New in Echoview 5.3 for all users

Feature

How it works

Benefit

Regions log book export

Echogram > Export > Regions > Log book outputs basic region information together with Region notes. The Regions Log book feature is also supported by Echoview COM under EvVariableAcoustic.RegionsLog and EvVariableVirtual.RegionsLog.

For more information refer to Export file formats: Regions log book.

Access to region information and region notes.

Dataflow window Copy-Paste

The Paste feature can offer two options and is now Dataflow View sensitive.

Two Paste actions are now available in a view other than the one used to make a copy

• Shortcut menu > Paste offers a quick way to display existing virtual variables on the view.
• Shortcut menu > Paste a Copy can be used to create a copy of virtual variables.

In the originating view, Shortcut menu > Paste continues to create a copy of the virtual variables.

Minimizes the time required to show existing virtual variables on a view.

Bad data region shortcut

Point to a ping and use CTRL+M to create a bad data region that is one ping wide.

A quick way to deal with unwanted features that span a single ping.

Region creation enhancement

Set a region class before you create a region. These changes apply across all region creation methods - manual or school or fish track.

New regions take on region class from:

• the last Class set in the Region Browser
• the Class set under the Region Classification tool

Faster workflow for region creation and classification.

Region classification enhancement

Use new default keyboard region class keyboard shortcuts to change the region class of a region under the mouse pointer. The (Num Lock on) keypad numbers are mapped to the first nine region classes. The Unclassified class is mapped to the keypad number zero.

Companion enhancements include:

• The Region classification tool responds to shortcut induced changes in region class.
• The region class keyboard shortcuts may be user-defined.

Manual region classification is much faster.

Georeferenced samples enhancement

Echogram > Export > Georeferenced Samples > By Regions outputs data for georeferenced samples within regions. The export can be specified with a region class and is available for an echogram, a vertical selection or a selected region.

Available Georeferenced Samples file format extensions include:

• .sv.points.csv
• .ts.points.csv
• .angles.points.csv
• .points.csv for Boolean and Color variables

For more information refer to Exporting georeferenced samples.

COM support is available under EvVariable.Acoustic.ExportGeoreferencedSamplesByRegions and EvVariable.Virtual.ExportGeoreferencedSamplesByRegions.

Flexibility for georeferenced sample data export.

 List of calibration settings

Minor design changes to the renamed Calibration Information dialog box enable easier access to a complete list of available calibration settings or a list of settings from a specified EV file.

• Help menu > Historic Calibration is changed to Help menu > Calibration Information.

Offers a full list of calibration settings or an EV file-specific list of calibration settings for Copy/Paste actions.

Copy results

The Copy feature is now available for onscreen integration and analysis results.

• Demonstration mode offers single selection CTRL+C and Shortcut menu > Copy.
• A licensed Analysis export module offers multi-selection CTRL+C and Shortcut menu > Copy or Select All.

Easier access to integration and analysis results.

Go To

The Go To feature can now specify pings in range, time or distance units. For more information refer to the Go To dialog box.

Access by:

• CTRL+G
• Click the Ping panel on the Information toolbar
• Click the Date and time panel of the Echoview Status bar

Flexibility for the display of pings in echograms.

General enhancements

Upon Echoview start-up, a message is displayed if there are non-standard settings for the Memory cache. This message is also sent to the Scripting log when Echoview scripts are run.

Improves workflow.

New Operators and Operator enhancements

 Stationary sonar module

The operators Type conversion and Minimum of N pings become available when a Stationary Sonar module is licensed and the Platform type is Fixed on the Position page of the Platform Properties dialog box.

Additional operators licensed under the Stationary Sonar module.

Scripting and COM objects

The implementation of COM objects (COM object automation) to access Echoview (through scripts) has been highly successful. Echoview Software continues to enhance existing COM objects and add support for new COM objects. We are also developing new tutorials and example scripts to help you upload, process and export your data efficiently.

The key advantage of this automation model is that Echoview can pass information back to the script. It is now possible for scripts to make informed decisions, request decisions from the user, and pass information from Echoview to the user.

For more information about the COM objects refer to Scripting with COM objects.

If you are interested to know more about COM automation, please contact us for further information.

Virtual variable support

110+ operators and the Echoview's virtual variable framework facilitate advanced data processing and data analysis. New virtual variable COM support includes:

• EvVariableAcoustic.AddVariable to create new virtual variables. This supports the Dataflow window feature New > Variable/Virtual Line.
• EvVariableBase.AddVariable to create new virtual variables.
• EvVariableVirtual.AddVariable to create new virtual variables. The following methods support selected virtual variable features:
  • EvVariableVirtual.Operator replaces EvVariableVirtual.OperatorType
  • EvVariableVirtual.GetOperand
  • EvVariableVirtual.SetOperand
• EOperator enums replace Echoview COM (operator) constants.
• EvVariableAcousticProperties.SingleTargetDetectionParameters and the object EvSingleTargetDetectionParameters support operators Single target detection - single beam methods 1 and 2.
• EvVariableAcousticProperties.SingleTargetDetectionSplitBeamParameters and the object EvSingleTargetDetectionSplitBeamParameters support the operators Single target detection - split beam methods 1 and 2.
• EvVariableAcousticProperties.SingleTargetDetectionDualBeamParameters and the object EvSingleTargetDetectionDualBeamParameters support the operators Single target detection - dual beam methods 1 and 2.

Regions log book support

The Regions log export is supported by:

• EvVariableAcoustic.RegionsLog
• EvVariableVirtual.RegionsLog

EvRegion.Id supports the unique identifier for a region called the region ID.

EvRegion.Id has an advantage over EvRegion.Name because regions can have the same name. EvRegion.Id has an advantage over an index in EvRegionCollection, because regions can be deleted and the index may change.

Export Georeferenced Samples By Regions

The feature Echogram > Export > Georeferenced Samples > By Regions is supported by:

• EvVariable.Acoustic.ExportGeoreferencedSamplesByRegions
• EvVariable.Virtual.ExportGeoreferencedSamplesByRegions

Changes to existing objects

The following methods now optionally include a region class to be specified (otherwise all region classes are exported):

• Regions.ExportDefinitions
• EvVariableAcoustic.ExportGeoreferencedSamplesByRegions
• EvVariableVirtual.ExportGeoreferencedSamplesByRegions

Registration of the Echoview COM object

 Echoview displays a reminder message to register the Echoview COM object when you own the Scripting module.

Echogram interpretation

A directory for examples of echogram interpretation. Examples include:

• Data associated with transducer types, transducer ringing, side lobe interference, deadzone
• Bubble noise, boat wakes, tilted transducer, cross talk
• Imaging sonar "arcing", scientific multibeam echosounder

Operator techniques

A directory for examples of operator techniques. Examples include:

• Bad data replacement
• Calibration sphere
• Cell statistic density index estimates
• Cell statistic - a proxy for fish density
• Tow body-mounted transducer (downward looking)
• dB difference - Absolute technique
• dB difference - Z score technique
• Multibeam target detection
• Remove background noise - single beam Sv

Navigating the Help file

Tips about using the Echoview Help file.

Single target detection algorithms

Additional information about the evaluation of TS_comp and TS_uncomp for the single target detection algorithms.

EvData

Updated information for EvData which accesses settings on the Filter Single Targets page of the Variable Properties dialog box. Filter single targets settings moved from the Data page in Echoview 5.2.

Templates

 Fixed depth lines retain one point, this information is added to the EV file templates page.

Restricted values for Direction_vertical

Restricted values (90 or -90 or 0 degrees) can be reported by the fish track analysis variable Direction_vertical when the platform is moving and a position GPS fixes variable is absent. For more information refer to Direction_vertical: Note.

Bug fixes

Color settings bug for angular variables

A  Colors settings bug for angular variables is fixed. The bug appeared in Echoview 5.2 and displayed a default color scheme instead of a selected color scheme on the Echogram Display page of the Variable Properties dialog box.

Region class bug

The Region Browser's Region Class is no longer sensitive to unintended changes from the mouse wheel or arrow keys.

Change of Region Class actions include a selection from the Region Class list or a Region Class keyboard shortcut.