out of the temp textures folder o QT should auto‐open TEMP Textures folders upon creation. o You can use "crop to view" even with just 2D imagery loaded. o Texture importers can now handle GDAL formatted WMS, GDAM formatted WMTS, and

Regular WMS o Resample Textures button functions changed: Right click on resample button for

temporary resample, left click on resample button for a permanent chip

MISC: o Tweaked width of drop‐down lists in GridStats dialog o Volume Calculation will now pop an error if you have a 2D screen selection area. o Updated to GDAL 2.1.3 o Added Vertical Datum Info to "Model Info" window. o Alphabetized buttons in “Configure Toolbar” window. o Added means by which WKT String can be directly entered into projection override

window o MultiVariate filtering should now honor selection areas o Added Cutoff value to Change Detection Maps (continuous). Differences below this

value will be left white. o Set Model Position should now indicate model space z range. o Icon previewer can handle icons larger than 32x32

Bug Fixes (v8.0.7.0) HLZ: Fixed hang issue when performing selection area limited HLZ on multiple tiles, some of

which do not intersect the selection area.

Markers: o Fixed issue properly removing markers by removing the sub‐folder containing them. o Marker folder should no longer be checked when no markers are loaded. o Fixed crash setting style on empty marker subfolder.


o Fixed issue importing markers with models deselected.

Coordinate Systems: Fixed issue properly applying API CS transformation overrides.

Textures: o Fixed issue with ability to edit registration of KMZ‐Imported imagery o Fixed "crash when attempting to reimport from source" on KMZ imagery o Fixed issue properly handling changing image format when editing texture bands o Added display option to show texture plates in 3D. This enables the overlay of images

larger than the 3D data loaded – although there will be no elevation values or terrain associated with the imagery.

o Fixed issue with Texture Edit Position reversing registration when editing imagery imported from multi‐tile KMZ file.

Subtract Models o Should now properly remove the temp model from the layer tree o Fixed issue with render artifacts after subtraction o Should now properly understand to re‐export altered Z values

MISC: o Fixed crash bug ingesting certain types of KML via drag‐drop o Clear on Merge should no longer unload markers, etc. o Fixed issue with "Load from List" clearing "cancelled" flag o Fixed bug in "Set Colors" QTT routine o Fixed memory access bug in QTT find height routine. o Fixed broken link breaking GridStats RMSE and DIFF for point clouds o Fixed some issue with import ASCII‐>Vector o Fixed bug selecting proper output file for Point Query Utility. o Fixed issue with Select Zoom in PAT o Fixed some issues loading QTT with bad Snapshots/QTA Attributes o Fixed export of 2D Polygon Area to ASCII o Attempted to fix crash issue involving enabling models in model manager o Attempted to tweak handling of PPT export with no PPT installed o Merging SHP vectors should no longer turn polygons into linestrings o Fixed issue with broken CTRL‐X, CTRL‐SHIFT‐X (and other hot keys) in Edit Toolbar o Fixed issue importing GDAL‐>QTC/QTA o Fixed issue handling duplicate model names in workspaces o Fixed issue remembering marker subfolder names in workspaces

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