SEG-Y files

The SEG-Y (sometimes SEG Y) file format is one of several standards developed by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) for storing geophysical data. It is an open standard, and is controlled by the SEG Technical Standards Committee, a non-profit organization.

SEG-Y files are also suitable for storing bathymetric data, and some echosounder brands, including Innomar, Knudsen and SyQwest, are using this file format to export position, depth, and echogram data. You can now use the raw data import wizard to use the data in Hydromagic Survey, or use the data in Hydromagic Dredging (after processing the raw data and generating a matrix file from the soundings).

Starting the raw data import wizard

All file formats which Hydromagic is able to convert to proprietary raw data files, can be imported through the "Import Data Wizard". To start the wizard, right-click the "Raw Data" folder in the "Project Explorer" and select the 'Import Data Wizard...' option:

The "Import Data Wizard" can be launched from the "Project Explorer".

Select file format

The first page of the wizard allows you to set the format of the file(s) we wish to import. Since this tutorial is about importing SEG-Y data, we select the 'SEG-Y Files (*.seg)(*.segy)(*.sgy)(*.su)' option from the drop-down list.

Select the "SEG-Y files" format from the dropdown list.

Select file(s) to import

On the second page of the wizard, you can select which files to import. Click the 'Browse...' button to select the folder on your computer where the files are stored. After changing the folder, the file list is reloaded, and you can use the checkboxes to select one or more files to import at a time. After changing the folder the file list is reloaded, and you can use the check boxes to select one or more file(s) to import at a time.

After changing the folder the file list is reloaded, and you can use the check boxes to select one or more file(s) to import.

Select the file(s) to import. You can import multiple files at a time.

Import options

When the coordinate reference system used in the SEG-Y file is projected (not using WGS84 geographic coordinates), you can change the projection to convert from by clicking the 'Select...' button.

Click the "Select..." button to select a projection when the file is other than WGS84.

Starting the import

When the format and files have been selected, you can start the import process by clicking the 'Finish' button on the last page of the wizard.

The file currently being processed is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the screen, and the wizard shows a message box stating 'File(s) successfully imported as raw data file(s)' as soon as the process is complete. Click 'OK' to close the dialog and the imported files will be centered in the map view (only when they contain position data). After importing raw data files, you can download a background map of the covered survey area using the built-in map downloading tool.

After clicking the "Finish" button, the import process will start.

Checking the imported raw data file(s)

When the import is complete, you can right-click the generated raw data files and select "Analyze Data..." to inspect the imported values and timestamps. If the import did not complete successfully, refer to the "Processing" tab of the activity view for more details on the error shown.

Video Tutorial

The following YouTube video tutorial shows how to import SEG-Y files into your Hydromagic project. Click below to play the video. When you like the video, please click the like button and subscribe so you will receive an update when new video tutorials on Hydromagic are uploaded.

This video demonstrates how to import SEG-Y files into your Hydromagic project.