TNT Products 2005:71

Mac OS X: Geologic Mapping Station
Mac OS X: Mac Stereo Viewing with the Sharp 3D Monitor
TNTatlas: Nebraska Land Viewer Atlas
TNTserver: Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Specifications (2-sided)
TNTserver: Configuration (1/2 page)
TNTserver: Managing General Controls (1/2 page)
TNTserver: Managing Image Properties
TNTserver: Managing Logging (1/2 page)
TNTserver: Managing Site Logo (1/2 page)
TNTserver: Managing Web Access (1/2 page)
TNTserver: Managing Administrator Contact (1/2 page)
TNTserver: Managing ID Titling (1/2 page)
TNTserver: Managing Directories (1/2 page)
TNTserver: Managing System Parameters
TNTmap: Browsing and Selecting WMS Layers
TNTmap: Viewing WMS Layers
TNTmap: Using Google Earth as a Client
TNTserver: Using a Third-Party WMS Client
TNTsim3D: Manifolds
TNTsim3D: Stereo Viewing
TNTsim3D: Smoothing Flight Paths (2-sided)
TNTsim3D: Making Movies (2-sided)
TNTsim3D: Custom Views from any Angle/Position
System: Direct Use of CAD Files (DWG, DXF, DGN, TAB)
System: Resolving Auto-Link Issues
System: AutoOpen External Spatial Data Files (2-sided)
TNTexplorer: Introduction to Project File Folders
TNTexplorer: Left Button Operations in a Folder
TNTexplorer: Right Button Features in a Folder
Miscellaneous: Managing Raster Null Cells
Style Editor: Embedded vs Linked Style Objects (1/2 page)
Theme Mapping: Embedded vs Linked Style Objects (1/2 page)
System: Orthographic Projection for Global Views (2-sided)
Spatial Display: Raster Layer Caching
Spatial Display: Geometric Layer Caching
Spatial Display: Automatic Highlighting of Vector Elements
Spatial Display: Subtle Display Hints in LegendView
Spatial Display: Merging LegendView Entries
Spatial Display: Improving Line Intersections (1/2 page)
Spatial Display: Partially Transparent Symbols (1/2 page)
GeoToolbox: Show/Hide Areas of Interest
3D Display: Faster Display with Stored Terrain Properties
3D Display: Control Accuracy of Terrain Rendering
3D Display: Perspective Rendering of Geometric Layers
3D Display: Use LegendView to Toggle Layers
3D Display: Polygon Styling Options
3D Display: Drape Labels over Terrain
3D Display: Render 3D Elements as 3D Shapes
3D Display: Stereo Viewing on the Sharp 3D Monitor
Mosaic: JPEG Directly to JPEG2000
Mosaic: MrSID Directly to JPEG2000
Export: Creating MrSID Files
Import: Selecting File First
Import: Selecting Format First
Export: Creating External Files
Export: Rasters for Google Earth
Import: Duplicate Microsoft Access Relationships
Scripts by Jack™: Workflow: Calibrating/Analyzing Multispectral Images
Scripts by Jack™: Calibrating Multispectral Satellite Images
Scripts by Jack™: Calibrate Satellite Images to Surface Reflectance
Scripts by Jack™: Correct for Terrain Induced Radiance Effects
Scripts by Jack™: Mapping Dense Vegetation and Bare Soils
Scripts by Jack™: Mapping Vegetation/Soil Biophysical Properties
Scripts by Jack™: Generalized Mapping of Biophysical Properties
Scripts by Jack™: Color-Enhance Satellite Images of Coastal Areas
Sample Tool Script: Control Display by Area of Interest (2-sided)
Sample Tool Script: Draw into CAD Object in a Script (2-sided)
Sample Tool Script: Measure Strike/Dip of Geologic Features (2-sided)
Sample Geospatial Script: Patch Holes in SRTM DEMs (2-sided)
Urban Studies: Slope Analysis
Urban Studies: Site Selection Analysis
Urban Studies: Watershed Analysis

Introduction

MicroImages in its 19^th year in business is pleased to distribute 2005:71 of the TNT products. This is the 56th release of TNTmips and adds approximately 164 new features submitted by clients and MicroImages. The version numbering for the TNT products has been changed to reflect the year:version (for example, 2005:71) of the TNT product you are operating. This follows the trend in software industry (for example, AutoCAD 2005, SQL Server 2003, and so on.). Thus your V7.1 has become 2005:71 and the next release will be 2005:72 or 2006:72 depending upon the day of its release via microimages.com. Previous versions are similarly renamed 1986:09, … 2003:68, 2003:69, and 2004:70. The actual release date of and this revised designation for every previous version number of a TNT product can be found at www.microimages.com/relnotes/.

What follows is a brief summary of many of the significant new capabilities in 2005:71 of the TNT products.

Mac OS X: Installation now uses the frequently encountered commercial Installer VISE program.
TNTsim3D: Planar, folded, or curvilinear manifold surfaces designed and viewed in TNTmips can be used in a simulation with or without a terrain surface. Fly around or through raster or vector features projected onto these manifolds to better visualize their 3D structure and its relationship to the topography and other surface features. Any view in any simulation can be switched to stereo using almost any viewing device (choose line or column interleaved or anaglyph). Recorded flight paths can be smoothed and played back to create a movie. Custom views can be created for any viewpoint but are slaved to the changes in the Main view (for example, centered on the same terrain position). Custom help and other metadata can be displayed in a new window.
TNTatlas: A DVD entitled Land Viewer: Nebraska Statewide is provided to demonstrate how to distribute a 1-terabyte color, 1-meter orthoimage of a large area (the State of Nebraska) as a JPEG2000 200:1 lossy compressed atlas. A Tool Script is provided to illustrate how to zoom directly to a view of a farm or ranch, city, county, or Natural Resource District of interest in this TNTatlas.
TNTfreeview: TNTatlas can now be easily used as a free viewer while still providing all its interactive tools. No need to learn how to startup and load a layer in TNTatlas. Simply click on any directly supported spatial data file (MrSID, JP2, JPEG, DWG, DXF, DGN, shapefile, a TNT layout, …) of any size and it will open TNTatlas with a view of it.
TNTserver: Publish any composite atlas view or its individual layers over the Internet or intranet using this OGC complaint Web Map Service. Combine atlas content being hosted with images from other sites publishing their geodata via a Web Map Service. Use these results as custom layers in Google Earth. Installation and patching now use the Install Shield process as the other TNT products. A new TNT server Manager program is included for easier setup, management, and optimization of the operation of TNTserver.
TNTmap: This is a new, free, open source, HTML-based client application to locate and select layers from any Web Map Service, including TNTserver, and composite these images into a view of the area of interest. It can also start Google Earth and overlay these results or save them locally as a raster for use as a layer in NASA’s World Wind.
Linking to CAD Files: Direct links can now be made to AutoCAD DWG and DXF files and MicroStation DGN files by selecting them with the mouse or from within a process via the TNT Select Object dialog. ISO Coordinate Reference Systems can be identified and added to their links. After a few seconds to build the link, they behave as TNT CAD objects for any further processing.
Starting from Data: Use a mouse click on a DWG, DXF, DGN, TAB, MrSID, JPEG, JP2, PNG, TIFF, ECW, and so on including an object, group, or complete map layout in a Project File to start your TNT product and view the file as geodata. “Open With” or an equivalent on any of these files will open it for immediate use in 2D Display. These actions will automatically open the entire TNT product and process starting with the X server and then link to and use any format supported for direct use in seconds.
Linking as Geodata: Spatial data files (for example, DWG, JPEG, …) selected for direct viewing by the mouse, “Open With,” or internally via the Select Object dialog do not have a known earth Coordinate Reference System (CRS). A prompt permits you to choose and assign them an ISO CRS so the linked object can be used with other TNT geodata objects. The prompt also permits you to compute raster pyramids as part of the linking activity for old fashioned “flat” raster formats, such as JPEG. Indexes are automatically computed for geometric data types and their attributes to optimize their access as geodata objects.
TNT Explorer: Using the same code underlying Microsoft Explorer every Project File now automatically looks and functions like a Windows folder on the desktop (TNT folder = Project File). When the folder is open the primary objects, groups, layouts or links to other spatial data files (for example, to DWG, shapefiles, …) in the Project File are shown in that folder. A left click on a TNT folder opens it in any of the five standard windows modes: thumbnails, tiles, icons, list, or details. A right click on a TNT folder provides many of the familiar Windows operations. A left click on a TNT object in this window opens a TNT product and loads the file into its 2D Display. A right click on a TNT object provides some of the familiar Windows options such as delete, rename, browse, properties (properties = “Info” icon in Project File Maintenance), and a thumbnail in the common tasks bar. This right click menu also lets you open a TNT object in the Spatial Data Editor or add it as a layer in any already open 2D view.
General System: Shapefile themes are now detected and used in a link and can be edited in the link file. Elements in point symbols can be set to be partially transparent. Line intersections are improved by multi-pass rendering. Styling can be embedded with the object when a style object from another file is selected. Large uniform value areas in rasters (for example, nulls) and most of a binary null mask are now greatly compressed using single value tiles, which store only the value and location of each uniform tile. There is improved support for using objects that circle the globe and overlap and/or contain the poles.
2D Display: Each layer added to a view now has its own separate real memory buffer for the area it occupies in that view. As a result, toggling layers on/off, changing layer order, toggling View-in-View, deleting a layer, and other actions on a complex view that do not change its position are nearly instantaneous. Adding a new layer is faster. Selecting and unselecting elements are nearly instantaneous including the new DataTip controlled pop-in of the actual geometric elements often called a “mouseover” event.
LegendView: Layer names are now color coded to identify why they are not visible in the current view: Toggled Off, Off by Scale, Off by Extent, or Content Changed. Combining or not combining duplicate legend entries is now optional.
3D Display: Rewrite of the process has been completed, therefore only the new variable, or irregular, triangulation terrain rendering model is automatically used to provide fast, high quality views. LegendView is available and provides all the same functionality as in 2D display. If the optional terrain property subobjects are computed and stored during the import of the elevation raster object, then complex 3D displays take seconds. If not, these elevation property objects are computed for the first 3D view and all subsequent repositioning of that view or layer changes using that terrain will then take seconds. DataTips, 2D styling of all element types, and labels are as they are in 2D Display and have good depth perspective.
Raster Warping: A conformal model has been added to the choices (for example, affine, …) available in processes that perform this activity. This shape-preserving model allows rotation, scaling (same for both axes), and positioning while preventing distortion of features due to shear or differential scaling of each axis.
Predefined Raster Combinations: Rewritten process that now provides new operations and properties for each cell: rescaling, count, mean, median, mode, minimum, maximum, diversity, sum, standard deviation, regression slope and offset, exclusive OR, tasseled cap, multiple selections of same input raster, and compression of the output rasters.
Raster Mosaicking: Select compressed raster objects or linked rasters as input (for example, MrSID, JPEG, JP2, ECW, …) and output any compressed raster object (for example, JPEG2000, JPEG, …). Faster setup to mosaic many 1000s of linked or internal raster objects. Faster mosaicking of terabyte-sized objects.
Import Process: Rewritten as separate Import process to use automatic linking to external spatial data files wherever possible as the basis for importing them. Completely new interface presenting formats and extensions is in an easier to understand tabular form. A new uniform Import Parameters dialog is used to set choices for all imports. Import activities can start now by either choosing the file or the file format. Selecting multiple files for batch import is now easier to set-up.
Export Process: Rewritten as a separate process from Import process but uses a similar tabular interface and common Export Parameters dialog.
New Import Choices: DWG and DXF CAD files using the Open Design Alliance libraries. DGN CAD updated. ERDAS IMG files greater than 2 GB. Nikon, Ricoh, and Kodak proprietary digital image files. NETcdf. JPEG EXIF digital camera files. TIGER 2003 and 2004 as vectors.
Google Earth: Raster objects, or any geometric object converted to a raster object, can be exported to JPEG, TIFF, or PNG files with a co-named KLM file for use as local overlays in this viewer. Remember that PNG files can be transparent to permit the Google Earth background to show through overlays of polygons and other geometric elements. Before exporting, make sure to convert the object to the WGS84/Geographic CRS used by Google Earth.
MrSID: MrSID lossy and lossless (*.sid) files can be exported from raster objects for Mac OS X or Windows. (This is a proprietary compression and requires purchase of a data metering cartridge from LizardTech). Direct linking and import of MrSID files is now available for Linux.
Microsoft Access: The Access schema is now used in linking or importing relational databases.
Calibrating Multispectral Imagery: A script converts the data numbers from Aster, QuickBird, Ikonos, and Landsat sensors to surface reflectance of each ground cell in each band. If these images have a matching DEM, another script corrects this cell value for terrain effects to represent the horizontal surface reflectance.
New Vegetation and Bare Surface Properties: A script maps areas of dense vegetation and bare surfaces using the calibrated reflectance values from the calibration scripts noted above. Using these “end member” rasters as masks together with the band reflectance rasters as input, another script uses a new GRUVI algorithm to map the perpendicular vegetation index and the bare soil/surface brightness index with more accuracy than NDVI or other similar indices.
Generalized Biophysical Surface Properties: A script uses these calibrated band numbers in a tasseled cap approach to map vegetation greenness, brightness, wetness, and bare soil brightness. It can be used for experimenting with extracting other new properties from imagery providing 4 to 6 different wavelength ranges.
Enhancing Coastal Images: A script enhances the water penetration of these reflectance images and prepares a single, color image with good composite color representation of surface and shallow water features.
Documentation for Image Calibrations: Approximately 200 pages of documentation are available on the technical use of the scripts provided for the calibration of multispectral satellite imagery to reflectance and its application to mapping biophysical properties.
Measuring Strike/Dip: An interactive Tool Script is available to assist in measuring and recording strike and dip using images draped over a DEM.
Filling SRTM Holes: A script provides a variety of options for filling the holes or null areas in SRTM derived elevation rasters. It includes single hole patching, lake detection and filling, and plugging of larger holes with locally derived elevation rasters.
Geospatial Scripting Language: Use 16 new Import/Export classes (for example, DWG, GML, shapefile, …). Draw directly into a CAD object. Connect to an HTTP web server. Use SOAP to communicate with a SOAP web service. Use any input device to interrupt a script. Improved documentation for the Coordinate Reference Service classes. Save and use current display setup parameters. Compute contrast for a raster layer. Select multiple objects of different types in a single dialog.
Tutorials: Two new tutorials are provided on the topics of understanding and managing Project Files and using the new ISO-based Coordinate Reference Systems. The tutorials on mosaicking and understanding map projections have had significant revisions to bring them into alignment with recent changes. Printed copies of 21 new Quick Guides are enclosed. 66 new printed color plates also accompany this MEMO to illustrate the use of the new features in TNT 2005:71.
TNTtalk: A moderated discussion group is available to exchange ideas on the applications of TNT analysis products.

Editorial and Associated News [by Dr. Lee D. Miller, President]

Keeping Your Tools Sharp.

I am confused. Periodically someone buys a new, up-to-date computer running Windows XP for US$1000. Next they load all their software and say “run.” It is guaranteed that the TNTmips 1999:61(V6.1) we released 6 years ago for Windows NT and cost in excess of US$5000 is not going to run correctly without being upgraded. There is no way that Microimages can issue TNT products that anticipate 6 years in advance the future changes to your operating system, processor, and peripherals. The first thing you will find is that the computer does not have a parallel port for your software authorization key, whereas, USB keys and ports were not available in 1999 when version 1999:61 was released. Fortunately, you do still have your original computer and can continue to operate the 1999:61 model of your TNT product, right?

Keep in mind that this is the area where Microsoft makes most of its money. It comes from selling upgrades to Office and its 1000s of other products. Upgrades that do not necessarily provide new functionality but simply run, run better, or with better security in their latest version of Windows. Typically upgrading these products from the previous or any earlier version costs from 1/3 to 1/2 of the price of a new, current version. The cost of upgrading from TNTmips 1999:61 to 2005:71 is also about 1/3 to 1/2 the original purchase price and much less proportionally if the TNT product is a more recent version.

To keep pace with the rapidly expanding demands on the use of geodata and geospatial analysis, TNTmips has been upgraded 10 times since 1999:61 and has extensive new capabilities. What are some of these areas that more or less did not exist in 1999?

High quality, high resolution, multispectral satellite images are readily available everywhere.
Widely available, locally detailed DEMs or SRTM-derived DEMs of whole nations.
Accurate GPS devices to collect ground control points to use with these DEMs and new satellite image formats supplied with RPC coefficients to inexpensively process into orthoimages.
1000s of high resolution, high quality, color orthophoto maps to use together as virtual or real mosaics of large areas.
DVDs for the distribution of large geodata sets and soon even larger 25 to 50 GB HD DVDs.
New formats, such as GeoTIFF, JP2, shapefiles, Oracle Spatial, and new compression concepts, such as JPEG2000.
Graphics boards from the game world that permit real time simulations.
A rich suite of geodata layers in different projections to overlay in a composite view.
Typical single geodata layers have jumped from the megabyte range to the gigabyte and even the terabyte range. 6 years ago most of us did not even know what a terabyte was!
A constant demand for increasingly interactive systems but with more features that are easier to use.
Popular web application and distribution of geodata that result in new demands, such as a universally accepted means of identifying Coordinate Reference Systems.
And a general public that can now use geodata via Google Earth and soon other similar products.

I claim that TNTmips 2005:71 meets these challenges and thus has at least twice the functionality of 1999:61 all of which are available for a user of that earlier version at less than 1/2 of the original cost. The mips (Map and Image Processing) portion of TNTmips was originally chosen because of its association with “millions of instructions per second,” which seemed like a lot at the time. Would any of us be satisfied with that now—today we require a TNT-tera. Remember that TNT stands for “The New Thing.” Cumulatively, this TNT release brings you all of the above, even the first steps toward preparing geodata for use in products like Google Earth.

Everyone can now “Google the Earth”—the public is finally becoming geoaware!

At the moment, Google Earth’s content covers a few nations. Is there any question in your mind that its content will spread everywhere—to your nation or into your community? Governmental policy can not stop this kind of concept; it can only delay it by trying to control access (lost that one already) or content. Preparing its content or content for use with this and similar products is where your opportunities lie. It may be in preparing geodata for a Google Earth primary server (they license it), collecting and setting up pin map advertising content, or using TNTserver via a Vertical Private Network (VPN) to overlay confidential geodata into this user-familiar geobrowser. It’s going to take a lot of you to support this pending boom using a lot of geospatial analysis and geodata management products like the TNT products that are current and “sharpened to the finest cutting edge.”

Dispelling Popular Myths.

The 64-bit Processor Hype.

It’s easy to get caught up in the constant marketing hype that keeps this global data processing industry going. At the moment a major hyping effort is focused upon 64-bit processors and the release of operating systems to run them. Microsoft and Intel have 100s of millions of advertising dollars to hype us. It’s all about persuading us that we need to throw away our current computers and buy new ones.

I was enamored with the idea of “going faster and better” at 64 instead of 32 when the 64-bit G5 PowerMac was released. However, reality has set in here and elsewhere. Let me put it this way—have you seen a single article claiming that a commercial product built for both for 32- and 64-bit Macs, Windows/Intel, or Linux/AMD computer is any faster at 64 bits. Most of the articles I have read recently, some of which are quoted below, categorically point out that using a desktop based on a 64-bit processor is not going to be significantly faster than a 32-bit, all other things being equal. It appears that we are going to get our future improvements in raw performance from software written to take advantage of multi-core, multi-processor computers.

More Memory.

The current combination of 64-bit processors, compilers, and applications can provide one widely touted advantage. This is the potential of addressing more real memory, generally more than 2 GB of memory for a desktop machine. More memory means that you can run more concurrent applications at “full speed” as they each will have enough real memory available. There are also applications designed around operating on data that is in real memory. Photoshop is an example. It wants to keep the data in real memory and slows down for larger jobs requiring the use of virtual memory. Using Photoshop with more and more memory means larger jobs can be completed faster.

But, look carefully at that 64-bit desktop computer you are considering for Windows x64. If you can not eventually add a lot more memory to it, then the single most current advantage of a 64-bit processor and operating system will never be available. Alas few low cost 64-bit computers support more than 2 GB, which is the same upper limit for 32-bit motherboards. A quick look at the 64-bit based computers at a site like www.tigerdirect.com shows that a maximum of 2, 3, or 4 GB of memory is common. Even then it’s not even clear if the support chips on those motherboards will permit a single process to use more than 2 GB. Then there is the really high cost of memory since it is no longer treated as a commodity—every piece has its “notch” in a different place to make it special and expensive.

“I am not sure what rock I've been hiding under, but I didn't realize that the system RAM business was somewhat out of control. A few years ago when you wanted memory, you’d just get any old PC100 SIMM and away you’d go. This became PC133, then PC150, and now there are dozens and dozens of options. The notches are moving all over depending on the motherboard. There is no one memory that you can be sure will work everywhere.” John C. Dvorak, PC Magazine, Inside Track. v24n17, September 14, 2005.

Mac OS X currently takes advantage of 4 GB of real memory for each of its processors. As a result the dual processor G5-based PowerMacs are limited to 8 GB of expensive memory. This is just further evidence that even the best of the current 64-bit computers do not provide access to the large memory banks that are possible; things just get too hot and too expensive. And, after all, next year they are going to want to sell us a new and better model.

What is the impact on TNTmips?

The principal advantage of 64-bit processors at this time is that they can provide access to somewhat larger amounts of real memory for those who can afford it. However, the TNT products have been designed for desktop computer use starting 20 years ago. Almost all the TNT processes can operate efficiently in a small, real-memory footprint. Generally we get good comments about the speed of our analyses and displays compared to the competition when things are working properly. When they are not, we devote considerable attention to how to speed things up without simply using up real memory.

Compressing images into JPEG2000 is one area where real memory is currently required in proportion to the size of the raster being compressed. However, as discussed later in this MEMO, I have been able to compress a single raster object of 732 GB to a 200:1 JPEG2000 raster object and never used more than about 1.2 GB of real memory.

At the moment, the watershed process also uses too much memory. It was designed to handle an input DEM of say 10,000 by 10,000 cells. Now you are asking it to do 100,000 by 100,000 cells using things like an SRTM-derived DEM of a nation. This quickly runs it out of real and virtual memory. The process holds things in memory that it does not need to and this is will be rectified. However, even when this is altered, this kind of complex model will take considerable time to run since it is very computationally intense. Will it run faster with a 64-bit processor? Doubtful, but that remains to be seen and will be tested and reported to you as a good example of comparing a computationally intense process in a 32-bit and 64-bit version of TNTmips.

Should I buy a computer using a 64-bit processor?

Why not, it can not hurt to be prepared and you can always run its 32-bit operating system while you check things out. It is well established that the Intel, AMD, and PowerPC processors designed to run at both bit levels reliably run 32-bit applications under a 32-bit operating system at the moment and run them just as fast as if they were compiled for 64-bit operation.

Law-of-the-Minimum.

You have already become acquainted with this well know desktop computing law at some point in the past. You upgrade your operating system and find that some expensive peripheral of some years back will no longer work, “sorry no driver.” The computer software and hardware industry does not suddenly decide altogether, today is the day we all switch to 64-bit operations. So let’s start with my list of woes.

Microsoft Windows x64.

Microsoft released a Windows x64 but still has the 64-bit version of Visual Studio available only as beta. Why? Because they know, but are not saying, that the 32-bit version of Office works in Windows x64 and has no advantages if re-released at 64-bit. It is likely that working out the issues between their own Office and other products and the beta compiler is probably the source of the delay. Another possibility is the pending release of Windows Vista, which is also 64-bit and will require a complier. So Visual Studio 2005 may never be more than beta until replaced by whatever comes with Windows Vista and covers x64 as well. Anyway, does it make sense for MicroImages to release TNTmips for Windows x64 using this beta compiler? Perhaps, but don’t you have enough problems originating in TNTmips without adding those introduced by basing it on a beta compiler?

Running Windows x64 for Intel processors at this time is likely to be more risky as you will find from the articles abstracted below. Anyone ordering a Dell with Windows x64 today gets a caution: “Note: prior to purchasing a Dell Precision Workstation with a 64-bit operating system, verify compatibility with all current peripheral and application vendors.” There is a much greater variety of software and hardware available for Windows XP and 2003 than for the Mac. Furthermore Mac developers have been making the adjustment from 32-bit to 32- and 64-bit processors for the past two years. Windows vendors are looking 6 to 9 months in the future at a completely new Windows Vista operating system that is already being widely distributed in beta form. I’d put my money on many of them focusing on that much larger and more lucrative Vista upgrade agenda and new product market. Maybe they will do Windows x64 versions now, but many may simply wait and release for Windows x64 as a subset of their Vista product releases a year from now.

Apple Mac G5.

No 64-bit driver is available for the USB software authorization key for the Mac OS X. As a result we can’t release a true 64-bit version built only with 64-bit library for this platform. A 64-bit TNTlite could be released, as it has no key requirement, but to what purpose? Our serial key does not require a driver, but I have not seen a serial connector on a Mac in years. Macrovision is a major company whose FLEXlm product is used to manage most floating license products including ours. But they also do not provide a license manager for use in Mac OS X booted up at 64-bits. They look at the market and conclude, hmmm, the 32-bit version of Photoshop, Illustrator, Oracle, and all those other Mac applications, which have only a few percent of the market, run just as fast at 32 bits as they would at 64 bits so what’s the hurry? They also know that a single 32-bit based Mac OS X or a Windows computer on a network could serve up licenses to all the other Macs running the 64-bit version of Mac OS X.

Mac OS X 10.4.x can be booted up as 32-bit or 64-bit from the same drive, but it’s more convenient to use 2 drives. Install your 32-bit Mac OS X on 1 drive and the 64-bit version on another. Then reboot and install TNTmips under both versions. The new Installer VISE program for the Mac will automatically detect these different OS versions and install the correct version of TNTmips. The drive format is the same for both versions of your Mac OS, so however you boot up, you can access and use both drives for data. Using this approach all your 32-bit legacy equipment and applications can be reliably used by a reboot and the results shared via the common hard drive format. Gradually, however, to force the issue Apple’s own software is going to deliberately lack functionality when run under 32-bit until eventually it will not get any further upgrades, so you will need to continue to back-boot to use their applications. Ultimately, you have to give up. I have now discarded all MicroImages and personal devices that would only run under Classic Mac 9.x since they have little support from their original vendors.

Linux/AMD.

Linux users are oriented toward solving or finding someone to solve the problems that occur in an open approach. A switch to a 64-bit Linux is simply another incremental step in the gradual, constant evolution of a Linux based installation. As a result every Linux installation is unique, which makes every Linux installation of TNTmips unique. However, with patience they all eventually get going.

We have recently posted a 64-bit version of the TNT products for various flavors of Linux using 64-bit AMD chips. If anyone using it can show it’s faster than the 32-bit version. I’ll be happy to eat crow. Linux already tastes like crow to me anyway.

Sun Solaris/Sparc.

Sun users are running a few dedicated applications so if the key application, such as Oracle, a web server, or TNTmips, has already been checked out at 64-bit, then a switch to 64-bit Solaris is in order. Solaris 64-bit has been around for quite some time and can reliably run most 32-bit applications. Furthermore, a much smaller selection of dedicated, targeted hardware is available for use with Solaris/Sparc based workstations. As a result, any hardware deprecation that would result from a switch to Solaris 64-bit operation is well known.

The 64-bit current version of Solaris/Sparc is the only operating system installed on new Sparc workstations. A TNTmips purchased for use with Solaris/Sparc is supplied with a serial software authorization key and no software driver are required. Since you may be running a 32-bit version of Solaris on an older Solaris/Sparc workstation, both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the TNT products are supplied. Either can be run with the 64-bit version of Solaris/Sparc with the serial key.

Should I move to Windows x64?

This is a different matter than simply buying a system with a 64-bit AMD or Intel processor and running your 32-bit operating system and software on it. It should be approached with caution. Personally I would wait to take this headache on just once next year with a switch to Windows Vista as soon as it is available. If you make the switch now, you will simply have to turn around and go through it all again next year.

Listen to what others are saying on this matter. The following are paragraphs excerpted from articles on this topic in the popular technical magazines in the past 6 months. Note carefully that the most recent, thorough, and critical article on Windows x64 appeared in PC Magazine just 3 months ago.

In InfoWorld.

64-Bit Traffic Jam. As vendors play down their own 64-bit technologies and wait for Microsoft, Linux and OS X roll along. Tom Yager. InfoWorld. February 14, 2005. Page 54. Read at infoworld.com (... link obsolete ...)

“Do we need 64 bits to run 32-bit operating systems and applications? Let’s put it this way: Many commercial developers are prioritizing 64-bit ports of their Windows and Mac OS X applications just below vacuuming out their power supplies.” …

“… But go to the page that Apple dedicates to the machine and look for the phrase “64-bit”. I found it exactly once: It’s ‘ready to run modern 64-bit applications.’ Ready? Modern? They’re both waffle words.” …

“Hope you like waffles. AMD, Apple, Intel, Red Hat, and Suse have all proclaimed 64 bits or bust. But when it comes to giving you bona fide reasons to buy the advanced technology they’re selling at PC prices, the person equipped to answer that question just stepped out of the office. What could possess vendors to bury the benefits of the biggest leap in technology in many years?”…

What possesses them is their knowledge of the law-of-the-minimum. They know that either their 64-bit bit software offerings are incomplete (for example, a Microsoft compiler, the Apple libraries at that time, Intel support chips to get at more memory, …). They also know of the incompatibilities with external devices that would prevent the assembly of a complete system.

“Vendors are relying purely on the allure of the number 64 not because Microsoft hasn’t yet legitimized 64-bit computing. Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Sun RISC systems took care of that, while AMD and Apple added value and usability.”

Windows Done Right. Windows 2003 Server x64 Editions running on AMD Opteron will be the darlings of the datacenter. Tom Yager. InfoWorld. April 11, 2005. Page 58. Read at infoworld.com (...link obsolete...)

“Microsoft’s 64-bit pitch to date, adapted from Intel’s, has been utterly uninspiring: Big databases will go faster because they’ll have access to more memory. That draws a big shrug even from me. So let’s flesh out what they’re trying to tell us. Few IT shops are fretting over memory-bound database apps. Besides, it’s already possible to stuff 16GB of RAM into a 32-bit PC server, right? Wrong. You never actually have more than 4GB of directly usable RAM in a Xeon server.”

The article then continues on with some interesting information on the memory management tricks of Windows.

“Windows x64 is designed for Opteron. I’ll back that up with facts, but I won’t rush it. Nobody’s going to run out to buy 64-bit hardware the second they get their hands on Windows x64 CDs.”

The AMD Opteron and Athlon 64 are the same chip from the TNT products viewpoint and the same build of the TNT products works without any alteration for both under Windows x64. The Opteron is used for dual and greater processor setups.

In eWeek.

Microsoft focuses on x64, security. Tech Analysis: Windows Server 2003 SP1 creates a powerful first impression. by Francis Chu. eWeek. March 21, 2005. Page 50. Read at http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Windows/Windows-Server-2003-SP1-Shows-Promise/

“Although migrating to the x64 architecture will require both software and hardware platform upgrades, IT managers can expect significant performance gains when upgrading applications to run on x64 (see related story, next page). They also will likely see more pep in their existing 32-bit applications because of the 64-bit kernel’s much larger address space.”

64-bit Computing: What’s in it for you? Tech Analysis: eSeminar polls show gradual adoption for media, database tasks. by Peter Coffee. eWeek. Ziff-Davis Media. March 21, 2005. P. 51. Read at www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1777050,00.asp

“Windows users at the seminar learned of Microsoft Corp.’s March 3 promise of a 64-bit Windows as early as next month, exploiting the improved security of 64-bit PCs.” …

“Those expectations of benefits were almost evenly distributed among 32-bit performance improvements, 32-bit multisession capabilities, native 64-bit capacity for enterprise applications and native 64-bit capability for multimedia tasks. The lead application expected to demand 64-bit resources was image and video editing, closely followed by data mining and visualization.”

The text of this article can also be read under the title Customers Doubt Immediate Benefit of 64-bit at thechannelinsider.com (...link obsolete...)

Not sold on Cell, yet. Opinion: The next generation cell processor needs a realistic road map. eWeek. 7 March, 2005. Page 36. Read at www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895, 1771163,00.asp

“If IT managers have learned anything from the Merced/Itanium debacle, it is that they cannot plan for the next generation until promises turn into products. Too often, ‘the next big thing’ is superseded by improved old technology that is backward compatible. This is what happened with AMD’s Opteron processor, which proved that 64-bit technology can support the 32-bit world, something the 64 bit-Itanium could not do.”

“Just as the leap from 32-bit processing to 64 bits has been hard to digest, the Cell architecture will challenge developers. Cell processors will not rule the desktop market in the near future, but the architecture could be used in distributed computing environments.”

PC Magazine.

PC Magazine contains the most recent review of the status of 64-bit computing and it is a must read for anyone contemplating the use of Windows x64. This article has very thorough coverage of this topic and paints a pretty bleak current picture. This magazine has always been willing to try to present accurate information regardless of how its advertisers might react to it. Only a few highlights are reproduced here and anyone considering using Windows x64 should read the entire paper.

Reading this entire article is a important if you are thinking of using Windows x64 now.

Another Step Closer to 64-bit Computing. by Neil J. Rubenking and Rich Fisco. June 7, 2005. PC Magazine. pp. 34-36. This article was abstracted from a longer review entitled Windows XP Professional x64 Edition by these same authors, which you can read at www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1788843,00.asp.

“Still, for forward-looking early adopters, we put x64 through its paces to see what you can expect. The good news: Most 32-bit applications work fine under x64 and may get a small performance boost. The bad news: Some programs, particularly low-level system utilities and drivers just aren’t compatible.” …

“When Windows XP was first released, Microsoft created an Upgrade Advisor that would scan a computer and generate a report of any hardware or software problems to be fixed before the upgrade. Microsoft has no plans to create a similar scanner for x64; the company will, however, catalog drivers and applications that have passed x64-specific logo testing.” …

“Lacking 64-bit programs to test, we exercised x64 by installing a variety of 32-bit utilities and applications. We tried three personal firewalls and got three strikes: …”

The 3 that each struck out and failed were Zone Alarm, Kerio Personal Firewall, and Sygate Personal Firewall.

“x64 ships with a 64-bit version of Internet Explorer, but the default desktop and Start menu shortcuts launch the standard 32-bit version. And with good reason: All your favorite add-ins install only in the 32-bit version. IE 64-bit can’t handle Flash or Java, won’t accept toolbars, and it manages PDFs only by launching them in an independent Acrobat Reader window. For now, there’s not much point in running 64-bit IE.” …

“You might think that raw performance distinguishes x64 from regular Win XP, but you’d be wrong, at least for now. The biggest deal related to performance is x64’s ability to handle more memory than the current XP. Initially x64 will support up to 128GB of RAM; XP supports up to 4GB of RAM. But even this won’t translate into a performance gain unless you have a large data set (such as a huge video file or a big database).” …

“We tested performance using a Dell XPS with 3.73-GHz Pentium 4 EE CPU. … the stalwart SYSmark 2004 could not run under x64. … When all was said and done, we saw mostly minor differences between the 32- and 64-bit operating systems. Most results were close, and in many instances it’s hard to tell if the differences were due to the OS or to not yet fully optimized 64-bit drivers.” …

“Without a doubt, 64-bit computing is the wave of the future, but the future isn’t here yet. While 64-bit hardware is becoming increasingly common, the 64-bit applications just haven’t arrived. You should expect x64 to be embraced by workstation and server users, where applications using large data sets can take advantage of the memory it can address. Eventually, all applications will move over to 64-bit, but this will take years. Even those applications that may gain nothing from a 64-bit environment will move to it simply so we can have just the 64-bit version of Windows.”

Luddites versus Early Adopters.

Luddite: One who is opposed to technological change—from a group of 19th century English workmen who destroyed laborsaving weaving machinery in a revolt.

This is not the first time around.

I was here for the switch from zip to 8-bit, 8- to 16-bit, 16- to 32-bit, and now here we are at the next plateau. I distinctly remember multiple Luddite articles just before the switch to 32-bit started with the introduction of the 32-bit Intel 386 processor. The general theme was “why do we need all that computing power and memory?” Once the switch to 32-bit got past the law-of-the-minimum, we quickly found a way to use it and justify it. To name just one activity would be the mutitasking now used all the time by everyone. Certainly that will eventually be how we look back on this transition to 64-bit, painful but eventually worth it. When can we forget the pain and look back with this attitude is really the question. I am guessing that a year from now with Microsoft Vista available, as a pioneer, I may be changing my position on this matter. As a long time Microsoft stockholder, I may find that a bit less painful.

What is your goal in this?

At this point this switch cycle is just starting and it is well to recall the long time computer user adage that “pioneers get arrows in their backs” and that is painful. The real question here is “do I want to get my geospatial analysis done or do I want to become a pioneer and fight with a situation that I do not have much control over?” If getting the analysis work done is the goal, then spend your current money to get 2 good monitors, more memory, and/or more storage. The monitors and the storage will be usable on your next computer. However, if you have an old computer and need to upgrade it, then why not get one with a 64-bit processor and run a 32-bit operating system on it for now.

Everything good in its own time.

MicroImages TNT software was designed many years ago for easy and quick porting across operating systems and processors. I suppose we have done this at least 50 times. 12 years ago we released a fully 64-bit version of the TNT products for the now defunct Dec Alpha 64-bit processor and its OSF/1 Unix. Then came a series of 64-bit Unix versions including the current 64-bit version for Solaris/Sparc. More recently we have supported the Apple’s pseudo 64-bit Mac OS X, Linux and Windows on the 64-bit AMD Opteron and Athlon 64 processors, and an unreleased prototype for Windows x64 for Intel processors. We know how to do these things when their time comes. However, we are not able to release them until all our other components are in place: software key support, floating license support, installation programs, licensed libraries, and so on. Furthermore, we are not clairvoyant. Thus we will not release versions until the marketplace clearly identifies that the operating system and the processor are going to be widely adopted. Otherwise we would be forced to tell you a year or 2 later that we can not maintain our product for that system as we had to do with the Dec Alpha. Lack to date of popular use is why we have not released TNTmips for the Itanium processor.

In the meantime you’re covered.

Those of you who have been using the TNT products for a few years know that when we support a new operating system and processor combination that if your license is current, it automatically becomes a free option for you. The USB key is your license and permits you to run any TNT product by downloading and installing a copy of the software on any computer/operating system/processor that we currently support. So as you choose to use your Apple Mac under a 32- and/or a 64-bit boot, use your Windows 32-bit 2000, XP, and 2003 and eventually, when we can compile it, a Windows x64 and a Vista as soon as your other software and equipment will allow. If you have a floating license, you can even float around to any of these installations. So for the moment, simply run the 32-bit version of your TNT products on Windows x64 if you choose and if you can get at your other equipment and network. If you have a problem, you can always reboot into 32-bit Windows from a second drive, move your key, or float your TNT license to another computer. Trust MicroImages, we are going to have you covered every way we can now and into the future.

TNT Explorer.

Introduction.

Making the TNT products look and feel like Windows and still continue to make it available and run efficiently on other platforms, such as the Mac, has been a 15 year challenge. This has had 3 major problem areas: the difference between X windows and Microsoft Windows, easy communication with other Windows software, and the unfamiliar concept of the Project File as a container. With the introduction of TNT Explorer in this version, only the ease of communication remains.

1) Windows as Windows.

Years ago we had complaints about the X window approach used to run the TNT products under Windows. Of course, without it there would be no TNT products for the Mac, Linux, and Solaris since these are small markets. As soon as we figured out that each X window could effectively become a Windows window, these objections pretty much went away. It finally turned out to be easy to do because Windows and our X server had matured to a point to permit it. Prior to that time I kept trying to justify the use of the X server on Windows and Macs based on other, then unique features it supported, such as remote operation over a LAN, using a virtual large window larger than your screen, and others. Today, not many of you are running your TNT product in the large X window mode due to your multitasking and dual screens. In fact, in TNT 2005:71 we have removed the startup window asking which way you want to run, which means, in X windows as pseudo-Windows or in one big X window. You have to go to the MicroImages X Server Preferences setup dialog to choose the option to run using the big X window approach.

2) Communicating with Other Windows Programs.

TNT products do not easily connect with other software running on the Windows platforms since TNT is still not a native Windows application. This is in the connections to other programs using Active this, OLE that, .net now, cut and paste, and so on. The solution to this is not obvious to us as it is not generic—that is, change one code area and have it. At the moment it seems better to improve our direct connections to needed major components such as our direct OO4O (Oracle Objects for OLE) connections to Oracle Spatial. Connections to other relational databases via ODBC are usable but slow. As these databases become “spatially enabled,” better communication with them is important. At this moment we are working on making direct connections to Excel, Access, and SQL Server using Microsoft’s own OLEDB (OLE for DataBases). We can then move on to direct connections to MySQL and PostGIS open source databases, which would not be likely to happen if we concentrated on only generic Windows OLE or .net concepts.

3) Project Files as Directories for Objects.

Now TNT Explorer hides away the Project File structure at least during the learning cycle and wipes away most of this objection to the TNT look and feel. Previously a new user of any TNT product would find it hard to get started because this aspect of the TNT products was not parallel to using Windows folders and files to get at data. Now, by the time they figure out the differences between TNT Explorer and Windows Explorer, they will already have a grasp of the Project File structure and its parallels to Windows directories. They will be more willing to move on into the more complex procedures for dealing with geodata objects. Move on with an understanding that not everything can be done with a click, click-click, drag and drop, and other simple actions since geodata is simply too varied and too complex. However, even if you are thoroughly conversant with the complex TNT object selection dialogs, there are times when you are also going to find it convenient to use TNT Explorer.

How did it come about?

Our original idea for TNT Explorer came from noticing how the contents of a ZIP file could be viewed as a directory. Since ZipMagic was doing it, further investigation led us to find that they were using the “shell name space” extension enabled by Windows Explorer. During the process of creating the 2005:71, we were eventually in contact with a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) who had access to their source code in this area and has been of considerable help.

At this point it appears that not many strategies of this Explorer type have been implemented. First of all it requires starting with a hierarchical container-like structure such as a directory, a zipped file, or a TNT Project File. Products that assemble a variety of components into a single layout such as PDF, SVG, and GML use a container-like approach. However, they are designed to be cross platform, which Windows Explorer does not support, and do not necessarily treat their contents as discrete objects except perhaps for rasters and fonts.

I believe you will find that this is a very interesting development in the TNT products. Even though we can only provide this capability for Windows XP, 2003, and future versions of Windows, it is in and of itself a justification to upgrade now to XP. It is one of those things whose time has come. It did not take a great deal of software development, just someone here who knew what they were doing. Microsoft also made it easy for themselves and, thus, for us. The greatest residual problem is fighting with other installed software over who owns each extension. No problem at all with *.rvc and *.jp2, but lots of contention over *.jpg, *.dwg, and *.dxf with *.shp, *.sid, *.img, and others someplace in the middle. The Project File and its linked objects together with TNT Explorer allow you to put an umbrella or mini-catalog over all your spatial data files in other formats and use them as geodata, but keeping ahold of their extensions is a challenge.

Mac Is Orphaned.

We have had no success in locating anything equivalent to Windows Explorer in the Mac OS X. Searching to date has only turned up the reverse of Windows Explorer called a Bundle (combining files together for installation and other purposes). As Apple Developers we have sent email directly to Apple on this topic and to various Mac developer lists. No responses have been provided, we are simply ignored—it’s almost like they do not know anything about Windows Explorer. The best place to start would be to identify that someone has used a capability similar to this in some Mac software.