iDAP/MacroProIntegrated display and processing software for satellite imageryand meteorological data with automatic macro processor

WEATH E R S AT E L L I T E A ND R EMOT E S E N S I N G G ROUND S TAT I O N S

The Dartcom iDAP software allows images, charts andanimations produced by all Dartcom ingest systems tobe displayed and processed in one unified program.MacroPro automates the powerful processing andoutput facilities provided by iDAP.

iDAP includes a wide range of professional yet easy-to-use facilitiesfor displaying, processing, printing and exporting satellite imageryand meteorological charts.

Dartcom’s own purpose-built animation technology providessmooth, high-quality animations with fast updates, editing facilitiesand time-synchronised playback of multiple animations.

MacroPro allows processing macros to be run on images and chartsautomatically when new data is ingested.

Key features of iDAP and MacroPro include:

• Handling of HRPT, AHRPT, DMSP, LRIT, HRIT and GVAR data.

• Windows 10 and 64-bit compatible.

• Automatic updating of open files with new data received by ingestsystems or produced by MacroPro.

• Image enhancement with data-adaptive profiles.

• Creation of numerical products and textual classifications such asSST, NDVI, NDSI, cloud height and cloud temperature, with built-in formula programming language.

• Transformation of images to standard cartographic projectionswith masking, slicing to extract clouds and mosaic creation.

• Blue Marble and DEM masking, slicing and tinting.

• Creation of map overlays and grid lines.

• Creation of vector feature overlays such as reference points, stormtracks and vessel voyage tracks, with labels and range rings.

• Exporting to common graphics formats, CSV, Cinesat, SATAID,Autosat, GRIB, PCI Geomatica, ERDAS IMAGINE, ENVI/IDL,GeoTIFF, EPS level 0 and NOAA level 1B.

iDAP/MacroPro Software features

General features• Opens, displays, processes, prints and exports HRPT, AHRPT,DMSP, LRIT, HRIT and GVAR data.

• Multiple image, chart and animation windows.

• Fully networkable, with network licences available.

Input and output• Importing, sub-sampling and exporting of raw HRPT, AHRPTand DMSP data (see Polar orbiter features overleaf).

• Automatic updating of open files with new data received by ingestsystems or produced by MacroPro.

• Printing of user-defined areas of images and charts, with stationmarker, maps and grids, feature overlays and range rings.

• Exporting of raw data to PCI Geomatica, ERDAS IMAGINE,ENVI/IDL and GeoTIFF formats, transformed to standard mapprojections, with solar zenith and azimuth angles for each pixel.

• Exporting of user-defined areas of images and charts to BMP,JPEG, PNG and TIFF formats, with station marker, maps andgrids, feature overlays and range rings.

• Exporting of data (pixel, raw and calibrated values, latitudes,longitudes, solar and nadir angles, and formula values) fromuser-defined areas of images in textual or binary formats.

• Exporting of data to Cinesat, SATAID, Autosat and GRIB formats.

Automatic processing (MacroPro)• Setup of macros to perform automatic processing on images eachtime new data is received by their associated ingest systems.

• Automatic enhancement, Blue Marble masking, DEM masking,exporting, printing, archiving, reprojection and product creation.

• Automatic animation with sub-sampling, adjustable maximumframes and overlaying of maps, grids and features if required.

• Macros can be grouped into sets for different jobs.

Image viewing and manipulation• Floatable read-outs panel displaying station position, distanceand bearing, image parameters, cursor position, solar angles, rawand calibrated pixel values, and formula palette value.

• Magnification and reduction mode, allowing quick zoom-in andzoom-out centred on a point of interest on an image.

• Cursor mode allowing a draggable persistent cursor to be placedon a point of interest on an image and read-outs obtained.

• Distance, bearing and profile mode, allowing a line to be drawnon an image and the distance, bearing and raw, calibrated andformula value profiles along the line to be viewed.

• One-click viewing of multi-plane images as individual greyscaleplanes or as a colour composite.

Animations• High-quality animations with adjustable speed, looping, selectionof range of frames to play and removal of unwanted frames.

• Acquisition time shown on frames, with configurable appearance.

• Time-synchronised playback of multiple animations.

Data export window

Print and image export window

Data profiles along a user-defined line on an image with read-outs at cursor position and range rings around station marker

Animation window andpop-up tools

MacroPro automatic processingmacro setup window

Software features iDAP/MacroPro

Products and classifications• Creation of numerical products and textual classifications fromuser-defined formulæ, such as brightness temperature, SST (seasurface temperature), NDVI (vegetation index), NDSI (snowindex), cloud height and cloud temperature.

• Configurable palette size, start, step, decimal places and colours,with graduated colour blending if required.

• Comprehensive formula programming language.

• Palettes and formulæ can be saved as presets.

• Palette key displayed in a floating window.

Navigation and overlays• Highly accurate navigation of polar orbiter images using anoptimised and improved algorithm based on the SGP4 model.

• Map overlays and grid lines with configurable colour and style.

• Station position marker with configurable symbol, colour, labeland range rings.

• Creation of reusable vector feature overlays such as referencepoints, storm tracks and vessel voyage tracks, with configurablemarker symbols, line styles, colours, labels and range rings.

• Each image can have its own specific series of feature overlays, oruse a global default series.

• Importing of data from Google Earth KML files.

Cartographic reprojection• Transformation of images to a comprehensive range of standardcartographic map projections.

• Configurable map parameters, resolution, overlays and size.

• Parameters can be saved as presets.

• Slicing to extract clouds, for example.

• Application of user-defined masks to projected images to obscureunwanted areas (land in a sea surface temperature image, forexample) with configurable colour.

• Creation of mosaics composed of a number of different images.

Land and sea masking• Creation of Blue Marble (cloud-free high-resolution satelliteimage) masks allowing topology and bathymetry to be applied todull or featureless images.

• Creation of DEM (Digital Elevation Model) masks allowingunwanted land or sea areas to be obscured with a solid colour orgraduations by height or depth.

• Slicing to extract clouds, for example.

• Variable opacity to allow tinting.

Image enhancement• Data-adaptive image enhancement facilities with histograms andvariable profile, brightness and contrast.

• Enhancement settings can be saved as presets.

• Sharpen, soften, edge enhancement and blur functions.

• 90˚ and 180˚ rotation, and horizontal and vertical flipping.

DEM masked snow indexproduct with key

Formula palette window set upfor NDSI

Feature overlays managerCartographic projectiontransformation window

Enhanced and sharpenedimage showing icebergs

Enhancement window

Blue Marble masked imagewith tinting and cloud slicing

Blue Marble masking window

Polar orbiter featuresInput from other software• Importing of raw HRPT data in Dundee standard, Quorumstandard and Dartcom HRPT/CHRPT Grabber formats.

• Editable satellites database including facilities for adjustingcalibration constants and swathe angles.

Sub-sampling• Sub-sampling of HRPT, AHRPT, DMSP, CHRPT and SeaWiFS datato produce calibrated, navigated iDAP images.

• Single plane or multi-plane (false colour) images.

• Selection of an area to sub-sample with latitude/longitude read-outs to assist.

• Sub-sample factor variable between 1:1 and 1:32.

• Automatic or manual 8-bit reduction parameters with statisticalanalysis graphs and calibrated read-outs to assist.

• Image enhancement with adjustable profile.

• Creation of map overlays and grid lines.

• Repair of missing image data.

• Full-resolution display of sub-sampled images.

• Overlay nudge facility to correct navigation errors.

• Adjustable satellite swathe angle.

• Editing of calibration constants with import and export facilities.

Output to other software• Exporting of raw HRPT, AHRPT and DMSP data to PCIGeomatica, ERDAS IMAGINE, ENVI/IDL and GeoTIFF formats,transformed to standard cartographic projections, with solarzenith and azimuth angles, nadir to pixel angle and satelliteinclination for each pixel.

• Exporting of raw AHRPT data to standard EPS level 0 format withproduct filtering.

• Exporting of raw HRPT data to standard NOAA level 1B formatwith full support for versions 1, 2 and 3, adjustable packing andbyte order, and date-stamped or custom file naming.

• Exporting of raw HRPT and CHRPT data to other raw formatsincluding standard raw, HRPT level 0 and Dartcom HRPT/CHRPTGrabber raw, with adjustable headers and byte order, and date-stamped or custom file naming.

• Exporting of raw SeaWiFS data to SeaWiFS level 0 format for usewith the SeaShark processing software, with standard or customfile naming.

• Exporting of ancillary HRPT data including NORAD two-lineelements, TBUS data, DCS and TIP, with date-stamped or customfile naming.

AHRPT sub-sampler window

HRPT/CHRPT Grabber rawimporter window

EPS level 0 export window

GeoTIFF export window

Formula palette window set upfor MCSSTDEM masked sea surface

temperature product with key

iDAP/MacroPro Software features

Powdermills, Postbridge, Yelverton,Devon, PL20 6SP, UK

Phone 01822 880253 • International +44 1822 880253Web www.dartcom.co.uk • Email sales@dartcom.co.uk

Copyright © 2018 Dartcom Systems Ltd. Specifications and prices may be changed without notice. Correct from 18th April 2018. E&OE.Dartcom is a trading name of Dartcom Systems Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales no. 08224621, VAT no. GB150533050, registered office as above.