New in Echoview 7 for all users
Welcome to Echoview 7!
Echoview Software is very pleased to announce the release of Echoview 7. We are committed to improving the depth and efficiency of your acoustic data processing, regardless of your processing methodology. We are pleased to introduce features that will improve processing speed and simplify your workflow.
This page has been prepared for the full release of Echoview 7. The contents of the Help file may change and you should check with each subsequent update of Echoview 7.
New features are presented in these categories:
Key new features and enhancements
Other enhancements
Licensing changes
New operators and operator enhancements
Scripting and COM objects
Documentation changes
Bug fixes
New features for all users
Feature |
How it works |
Benefit |
Key new features and enhancements |
||
64-bit edition
|
Echoview 7 is available in 32-bit and 64-bit Editions. Echoview 7 64-bit Edition will allow access to significantly more system memory and utilize the full potential of modern computing hardware. The result is a significant improvement in Echoview performance and stability. Until now, Echoview has only been available as a 32-bit program, and 32-bit software has innate memory restrictions. The 64-bit Edition of Microsoft Windows can only allocate a maximum of 4 GB of memory to a 32-bit program, which means that working with large volumes of data or complex calculations can result in memory-related issues when using 32-bit software. Changes introduced to align 32-bit and 64-bit calculations may produce slight differences in export values between Echoview 6.1 and Echoview 7. |
A faster and more stable way to use Echoview.
|
Wideband data processing |
Introducing support for the display and processing of wideband data. New features include:
For more information about wideband data refer to About transmitted pulse. |
New processing features for the next generation of data. |
Graphs |
Graphs in Echoview are updated and now include these usability features:
See also the new Single Target Frequency Response graph. |
Facilitates data exploration. |
Other enhancements |
||
General changes |
The following changes make Echoview features easier to use:
|
More efficient workflow and time savings. |
Distance calculation |
The Vincenty method is now used to calculate distance with better accuracy. The new distance method and a more accurate value for arc-second together with new time handling may introduce small differences (see below) in time values between Echoview 6.1 and Echoview 7. Distance changes:
|
Increased accuracy. |
Time calculation |
Echoview time handling has been improved. The new time handling may introduce small differences in time values between Echoview 6.1 and Echoview 7. Time changes:
|
Increased accuracy. |
Microsoft Windows support |
Echoview introduces support for Microsoft Windows 10, 32 and 64 bit Editions. Echoview no longer supports:
|
Updated operating system information. |
Acoustic data types |
Echoview introduces a new acoustic data type called Complex single target. A Single target detection - wideband virtual variable contains complex single target data. The frequency spectrum of complex single targets can be displayed on a Single target frequency response graph and exported. Introducing other new acoustic data types:
Note: Existing Echoview version 6.1 EV file Single target detection - wideband operators may require operands to be re-attached on the Dataflow window or re-specified using the Variable Properties dialog box. |
Supports wideband data analysis. |
NMEA string support | $INGLL data is derived as a raw variable. | Expands supported NMEA strings. |
Keyboard shortcuts |
Fileset Raw variables section now has keyboard shortcuts. |
Improves usability. |
Line pick | You can now run a line pick on complex power, complex Sv and complex TS echograms. | Echoview feature support for recently added data types. |
Fish tracks |
Updates to fish tracks:
|
Clearer information about and handling of invalid fish tracks. |
TransducerGain | TransducerGain is a new calibration setting that represents a value for transducer gain in power to Sv or power to TS equations. | Expands the number of common calibration settings. |
Deprecated variable |
Deprecated single target detection variables in EV files that use Sv operands as input will no longer be displayed in the Dataflow window. Pre-Echoview 7 EV files with such variables will display a message about this change and replace the deprecated variable with a suitable single target detection operator. It may be necessary to re-specify the operands. |
Removes ambiguous operator behavior. |
MATLAB |
Echoview now exports data to 32 and 64-bit MATLAB Level 5 MAT files.
For further information refer to Exporting to MATLAB. |
Up-to-date MATLAB file formats for 32 and 64-bit Echoview. |
HAC calibration |
Echoview can now modify the:
Applied TVG for Sv and TS is affected by these changes. New TVG is applied under the assumption that TVG was applied to Sv and TS data. For more information refer to HAC Calibration notes. Also introducing support for:
|
Improved support for HAC data. |
HAC changes |
Introducing some HAC reading and display changes:
|
Improved HAC data support. |
Multibeam ping selection |
New ping range settings are available when you create a 3D multibeam curtain, or bottom surface or detect a 3D school. |
Flexible settings. |
Echoview Software Updater |
Updated design and icon for the Echoview Software Updater. |
Expands update capabilities. |
System Information |
Use Help menu, System Information to display operating system, computer processor and graphics card information. |
A diagnostic tool. |
Disk cache |
The disk cache feature is removed for this release. |
Improves memory cache stability. |
Licensing changes |
||
New module structure |
Introducing a simpler module system that is easier to understand. Modules used in Echoview 6.1 and earlier have been merged or expanded to better represent our user’s requirements. Changes include:
Modules name changes:
Please contact sales@echoview.com for more information. See also: About Echoview modules. |
Simplified licensing. |
Echoview Maintenance and Technical Support | Echoview Maintenance and Technical Support (MATS) replaces Echoview Upgrade and Support Agreement. | Product clarity. |
New Operators and Operator enhancements
|
||
The new Single target detection - wideband operator detects single targets in pulse compressed wideband data. A Single Target Frequency Response graph is available for a selection or region on a single target detection - wideband echogram. You can export single target frequency response data from the graph. Please note: The correctness of sample values from Single target detection - Wideband variables are still in the process of being verified in this release. Echoview will continue to be updated for any changes that are made to wideband data support as this new technology develops. Please contact support@echoview.com if you have any questions about using wideband data in Echoview or suggestions for processing wideband/broadband data. |
Single target detection for a new data type. |
|
Background noise removal |
The Background noise removal operator now supports Sv, TS, Multibeam Sv and Multibeam TS operands. |
A more versatile noise removal tool. |
Impulse noise removal |
The Impulse Noise Removal operator quickly identifies and replaces impulse noise from single beam Sv and TS data. |
A valuable noise removal tool. |
Transient noise removal | The Transient Noise Removal operator identifies and replaces transient noise over multiple pings from single beam Sv and TS data. | A valuable noise removal tool. |
Operand changes |
Operand support for some or all of complex data types has been added to a subset of existing operators. Updated operators include:
In addition, operand support for the Power dB data type has been added to 62 existing operators. The Dilation and Erosion operators now accept Color operands. The XxY Statistic operator now accepts Boolean operands. |
Operand updates for new data types. |
These operators that are now multi-threaded:
Multi-threaded operators process faster on multiple core computer systems. They are marked by a running hare on the New variable dialog box. |
Expands the number of multi-threaded operators. |
|
Ping time shift |
The Ping time shift operator now offers two ways to shift pings in time. The new Shift pings by time setting shifts all pings in time, similar to the Fileset Properties dialog box Time offset setting. There is no change to the other Ping time shift setting. |
New flexibility for the Ping time shift operator. |
Single target detection algorithm |
Single target detection algorithms can now consider peaks that are one sample wide. |
Improved single target detection. |
Single target detection |
The Single target detection TS threshold setting name is now operator sensitive and is displayed as Uncompensated TS threshold or Compensated TS threshold. |
Clearer information for your detections. |
Scripting and COM objects
|
||
EvSingleTargetDetectionWidebandParameters |
EvVariableAcousticProperties.SingleTargetDetectionWidebandParameters and the EvSingleTargetDetectionWidebandParameters object support specific settings for a Single target detection - Wideband variable. Common single target detection settings are handled by the EvSingleTargetDetectionParameters object. |
|
EvFilterTargets |
EvVariableAcousticProperties.FilterTargets and the EvFilterTargets object support settings for the Filter Targets page of the Variable Properties dialog box of single target variables. |
|
EvData |
EvVariableAcousticProperties.Data and the EvData object support settings for the Data page of the Variable Properties. |
|
EVariableDataType |
New values for EVariableDataType:
|
|
EBeamCompensation |
New enum and values for EBeamCompensation. |
|
ExportFrequencyDistributionBySingleRegion |
.csv files output by ExportFrequencyDistributionBySingleRegion now have Region_ID and Process_ID data. This change brings uniformity to COM exports for single target frequency distribution. |
|
RemoveAll |
A new method to remove all data files in a fileset. EvFileset.DataFiles.RemoveAll |
|
Documentation changes |
||
Transducer geometry illustrated |
Transducer geometry illustrated discusses an example for a fixed platform and an imaging sonar pointed across a river. A Scene and 3D curtain are used as a self-check of location and orientation and fish track Direction_horizontal and Direction_vertical are illustrated. |
|
Single target detection pages |
Improve setting information for the specific context sensitive Single target detection settings pages. The How to - Creating single target from ... pages have also been updated for incremental changes with respect to calibration settings and transducer geometry settings. |
|
Beam compensation |
Simrad split-beam beam compensation is a two-way value. |
|
Beam parameters |
Introducing a new Beam angle parameters page that discusses adjustment equations used for the analysis of single target data with Beam volume sum and Wedge volume sampled variables. |
|
Multibeam display |
Updated information about multibeam display settings that enable you to replicate the orientation of the ping view in your instrument's software. |
|
EvFileExportVariablesCollection.Item | Lists of export variables that can be useful with EvFileExportVariablesCollection.Item. | |
Echoview End User License Agreement |
Updated Echoview End User License Agreement. |
|
Ping time shift | A usage note is added. | |
Export to EchoIMPACT |
This export is only available under Echoview 32-bit version. |
|
Export files | Improved and corrected documentation for exporting data and exporting analyses. | |
2D school variables |
The help file definitions for some 2D school detection SHAPES variables are updated to use "D the mean depth (m) of the region". The documentation now correctly describes the Echoview calculations that were correct. Affected school variable equations are: Mean depth of a region, Uncorrected_thickness, Normalized length in terms of beam width number, Normalized school length in beam widths and Corrected_length. |
|
HAC calibration notes |
HAC Calibration notes summarizes support advice about HAC calibration. |
|
Noise examples |
Visual examples: |
|
TOC summary pages |
Gradual addition of new summary pages for Help file top of the page navigation links: |
|
Bug fixes |
||
Bottom classification |
It has come to our attention that there was an error in bottom classification: the calculation of the bottom hardness index (also known as E2) from the second bottom echo was incorrect. This bug has now been fixed in Echoview 6.1.70, and the fix will also be included in the full release of Echoview 7. Specifically, the following incorrect formula was used for calculating the E2 start depth:
The correct formula that is now in use:
This bug may impact your bottom classification results if you are using E2. If this is the case, we recommend that you re-run your analyses using the fixed version of Echoview. The documentation for Bottom hardness has been updated. Associated documentation for Bottom Roughness, and Bottom classification algorithms have been reviewed and updated as well. Some previously documented equations were inaccurate but the corresponding Echoview calculations were correct. Please contact support@echoview.com if you have any questions. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this error may cause - the Echoview team is dedicated to maintaining the correctness of the calculations that Echoview performs, and to ensuring that our customers are informed on the very rare occasion that an error is found. |
|
Background noise removal operator
|
The Background noise removal operator removes noise correctly for all operand pings. Previously, the operator removed noise incorrectly on some pings. This occurred when a ping was shorter than the other pings. |
|
Classification rule |
Region rule based classification may be affected by a bug fix that corrects the use of invalid layer-based analysis variables by region classification rules. Echoview will automatically remove invalid rules and send an explanatory message to the Message dialog box for pre-Echoview 7 EV files. |
|
Fish track name |
Split Fish Track is now fixed. Previously, the same region name was assigned to the split fish tracks. |
|
Interval display |
Interval numbering is correctly displayed across ping time gaps. Previously, the interval number was correctly displayed only when the time gap was beyond the left of the echogram window. |
|
Integram display |
The integram updates correctly when a vertical band region is deleted. Previously, the integram did not update. |
|
Single target detection - wideband |
The Single target detection - wideband operator absorption coefficient is the one used by the file format. Some file formats calculate the absorption coefficient rather than reading the value from the file. Previously, the operator used the absorption coefficient read from the file. |
|
Single target .csv |
You can now add multiple single target .csv files to a fileset. Previously, a bug prevented Echoview from adding more than one single target .csv file to a fileset. |
|
Single target angle standard deviation |
Single target analysis variables Standdev_angles_major_axis and Standdev_angles_minor_axis are now calculated correctly. Previously, single targets with two or less samples above PLDL had incorrectly calculated angle standard deviations. |
|
Single target detection variable |
Fixed a crash that could happen when a Single Target Detection variable's operand contained 'no data' values. |
|
Tape measure tool |
Tape measure distances are more reliable and the calculations account for bad GPS fixes correctly. |
|
Convolution operators |
Convolution operators with color operands now correctly apply heave. |
|
XxY statistic operator |
A rounding bug in the XxY statistic operator is fixed. |
|
Formula operator |
A memory management bug for the Formula operator is fixed. A 64-bit equation display bug for the Formula operator is fixed. A rarely occurring known issue has been identified. A Formula virtual variable may crash when its Variable Properties dialog box is closed. |
|
COM crash |
A COM crash fix and two known issues:
|
|
Lines under COM |
Several COM line issues are fixed.
|
New features for users of specific echosounders and sonars
There may be specific version 7 features for your echosounder or sonar - please take a minute to check what's new.
- New for users of BioSonics data
- New for users of BlueView data
- New for users of Furuno data
- New for users of HTI data
- New for users of Kongsberg data
- New for users of RESON data
- New for users of Simrad data
- New for users of WASSP data
- New for users of data from Sonic echosounders