Features
Feature Extension Plugin Support
These allow 3rd-parties and customers to create add-ins to Global
Mapper to extend the functionality through their own toolbars and/or
menu items. The feature extensions will have access to all data loaded
in the Global Mapper application instance through the same API used by
the Global Mapper SDK. There is an item under the Help menu for managing
the installation and registration of feature extension plugins and
add-in modules. For more information on how to write and publish an
extension contact your Blue Marble sales representative
Flexible View Interface
The new multi-view map display allows several docked map windows to be displayed within the interface for better data visualization and manipulation. These views, which support both top-down 2D rendering as well as oblique 3D viewing, can be independently zoomed and panned and can be resized to make the most efficient use of the available screen space.
3D Data
Global Mapper works as easily with 3D data as it does 2D data. It supports several 3D formats such as 3D PDF, Collada, Wavefront, 3DS Max and more. The user has the ability to link the 2D and 3D viewer so panning, zooming, and adding vector features will automatically replicate in both windows. This powerful functionality also includes the ability to select and measure features in the 3D viewer. These tools are initiated by selecting the Digitizer tool or Measure tool on the 3D viewer toolbar. Any selections are shared by both the 2D and 3D viewer, and the right-click menu allows you to perform many Digitizer operations on the selection.
There is a toolbar and support for setting up and recording HD 3D fly-through videos of your 3D projects. Additional fly-through features include a handy setting for UAV or Aerial tracking playback option to display a video file synced to any line feature with per-vertex times. Support has been added for features such as draping vector data, GPS tracking and Skyboxes for rendering a sky simulation in 3D. Support has also been added for 3D textures and meshes in GMP files. When recording a fly-through video file, the video file will automatically be associated with the fly-through feature so you can easily play it back from the Feature Info or Digitizer Tool.
There is now a new 3D navigational aid, the pivot axis, which shows the scene rotation pivot location. This may be toggled on or off using the 3D right-click context menu or by using the Ctrl+Shift+P hotkey.
Data Importing / Exporting
One of the unique and defining characteristics of Global Mapper is
its extensive and varied data format support. Offering direct access to
over 250 different raster, vector, and elevation data types, including
3D PDF files, Global Mapper supports virtually all types of geospatial
data right out of the box, no add-ons required. With new and modified
formats being added on an ongoing basis, you can be sure that the
software will never be out of date with your data.
The list of export formats available within Global Mapper is as
impressive as the supported data import types. Vector, raster, and
elevation data can be exported in virtually every common file format as
well as many proprietary types. During export, data can be gridded into
smaller or more manageable files or the export area can be cropped to a
defined area or to the extent of the current screen view. The latest
version dramatically sped up raster/elevation exports cropped to complex
area features. For very complex areas (i.e. hundreds or thousands of
vertices) the exports may be 10x as fast or even better!
Spatial Database Support
Import and export data from your spatial databases. Global Mapper includes support for the following spatial databases:
- Esri ArcSDE (requires ESRI license on machine and 32-bit only)
- Esri File Geodatabase (includes raster and grid and all versions of
file geodatabses, requires ESRI license on machine and 32-bit only)
- Esri Personal Geodatabase (requires ESRI license on machine and 32-bit only)
- MS SQL Server
- MySQL Spatial
- Oracle Spatial
- PostGIS/PostgreSQL
- SpatiaLite/SQLite