New in Echoview 13 for all users

Feature

How it works

Benefit

Echoview Software is excited to announce its breakthrough into machine learning for hydroacoustic data processing.

In collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart, Australia, we have trained an inference model to create a bottom exclusion line in your echograms.

We are introducing this capability in the

• Trained model bottom exclusion (experimental) virtual line operator
• Trained model bitmap (experimental) operator
• Line picking algorithm for editable lines
• New in 13.1: Improved the Recalculate or repick a selection algorithm for these editable lines.

Would you like to get involved or learn more? Please contact us at support@echoview.com

Introducing the Dataflow Toolbox.

• Drag-and-drop new virtual variables, virtual lines or virtual surfaces and other dataflow objects into the Dataflow Window.
• Quickly glance at all the Echoview operators suited to the data in the EV file.
• Pin your favorite operators.
• View recently used operators.

The implementation of the Dataflow Toolbox has streamlined the creation of virtual variables and dataflow objects and simplified virtual line properties inheritance.

Changes to the export of an image from single beam echograms, regions or selections allows:

• custom data ranges
• custom image resolution
• splitting the export into multiple files
• a color legend

Also available via COM (see Image export below).

Fileset window

Usability improvements for the Raw Variables section of the Fileset Window simplify the management for numerous raw variables. Improvements include:

• grouping raw variables by Transducer or Type
• using the Collapse All, Expand All and + and - buttons to customize what you see
• making groups of raw variables unavailable with checkboxes
• ordering variables alphabetically in their group
• searching for variables using a filter window
• selecting multiple variables and opening a window type
• New in 13.1: displaying files with conflicting file names in a single dialog box when you add them

New in 13.1: Introducing a calculation change for Beam volume sum and Wedge volume sampled for single target analysis calculations.

It has come to our attention that the solid angle used in Echoview’s calculation of “beam volume sum” misrepresents the volume in which single targets are detected. This will affect point target (e.g., fish) density estimates obtained via an echo counting method in which the number of single targets detected is divided by the beam volume sum.

The changes affect:

• the onscreen and export single targets analysis variable Beam volume sum
• the export single targets analysis variable Wedge volume sampled
• the Cell statistic (single targets) calculations for Beam volume sum and Echo density.

Reviewed and improved documentation includes changes to:

• Beam volume sum algorithm
• Wedge volume sampled algorithm
• Beam angle parameters
• Filter targets page
• About calibration settings: Additional uses of calibration settings

New in 13.1: The Sv(f) and TS(f) outputs from the wideband frequency response graph and exports is updated to match the computations in Anderson et al. (in prep).

Performance

Echoview's interface is now more responsive during heavy calculations, allowing you to interact and change settings, or to cancel acoustic variable exports that are in progress.

Many aspects of Echoview are also now faster, allowing you to process your data more efficiently, which will be particularly evident when using a powerful computer.

New features include:

• Improvements in export time include a Cancel export button and feedback on export progress for:
  • Data value exports
  • EVD exports
  • Georeferenced samples exports
  • Wideband frequency response export
• Cancel button for Detect schools.
• All acoustic operators are now multithreaded.
• Faster CSV file read and write times, now that Echoview now only supports the UTF-8 text encoding format.
• Significantly improved region by cells export time for the Heave_max, Heave_mean and Heave_min variables. Heave variable values under the Layer field will output the region-intersecting ping-interval value. Previously, Echoview used the pings from the whole interval.
• Improvement in ICES export times.

More efficient workflow and time savings.

The Echolog utility program used for live viewing is updated with these improvements:

• A new setting Live viewing broadcast address allows you to specify the broadcast IP address.
• Improved program stability, particularly when the survey folder contains large numbers of data files.

Export File options

The File export options Split exported files based on size and Target file size (MB) allow you to minimize file handling errors that can occur with large data exports and manage data sharing. The settings are offered for:

• Export of data values to the CSV format
• Export to Echoview Data File Format
• Export of complex data

The real and imaginary components of complex acoustic data can now be exported to the Matlab file format. The export is available for echograms, from the Dataflow window and from tables.

This feature is supported by the COM methods ExportData and ExportComplexData.

Details panel

New Fileset Properties and data file information support for the Details dialog box.

Long filenames may be truncated (and aligned) so that distinguishing information at the end of the name is easily seen.

New in 13.1: The Details panel displays Tilt and Bearing angles for supported multibeam file formats.

Synchronized position

New in 13.1: The new cruise track/alongtrack property Show synchronized position can display the synchronized position value of an echogram ping when an echogram and a track window are in an auto-synchronized group.

Accessible position information.

New Regions features to help with your analysis workflow:

• Classify Regions with Rules introduces support for echograms of complex Sv and pulse compressed Sv data types.
• Duplicate Region to make an identical copy of a 2D region.

Echocheck

Echocheck can now handle files larger than 2 GB but the processing time can be several minutes or longer.

Updated Echocheck support for *.anpp files containing data packets supported by Echoview.

Introducing a calculated Region altitude export value for the case where a region intersects an exclusion line. This change is supported for the max, mean and min variations of Region_top_altitude and Region_bottom_altitude.

Prior to Echoview 13, it exported no data.

For further information about Region altitude refer to Notes about schools detection: Other school descriptors.

Dataflow window

The new default Dataflow window layout Raw and Geometry improves the handling of new objects when they are added to an EV file.

The right-click Arrange Objects feature offers two new object layout options:

• Raw and Geometry
• All

The right-click menu now includes Select None and Select with Upstream Objects.

New in 13.1: You can now use the Objects list panel to filter objects in Views by operator group and module name.

Options to aid dataflow workflow.

Template files

• Templates can now apply a workspace to new EV files.
• When creating an EV file, you can now choose any EV file as a template using the New From Template... option from the file menu, or the Browse button on the New EV File dialog box.

General changes

The following changes make Echoview features easier to use:

• New in 13.1: Echoview displays the license number and dongle name on the Echoview window title bar.
• New in 13.1: Custom region type settings for outline thickness, shading and fill color can now be specified under EV File Properties. Similar settings are available for a region class.
• New in 13.1: The new increased limits for Platform property Z coordinate of the water level are -9999.99 to 9999.98 m.
• New in 13.1: The editable line Trained model bottom exclusion line pick now accepts selected wideband and wideband pulse compressed data as input. However please note that results may be of low quality, as the model is trained with EK60 narrowband Sv data.
• The Variable Properties dialog box Grid page Show time/distance grid list now supports the options: Time (minutes), Time (hours) and Time (days).
• The text display area for multibeam objects in the Dataflow window is increased.
• New Dataflow window drag and drop behavior for objects suitable for Platform Position source and Heave source.
• Improvements to Dataflow drag and drop processes for single beam and multibeam data.
• Merge Fish Tracks is more robust.
• Echoview is more stable when deleting multiple dataflow objects.
• New user-defined keyboard shortcuts for:
  • Line status
  • Find Next Line Break
• Add single beam *.boolean.csv and multibeam *.boolean.mb.csv text data files via the Filesets window.
• The Detect schools message now displays the number of schools detected.
• Echoview may automatically adjust the Line colors on graphs and echograms to improve the contrast between the line and background.
• The Echoview Status bar displays data file information for raw variable echograms only.
• Panel 1 of the Status bar displays a tally and the region type of selected region items in the Regions window.
• The path to default live viewing folders is changed.
• The Calibration Report, Target Summary section now includes First target and Last target times.
• Target length export files now have the *.targetlength.csv extension to distinguish from *.length.csv data exports.
• Echogram Show time Grid labels display the date and time for every interval.
• A previously specified ECS filename persists while you browse for an existing ECS file.
• Synchronize and zoom interactions between echograms and other windows is improved.
• Echoview installation now includes example Simrad EK80 data that can be used with Echosim 80.
• Close a specified type of window with the feature Window menu, Close All, WindowType.
• Undo and redo support for virtual surfaces (see About Undo and Redo).
• Display the Color legend label on either side of the Color bar.
• Multibeam bottom detection now supports transducer elevation within the range 0 to 90°. Previously, the detection was successful for purely, downward-pointing transducers.
• Echoview's corrupt data file handling now sends error messages after data files are added to a fileset.
• Virtual position variable exports now output an empty value under GPS_filename.
• Improved workspace handling for an empty Wideband frequency response graph.
• If you have classified an existing region, Echoview will designate a new region under that class. However, new fish track regions will be labeled under the classification used for the latest fish track instead.
• Improved CTD handling for sample edges and special data value -999 dB.
• Echoview 13 generates position variables and GPS fixes for specific NMEA codes. Previous versions attempted to derive position variables and GPS fixes from other NMEA codes as well.
• New Detect Schools default keyboard shortcuts, that can also be customized.
• WMS map support is improved.

New operators and operator enhancements

Noise removal and noise estimation

Introducing new operators for managing noise in single beam and wideband operands:

• Transient noise ping removal
• Background noise estimation
• Signal to background noise ratio

The Transient noise removal operator is renamed as Transient noise sample removal.

A wide variety of signal and noise operators for post-processing.

Support for wideband data is included for these noise removal operators:

• Attenuated signal removal
• Background noise removal
• Impulse noise removal
• Transient noise sample removal

XxYxZ Statistic

Introducing the XxYxZ Statistic operator for multibeam data. Statistics include:

• Mean
• Minimum
• Maximum
• Median
• Percentile
• Standard deviation
• Variance
• Mean absolute deviation
• Coefficient of variation
• Kurtosis

A versatile new convolution filter for multibeam data.

Near-field depth estimation

Code operator

The Measurement class has three new attributes:

• ping_mode (via the new PingMode class)
• tilt_angle
• bearing_angle

Expanded support for multibeam data.

Live Export

Echoview applies exclusion lines and thresholds to the output of Live Export.

For further information refer to Using live viewing: Live Export.

Region Bitmap

Region statistic

Improvements for the Region statistic operator include:

• New operand data types:
  • TS, Power dB
  • Complex power dB, Complex Sv, Complex TS
  • Pulse compressed complex power dB
  • Pulse compressed complex Sv
  • Pulse compressed complex TS
• Support for fish track regions.

Mask

The Mask operator now offers a Custom mask value.

Widens the flexibility of the operator.

Multithreading

All acoustic operators are now multithreaded. These operators are newly multithreaded:

• Multibeam target detection
• Motion range bitmap
• Line range bitmap
• FIR filter
• Beam scan
• Beam dilation filter 3x3
• Beam erosion filter 3x3
• Beam median filter 3x3
• Beam opening filter 3x3
• Beam closing filter 3x3
• Bottom echo bitmap H-mode - Furuno
• Target length calculator
• ST union
• ST difference
• ST intersection
• TS substitution
• Variance of 3
• Target bitmap
• Vessel speed at pings

Improved performance.

New Operand data types

Vessel speed at pings now includes support for operands with wideband data types.

Multibeam target detection now supports Multibeam magnitude, Magnitude unspecified dB. New in 13.1: Multibeam TS operands.

Multibeam target overlay now supports Multibeam magnitude. New in 13.1: Magnitude unspecified dB and Multibeam TS operands.

Kovesi image denoising now supports Multibeam magnitude operands.

The Processed data operator now supports multibeam magnitude operands.

Scripting and COM objects

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

Command interface

The Echoview console allows you to access Echoview properties and actions. Use the Console dialog box to immediately interact with the Command interface. Use a script to execute batch commands.

Support includes:

• New in 13.1: Updated support for all Show time\distance grid units.
• Updated Console text colors to differentiate information types.
• Grouped settings for Media properties under PageMediaPosition.
• Grouped bottom classification variable Classes properties under PageClasses.
• Updated array handling documentation for adding an item, removing an item, and the return value when querying an index that exceeds the array's length.
• More EV File, Variable and Transducer object properties are now available. Some of these are read-only.
• The properties ExcludeBelowLineOrSurface and ExcludeAboveLineOrSurface supports surfaces.
• Implemented an easier way to amend supported variable and EV File properties in arrays with +=|, -=| and All.
• Resample by distance virtual variable, DistanceMode value names have changed. The new ValueOptions for DistanceMode are: GPSNauticalMiles, VesselLogNauticalMiles, GPSMeters, VesselLogMeters.
• Use of the text 'No data' as a special default value for some graph axis and Calibration Assistant properties. Previously, -INF was used. This change may affect Command interface export file content.

Note: We strongly recommend checking that any scripts written for previous versions of Echoview that include EvApp.Exec content still works as expected. We also recommend you incorporate built-in scripting safeguards that will report any errors that may occur.

Target file size

Set a data export maximum file size for these COM methods:

• EvVariableAcoustic.ExportComplexData and EvVariableVirtual.ExportComplexData
• EvVariableAcoustic.ExportData and EvVariableVirtual.ExportData
• EvVariableAcoustic.ExportEVD and EvVariableVirtual.ExportEVD
• EvVariableAcoustic.ExportEVDRange and EvVariableVirtual.ExportEVDRange
• EvFile.ExportEVDAll
• EvVariableBase.ExportData
• EvVariableBase.ExportEVD
• EvVariableBase.ExportEVDRange

Regions

Delete all regions in an EV file with EvFile.Regions.DeleteAll.

Apply your classification rules (see Classify Regions) to all analysis regions in the acoustic variable with EvVariableAcoustic.ClassifyRegionAll.

Complex data to .mat

Matlab .mat file format is now available for the real and imaginary components of complex acoustic data under these COM methods:

• EvVariableAcoustic.ExportData
• EvVariableAcoustic.ExportComplexData

Image export

Custom image export from a single beam echogram COM support now includes:

• EvVariableAcoustic.ExportEchogramToImageCustom
• EvVariableAcoustic.ExportRegionToImage
• Enums EImageExportHorizontalExtent and EImageExportVerticalExtent

Enums

The enum values under ETimeDistanceGridMode now includes eDistanceWaterCurrentMeters, eTimeHours and eTimeDays.

ETimeDistanceGridMode specifies the Grid page Show time/distance grid, and is used by:

• EvVariableAcoustic.GoToPing
• EvVariableAcoustic.GoToPingRange
• EvGrid.SetTimeDistanceGrid
• EvGrid.TimeDistanceMode

Data processing workflow

The Data processing workflow page draws from the Echoview Training Learner Guide. Key content links are listed with respect to data processing.

Multibeam target properties

Updated multibeam target property documentation discusses the handling of non-contiguous samples and linked satellite samples.

COM Cancel export

Updated COM documentation for Cancel export button behavior. Affected methods include:

• EvVariableAcoustic.ExportData
• EvVariableAcoustic.ExportEVD
• EvVariableAcoustic.ExportEVDRange
• EVVariableAcoustic.ExportGeoreferencedSamples
• EvFile.ExportEVDAll

Export Georeferenced Samples

Updated the Export Georeferenced Sample value list for supported data types and file extensions.

Variable Properties - Multiple Variables Selected

Updated the Variable Properties - Multiple Variables Selected documentation for Checkbox behavior.

Graph linking

Updated the Graph linking documentation for Variable Properties behaviors.

*.depth.csv export

Added *.depth.csv file documentation.

Export via Table

Updated the documentation for available tables and exports from the Table window.

Detect surface

Simplified and reorganized the Detect surface, preview and export multibeam bottom samples data documentation.

School detection while live viewing

Updated the documentation for School detection while live viewing algorithm: Notes for separate regions that merge.

Beam Select and Angle Select

Added more tilt information for the Angle Select and Beam Select operators.

WRL files

Updated the documentation for third party VRML viewers for .WRL files.

Ping modes

Updated the About ping mode documentation for tilt and bearing ranges.

School detection with applied heave and CTD

Updated documentation for 2D school detection with applied heave and CTD.

Bug fixes

Formula operator

No heave during export

New in 13.1: Fixed a bug where Echoview was removing the heave offset from the -10000.99 special data value from a line before exporting it to EVD.

Console tab completion

New in 13.1: Fixed a bug that caused TAB key completion for console inputs to fail.

WASSP data files

New in 13.1: Fixed a bug that caused Echoview to crash while loading WASSP data.

Region name for split fish tracks

New in 13.1: Fixed a bug when you Split a fish track into two fish tracks, Echoview would assign both parts of the same region name (Region properties). Now, the region name for the split fish track will be the corresponding region ID.

Renaming filesets deletes data files

New in 13.1: Fixed a bug where using the Delete key to remove text in a fileset's name whilst renaming it, could delete datafiles in the fileset if they were selected.

2D school detection

New in 13.1: Fixed a bug affecting 2D school detection with an upward pointing transducer, where Deleted existing 2D regions of this class first failed to implement prior to detection.

Release of data files

New in 13.1: Fixed a bug that affected the release of data files after an EV file was closed, this in turn caused eject issues with drives.

Reduce pings (Method 2)

Fixed a bug affecting the Reduce pings (Method 2) operator where it displayed random no data pings. The bug manifested when the operator was not updating correctly when an EV file was reopened, when adding a new data file to an open echogram, or during an export.

Code operator

The Code operator data type now changes accordingly when the current Python source file is substituted with one returning a different result_type.

New in 13.1: A bug affecting the performance of the Code operator is fixed. Code operator performance times under the bug were twice as slow.

Set Line Status

A bug affecting Set Line Status is fixed. Previously, Set Line Status may have behaved unexpectedly at the edges of a selection.

Grid line date and timestamps

Grid line labels now consistently show the correct date and time. Previously, these may have defaulted to 1970-01-01 00:00:00 when displaying small time-intervals.

2D region detection and multibeam target detection

A ping time issue affecting 2D region detection and multibeam target detection is fixed. Previously, under ping time distance calculations, incorrect results were output when the ping rate was higher than 1 ping per second.

Formula operator

Fixed a Formula operator issue when handling pings composed of no data samples. Previously, Formula calculations for pings composed of no data samples could return an error or crash Echoview.

EVI files

A bug that affected EVI files is fixed. Previously, EVI files did not save custom CSV fields correctly and allowed incompatible files to be added to a fileset.

Multiple Variables Selected

A bug that affected Variable Properties - Multiple Variables Selected dialog box is fixed. Previously, the Grid page Show time/distance grid list Water current distance (m) item was missing.

Sample value update

A bug that affected the update of sample values is fixed. Previously, resolving an issue of a missing ECS file may not update echogram sample values correctly.

COM export

A COM bug that allowed the use of the Matlab file extension and georeferenced samples exports for data types not supported by the Echoview graphical interface is fixed.

A threshold bug affecting the output of the Live export variable is fixed. Previously, thresholds were applied to the operator operand. See also new Live Export features.

Fixed a bug in the Live export operator where the variable would not execute the export if the first ping was larger than the limit in Limit file size by megabytes.

EV file

Wideband frequency response graph

The wideband frequency response graph export now correctly incorporates the value from the Maximum acceptable time difference from reference (seconds) setting.

Multibeam target detection

A bug affecting multibeam target properties is fixed by changing the precision and rounding of calculations. Multibeam target detection can be sensitive during initial target identification. The bug fix together with target identification sensitivity may result in large changes in target property values.

Minus, Plus, Threshold operators

A multibeam bug that could affect Minus, Plus or Threshold virtual variables is fixed. Previously, differences in operand multibeam data handling may have output no data (rather than a value) under Minus, Plus or Threshold operators.

• A bug associated with changes to Ping subset properties which affected updates to multibeam echograms and the 4D window is fixed.
• The operator now correctly identifies ping times to 0.1 millisecond precision for the output.

School detection while live viewing

Several bugs affecting school detection while live viewing are fixed:

• The algorithm now persists with the current school detection when users change the echogram display extents. Previously, it initiated a new detection.
• Changing the detection settings on the Regions page resets the school detection (see School detection while live viewing algorithm: Notes). In Echoview 11, 12 and 12.1 the detected school regions continued to extend.

Calibration Assistant

Calibration Assistant graph frequency axes update when the TS variable on the Required Settings page is changed. Previously, the frequency axes didn't update with the change.

A bug affecting the Calibration Assistant Report is fixed. Previously, a change in the Output may not have updated some values in the Calibration Assistant Report.

Cell Integration Results Layer number

A bug affecting the cell Layer number on the Integration Results dialog box is fixed, for cells formed with an undulating Line-referenced Grid.

COM EvDataPaths.Insert

A bug affecting EvDataPaths.Insert is fixed. Previously, this method appended the specified path to a list instead of inserting that path to the specified position in the list.

3D objects

A bug affecting EV files with 3D objects created by Echoview 3 is fixed. Previously, the upgrade of 3D objects in such files introduced issues with missing 3D object properties which would corrupt the 3D object.

Marker regions

A bug affecting marker regions is fixed. Previously, EVI files that recorded marker regions in an EV file would block the reading of the same marker regions in a new EV file handling the same data.

Copied GPS operators

Bugs affecting copied GPS operators are fixed. Previously, copied GPS operators did not update correctly for availability or for drag and drop operands.

.targets.mb.csv

A bug affecting .targets.mb.csv files created by early Echoview versions that did not include the minor-axis angle is fixed. Previously, Echoview failed to handle such files correctly and targets were missing in the echogram.

VariablesLineEditable return

A bug affecting the command interface for the VariablesLineEditable command is fixed. Previously, bottom classification variables were included in the returned list.

Angular position color legend

Fixed a bug which distorted the output on the angular position color legends when you mix different color maps for the major and minor axes.

The new algorithm to compute the color legend causes the color value to differ from previous versions of Echoview.

Processing GPS data

Fixed a bug in the way Echoview processes GPS data using the Method 2 option where the distance it reports could be negative.

BioSonics live viewing

Fixed a bug in the way BioSonics live viewing handled update times. Previously, time errors interfered with live viewing file management.

3D objects

The handling for 3D objects that cross the data line is now applied to new and existing objects. Previously, only existing objects were handled correctly.

Multibeam display

Multibeam display fixes include:

A bug affecting the display of a surface-ping intersection in a virtual variable chain is fixed. Previously, displayed surface intersections were incorrectly updated when changing a surface.

The display of beams and targets in multibeam data where the spacing of beams is irregular and/or non-downward pointing ping geometries, is fixed.

The handling of the Thickness factor under the Target conversion operator is fixed. Previously, the setting incorrectly updated when the operand changed.

Issues with multibeam replay are fixed. Previously, a replay rate of 1 ping per second was incorrectly applied and affected slider times.

4D window

The 4D window time slider handling is improved when different pings have the same timestamp. Previously, the time slider failed to proceed past such pings.

Scene

The scene water surface is now displayed at the correct depth.

New in 13.1: Changing the properties of a Surface with an open scene created with a template EV file no longer causes a crash.

Wideband frequency response export

A bug associated with Wideband frequency response depths exported for irregular regions on upward facing data is fixed.

Beam median filter 3x3

The beam median filter 3x3 now handles no data values correctly. Previously, the beam median calculation for no data was incorrect.

TS substitution

A bug affecting TS substitution support for single target custom header names from Text data files is fixed.

XxY Statistic

A bug affecting the XxY Statistic operator is fixed. Previously, statistic-associated data type changes did not immediately update.

Flip echogram vertically

A bug affecting the display of regions when Flip echogram vertically is used, is fixed. Previously, the display of regions did not immediately update.

Undo and redo

The Undo and Redo list is reset when a data file is added or removed from a fileset. Previously, removing and then adding a data file to the fileset could result in erratic/unexpected Undo and Redo behavior.

EvApplication.LogFileName

Fixed a bug that affected EvApplication.LogFileName. Previously, LogFileName wouldn't allow the specification of a new Echoview log file location.

EvVariableAcoustic.GoToPingRange

Fixed a bug in EvVariableAcoustic.GoToPingRange where the function was incorrectly interpreting the specified range as a heave adjusted range instead.

Interchanging existing exclusion lines

Fixed a bug where Echoview was not implementing your change when you swapped between the currently listed Exclude targets above and Exclude targets below lines on the Single Target Detection page of a Single target detection operator.

Virtual Variable performance

Fixed a performance issue that could occur when viewing the properties or right-click menu for a variable when a Reduce Pings operator is in the variable chain above it.