New in Echoview 5.4 for all users

Feature

How it works

Benefit

4D window

This displays georeferenced samples in time. The feature is available for multibeam variables through the Filesets window, View menu or the Dataflow window. This feature will be extended to single beam variables and even more functionality in the future versions of Echoview.
 

For more information refer to 4D window.

4D visualization displays your data in a true position and time context and allows more complex data relationships to be discovered.

Analysis settings

Settings in the Exclusion and Analysis section of the Analysis page have changed.

Settings under the Analysis section include:

• Set ping with bad line status on the exclude below line to no-data
• Apply bad data regions
• Include the volume of no-data samples

Include the volume of no-data samples replaces the Echoview 5.3 setting "Whole excluded or no-data pings removed from ping count".

Use Bad data (empty water) regions to deal with data you deem to have no acoustic return.

Use Bad data (no data) regions and the Include the volume of no data samples option to (in effect) convert no-data samples to the mean of the analysis domain. This gives you greater flexibility in calculating your NASC based results.

These settings are supported by discussions on the About analysis domains page and the newly designed About samples and echo integration page.

To support these design changes, the Reduce pings operator is now licensed under the Analysis Export module.

More tools to tailor your integration.

Bad data design change

The Bad data region types include:

• Bad data (no data) - used when the region has no samples
• Bad data (empty water) - used when the region has no acoustic returns

Bad data regions are applied to calculations when you use the Analysis setting Apply bad data regions. Further integration flexibility is provided the setting Include the volume of no-data samples.

The bad data region types are supported by discussions on the About analysis domains page and the newly designed About samples and echo integration page.

The design change is supported by:

• Two new members for the Integration result dialog box and corresponding Analysis domain variables Bad_data_no_data_samples and Bad_data_empty_water_samples. And a design changes for the Good_samples variable and associated Output empty cell variables.
• COM enum support for Bad data (empty water).
• Bad data region type colors and analysis hatch colors.

More classification tools.

Line variables

A major redesign for lines introduces the raw line variable. The redesign creates a framework for interesting line feature development into the future.

Raw lines derived from time/measurement coordinates read from the sounder data file, include sounder detected bottom line and in some cases heave lines. Raw lines can represent data recorded from GPS, depth sensors or heave sensors.

Ex60 data may include raw lines based heave data.

Lines variables are supported by echograms, graphs and tables.

The import of variables from one EV file to another EV file includes virtual and line variables.

A Copy/Paste of a virtual chain may require the resetting or reconnection of missing lines or unavailable lines.

Note: Raw lines read from a sounder data file are associated with a transducer and are no longer associated with a raw acoustic variable. Sounder detected lines in pre-Echoview 5.4 EV files are affected by this design change. Sounder detected bottom line properties support a Calibration page where SoundSpeed is used for range-depth conversion.

Improved scope and flexibility for lines and echogram analysis.

Dataflow changes

Under the Dataflow window the Objects List panel (CTRL+F) offers: a categorized list of all objects, Object name filtering, object selection and Shortcut menu to quickly manage objects within a dataflow view.

Other Dataflow features include:

• Use drag and drop arrows from Transducers to variables, with Undo support. This is very useful for restoring mismatched sounder-detected bottom lines.
• The feature Duplicate a Transducer is removed, its functions are now covered under Copy/Paste.
• Copy/Paste between EV files defaults to the use of the first transducer in the destination file. Otherwise, you can copy a virtual with its transducer.
• Use drag and drop arrows from GPS position variables to the Platform to quickly change the Position source.
• Use drag and drop arrows from position variables to Movement operators to change operands.
• Cut (to Clipboard) is dataflow object-sensitive.
• Copy/Paste/Paste a Copy for dataflow objects in the same EV file and to different Views. Supported objects include: Raw lines, movement, attitude, position, platform and video objects.
• Import Virtual variable definitions includes virtual variables, line variables and transducers.
• The Standard relationship arrows include: U, L to indicate Analysis Exclusion line, S to indicate the Line source for line recalculation, G to indicate the line for Line-referenced grid, and an orange arrow plus T for transducer relationships.

Saves time finding objects by name.

Saves time selecting input variables.

GPS support

Introducing separate position variables for supported NMEA strings. These variables join the position GPS variable to offer greater choice and better workflow for mobile platform properties.

• Echoview Simrad Ex60 data format support includes NMEA GPGGA, GPGLL and GPRMC strings. Supported file formats based on the Simrad Ex60 format will also benefit from this NMEA support.
• Echoview BioSonics data format support includes supported NMEA strings.
• Altitude data from GPGGA NMEA strings is now read from Simrad Ex60, Simrad ME70, Simrad Sx90, BioSonics DT4 and SciFish data files and can be displayed as a line to show the relative depth of the GPS antenna.

Client specific GPS formats can be supported. Please contact Echoview support with a request to support your data format if needed. We will require a complete specification of the data format in order to evaluate the proposal.

Note: Echoview automatically assigns a position GPS variable to the Platform when Platform Properties Platform type: is set to Position determined by GPS. In the case where there are a number of position variables, including new variables arising from this design change, you may wish to use a more suitable variable than the one that Echoview initially assigns.

General enhancements

• On the Filesets window you can:
  • remove files using the DELETE key
  • frequency is listed with raw variables, when frequency is available and once any variable has been displayed
• A Navigation category on the Details dialog box.
• The Regions log book export now includes vessel log distance for the start and end pings of a region.
• A second level cache on disk to support and augment the in-memory cache:
  • Cache file location
  • Disk-cache settings
• Memory Usage page for Echoview Configuration dialog box.
• More robust and consistent handling and display of multibeam data.
• Classification rules offer a larger set of Analysis variables for classifying regions e.g. Bad_data_empty_water, Min and Max versions of Exclusion lines.
• On an active echogram Shortcut menu > Synchronize (A) synchronizes echograms and the Media window.

Improves workflow.

Live viewing

Optimizations for live viewing performance and stability.

Optimizations for the use of dataflow operators while live viewing.

The Live export operator exports echogram data while live viewing and COM support for live viewing.

The setting Log a heartbeat while live viewing can be used by automated systems to detect and confirm that Echoview is currently running and live viewing.

Improved stability and performance and new features.

New supported file formats

Kongsberg Mesotech M3.

Sound Metrics ARIS.

Change in Windows support

Echoview has withdrawn support for the Windows 2000 operating system.

Echoview introduces support for Windows 8.

Refer to Computer requirements for further information.

Licensing changes

The Cell statistic operator licensed with the Virtual Echogram module is restricted to handle 500 pings when the Analysis Export module is unlicensed. A message is sent to Messages when this occurs.

The 4D window is licensed under the Base module.

The Base module enables you to work in 2D and 4D with data from fifty four supported single beam and multibeam echosounders and sonars. Without the Base module restrictions now include a limit of 5000 measurements, the 50 pings for the 4D window and a title bar that displays (Demonstration use only).

The Live viewing module allows you to live view Simrad Ex60, EK500 or SM20 data. Without the live viewing module you can only live view for 15 minutes.

New Operators and Operator enhancements
142 operators, 11 operator groups

Live export

Echoview is pleased to introduce the Live export operator that exports echogram data while live viewing.

Live export may be used where Echoview is used remotely and data is sent to local network for assessment. Live export is designed to work while live viewing in Echoview and to work smoothly with COM live viewing support.

Contact support@echoview.com for further information.

Expands Echoview's processing/analysis capabilities.

Statistical combination line redesign

A design change brings significantly improved performance for the Statistical combination (line) operator. Operand 1 now specifies an acoustic variable that provides the ping geometry for the statistical combination line.

For old EV files that use this operator, you will need to re-specify Operand 1 and the line operands. You can configure a COM script to do this for you.

We apologize for any convenience this may cause.

Improved performance.

Sample statistic subtract

The Sample statistic subtract operator can handle no more than 1000 pings. Echoview displays message when the pings in operand 2 exceed 1000 pings. At the 1000 ping limit performance is poor but feasible.

Feasible performance limits keep you working.

Multi-threaded operators

The Merge pings operator joins our set of 58 multi-threaded operators.

Expands the number of multi-threaded operators.

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.

Live viewing support

COM live viewing support includes:

• EvApplication methods: StartLiveViewing, StopLiveViewing
• EvApplication properties: DataLoggers, LiveViewingDataLogger
• New objects: EvDataLogger, EvDataLoggersCollection

Changes in existing objects

• EvApplication.Quit closes the connected instance of Echoview regardless of how Echoview was opened.
• New ERegionType value: eBadDataEmptyWater = 4 supports the Bad data (empty water) region type.
• EvVirtualVariable now provides basic support for line variables.
• New EvVariableAcousticProperties.BeamSelect and EvBeamSelect object.
• New EvVariableAcousticProperties.BeamSubset and EvBeamSubset object.
• The new EvPingSubset.RangeInclusive allows you to specify the Ping Inclusion setting on the Ping Subset page of a Ping subset virtual variable.

Changes to EvAnalysis

EvAnalysis.BadDataHasVolume supports the Analysis page setting Include the volume of no-data samples.

ExcludeWholeNoDataPings is deprecated.

Corrections to documentation

New content for the Exports section of What is affected by transducer geometry? The unclear statement "Corrected for transducer geometry" is replaced by "Latitude/longitude are corrected for target-based analysis variables in fish track analysis exports. Region-based analysis variables in fish track analysis exports are not corrected. This is likely to change in a future version of Echoview."

A new recommendation for school detection. It is advised that schools regions shouldn't extend beyond the data. This may occur when you detect schools then remove data files and add new data such that schools regions extend beyond the new data. In this case, inconsistent Uncorrected_length and Uncorrected_thickness may have undesired effects on other schools analysis variables.

New documentation related to the impact of Analysis settings on the sample interval for Uncorrected_area, Corrected_image_area, Image_compactness and 3D_school_volume.

See also School detection module algorithms.

License documentation updated

An out of date license documentation bug for Purchase and EUSA versions of the text has been fixed. Up to date license documentation has been added. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the minor changes to license information in the Help file.

File format correction

New content for the Supported sounders page, a listing for partial support for Kongsberg *.wcd format.

HAC documentation

New content for the HAC data files: Compatibility considerations. Calibrated HAC files used in Echoview may need their calibration settings to be added to an ECS file for use in other Echoview calculations.

Density number

The Density_number algorithm page has addition information about unit conversion and usage in conjunction with Thickness_mean/Height_mean.

Change in range affects regions and lines

Changes in calibration settings used for range calculations may shift ping data in the depth dimension but will not automatically adjust the position of regions and lines. You should review any existing regions and lines to ensure they are still valid.

For more information refer to Range calculation effects on regions and lines.

Working with 4D and 3D data

A summary of features to display echogram data and more in 4D and 3D.

Operators using multibeam data

A summary of operators that accept multibeam data.

Bug fixes

Line pick license bug

A line pick bug has been fixed. Licensing checks for line picking now allows line picks on virtual echograms licensed under the Base, Bathymetry and Analysis Export modules. Previously, line picks on virtual echograms created under this combination of licensed modules were disallowed.

Collateral documentation for this bug fix includes clearer documentation about the use of regions on virtual echograms licensed under modules other than the Virtual Echogram module. For further information refer to License and demonstration mode: Restrictions.

Virtual variable-line recursion bug

A virtual variable line recursion bug has been fixed. The bug occurred because a line that is derived from a variable can't be used by that variable for some tasks. Examples are Line bitmap and Single target detection variables, and Deadzone estimation. A line pick can still be used for exclusion of course.

Copy-paste Formula operator bug

A bug associated with copy-paste of the Formula operator has been fixed. A copy-paste of the Formula operator now maintains links with Formula operator's input operands. The bug caused the Formula operator to lose the links to input operands and required you to manually re-specify input variables.

Dependent raw variable bug

A bug affecting the calibration settings of paired raw variables is fixed. Calibration settings of paired variables now behave as expected. The bug resulted in a breakdown in Echoview's tracking of paired variables when the calibration settings for one variable were changed.

In support of this bug fix, the documentation about paired raw variables with common calibration settings is clarified. Paired raw variables can occur for Simrad Ex500 telegrams (that are described together) and Simrad SM2000/Kongsberg Mesotech SM20 data.

Multibeam last beam bug

A bug affecting the display depths of the last (angular) half of the last beam of a sector is fixed. The depths for the last beam in a sector are now correctly displayed in the Details dialog and Information toolbar. Export variables were unaffected by this bug. The bug was characterized by the display of incorrect depths for mouse positions in the last angular half of the last beam in a multibeam echogram. In addition, Tape measure distances measured across the last beam were incorrect.

A related bug affecting multibeam targets in the last beam of a sector plot is fixed. Multibeam targets in the last beam are now displayed and exported correctly. The bug affected particular multibeam targets detected in the last beam of the sector. A multibeam target detected in (and spanning) the last beam was displayed incorrectly - the target circle was displayed in the first beam and the highlighted target was displayed in the last beam. The export for the detected target's Major-axis angle was incorrectly reported as being in the first beam.

Media window bug

A bug associated with the auto-synchronization of the Video has been fixed. Auto-synchronization works correctly for echograms and the Media window. In addition, the Media window now responds when Shortcut menu > Synchronize (A) is used with an active echogram. The bug involved echograms and a Media window in an Auto-synchronous group and resulted unacceptable auto-synchronization behavior that was cleared with a restart of Echoview.