SITE MAP

What is it?

The free TNTlite^® products provide a complete and integrated system for GIS, image processing, desktop mapping and cartography, relational database, and other geospatial processes.

What are the limitations?

After years of the quiet development of professional image analysis and GIS products, MicroImages, Inc. added FREE student versions of these same products as part of their regular product releases. These free TNTlite products differ from the 'paid for' professional versions of TNTmips, TNTedit, and TNTview used in over 100 nations only in the size of the project you can complete. However, the analysis and management of all the geospatial data for a single archaeological site-specific project will easily fit within the size limits of the free TNTlite products. Furthermore, as many separate site systems can be independently created and analyzed as needed.

The general upper size limitations on geodata objects used in the free TNTlite are as follows: each raster object can be 314,368 pixels (such as 614 x 512), which is adequate for the photographic overview of a site or for vertical photographs of each grid cell; a vector object of a site's features is limited to 500 polygons; a CAD object such as an artifact map to 500 elements; a database pinmap or point feature map or artifacts is limited to 1500 points, or records in 10 related tables for associating detailed attributes of the elements in each object including images (rasters), vector, CAD, and TIN objects. A project for a single field site may integrate and use many of each of these objects as needed: a vector object of vegetation, one for each soil layer, one for each artifact type, multiple images, many separate CAD layers, and so on with each of these objects supported by 10 relational attribute (database) tables.

What can it do?

A full featured image processing subsystem is provided. Satellite, aircraft, or on-site field photographs can be scanned, imported, georeferenced, warped, registered, overlaid from various dates, interpreted interactively on screen, combined with both mathematical and combinational logic, automatically interpreted, converted to polygons, and so on. This means that vertical or oblique images from the air, ground, or even from subsurface remotely sensed data can be corrected, enhanced, interpreted, and used as a basis for mapping. Historical photographs can be scanned, enhanced, and placed onto their proper position on modern landscapes. Site photographs taken with digital cameras can be imported, manipulated, and merged with other site data.

Fully featured GIS, CAD, and COGO subsystems also are included. Physical maps such as artifact layers, soil distribution layers, vegetation layers, and so on can be digitized into vector or CAD objects or imported from other sources with vertical as well as horizontal geocoordinates. Data collected using GPS receivers can be imported and plotted in their exact positions on scanned USGS maps or USGS digital data. These data can then be subjected to a wide range of sophisticated spatial analyses to elucidate patterns or construct models. Transit angles and distance can be plotted using the coordinate geometry (COGO) subsystem. Site maps can then be drafted using these transit points with the CAD system. Sketch maps can be made directly in the field on a portable computer. Paper field sketch maps and published maps can be scanned and automatically vectorized using a number of artificial intelligence algorithms. Existing database tables, such as state site records, that have locational information can be linked to directly to provide a real-time interactive graphical spatial database for managing and monitoring cultural resources. Many domains for data from within a site or across a region, such as sites/artifact, soils, vegetation, terrain, etc., can be integrated to allow complex multi-dimension studies. All data can be visualized and manipulated in 2-D or 3-D in a multiple layer data editor. Results of all analysis can be laid out according to cartographic standards and printed in color. These are only a few examples of the many features available for use in the FREE TNTlite products. Many more are added and released regularly. MicroImages has faithfully released all its products with new features for more than 50 releases since 1986.

Why is it free?

There is no hidden catch in this offer other than the data size limitations built into the TNTlite products: no time outs, no missing features, no restriction to sample data sets, no future costs, no sales personnel, no gimmicks.  An extensive online manual is provided (more than 2200 pages), plus over 70 tutorial booklets. MicroImages has simply concluded that because of typical project size and funding, students of archaeology as well as many professional archaeologists are not the target market for our 'paid for' geospatial analysis products.

Computer requirements?

TNTlite requires 64 megabytes of memory and is available now for use on Mac OS X; Windows 98, 2000, or XP; LINUX and all popular workstations. TNTlite can be easily used at a field site on an appropriate portable computer. The most recent version of TNTlite can be downloaded FREE at any time from http://www.microimages.com or can be requested on CD-ROM for the cost of its shipping and handling. TNTlite products can even be efficiently run directly from this CD-ROM on all computers to save hard drive space. A flier with more details on this unique FREE TNTlite offer is also available from MicroImages upon request by FAX, email, or letter.

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