Three New Product Releases from Leica Geosystems GI

Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging (GA, USA) has announces three new product releases; ERDAS IMAGINE V9.0, LPS V9.0 and Leica Virtual Explorer.

ERDAS IMAGINE V9.0
The latest version offers enhanced geospatial image processing for an enterprise environment, leveraging the capabilities of spatially-aware databases such as ESRI ArcSDE and Oracle Spatial 10g. Additionally, ERDAS IMAGINE V9.0 introduces IMAGINE AutoSync, which enables rapid georeferencing of images using automatically-generated tie points from an existing reference image.

IMAGINE AutoSync is an add-on module for ERDAS IMAGINE, allowing users to synchronise potentially dissimilar image types by generating tie points between them, creating a geometric model that links the images together. The tool facilitates georeferencing data sets to enhance alignment or perform quick georeferencing of raw imagery.

Additional benefits in ERDAS IMAGINE V9.0 include: better image quality when zooming out, produced by improved pyramid layer algorithms; improved user control over the Projection system used in the Viewer; enhanced control for trading spectral quality for spatial detail (or vice versa) through additional Pan Sharpening techniques, and the ability to edit Brightness/Contrast for Areas of Interest for 16-bit imagery, such as IKONOS and QuickBird

Leica Photogrammetry Suite V9.0
Aimed at high-volume production photogrammetry organisations, LPS 9.0 provides a more efficient means of editing seams for sizable projects that may involve a large number of images. This release also introduces Leica MosaicPro and makes available several innovative features, benefits and fixes. Updated versions of PRO600 9.0 and ORIMA DP for LPS 9.0 are also included with this release.

New features and enhancements in LPS 9.0 include: improved auto-correlation during manual point measurement in the Stereo Point Measurement tool; seed DTM support in the Automatic Terrain Extraction module; the ability to edit terrain extraction properties for all image pairs in the Automatic Terrain Extraction module; CARTOSAT RPC model support; graphical view for tie point patterns in LPS Core; APM success rate report, and the ability to create empty terrain datasets in LPS Core.

This new mosaicking module features improved seam editing capabilities, enhanced functionality and improved radiometric adjustment abilities. With seam editing, image previewing and a streamlined user interface, Leica MosaicPro increases efficiency through a smooth process and improved functionality, which ultimately reduces project time.

Enhancements to PRO600 include semi-automatic grid terrain dataset measurement in PRODTM; various snap-to-ground image correlation modes in the PROLPS driver; and ability to quickly hide and show stereo overlay graphics in the LPS ViewPlex.

Leica Virtual Explorer
Developed to facilitate collaborative decision making through 3D visualisation and sharing of geospatial information, Leica Virtual Explorer seamlessly integrates terabytes of spatial data into an interactive ‘digital Earth’ that can be distributed to thousands of users worldwide.

Leica Virtual Explorer empowers stakeholders to demonstrate 3D spatial relationships, driving awareness of project logistics while increasing efficiency and effectiveness. While independently or collaboratively exploring these environments, users may employ a broad array of geospatial query, analysis, annotation, 3D modeling and animation, overlay and raster editing tools. With Leica Virtual Explorer, organisations in an array of markets can build on the Leica Geosystems’ 3D architecture, leveraging and streamlining the use of their GIS data to increase spatial communication and geospatial understanding.