Global Mapper - Global Mapper Forum and Tutorials

Features

Global Mapper has built in functionality for:

distance and area calculations
raster blending
raster feathering
spectral analysis and contrast adjustment
elevation querying
line of sight calculations
cut-and-fill volume calculations
image rectification
contour generation from surface data
view shed analysis (including Fresnel) from surface data
triangulation and gridding of 3D point data.
Repetitive tasks can be accomplished using the built in scripting language or comprehensive batch conversion functionality.

File Types

Global Mapper supports viewing of dozens of the most common data formats:

DLG-O
DRG
DOQ
DEM
DGN
DTED
DWG
DXF
SDTS DLG
SDTS DEM
ECW
MrSID
ESRI Shapefiles
E00
JPEG2000
CADRG/CIB
GeoTIFF
KML/KMZ
Lidar LAS
Arc Grid
Tiger/Line

And many, many more!

You can export both vector, raster, and elevation data to a variety of formats (see below). You can merge any combination of data sets, regardless of source scale, type, and projection. You can also breakup your data into a regularly spaced grid on export if you'd like as well. Get more details about formats!

Raster

USGS Digital Raster Graphic (DRG)
USGS Digital Orthophoto Quads (DOQ)
USGS Digital Orthophoto Quads (DOQ), GeoTIFF Format
USGS Digital Orthophoto Quads (DOQ), JPG w/ Native Header Format
JPEG Image with World File
PNG Image with World File
LizardTech MrSID Data
ERMapper Compressed Wavelet (ECW) Format
ERDAS Imagine Image Format
BIL/BSQ/BIP Imagery
ASTER DEM and L1A/L1B Imagery and MODIS imagery
ADRG Files
ASRP (Arc Standard Raster Product) and USRP Files
CADRG and CIB Files
JPEG2000 Files
Erdas GIS/LAN Files
GIF Files
Intergraph COT Format

and many more...

Vector

USGS Digital Line Graph, Optional Format (DLG-O)
USGS Digital Line Graph, Spatial Data Transfer Standard Format (DLG/SDTS)
USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
NOAA DSDATA Geodetic Control, SDTS Format
AutoCAD DXF
ESRI Shapefiles
Arc/Info Export Format (E00)
MapInfo MIF/MID and TAB/MAP Formats
MicroStation DGN Format

and many more...

Elevation

Arc ASCII Grid format
BIL format
BT (Binary Terrain) format
DTED format
DXF (3D-point, 3D-mesh, and 3D-face) formats
Erdas Imagine format
Float/Grid file format
Geosoft Grid format
GeoTIFF DEM format
Gravsoft Grid format
Idrisi format
Leveller Heightfield format
Lidar LAS format
MapMaker Terrain file format
Optimi Terrain file format
PGM Grayscale Grid file format
PLS CADD XYZ Grid file format
RockWorks Grid format
STL format
Surfer Grid (ASCII and binary) formats
Terragen Terrain file format
USGS DEM format
VRML format
XYZ ASCII Grid format
Zmap Plus Grid format

Screenshots

3D Functions
Global Mapper’s 3D View window displaying several USGS 24K DLG files draped over a USGS 24K USGS DEM for Blue Springs, MO.
Downloading Data
Global Mapper displaying some TerraServer urban imagery for Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, TX. The dialog used to import TerraServer data is displayed over the extremely detailed color imagery.
GPS Tracking
Global Mapper display when tracking a GPS device over loaded data. In the sample, 30-m SDTS DEM data is loaded as a backdrop with Tiger 2002 data loaded on top. You can see the GPS vessel location and the tracklog of where the vessel has been. The GPS Information dialog displays current GPS status information.
Shading
Global Mapper loaded with the worldwide TerrainBase elevation dataset using the global shader to color the imagery.
Mixing Data and Reprojection
Global Mapper loaded with several data sets, included a 24K DRG, several 100K DLGs, and a GNIS (Geographic Names) data file containing place names for the state in which the DRG data resides. The DRG has been artificially dimmed to make the vector data stand out. note the rich display of the data, as well as the fact that the data is rendered in a geographic projection, although the DRG's and DLG's come in UTM. The reprojection of both raster and vector data is done on-the-fly with no input required from the user.