CONTACT MI
  Resellers
  Consultants
  MicroImages
  About MI
  Visiting
  Prices
  Send Email
  Reseller Resources

SHOWROOM
  Gallery
  Technical Guides
  New Features
  Testimonials
  Reviews
  World Languages

   View PDF Version (941 Kb)

Reliability Testing.

MicroImages does not deliberately make changes to SML that would change or alter the operation of any possible existing scripts.  If expanded capabilities are needed, they are added via new, not revised functions and components.  However, improvements and adjustments are made daily to our TNTsdk library functions/classes that are the basis for recompiling the SML/X and SML/W functions/classes.  These can cause changes that cause problems in earlier SML components and, thus, in your scripts.  It is simply not possible for MicroImages to continually check these thousands of SML components.

To help pinpoint these errors and inadvertent changes in SML, an automatic testing procedure was initiated several months ago.  It is rather simplistic at this time and only a fewtest scripts are available to be evaluated in it.  It simply runs the sample scripts we have every day with the latest daily build of SML/W and SML/X.  If the script does not complete and produces errors, the reasons for this are investigated and errors corrected until the script runs again.  This procedure works well for a first effort but is quite limited in scope due to the limited kind and complexity of the available test scripts.

Unfortunately, due to the proprietary nature of your SML scripts, few complex scripts are available to exercise and test the functions/classes in SML.  Furthermore, only batch oriented SML scripts can be used at this time, since any user input required to run the script to completion is not available in this test.  Any proprietary batch SML scripts you would care to supply would be kept confidential and used only for this testing purpose.  For example, the visualization script described above does not require any input.  Alternately, you can contribute test batch scripts that continually test features in SML that you consider fragile and of paramount importance to your efforts. If any of this is of interest, MicroImages can arrange a means for you to email or FTP your test scripts to be used with this test set.  

New Functions.

The 5 new functions and 29 new classes introduced below have been added to both SML/X and SML/W.

Raster functions.  (3)

PackRGB
     Takes a COLOR and packs it into the cell value for a 16 or 24-bit RGB raster.

UnpackRGB
     The inverse of PackRGB( )

ComputeReliefShading
     Computers the relief shading for an elevation raster.

Object functions. (1)

GetAllObjectNames
      Returns the names of all objects of a given type in an RVC file.

Object Conversion functions. (1)

VectorToBufferZoneExt( )
      Computes bufferzones.

New Classes.

DATETIME – To Check a File’s Creation Date or to Time Events
Represents a date/time value.  Can be set to the “Current” system time.  Has methods to return date/time as a printable string.

TIMEINTERVAL – Permits Time Interval Actions
Represents the difference between two DATETIMEs.  Has a method to return the value as a printable string.

FILEPATH – Represents a File Name
This class has methods to return the TimeLastModified and TimeCreated time (as a DATETIME), as well as methods to return a STRINGLIST of all the files and subdirectories if the filename represents a directory.

GUI_CTRL – Creates Components of a Graphical User Interface
Provides a suite of 20 classes for creating Graphical User Interfaces.  This will eventually replace the Motif classes (Xm).  The main advantage of GUI_CTRL is that they are implemented for both X and Windows-native.

GUI_DLG – Creates Dialogs 
Used with the GUI_CTRL classes.

STATUSCONTEXT – For Status Information
Allows control over the status message and status bar in a STATUSDIALOG.  A single STATUSDIALOG can have multiple STATUSCONTEXTs, each one representing a different line on the dialog.

STATUSDIALOG
Show a Status Dialog.

STRINGLIST
Get a list of STRINGs.

MieJP2
Import and export JP2 (JPEG2000 compressed) rasters.

MieHDF_LANDSAT7
Import and export Landsat 7 images in NASA’s Hierarchical Data Format (HDF) file structure.

Modified Classes.

MieTIFF
Adds the option to export a simple georeference file for use in products that do not allow rotation of an image to north in the projection.

Upgrading.

If you did not order V6.70 of TNTmips in advance and wish to do so now, please contact MicroImages by FAX, phone, or email to arrange to purchase this version. When you have completed your purchase you will be provided with an authorization code.  Entering this authorization code while running the installation process lets you to complete the installation of TNTmips 6.7.

The prices for upgrades from earlier versions of TNTmips are outlined below.   Please remember that new features have been added to TNTmips with each new release.  Thus, the older your version of TNTmips relative to V6.70, the higher your upgrade cost will be.

Within the NAFTA point-of-use area (Canada, U.S., and Mexico) and with shipping by UPS ground.  (+150/each means US$150 for each additional upgrade increment.)

For a point-of-use in all other nations with shipping by air express.  (+150/each means US$150 for each additional upgrade increment.)

Installed Sizes.

Loading TNTmips 6.7 processes onto your hard drive (exclusive of any other products, data sets, illustrations, and so on) requires the following storage space in megabytes.

V6.70 of the Online Reference Manual in PDF, including illustrations, requires 52 Mb.  Installing all the sample geodata sets for TNTlite and TNTmips requires 235 Mb.  The 70 Tutorial Booklets require a total of 133 Mb.  The sample TNTsim3D landscape files require a total of 120 Mb.

Internationalization and Localization

New Manual Available in Thai.

The International Research Corporation (IRC) Ltd. in Bangkok, the translator of Microsoft products into the Thai language, is MicroImages’ new dealer for Thailand.  IRC has established a new GeoInformatics Business Department (GIBD) to sell services, equipment, and MicroImages’ and related geoanalysis software.  The staff of GIBD are the same excellent professionals with over 10 years of experience in using, marketing, training, and servicing all the TNT products, including the translation and perfection of these products in the Thai language.

IRC has just launched an aggressive campaign to introduce TNT products in Thai academic, agriculture, mapping, military, and other agencies.  Part of the preparation for this activity has been the creation of color brochures in Thai for TNTmips, TNTedit, TNTview, and TNTserver (see microimages.com).  Another is the preparation of an exhaustive instructional manual in Thai for TNTmips 6.6.  This is not a translation of the reference manual or any of the tutorial booklets, but a unique undertaking, design, and approach with step by step instructions in Thai throughout.

This huge project was completed in July resulting in a beautifully illustrated TNTmips Thai manual with 13 chapters and over 900 pages in color.  It will now be distributed widely by IRC/GIBD with TNTlite 6.6 to academic, research, and other Thai agencies.  It has also been provided to MicroImages in PDF form to distribute electronically.  As a result, it now is available from www.microimages.com/i18n/_th_thai.htm to any Thai student or professional anywhere or anyone else who is curious.

Many of the example applications, maps, legends, database tables, and other illustrations throughout the manual have been prepared in TNTlite with data of Thailand or for the Chon Buri province just southeast of Bangkok, which contains the city of Pattaya and its beach resorts well known to tourists.  It is hoped that it will be possible for IRC/GIBD to update this manual for V6.70 and future TNTmips versions, as this is much less effort than the original undertaking.

GIBD is also the official translator of the interface for the TNT products into Thai.  As a part of IRC and with their 10 years experience in using TNTmips, GIBD is the definitive reference source for the proper translation of the terms used in geospatial analysis to and from Thai and English.  GIBD can be reached by email at narinb@irc.co.th and can be reached by mail at:

International Research Corporation Ltd.
Geoinformatics Business Department
23/106-108 Royal City Avenue – Block G
Soi Soonvijai, Praram 9 – Soonvijai Road
Bangkapi Subdistrict, Huay-Kwang District
Bangkok  10320   Thailand

New Reference Books in Turkish.

HAT Geographical Information Systems and Trade is a MicroImages dealer and the official translator of the interface for the TNT products into Turkish.  HAT has just published 2 new, very attractive, bound books in the Turkish language on the application of TNTmips.  These books are unique in that everything in them is in Turkish.  This ranges from all the 100s of user interface illustrations to the complete descriptive text.  Only a few proper names can be found in these books in English, such as TNTmips.

The book entitled COGRAFi BiLGi SiSTEMLERi, which translates as Geographic Information Systems, provides 260 pages in Turkish profusely illustrated on every page in full color (1000s of illustrations).   Sample pages reproduced from this book can be viewed at http://www.microimages.com/i18n/_tr_turkish.htm.  This book is designed as a introductory class or self learning guide and reference on how to get started in geospatial analysis.  It is divided into the following 15 sections each introducing a different TNTmips activity:

The 2^nd book that HAT has published is entitled UZAKTAN ALGILAMA, which translates as Remote Sensing, and provides 176 pages in Turkish and is also illustrated in color.  This book is designed as an introduction to remote sensing image analysis with special emphasis on direct visual enhancement and manual interpretation.  Sample pages reproduced from this book can be viewed at http://www.microimages.com/i18n/_tr_turkish.htm.

With their many years of experience in using TNTmips and all this translation experience, HAT is now the definitive reference source for the proper translation of the terms used in geospatial analysis to and from Turkish and English.  Please contact HAT for information with regard to the availability of these books and MicroImages products in Turkish by email at hatgis@hatgis.com.tr.  HAT also maintains a very attractive and colorful web site at www.hatgis.com.tr and can be reached be mail at:

HAT Geographical Information Systems and Trade, Inc.
Koza Sokak No: 157
B. Esat
Ankara    TURKEY

Operating Languages.

New.

The TNT products can now be operated in Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian.

Not Current.

The translation of the interface files for Indonesian and Hungarian operation can not currently be issued for V6.70 and new official translators are needed for these languages.

MicroImages Authorized Dealers / Geospatial Consultants

The following 11 new dealers and geospatial consultants in 11 nations were authorized to sell MicroImages’ products since V6.60 shipped.  

Canada.

Calgary - contact Geospatial Consultant:

  Ecuador.

Quito - contact Geospatial Consultant:

France.

Paris - contact Geospatial Consultant

Ghana.

Cape Coast - contact Authorized Dealer:

Greece.

Athens - contact Authorized Dealer:

Guatemala.

Guatemala City - contact Authorized Dealer:

India.

Trivandrum - contact Authorized Dealer:

Mexico.

Guanajuato - contact Authorized Dealer:

New Zealand.

Auckland - contact Authorized Dealer:

Thailand.

Bangkok - contact Authorized Dealer:    

International Research Corporation Ltd.

United Arab Emirates.

Abu Dhabi - contact Authorized Dealer:

Discontinued Dealers

The following dealers are no longer authorized to sell MicroImages’ products.  Please do not contact them regarding support, service, or information.  Please contact MicroImages directly or one of the other MicroImages Authorized Dealers.

Lebanon.

Infrastructure Management & Information Technology S.a.r.l. [Richard G Hanna] located in Beirut is discontinued.

USA, CA.

Paris and Associates  [Jack Paris] located in Monterey, California is discontinued.

Thailand.

Earth Intelligence Technologies Co., Ltd. [Wisuth Panyasubsin] located in Bangkok is discontinued.

Greece.

KLEOS S.A. [Anastasios Aloupis] located in Athens is discontinued.

Papers on Applications

• Characterization of Enzootic Foci of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Viris in Western Venezuela.  by Roberto Barrera, Nieves Torres, Jerome E. Freier, Juan C. Navarro, Carmen Z. Garcia, Rosalba Salas, Clovis Vasquez, and Scott C. Weaver. in Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases.  Vol. 1, No. 3, Fall 2001.  pp. 219-230.

Abstract:  The distribution of the sylvatic subtype ID Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) viruses in the lowland tropical forest of western Venezuela was investigated using remote sensing and geographic information system technologies.  Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper satellite imagery was used to study the reflectance patterns of VEE endemic foci and to identify other locations with similar reflectance patterns.  Enzootic VEE virus variants isolated during this study are the closest genetic relatives of the epizootic viruses that emerged in western Venezuela during 1992-19993.  VEE virus surveillance was conducted by exposing sentinel hamsters to mosquito bites and trapping wild vertebrates in seven forests identified and located by means of the satellite image.  We isolated VEE viruses from 48 of a total of 1,363 sentinel hamsters in two of the forests on six occasions, in both dry and wet seasons.  None of the 12 small vertebrates captured in 8,190 trap-nights showed signs of previous VEE virus infection.  The satellite image was classified into 13 validated classes of land use/vegetation using unsupervised and supervised techniques.  Data derived from the image consisted of the raw digital values of near- and mid-infrared bands 4, 5, and 7, derived Tasseled Cap indices of wetness, greenness, and brightness, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index.  Digitized maps provided ancillary data of elevation and soil geomorphology.  Image enhancement was applied using Principal Component Analysis.  A digital layer of roads together with georeferenced images was used to locate the study sites.  A cluster analysis using the above data revealed two main groups of dense forest separated by spectral properties, altitude, and soil geomorphology.  Virus was isolated more frequently from the forest type identified on flat flood plains of main rivers rather than the forest type found on the rolling hills of the area.  The spatial analysis suggests that mosquitoes carrying the enzootic viruses would reach 82-97% of the total land area by flying only 1-3 km from forests.  We hypothesize that humans within that area are at risk of severe disease caused by the enzootic ID VEE viruses.  By contrast, equines could actually become naturally vaccinated, thus preventing the local emergence of epizootic IC VEE virus strains and protecting humans indirectly.  

[Barrera, Torres, Navarro, and Garcia are with the Instituto de Zoologia Tropical, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracus and uses TNTmips.  Freier is with the USDA Center for Animal Disease Information and Analysis, Fort Collins, CO, which also uses TNTmips.]

• Temporal Erosion-Induced Soil Degradation and Yield Loss.  by Gerd Sparovek and Ewald Schnug.   Soil Science Society of America Journal, 65:1479-1486 (2001). 

Abstract.  Intensification of tropical agricultural systems by increasing fertilizer input and technology is a current trend in developing regions.  Under intensive management, erosion impacts on crop productivity may not be detected in the short term.  However, long-term impacts are expected because erosion rates in tropical agroecosystems are usually greater than the rate of soil formation.  A temporal function of soil-depth change was defined and named life time.  Conceptually, soil’s life time is the time until minimum soil depth needed for sustaining crop production is reached.  The life time function was applied to the Cereiro watershed (1990 ha) located at the Southeastern part of Brazil, and compared with sugarcane (Saccharam officinarum L.) yield loss estimation.  Soil erosion prediction was made employing the Water Erosion Prediction Project.  The mean soil erosion rate for the area was 15 Mg ha^-1 yr^-1, and sugarcane showed the highest mean value of 31 Mg ha^-1 yr^-1.  The half life time of the watershed, i.e., the time until 50% of the area reach the minimum soil depth, was estimated to +563 yr in relation to present time.  The estimated time for sugarcane’s productivity to be reduced to 50% of the present value (half yield life time) was +361 yr.  The life-time function was similar to the estimated long-term impacts of soil erosion on crop productivity.  Therefore, the life-time function was considered as an integrative indicator for agricultural sustainability, useful for land-use planning and for the definition of tolerable soil erosion.

[This project made extensive use of TNTmips for data reduction, organization, surface modeling, and illustration.]

• Comparison of Three Water Erosion Prediction Methods (137Cs, WEPP, USLE) in South-East Brazilian Sugarcane Production. by G. Sparovek, O.O.S. Bacchi, E. Schnug, S.B.L. Ranieri, and L.C. De Maria.  Journal of Agriculture in the Tropics and Subtropics.  Vol 101, October 2000. pages 107-118.
   

• Earthquake: Imagery Sheds Light on Damage.  by Lucian Chiroiu, Francoise Bahoken, and Giles Andre.  Imaging Notes.  Vol. 17, No. 3, May/June 2002. pages 28-29.

[authors are staff of GeoSciences Consultants, a MicroImages dealer in France]

• Off-Street Paved Bike Paths in Oregon (Oregon’s Multi-use Path Guide).  by Rick Bronson  233 pages  PedalPals Press.  5050 Donald Street, Eugene, OR 97405  www.pedalpals.com.

[assembled from many many maps made with TNTlite.]

Appendix: Abbreviations

For simplicity, the following abbreviations were used in this MEMO

W95 = Microsoft Windows 95.

W98 = Microsoft Windows 98.

WME = Windows Millennium Edition.

NT or NT4 = Microsoft NT 4.0 (the TNT products require the use of NT4.0 and its subsequent Service Packs).  NT4 now has a Service Pack 6a available.  Windows 2000 now has Service Pack 2 is recommended if you are working with large files.

W2000 = Microsoft Windows 2000.

XP = Microsoft Windows XP.

Mac 9.x = Apple Macintosh using the PowerPC G3 or G4 processors and Mac OS 9.x.  

Mac 10.5 = Apple Macintosh using Mac X version 10.5.

MI/X = MicroImages’  X Server for Mac and PC microcomputer platforms and operating systems.

GRE = MicroImages’ Geospatial Rendering Engine, that is at the heart of most MicroImages products.  The current GRE will respond and render requests from either X/Motif or Windows.

Gb = gigabyte (1000 megabytes) or 10⁹ bytes

Tb = terabyte (1000 gigabytes) or 10¹² bytes

Pb = petabyte (1000 terabytes) or 10¹⁵ bytes

View PDF Version (941 Kb)

Return to Index

 

©MicroImages, Inc. 2010 Published in the United States of America
11th Floor - Sharp Tower, 206 South 13th Street, Lincoln NE 68508-2010   USA
Business & Sales: (402)477-9554  Support: (402)477-9562  Fax: (402)477-9559
Business info@microimages.com  Support support@microimages.com  Web webmaster@microimages.com

---