Eye4Software Hydromagic

  Hydrographic Survey Software


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Raster maps

The software is shipped only with a couple of demo maps, because it is not doable to bundle it with all the most recent and detailed maps all over the world. To make sure almost any map can be loaded, a wide range of file formats is supported. This makes that Hydromagic can be used with the most common used map formats. Two types of maps are supported: vector maps and raster maps. The list below show some information on some of the raster map formats supported.


Supported raster maps

Raster maps are basically bitmap images. They only contain some image data, and in some cases (GeoTIFF) some geo-referencing information. These maps do not support high zoom levels, because they are limited by the number of pixels the map is stored in. The following raster formats are supported:

You can import a vector map into your project by right clicking the "Maps" folder in the "Project Explorer" and selecting the "Import Map..." option from the context menu as shown in the screenshot below:

Import a raster map from the Project Explorer
Right-click the "Maps" folder in "Project Explorer" to import a raster map.


GeoTIFF

GeoTIFF raster files GeoTIFF files are based on the TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) standard. This format allows you to insert all sorts of tags into an image file. GeoTIFF uses this to store information on calibration info and / or projection information in the file. When you try to load a map that only contains the calibration info (X,Y boundaries and scale information), you will be asked to set the projection parameters for the map.


JPG, GIF, TIF, BMP and PNG image files

Image files It is possible to use your own images to project routes, waypoints, tracks and real time position on. These images can be downloaded from the web (for instance, image created with Google Earth or maps exported from "OpenStreetMaps.org", or created by scanning paper maps. To use these images, they must have been geo-referenced calibrated in order to be used. A map is geo-referenced when it is shipped with projection and world files. When downloading an street map or satellite image from the built-in map downloading tool, these files will be generated by the software.


BSB maps

BSB files BSB map files are raster charts designed especially for nautical charts. They are used by several authorities like NOAA. Nautical maps can often be downloaded for free in the BSB format. When loading BSB files in Hydromagic, the map is displayed directly, because all geo-referencing and coordinate reference system info is included in the map. BSB maps use Lambert Conformal Conic, Mercator and Polyconic projection.