Remote sensing: Data formats and software packages Rüdiger Gens What is this presentation is about y broad overview about x most common data formats used in remote sensing x software packages dealing with those formats y starting point for further studies Data formats and software packages 2 What this presentation is NOT about y the conclusive answer to all the questions about data formats you ever had y an attempt to cover every remote sensing data format under the sun y a sales pitch for any of the software packages y a tutorial on the different image products Data formats and software packages 3 Common remote sensing data y Optical x Landsat, Aster, AVHRR, MODIS, SPOT y SAR x Radarsat, ERS, JERS-1 y DEMs x GTOPO30, SDTS, NED, SRTM y Vector data x ESRI shape files Data formats and software packages y Models x netCDF 4 Flat binary multi-band formats y most basic form of storing raster data y usually accompanied by metadata file (ASCII or XML) y three common format x BIL – band interleaved by line x BIP – band interleaved by pixel x BSQ – band sequential Data formats and software packages 5 HDF-EOS format y standard data format for all NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) data products x multi-object file format developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) y standard HDF objects: images, tables, text, and data arrays y three additional data types based on HDF objects: grid, point, and swath Data formats and software packages y self-describing format 6 GeoTIFF format y extension of the regular TIFF format y uses a small set of reserved TIFF tags to store a broad range of georeferencing information y only commonly used generic image format that can handle geolocation information y available in all standard remote sensing and GIS packages Data formats and software packages 7 ERDAS Imagine y .lan format x old ERDAS Imagine 7.5 format x around for long time: most packages can read it y .img format x one of the standard remote sensing format x plays well with ArcGIS (Arc/Info) Data formats and software packages 8 CEOS format y standard data format for radar data x Radarsat, ERS, JERS-1 y comes in a large variety of flavors y contents depends on processing facility y usually requires software tools to read and convert into different format y interface for ASF data available in next version Data formats and software packages of ERDAS Imagine 9 MrSID format y stands for Multi-resolution Seamless Image Database y wavelet based image encoder, viewer and file format: compression efficient y main format of USGS scanning products x topo maps x aerial photographs y regularly used in GIS applications Data formats and software packages 10 Landsat data y available formats x HDF-EOS x GeoTIFF x Fast L7 • each band is self-contained in its own file • header file containing three ASCII metadata records (administrative, radiometric, and geometric) Data formats and software packages 11 Terra / Aqua data y large variety of products y Terra instruments x ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS, MOPITT y Aqua instruments x AIRS, AMSR-E, CERES, HSB, MODIS y number of software packages with interfaces y available formats Data formats and software packages x HDF-EOS 12 AVHRR data y number of software package interfaces available y available formats x Level 1b 8-bit/10-bit/16-bit HRPT/LAC x Level 1b 8-bit/10-bit/16-bit GAC x Dartcom 16-bit HRPT x Satlantic 16-bit HRPT x Quorum Qtrack 16-bit HRPT x 16-bit HRPT Minor Frame x Dundee 16-bit HRPT x AVHRR CEOS (Raw AVHRR CCT Image Format) Data formats and software packages 13 SPOT data y SPOT 1-4: CAP format y SPOT 5 and later: DIMAP format y usually requires software package with SPOT data interface Data formats and software packages 14 Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle (DOQ) y computer-generated image of an aerial photograph x image displacement caused by terrain relief and camera tilt has been removed x combines the image characteristics of the original photograph with the georeferenced qualities of a map y available formats Data formats and software packages x native (viewer and conversion tools available) x GeoTIFF 15 GTOPO30 y global topographic data (30 arc seconds) y format x DEM – digital elevation model data (flat binary) x HDR – header file for DEM (ASCII) x DMW – world file (ASCII) x STX – statistics file (ASCII) x PRJ – projection information file (ASCII) x GIF – shaded relief image (GIF format) Data formats and software packages x SRC – source map (8-bit binary) x SCH – header file for source map (ASCII) 16 SDTS format y stands for Spatial Data Transfer Standard y used by USGS for providing DEMs x SDTS was ratified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS 173). x Compliance with FIPS 173 by federal agencies became mandatory in 1994 Data formats and software packages 17 National Elevation Dataset (NED) y provided by USGS using the Seamless Data Distribution System y available formats x ArcGrid (integer data) x GeoTIFF x GridFloat (Arc floating point data) x BIL (flat binary – band interleaved by line) Data formats and software packages 18 SRTM data y distributed by the USGS EROS Data Center y available formats x ArcGrid (integer data) x BIL (flat binary – band interleaved by line) x GeoTIFF Data formats and software packages 19 ESRI shape files y standard for vector data y basis of what GIS is all about y support point, line and area features y attributes stored in dBase format Data formats and software packages 20 netCDF format y stands for network Common Data Form y an interface for array-oriented data access y a library that provides an implementation of the interface y main format for atmospheric models y marine Geophysics data (gravity, magnetics and bathymetry) Data formats and software packages 21 Software packages Data formats and software packages 22 ArcGIS y comprehensive GIS package y graphical user interface to Arc/Info y developed by ESRI y runs on Windows y handles raster formats x GRID x GeoTIFF x JPEG Data formats and software packages x MrSID x ERDAS Imagine 23 ENVI 4.1 y originally developed for hyperspectral data y developed by Research Systems Inc. y image processing package y runs on all major platforms (Windows, Linux, Mac, various Unix flavors) y handles all major raster and vector formats y interfaces to all common remote sensing data Data formats and software packages 24 ERDAS Imagine 8.7 y full-blown remote sensing package y developed by Leica Geosystems y runs on Windows and Solaris y handles all major raster and vector formats y interfaces to all common remote sensing data y next version supports ASF CEOS format Data formats and software packages 25 ER Mapper 6.4 y mapping and image processing package y developed by Earth Resource Mapping y runs on Windows y handles most common raster and vector formats y interfaces for some remote sensing data Data formats and software packages 26 Geomatica 9.1 y remote sensing package y developed by PCI y runs on Windows, Linux, Solaris and Irix y handles all major raster and vector formats y interfaces to common remote sensing data Data formats and software packages 27 GeoMedia 5.2 y focus on mapping and geospatial solutions y strong link to Open GIS Consortium (OGC) y developed by Intergraph y runs on Windows Data formats and software packages 28 GRASS 5.3 y Geographic Resources Analysis Support System y GIS package with image processing functionality y handles common GIS formats and a few remote sensing formats y runs on Linux, Mac, various flavors of Unix Data formats and software packages y freeware 29 ILWIS 3.2 y stands for Integrated Land and Water Information System y developed at ITC, the Netherlands y remote sensing and GIS package y runs on Windows y shareware Data formats and software packages 30 IDRISI Kilimanjaro y focus on environmental decision making with GIS y developed by Clark Labs in Worcester, Massachusetts y GIS and image processing package y handles common data formats y interfaces to selected remote sensing data Data formats and software packages y runs on Windows 31 Nifty little helpers y free viewing tool (ERDAS) providing basic image viewing and manipulation capabilities y supports a variety of raster formats x Arc/Info BIL, BIP, BSQ x ER Mapper x ERDAS Imagine Data formats and software packages x JPEG x MrSID 32 Nifty little helpers y free viewing and mapping tool (ERDAS) y supports raster and vector formats x ERDAS Imagine Files x ESRI Shape Files x Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) x MrSID Data formats and software packages x JPEG 33 Nifty little helpers y ExpressView Browser Plug-in (MrSID) x for Internet Explorer and Netscape x ability to natively display MrSid and JPEG2000 Data formats and software packages 34 Nifty little helpers y HDF-EOS tools x HDF-EOS to GeoTIFF converter x General Coordinate Transformation Package (GCTP) x HDF Explorer – viewer for HDF-EOS and netCDF Data formats and software packages 35 Nifty little helpers y free image viewing tool (PCI) y Geomatica FreeView x handles all common remote sensing data formats x basic image viewing and analysis functions Data formats and software packages 36 Nifty little helpers y free image viewing tool (ER Mapper) y basic image viewing functions y supports raster formats x ER Mapper (incl. compressed) x GeoTIFF x ESRI BIL Data formats and software packages x USGS Digital Ortho Quad x JPEG 37 Take home message y there is a lot of stuff out there x no silver bullet that does it all x look at your needs x look around – solutions don't have to be expensive y trend towards data integration x image processing and enhanced analysis x GIS is the keyword y data format of the moment: GeoTIFF Data formats and software packages x generic data format x meets most user's needs 38 List of useful URLs http://www.asf.alaska.edu/~rgens/teaching/data_sw.html Data formats and software packages 39.