MultiSpec Changelog

What's new in MultiSpec 3.5 Build 2.8.2016

Feb 18, 2016
  • File->Open Image:
  • MultiSpec now handles NASA's Planetary Data Systems (PDS) formatted data such as that from the MARS rovers. One can select either the .img or the associated .lbl files to open the image.
  • MultiSpec now also handles a wider range of ENVI formatted image files.
  • Processor->Classify:
  • In response to a couple of requests, the Mahalanobis classifier has been added as an option to the classify processor. This classifier is very similar to the quadratic likelihood classifier.

New in MultiSpec 3.4.1 Build 9.17.2013 (Sep 18, 2013)

  • File->Open Image - A change was made so that a user can select all 8 files in a Landsat 5 set of image files provided by the EROS Center to link the Landsat TM bands in wavelength order. The jpeg file will be ignored.
  • Processor->Display image - After displaying a multispectral image in 1-channel grayscale or 1-channel thematic modes, one can now use the right arrow key to view the next channel in order. One can use the left arrow key to go to the previous channel. The key combination of shift & up arrow goes to the last channel in the file and shift & down arrow goes to the first channel in the file. The same display enhancement settings are used for each display. In other words it is just a fast way of selecting Processor->Display Image, changing the channel number and selecting "OK". If one holds the right or left arrow keys down, the images will be drawn as fast as possible.
  • Processor->Reformat->Change Image File Format - A change was made to allow one to select BIS-Band Interleaved by Sample (or Pixel) as a band format for generating TIFF/GeoTIFF formatted files.

New in MultiSpec 3.4.1 Build 5.18.2013 (May 20, 2013)

  • Processor->Display image:
  • Some changes were made in calculating the default thematic data value ranges for 1-Channel Thematic Displays to handle a broader range of data types and values.
  • Processor->Reformat->Change Image File Format:
  • An option has been added to the Transformation dialog box to allow one to adjust all of the selected channels in the image file by the data values in a selected channel. An application for this feature is to adjust all of the data in a file containing accumulated growing degree days with one channel for each day of the year by the data for a single channel (date) so that all of the accumulated growing degree days are referenced to a planting date rather than the start of the year.
  • Processor->Reformat->Convert Shape File to Thematic Image File:
  • This processor now works with shape files containing polygons. The output thematic image will contain the shape file identifier value for all pixels that are included within the polygon. A .clr file will be created which contains the labels for each of the polygons. The labels will come from the first three fields in the dbf file associated with the shape file if it exists. Otherwise the label will be "Shape Record n" where n represents the shape file identifier. The label string is limited to 31 characters. The dbf field values are separated by "_". A .clr file will not be created if there are more than 2000 classes.
  • The shape file that will be used by default for this processor is the first one that is drawn in the active image window. The resulting thematic image will be the same size as any selection in the active image window or the same size as the active image window if no selection exists.
  • An application for using this feature is to create a thematic image from a shape file which represents training or test areas. The resulting thematic image can then be used to define the training or test areas in a project.
  • This feature has not been tested on a lot of different shape files. Let me know if you run into problems using it.
  • Processor->Statistics:
  • Data sets other than the first one in hdf5 formatted files can now be used as base images for a project.

New in MultiSpec 3.4.1 Build 3.23.2013 (Mar 25, 2013)

  • File – Open Image:
  • MultiSpec will recognize the Landsat 8 band sets starting with LO8 (OLI bands) and LT8 (TIRS bands) provided by the EROS Center and link them in wavelength order no matter the order they are in the open image file dialog box.
  • A problem was fixed which caused MultiSpec to crash for OSX 10.8 when opening more than 100-200 image files at a single time. The crash was due to the limit for the number of open files. This limit is now set to a much higher value when MultiSpec first opens.
  • Processor->Reformat->Change Image File Format:
  • A problem was fixed which cause MultiSpec to crash if one tried to convert an ENVI ROI without have an image window opened. This was caused by changes in the last version.
  • Some more changes were made in how the reformat specifications are saved from one run to another. This is done to save mouse clicks. The decision to use the previous settings is based on whether the current image file has the same data value characteristics as that for the last image file that "Change Image File Format" processed.

New in MultiSpec 3.4.1 Build 3.14.2013 (Mar 15, 2013)

  • File – Open Image:
  • A new feature was added to this version to allow one to more quickly link individual files together. One can now make multiple image file selections in the open image file dialog box. There are three possible choices in handling the selected files: do not link (open in separate image windows), link to the active image window (if it is a multispectral window) and link selected files to a new image window. The limit for the number of files to link is 500. This feature has been used to link up to 366 weather images representing daily min or max temperature for a year. Note that any selected shape files in a multiple link set of files will be ignored. Also any files which contain a different number of lines and columns than the first image in the set will be ignored. A message to this effect is listed in the output text window.
  • Related to the above feature, MultiSpec will recognize the individual Landsat bands provided by the EROS Center and link them in wavelength order no matter the order they are in the open image file dialog box. This includes the files for Landsat MSS, TM, ETM+ and the OLI & TIRS (Landsat 8) data. So the new process for linking is to select the Open Image file menu item, select the files to be linked, close the dialog box and select OK to display the image with the default band combination. One can then use the Reformat->Change Image FIle Format processor to create a new combined image file.
  • Processor->Display Image:
  • Changes have been made in default thematic enhancement settings for displaying 1-channel thematic images to handle a broader range of cases for data ranges in 32-bit integer and 32-bit & 64-bit float data values.
  • Processor->Reformat->Change Image File Format:
  • The transformation dialog box now contains a feature to allow one to create a new image which is a function of the channels in the image data. The available functions are minimum, maximum, average, sum, median and kth smallest value. This was done for a project involving weather image data. For example, the feature has been used to compute summation of growing degree days where the individual channels represent gdd for each day of the year.
  • Default file names are now provided for the new output image data sets instead of just "image file". The default name is based on the input data set name. It won't be perfect for all but maybe the base name provided will be a good start.
  • The reformat specifications are now saved from one run to another. The purpose was to save mouse clicks and therefore time. Checks are made though to account for significant changes in the input files from one run to another which require the specifications to be re-initialized. Let me know if you run into problems with this feature.
  • The instrument name if known has been added to the TIFF/GeoTIFF image description text tag. It is also read by MultiSpec when opened up later to be included with the information that is listed for the image and to allow inclusions of the wavelength information if available.
  • General:
  • Tutorial 5 was updated to reflect the new method to link individual files together.

New in MultiSpec 3.4 Build 10.18.2012 (Feb 26, 2013)

  • Processor->Display Multispectral Image:
  • This version fixes a problem in which the channels in a linked file would not be displayed correctly when one of the channels was repeated such as 1, 2, 1 for red, green and blue where channel 1 was from file 1 and channel 2 was from file 2.
  • Processor->Cluster:
  • This version fixes a problem when one clustered with a subset of channels in a data set with many channels, saved the project and then repeated the cluster operation. The subset of channels to be used would change with the last channel in the subset being repeated during the second cluster operation.
  • General:
  • AmericaView was added as a supporter on the MultiSpec splash screen.

New in MultiSpec 3.4.1 Build 2012.7.18 (Jul 20, 2012)

  • File – Open Image:
  • This version fixes a problem in MultiSpec which causes reads of a large tiff/geotiff images (like full Landsat scenes) that are not formatted in tiles or strips to be very, very slow. Conversion to the gdal library to read tiff files allows MultiSpec to handle compressed tiff images, but for these type of non-compressed images, the gdal/libtiff library combination reads the entire image for each line being read. MultiSpec now uses the prior file read mechanism for these type of files; in other words the tiff/geotiff file is treated as being 1 line per strip. Reading these type of files now is much, much faster.
  • MultiSpec can now handle the ArcGIS ASCII Grid and GRASS ASCII Grid type image files.This was done for a project I helped with at Purdue.
  • MultiSpec now also handles netCDF2 formatted images. This was needed for our work with HRLDAS processing output.
  • A problem was fixed for hdf5 formatted files which caused datasets with multiple channels in HRLDAS created output to not show up as a data set in the file.
  • Processor->Reformat->Change Image File Format:
  • A problem was fixed which caused some tiff/geotiff output image files with strips to be formatted incorrectly.

New in MultiSpec 3.4 Build 7.18.2012 (Jul 19, 2012)

  • This version fixes a problem in MultiSpec which causes reads of a large tiff/geotiff images (like full Landsat scenes) that are not formatted in tiles or strips to be very, very slow. Conversion to the gdal library to read tiff files allows MultiSpec to handle compressed tiff images, but for these type of non-compressed images, the gdal/libtiff library combination reads the entire image for each line being read. MultiSpec now uses the prior file read mechanism for these type of files; in other words the tiff/geotiff file is treated as being 1 line per strip. Reading these type of files now is much, much faster.
  • MultiSpec can now handle the ArcGIS ASCII Grid and GRASS ASCII Grid type image files.This was done for a project I helped with at Purdue.
  • MultiSpec now also handles netCDF2 formatted images. This was needed for our work with HRLDAS processing output.
  • A problem was fixed for hdf5 formatted files which caused datasets with multiple channels in HRLDAS created output to not show up as a data set in the file.
  • Processor->Reformat->Change Image File Format
  • A problem was fixed which caused some tiff/geotiff output image files with strips to be formatted incorrectly.

New in MultiSpec 3.4 Build 6.25.2012 (Jun 26, 2012)

  • File – Open Image - MultiSpec will interpret the metadata in GOSAT hdf5 images to set the map projection correctly for the latest version of CAI L1B+ polar stereographic images.
  • MultiSpec will now also interpret the metadata in hdf5 images generated by the High Resolution Land Data Assimulation System (HRLDAS) to set the map projection and the flag to indicate that the images need to be flipped top to bottom.
  • Processor->Display Multispectral Image - The palette for one-channel thematic type displays for new images will default to that used in the previous image display window as long as the image files have similar characteristics such as number of channels. The min-max selection will also default to that used in the most recent image display window.
  • Processor->Reformat->Change Image File Format - The algebraic transformation algorithm in the Reformat Transform Parameters dialog box will default to that which was used last as long as the number of channels in the active image file are the same as those in the image file used previously.
  • Processor->Reformat->Rectify - A resampling option called "majority' was added for reprojecting an image to be the same as that for another image. This new resampling option can be used for thematic type images. This feature is usefull, for example, when one has an image at 30 meter spatial resolution and one wants to reproject the image to a spatial resolution of 1000 meters with the thematic value assigned to this new 1000 meter pixel to represent the thematic value of the majority of the 30 meter pixels within that 1000 meter pixel.
  • NOTE: Be aware that no correction is used for shifts from one datum to another during the reprojection process. Sometimes this is not a problem but other times it can be. I am checking into how best to implement corrections for datum shifts.
  • General - Memory leak errors were corrected in the grib and hdf5 gdal libraries.

New in MultiSpec 3.4 Build 12.19.2011 (Dec 28, 2011)

  • File – Open Image:
  • MultiSpec now handles the Polar Stereographic projection.
  • MultiSpec now reads the GML header projection information in JPEG 2000 files.
  • A problem was fixed which caused the LARSYS MIST formatted image files to not be read correctly by Intel processor machines.
  • Processor->Display Multispectral Image and Thematic Image:
  • The coordinate view will be displayed and default to Lat-Long units when an image window is first opened if MultiSpec can handle the projection information that is available in the image file.
  • Processor->Display Multispectral Image:
  • A problem was fixed so that 32-bit integer image files which contained just a few data values and one very large data value would be displayed correctly in 1-channel mode. Before this version, the lower data values (such as 0 and 1) were always being displayed as one color.
  • Processor->Classify:
  • A problem was fixed which cause the image window to have noise in the image overlays when that option was selected for training and/or test fields.

New in MultiSpec 3.4 Build 2011.7.28 (Jul 29, 2011)

  • New MultiSpec Documentation:
  • A new MultiSpec Introduction document was made available on the MultiSpec web. The new version reflects the capabilities in this version of MultiSpec.
  • File – Open Image:
  • MultiSpec can now handle ecw (enhanced compression wavelet), GRIB (Gridded Binary). MultiSpec uses the GDAL and ERDAS/ER Mapper libraries to handle these data types. This addition has increased the size of the MultiSpec application significantly. GRIB was added to handle the evapotranspiration data sets at: http://mirador.gsfc.nasa.gov/ … GLDAS data. MultiSpec now uses the GDAL library to read the ArcView (.bil/.bsq/.bip) images and therefore will automatically access the projection information in an associated .prj file and the color table stored in associated .clr files.
  • Changes have been made so that MultiSpec can obtain the projection information from more of the EASE-Grid formatted hdf product files.
  • Processor – Display Multispectral Image:
  • A problem was fixed which sometimes caused MultiSpec to crash when using the User Defined Min/Max dialog box.
  • Processor – Display Thematic Image:
  • One can now use the ArcView type .clr files to define the colors, class names, information group assignments, group names and colors. These are text files which can be easily edited. These files, if present, will override any other class name and/or color assignments such as the ERDAS .trl file. MultiSpec will write this style of file to disk if the base image is not in ERDAS *.gis format when one uses the File->Save Thematic Class/Group Info menu commands. One can also read these files in using the File->Open Thematic Class/Group Info commands.
The limitation which forced thematic palettes to always contain white and black has been removed.
  •  Processor->Reformat->Convert ENVI ASCII ROI to Thematic Image:
  • A bug was fixed which caused MultiSpec to crash when doing this operation.
  • This utility reformat function has been made available in the Windows version. The function can now handle two different styles of ENVI ROI text files. Only a few files though have been tested.
  • Processor->Cluster:
  • A programming error was fixed which caused the results from the single-pass algorithm to differ some between the Macintosh and Windows versions. Absolute values were not being handled the same. The fix actually means that the results for both versions now differ slightly from previous versions.
  • Processor->Utilities->List Image Description:
  • The information for the text tags in TIFF/GEOTIFF files are included in the listing for the image description.
  • Other:
  • Programming was fixed which sometimes caused MultiSpec to crash with certain combinations of reading and deleting shape files.
  • File->Print Image:
  • The Macintosh OSX version now prints the legends in color.
  • Project Statistics:
  • Error was fixed so that the modified statistics would be read in correctly on Intel Macintosh machines

New in MultiSpec 3.3 Build 2010.12.15 (Dec 16, 2010)

  • File - Classify:
  • MultiSpec is now able to use the Echo Classifier with very large image files, i.e. those with more than 250 million pixels. MultiSpec will write intermediate data that is needed during the echo classify process to a temporary disk file when the available memory is not enough to store all that is needed. This temporary file is deleted after the classification has completed. A message is displayed if MultiSpec does not think there is enough disk space available for the temporary file. Also changes were made to allow MultiSpec to classify and list results for images with more than 2 billion pixels.
  • One can now select TIFF/GeoTIFF as an output classification file format. The selected type is also used for the probability files if generated. A .trl file is still generated so that MultiSpec has access to the class names in the TIFF/GeoTIFF which are not stored in this type of file format.
  • Processor - Cluster:
  • Messages are generated to let the user know when there are too many pixels to be clustered for the amount of memory that is available. In the past, MultiSpec would just quit the cluster processor with no message generated.
  • Processor - Reformat - Change Image File Format:
  • A problem was fixed which caused an error to be generated when creating image files in ArcView format.

New in MultiSpec 3.3 Build 2010.06.28 (Jun 29, 2010)

  • File - Open Image - MultiSpec now handles tiled, 2-byte TIFF/GeoTIFF data that need to be byte swapped properly.
  • Processor - Reformat - Change Image File Format - Some changes were made in the 'Change Image File Format' dialog box in both the Macintosh and Windows versions so that they are consistant with each other. Also changes were made in the output summary listings in the ouput text window to provide more information when this processor is run.

New in MultiSpec 3.3 Build 2.11.2010 (Feb 12, 2010)

  • File - Open Image:
  • MultiSpec can now handle jpeg2000 and png formatted images. MultiSpec uses the GDAL and Kakadu software libraries to handle these data formats. The application size is now around 50% larger.
  • A fix was made to handle a tag for GeoTIFF files correctly when this tag pointed beyond the end of the image file.
  • MultiSpec now handles the Ord. Survey G. Britain 1936 datum. Also a correction was made in the tranformation algorithm to convert from Transvere Mercator to latitude- longitude; it was not handling all situations correctly.
  • Processor - Display Multispectral Image:
  • A programming error was fixed which caused images in band interleaved by pixel and tiled format with real number values to not be displayed properly when the display interval was not 1.

New in MultiSpec 3.3 Build 10.1.2009 (Oct 2, 2009)

  • File - Open Image - MultiSpec will handle GeoTIFF files which are 1-channel, blocked and labeled as BIP (band interleaved by pixel) properly; they can also be used for the "logically linking" feature.
  • MultiSpec will now handle the South American 1969 Datum and Ellipsoid.
  • Processor - Reformat - Change Image File Format
  • A programming error was fixed which would caused MultiSpec to crash when one tried to save one-channel thematic images.

New in MultiSpec 3.3 Build 7.14.2009 (Jul 15, 2009)

  • File - Open Image - MultiSpec now handles those hdf files that point to other files that contain the image data properly; this capability was lost when the change was made to the newer hdf library..
  • MultiSpec can now handle the ERDAS Imagine .ige (spill) files. These files are used for images with more than 2 gigabytes of data. Note that with the ability to handle files larger than 4 gigabytes, one approaches the memory limits of MultiSpec for some of the algorithms. (A 64-bit version will need to be created.)
  • Changes were made to be able to better handle images in the sinusoidal projection. This was done to handle the MODIS LAI and fPAR data available from the Climate and Vegetation Research Group.
  • One can enter negative values for false eastings and northings in the "Set Map Coordinate Specifications" dialog box.
  • For information purposes: an attempt was made to include the capability to handle jpeg2000 image files.
  • The effort was not successful because of the very long time to read the files. I am looking into a different jpeg2000 library of routines to use for this.
  • Processor - Feature Selection - A message is listed when feature selection quits because of ill-defined covariance matrices. One scenario where this can happen is when one uses channels that are linear combinations of other channels in the data set.
  • The MultiSpec code was ported to Apple's XCode development environment so that a universal version could be created.
  • The previous development environment, Metrowerks Codewarrior, is not being supported any more. This took awhile to do. There are some features that are not in the universal version yet including using Edit-Copy to copy all or a selected portion of an image so that you can paste it into another document. One can use OSX's window copy feature to get around this. Also one cannot print a selected portion of the text in the text window; the File - Print menu item will always print all of the text in the window. One can get around this by copying the text (or saving the text window) and using another application like Microsoft Word.
  • The Universal version will run native on Intel based Macintosh's although I do not have an Intel based machine to do a lot of testing with it yet.
  • The Universal and Carbonized versions of MultiSpec will now handle file names longer than 31 characters.

New in MultiSpec 12.12.07 (Dec 21, 2007)

  • File - Open Image
  • MultiSpec can now read the compressed data in HDF formatted files. Several of the hdf data sets that NASA now produces contain compressed data. Let me know if you have an HDF formatted file for which this version of MultiSpec cannot read the compressed data.
  • The NCSA HDF code used in MultiSpec has been updated from version 4.1 release 5 to version 4.2 release 2. Note that making this change now causes a there to be a longer delay for some image files between the time the hdf file is opened until the "Set Multispectral File Format Specifications" dialog box is displayed allowing one to select the data set.
  • Processor - List Data
  • One can now include the latitude and longitude values for each pixel of data that are listed in the row mode if that information is available. The default is to list them as decimal degrees. If the coordinate view is displayed above the image and the degrees-minutes-seconds units are selected, the latitude and longitude values will be listed as degrees-minutes-seconds.
  • MACINTOSH and WINDOWS VERSION
  • General Note: The resources for the alert windows were missing in the 5.12.07 version. These resources are included again in this version. This probably caused messages like "need more memory" to not be displayed.