Exporting Geodata

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Tutorial

with

TNTmips®

and TNTedit™

ExportingGeodata

EXPORTING

Exporting Geodata

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Before Getting StartedThis booklet introduces the procedures used to export geospatial data fromTNTmips to file formats compatible with other software packages. The Exportprocess allow you to export raster, vector, CAD, TIN, and database objects to avariety of geospatial data formats. Attribute data attached to vector or CADelements can be exported along with the parent object for output formats thatsupport attribute linkage. This booklet leads you through a series of exercises tofamiliarize you with the basic export procedures for the different types of spatialobjects.

Prerequisite Skills This booklet assumes that you have completed the exercisesin the tutorial booklets entitled Displaying Geospatial Data and TNT ProductConcepts. Those exercises introduce essential skills and basic techniques thatare not covered again here. Please consult those booklets for any review youneed.

Sample Data The exercises presented in this booklet use sample data that isdistributed with the TNT products. If you do not have access to a TNT productsDVD, you can download the data from MicroImages’ web site. In particular, thisbooklet uses sample files in the EXPORT data collection.

More Documentation This booklet is intended only as an introduction to exportinggeodata. Details of the processes discussed can be found in a variety of tutorialbooklets, Technical Guides, and Quick Guides, which are available fromMicroImages’web site.

TNTmips® Pro and TNTmips Free TNTmips (the Map and Image ProcessingSystem) comes in three versions: the professional version of TNTmips (TNTmipsPro), the low-cost TNTmips Basic version, and the TNTmips Free version. Allversions run exactly the same code from the TNT products DVD and have nearlythe same features. If you did not purchase the professional version (which requiresa software license key) or TNTmips Basic, then TNTmips operates in TNTmipsFree mode.

The Export process is not available in TNTview or TNTatlas. All the exercises canbe completed in TNTmips using the sample geodata provided.

Randall B. Smith, Ph.D., 3 September 2013©MicroImages, Inc., 1997-2013

You can print or read this booklet in color from MicroImages’ web site. Theweb site is also your source for the newest Getting Started booklets on othertopics. You can download an installation guide, sample data, and the latestversion of TNTmips Free.

http://www.microimages.com

Exporting Geodata

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TNTmips allows you to develop, process, and ana-lyze geospatial data using raster, vector, CAD, shape,and TIN spatial data structures, each of which canhave associated attribute information in databasetables. The TNTmips Export process allows you toexport any of these spatial object types and associ-ated (or standalone) database information to file for-mats compatible with many other software packages.

The export procedures offer options that allow youto tailor the export process to best accomodate thecharacteristics of your data and the structure of thetarget file format. For example, some spatial dataformats used by other GIS software packages arebased on a CAD data model and do not maintain thetopological structure found in vector objects inTNTmips. When you export a polygonal vectorobject to one of these formats, you can choosewhether a closed shape formed by intersecting linesis treated as a polygon or as separate lines in theoutput file. You can also choose which type of spa-tial element has associated attribute data.

The exercises in this booklet lead you through theexport process using a sampling of the supportedexternal file formats. The procedures you learn hereshould enable you to follow the steps required toexport data to other formats.

In addition to the Export process, TNTmips offersseveral other means for transforming data for usewith other software packages. You can use the QuickSnapshot and Render to Raster options in the Dis-play process to make a raster image of the contentsof a View in one of several external file formats. Youcan also use the Render to operations in Display totransform a layout to a PDF, KML, or SVG file. Theseand other related capabilities are discussed in thetutorial booklet entitled Sharing Geodata with OtherPopular Products.

Procedures common to allexport operations areintroduced on page 4. Theexercises on pages 5-16lead you through thestandard procedures forexporting raster objects.Export of geometric objects(Vector, CAD, and shape) isintroduced on pages 17-20.Page 21 covers databasetable export. Page 22provides some generalexport tips. A complete listof currently supportedexport formats can befound on page 23.

STEPSlaunch TNTmipschoose Main / Exportfrom the TNTmips menu

Welcome to Exporting Geodata

Exporting Geodata

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STEPSon the Exportwindow, clickthe Raster filter buttonselect PNG from thescrolled file format listpress [Select Objects...]on the Export windowuse the standard SelectObjects window toselect object COMP8 fromthe EXPRAST Project Filein the EXPORT datacollectionclick [Next...] on theExport window to openthe Export Parameterswindow

The large scrolled list on the Export window showsthe external file formats that are available for the objecttype you have specified using the Filter icon buttons.The list is ordered alphabetically by the file formatacronym and also shows the file extension and abrief description for each format. If you compare thelistings for different object types, you will find thatyou can export to certain file formats from more thanone object type (vector or CAD, for example). Youcan choose the desired format by left-clicking on itsentry in the list or by entering its file extension in theExtension text field at the top of the window.

After you have selected the format and the objectsyou want to export, press the Next button to openan Export Parameters window that allows you to setoptions that are specific to that particular format. (Ifyou haven’t selected objects to export, pressing[Next] prompts you to select the objects, then opensthe Export Parameters window.)

Common Export Procedures

If you wish, you can usethe standard Displayprocess (Main / Display) toview any of the objectsused in these exercisesprior to exporting them.

Any Raster Vector CAD TIN Database Table

1. (Optional) Pressa filter button torestrict the formatlist to the Exportformats that areavailable for thetype of TNT ProjectFile object youwant to Export.

2. Select thedesired format fromthe alphabetical list.

3. Press [SelectObjects...] to selectthe object(s) toexport.

4. Press [Next...] to open the Export Parameterswindow that is specific to that format.

Exporting Geodata

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STEPSchoose Descriptive Textfrom the AdditionalGeoreference menu ofthe Export Parameterswindowpress [Export...] on theExport Parameterswindowin the Select Filewindow, navigate to thedesired destination driveand directoryenter PNGCOMP in the NewFile Name text field andclick [OK]when the exportprocess is complete,press [OK] on theStatus windowpress [Remove] on theExport window

Export a Raster Object to PNGLet’s begin by exporting a raster object to the PNG(Portable Network Graphics) format. PNG is a formatdesigned for the transmission of image data throughcomputer networks. It can accomodate 8-bit or 16-bit grayscale images, true-color images (up to 48 bitsper pixel), and indexed color images (with a colorpalette). The PNG format also incorporates an effi-cient form of lossless data compression.

The raster you export in this exercise is an 8-bit colorcomposite image. When this raster is displayed, thenumerical values stored in the raster are merely usedas index values to an associated color palettesubobject, allowing a color to be mapped to eachcell. When you export a color-mapped raster to anexternal file format that supports color palettes, suchas PNG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and others, the color pal-ette is transferred to the external file along with theraster to produce an indexed-color image file.

The Export Parameters window provides optionsappropriate for the selected external file format.

Input raster COMP8, an 8-bitraster with a color palette.

Job Processing in Export

The Export process and TNTmipsJob Processing system let youefficiently manage large batchexports of dozens or hundredsof spatial objects, exploiting yourcomputer’s multiple cores for fastconcurrent processing.

Use the Queue Job or Save Jobbutton on the Export Parameterswindow to use Job Processingfor your batch export. TheExport process creates aseparate job file for each file orobject you are exporting. Youcan manage and monitor theprogress of these jobs using theTNT Job Manager (Tools / JobManager).

For more information see theTechnical Guide entitled Export:Concurrent Exports Using JobProcessing.

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Export a Raster Object to JPEGThe JPEG File Interchange Format is commonly usedfor the transfer of compressed “true-color” rasterimages. You can export RGB raster sets, color-com-posite rasters (8-bit or 24-bit), or grayscale rasters tothis format. In this exercise you export a single, 24-bit color composite raster.

The JPEG file format incorporates JPEG (Joint Pho-tographic Experts Group) image compression. Thisis a lossy compression scheme that can achieve com-pression ratios of 20:1 for photographic-quality im-ages without a noticeable degradation in quality. Thefidelity of the compressed output file is governedby the Compression Quality parameter, which variesfrom 25 to 100 with a default value of 75. Maximumimage quality (and minimum compression) isachieved with a Compression Quality value of 100.Reducing this value results in a smaller, more com-pressed output file that may show visible compres-sion artifacts at low quality settings.

STEPSpress the Rasterfilter buttonselect the JPG formatpress [Select Objects]and select object COMP24from the EXPRAST ProjectFile in the EXPORT datacollectionpress [Next...]choose Descriptive Textfrom the AdditionalGeoreference menu ofthe Export Parameterswindowpress [Export...]use the Select Filewindow to name theoutput JPEG filewhen the exportprocess is complete,press [OK] on theStatus windowpress [Remove] on theExport window

Lossy compression schemes achieve highcompression ratios by adjusting raster valuesduring compression, which results in someloss of the original data.

Lossless compression schemes do notdiscard any cell values during compression.When an image is compressed and thendecompressed, the original data in the image iscompletely preserved.

Raster object COMP24, a 24-bitcolor composite image.

JPEG files can only store color images as 24-bit rasters with separate red, green, andblue color values for each image pixel. They cannot store indexed-color images. Ifyou export an 8-bit or 16-bit color composite raster to JPEG, the image is automaticallyconverted to 24-bit color during export.

Exporting Geodata

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You can select multiple raster objects for export toseparate files of the same format. During the exportyou are prompted to select or create a folder(directory) in which to save the output files, whichare automatically named using the raster objectnames.

The export procedures for certain raster file formatsallow you to choose a set of three grayscale rastersto export to a single file as an RGB image. Applicableformats include PNG, JPEG, TIFF, JP2, MrSID, andECW. The Export Parameters window for theseformats has an Export Objects to: menu that becomesactive if exactly three grayscale raster objects wereselected for export; use this menu to choose whetherto export the rasters to separate files or to a singlefile. When you choose to export to a single file, thefirst raster you selected is used for the red colorcomponent of the RGB image and the last one is

STEPSpress [Select Objects...]select objects RED,GREEN, and BLUE (in thatorder) from the EXPRGB

Project File in the EXPORT

data collectionpress [Next...]choose Descriptive Textfrom the AdditionalGeoreference menu ofthe Export Parameterswindowselect Single File fromthe Export Objects to:option menuturn on the Use contrasttables if availabletoggle buttonpress [Export] and namethe output file CBTM742when the exportprocess is complete,press [OK] on theStatus window

Export an RGB Raster Set

RGB display of rasters RED, GREEN,and BLUE.

Select Separate Files from the Export Objects to:option menu when you want to export eachinput raster to a separate output file.

used as blue. During the export you areprompted to name a single file for output. If youchoose to export the rasters to separate files,the files are automatically named in thedestination folder as outlined above.

You also have the option to apply contrastenhancement during export to these formats.When you turn on the Use contrast tablestoggle, contrast-adjusted values are written tothe output file (rather than the raw raster values)for any raster that has a saved contrast table. Ifthere is more than one contrast subobject for aninput raster object, the last one you have usedis applied during export.

Exporting Geodata

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External Georeference OptionsSTEPS

keeping the same inputrasters and format asthe previous exercise,press [Next...] on theExport windowopen the AdditionalGeoreference menu onthe Export Parameterswindow and examinethe optionspress [Cancel] on theExport Parameterswindowpress [Remove All] onthe Export window

Some raster file formats have no internal structurefor directly storing georeference information. Forthese formats (and for others as well), the AdditionalGeoreference menu on the Export Parameters windowlets you save georeference information in anaccompanying file. The georeference file createdhas the same root name as the associated image filebut has a distinctive file extension that variesdepending on the output type you select: Arc/InfoWorld (.tfw), Map Info (.tab), Descriptive Text (.txg),or Google (.kml). You can also choose to create bothArcInfo World and Text files, none, or all.

The Map Info and Descriptive Textgeoreference files identify thecoordinate reference system and storemap coordinates for the four imagecorners. The Arc/Info World filecontains the map coordinates for theupper left corner of the image along withx- and y-scale parameters used to

compute map coordinates for the remaining celllocations. However, since the World file format wasoriginally designed for exclusive use withunprojected latitude/longitude coordinates, it doesnot store the coordinate reference system. Thereforeit is a good idea to choose the Text and Arc-Worldoption whenever you need a World file, as the textfile identifies the coordinate reference system.

The Google KML and KMZ (compressed KML)options are available for most raster export formats,and create KML code enabling the exported imageto be viewed as a ground overlay in Google Earth.(At this writing Google Earth requires rasters in PNG,JPEG, or TIFF format.) This option should be usedonly for relatively small images (2048 by 2048 cellsor less). Larger images can be exported as GoogleEarth tilesets using the Export to Tilesets process(Tileset / Image / Export).

Google Earth and KMLsupport georeferencecoordinates only in theWGS84 / Geographic(latitude/longitude)coordinate referencesystem. If the raster youare exporting uses adifferent coordinatereference system, theexport process shows awarning message withdetails suggesting youresample the raster togeographic coordinatesbefore exporting. You canalso create raster filessuitable for viewing inGoogle Earth using theRender to KML option in theDisplay process.

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Export a Raster Object to TIFF

Signed 16-bit elevation raster CLKDEM.

STEPSselect the TIFF formatpress [Select Objects]and select object CLKDEM

from the EXPRAST ProjectFile in the EXPORT datacollectionpress [Next...]choose Descriptive Textfrom the AdditionalGeoreference menu ofthe Export Parameterswindowturn off the Usecontrast tables ifavailable toggleturn on the ExportGeoTIFF informationtogglepress [Export...]use the Select Filewindow to name theoutput TIFF filewhen the exportprocess is complete,press [OK] on theStatus window

TIFF (Tag Image File Format) is one of the mostflexible and widely supported raster file formats.TIFF files can store color or grayscale images atvarious bit-depths as well as bilevel (binary) images.For full-color TIFF images, you can export either anRGB composite raster or select three grayscalerasters (8- or 16-bit) for assignment to Red, Green,and Blue components. TIFF files can also storecolor-mapped data, so you can export an 8-bitcomposite color raster with its color palette.

The Planar Configuration menu determines how theTIFF file stores a full-color image. The Pixelinterleaved option defines a single raster with threevalues (Red, Green, and Blue) per cell. The BandSequential option creates a separate grayscale rasterstructure in the TIFF file for each of the Red, Green,and Blue values. Most modern software should beable to read TIFF files in either format.

The Export Tiled toggle, which is enabled by default,controls whether the data for each raster is stored inrectangular tiles or as strips extending the full widthof the image. Tiling should definitely be used forlarge images to increase the speed and efficiencywith which software reads, buffers,and decompresses the image data.

The target resolution is the intendedresolution of the image when printed. Thisinformation is stored in the TIFF file for theuse of graphics and page-layout software todetermine the size of the image on the page.

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The TIFF format incorpo-rates several types ofimage compression that youcan choose from theCompression option menu.The CCITT compressionoptions are designed forbinary (black and white)images. The LZW and PackBits (a type of Run LengthEncoding) can be used forhigher bit-depth images.

STEPSkeeping the same inputraster and format as theprevious exercise,press [Next...] on theExport windowopen the Compressionmenu on the ExportParameters windowand examine the optionspress [Cancel] on theExport Parameterswindowpress [Remove] on theExport window

TIFF and GeoTIFFThe TIFF file format uses internal data structurescalled tags to convey information about the imagein the file. GeoTIFF is an extension of the TIFF fileformat that uses a specialized set of tags to embedgeographic information directly within the TIFF filestructure, removing the need for additionalsupporting georeference files. The geographic tagstructure in GeoTIFF is open and non-proprietary,so the GeoTIFF format is widely supported bysoftware packages designed to work with geographicdata. You can export an image to GeoTIFF usingeither the GeoTIFF or TIFF format options, whichuse the same Export Parameters window. The ExportParameters window for TIFF includes an “ExportGeoTIFF information” toggle button that is turnedon by default.

An image that you have georeferenced in TNTmipsusing control points may not have its lines andcolumns parallel to the referenced map grid, so thetransformation from image coordinates to mapcoordinates may involve rotation and shear.TNTmips handles these conversions transparently,and the GeoTIFF and ArcWorld formats also canaccomodate them, but some other software packagesmay compute incorrect map coordinates from rotatedTIFF or GeoTIFF images. To ensure that yourexported GeoTIFF files are utilized accurately in other

software packages, use theAutomatic Resampling process(Image / Resample and Reproject /Automatic) to reproject any imagewith control point georeference toalign with its coordinate referencesystem before you export it. For moreinformation on resampling rasters seethe tutorial booklet entitledRectifying Images.

Exporting Geodata

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STEPSpress [Select Objects...]on the Export windowselect raster objectREPROJ from the EXPRAST

Project Filepress [Next...]choose Maximum(white) from the NullValue menu on theExport Parameterswindowchoose LZW from theCompression menupress [Export] and namethe output filewhen the exportprocess is complete,press [OK] on theStatus windowpress [Remove] on theExport window

Export a Raster Object with Null Areas

Exported TIFF files with appearance of non-image area set using Export Parameterwindow’s Null Value menu: left using Maximum (white), right using Zero.

When you resample a raster to align it with itscoordinate reference system, or you mosaic a set ofrasters, the raster that results may contain areas notcovered by the image data. Non-image areas createdby these or other processes are flagged as “null” (ina null mask or by a null value set for the raster),allowing them to be rendered transparently whendisplayed in the TNT products.

However, external raster file formats generally do notsupport the concept of a null value. The Null Valuemenu on the Export Parameters window allows youto determine what numerical value is written to the“null” areas of the external file, which then determinesthe appearance of these areas when the file isdisplayed in TNTmips or other software. The “FromSource” option transfers values from your sourceraster to the external raster without modification. Thevalue transferred using the “Maximum (white)”option [and for the Minimum (black) option]depends on the datatype of the raster you areexporting (for example, 255 for 8-bit unsigned and32,767 for 16-bit signed). If you need to assign aparticular value not otherwise provided, use theUser Defined option.

The User Definedoption provides afield where youcan directly enterthe desirednumeric value.

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Export a Raster Object to JP2STEPS

press the Rasterfilter buttonchoose the JP2 formatpress [Select Objects...]on the Export windowselect raster object VOF

from the EXPRAST ProjectFilepress [Next...]choose Lossy (targetedratio) from theCompression menu onthe Export Parameterswindowset the Ratio value to10.0turn on the IncludeGeoJP2 metadata togglebuttonpress [Export] and namethe output filewhen the exportprocess is complete,press [OK] on theStatus window

The JPEG2000 format (.JP2) is designed to store largeimages while overcoming many of the limitations ofthe original JPEG image format. JP2 allows eitherlossless or lossy compression and provides betterimage quality at high levels of compression. Youcan export color (single composite or RGB raster set),integer grayscale (1- to 32-bit), or binary images toJP2. The exported files can be any size up to the limitimposed by your operating system.

JP2 uses a wavelet transform to provide the initialimage compression (following color conversion forRGB images). Different versions of the wavelettransform are used to produce lossless or lossycompression. If you choose Lossless or Lossy (bestquality) from the Compression Type menu, theappropriate wavelet transform is applied with nofurther compression. Either choice provides modestcompression with no or essentially no visible impacton the image. For greater compression, choose Lossy(targeted ratio) and specify the numerator of theratio (e.g., 50 for 50:1). The lossy wavelet transformis applied, then additional compression (andaccompanying data loss) is achieved in thequantization and coding stages.

GeoJP2 is an extension of the JP2 formatthat embeds georeference andcoordinate reference system informationwithin the JP2 file. The ExportParameters window for JP2 includes atoggle (on by default) to include GeoJP2metadata in the exported file. A separateGeoJP2 format entry is also available inthe Export process to automaticallyembed the GeoJP2 information.

The wavelet transform produces a series of reduced-resolution versions of the imagethat are similar to the raster pyramids used internally in TNTmips to speed display atdifferent zoom levels. You can specify the number of resolution levels created in theJP2 file by pressing the Advanced button to open the Advanced Settings window andselect ing a value from the Resolution Levels menu.

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Export a Raster Object to Tiled JP2 FilesSTEPS

keeping the same inputraster and format as theprevious exercise,press [Next...] on theExport windowturn on the toggleExport as separate tilefilesenter 256 in the numericfield for tile sizepress [Export] andprovide a root name forthe output fileswhen the exportprocess is complete,press [OK] on theStatus window

Four tiled GeoJP2 files, each 256 cellssquare, exported from the VOF raster(512 cells square).

To export a tiled set of separate JP2 files,turn on the toggle and set the desiredsize of the square tiles.

JP2/GeoJP2 export offers the option of breaking theexported image into a regular array of separate fileswith uniform size. This option is especiallyappropriate for very large images (gigabytes in size),which can tax the decompression and viewingperformance of some other software packages. Thesmaller individual JP2 files that make up the tiledarray can be viewed or processed more efficiently inthese products. TNTmips can directly use theindividual JP2 tiles and also allows you to create asingle TNT tileset raster object that is simultaneouslylinked to the entire array of JP2 tiles, offering theconvenience of working with the tiled filesindividually or in aggregate.

The tiled export creates square image files with thesize (in number of cells) you specify. If thedimensions of the source raster are not evenlydivisible by the specified tile size, blank cells areadded to the tiles along the right and/or bottom edgeof the array to achieve the correct tile size. Theexport prompts for a single JP2 file name, then createsunique names by appending the row and columnnumber in the array to the end of each file name.

The Export to Tilesetsprocess (Tileset / Export to)is optimized to convert largeimages to TNT tileset rasterobjects or to standard webtilesets (Google Maps, BingMaps, Google Earth, andNASA World Wind).

Exporting Geodata

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Export a Raster Object to MrSIDSTEPS

keeping the same inputraster as in theprevious exercise,choose the MrSIDformatpress [Next...]turn off the Losslesstoggle and enter 10 inthe Compression Ratiofieldpress [Export] and namethe output filewhen the export processis complete, press [OK]on the Status windowpress [Remove] on theExport window

LizardTech’s MrSID format uses a wavelet-basedimage compression technology similar to that usedby JPEG2000 to compress large images. The MrSIDexport offers a choice of lossless compression orlossy compression with a compression ratio that youspecify.

Wavelet compression embeds into the compressedfile a series of reduced-resolution versions of theimage that TNTmips can use just like raster pyramidtiers to speed display of the image at different zoomlevels. The Resolution Levels menu sets the num-ber of resolution tiers that are produced. The de-fault Automatic option sets the number based onthe size of the image, with more resolution levels forlarger images. You can also choose to set the num-ber of levels manually to any value between 1 and12.

Georeference information, including the coordinatereference system parameters, are automatically em-bedded in the MrSID file during export. MrSIDsupports several thousand coordinate referencesystems provided by the European Petroleum Sur-

vey Group (EPSG) database. The TNTproducts support a number of coordinatereference systems in addition to those inthe EPSG database. Before exporting animage to MrSID, make sure that it uses anEPSG-supported coordinate reference sys-tem.

NOTE: the Export processcan create MrSID files up toa maximum compressedsize of 500 MB. This limit onfree export is imposed byLizardTech’s MrSID library.

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Export a Raster Object to TextChoose the TEXT-RASTER option to export a rasterobject to an ASCII text file that can be viewed,reformatted, or edited using a text editor or wordprocessing program. The raster values are writtenline by line into the text file, which is assigned a .txtfile extension. When you choose one of theDescriptive Text georeference options, thegeoreference parameters are inserted at thebeginning of the text file, before the raster values.

The default Minimal Formatting option places a singlespace between values, or you can choose theUniform Formatting option to align the cell valuesin columns. The Maximum Line Length parameterhas a default value of 512 characters; you can adjustthis value to accomodate the constraints of your textediting program or for ease of editing. If the numberof characters required for a single raster line exceedsthe Maximum Line Length value, then each rasterline is written to a sequence of contiguous text lines.A new text line is created for the start of each rasterline. You can also choose to have a blank line writtenbetween each raster line for clarity when editing.

STEPSchoose the TEXT-RASTER formatpress [Select Objects...]select raster objectAERIAL from the EXPRAST

Project Filepress [Next...]on the ExportParameters window,choose Descriptive Textfrom the Georeferenceoption menuturn on the UniformFormatting radio buttonturn on the Write BlankLine Between RasterLines toggle buttonclick [Export] and namethe output filewhen the export processis complete, press [OK]on the Status windowpress [Remove] on theExport window

Raster object AERIAL.

To provide a clear separationbetween raster lines in thetext file, turn on the WriteBlank Line Between RasterLines toggle button. See theaccompanying illustration ofthe sample output text file.

Sample of output text filewith Uniform Formatting,multiple text lines for eachraster line, and a blank linebetween each pair ofraster lines.

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Raster Export TipsKnow Your Raster Data TypeTNTmips allows you to work with a very wide range of raster data types, includingbinary, signed and unsigned integer, floating point, complex, and color-composite.The bit-depth of grayscale rasters can range from 4 to 32 bits per pixel and youcan work with 8-bit, 16-bit, and 24-bit color composites. Many of the externalraster formats allow only a limited range of data types. Be sure that your selectedexport format accommodates the type of raster you are trying export. If not youcan convert the raster to an allowed data type before export. The bit-depth ofgrayscale rasters can be converted using the Raster Extract process (Image /Extract). Select all cells for extraction and use the Output Type menu on theValues tab to select the appropriate bit-depth. To create color composite rasters,or to create separate RGB rasters from a composite, use the Raster Color Conversionprocess (Image/ Combine / Convert Color).

Contrast EnhancementThe TNTmips display process allows you to enhance the contrast and brightnessof grayscale rasters as they are displayed without modifying the numerical valuesstored in the raster itself. You can enhance contrast using an automatic contrastmethod or by creating a contrast table that is stored with the raster. When youexport a raster object, contrast-enhanced values are transferred to the output fileonly if the object has a saved contrast table and only for certain formats . Whenyou export to one of the generic, general-purpose image formats (JPEG, JP2/GeoJP2,TIFF/GEOTIFF, and PNG), a toggle button allows you to apply the last-usedsaved contrast table during export. When you export to most application-specificformats, only raw raster values are transferred to the output file. You can create araster with contrast-enhanced values prior to export using the Apply Contrastprocess (Image / Filter / Apply Contrast).

Orientation to ProjectionSome image processing / GIS software products assume that a georeferencedraster is aligned to its map coordinate system. This means that the raster linesand columns must be parallel to the axes of the map coordinate system, enablingthe map coordinates for each cell to be computed by the software from the cellsize and the position of a single cell (such as the upper left corner cell). TNTmipsdoes not impose this restriction on raster georeferencing. If a raster has beengeoreferenced in TNTmips using control points, in most cases its lines and columnswill not be oriented parallel to the map coordinate system. If a raster you export isnot aligned to its coordinate system, external software using this system maycompute incorrect coordinates. Check each raster before export and if necessaryreproject the raster into its map coordinate system using the Automatic RasterResampling process (Image / Resample and Reproject / Automatic).

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Export a Vector Object to MIF

The TIGERBEREA vector objectdisplayed with line stylesdetermined By Attribute.

STEPSpress the Vectorfilter button onthe Export windowchoose the MIF formatpress [Select Objects...]select object TIGERBEREA

from the EXPVECT ProjectFile in the EXPORT datacollectionpress [Next...]select Line from theTable Type option menuon the ExportParameters windowclick [Select Table:]choose AAT from the listin the Select Tablewindow that appearsand click [OK]click [Export] and namethe output filewhen the exportprocess is complete,press [OK] on theStatus windowpress [Remove] on theExport window

You can export spatial elements in geometric (vector,CAD, and linked shape) objects and associatedattributes to a variety of file formats. Exportprocedures differ only slightly for the different objecttypes. For CAD and shape objects, where allelements are of the same type, you can select a singlelinked database table to export with the elements.For vector objects, which contain different elementtypes, you can choose one (or more) element types(depending on the format) and a table associatedwith each type.

MapInfo Interchange Format (MIF) is representativeof formats that allow export of a single element typeand an associated table. Map elements are outputto a file with a .MIF file extension, which stores themin a nontopological (CAD) format. Attributeinformation from the selected table is written to anaccompanying file with a .MID extension. The linesin the vector object used in this exercise (derivedfrom the U.S. Census Bureau’s TIGER / Line files)have attribute links that differentiate roads,highways, streams, and other line types.

Choose the type of attribute table to beexported using the Table Type option menu...

thenpress[Select Table:]to select thedesired table.

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Export a Vector Object to Arc ShapefileSTEPS choose the ARC-

SHAPEFILE formatpress [Select Objects...]and select objectLANDUSEBEREA from theBERVECT Project Filepress [Next...]choose Polygon fromthe Element Type optionmenu on the ExportParameters windowthe Table selectionshould default to PATand the Style Tableselection should defaultto LandUseCode; if not,press the buttons andselect these tablesturn on the Convert toLatitude / Longitudetoggle buttonpress [Export] and namethe output filewhen the export processis complete, press [OK]on the Status windowpress [Remove] on theExport window

The exported shape file displayedwith polygon styles saved in theaccompanying AVL file, depictingdifferent land use categories.

When the Convert to Latitude / Longitudetoggle button is turned on, vector mapcoordinates are automatically converted tolatitude and longitude during export (ifnecessary). Turn this toggle off if youwant to preserve the input object’scoordinate reference system.

Shapefiles can contain only one type of element(point, line, polygon, or label), so for vector exportyou must choose the element type to export. Theelement database is then scanned to identify andautomatically select an attribute table that is directlyattached to the spatial elements. If there is morethan one such table, you can use the Table buttonto select the desired one. Attribute information fromthis single table is written to a dBASE file (.dbf) withthe same name as the main shapefile (.shp).

Georeference and coordinate reference systeminformation is written to a .prj file. The exportprovides the option of converting projected mapcoordinates to Latitude / Longitude coordinates.

The element database is also scanned to identify aninternal style table associated with the elements. Thetable found (if any) is shown in the Style Table field.The styles are written to an accompanying .avl file.Basic point symbols, solid lines, and solid polygonfills are supported.

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Export a Vector Object to Arc E00 VectorSTEPS

choose the ARC-E00-VECTOR formatpress [Select Objects...]and select objectLINCTIGER from theEXPVECT Project Filepress [Next...]turn on the Points togglebutton and press itsPrimary Table buttonselect table Landmark inthe Select primaryattribute table windowand press [OK]turn on the Lines togglebutton and press itsPrimary Table buttonselect table Basic_Datain the Select primaryattribute table windowand press [OK]turn on the Export OtherTables toggle for bothPoints and Linespress [Export] and namethe output filewhen the exportprocess is complete,press [OK] on theStatus window

You can export more than one type of vector elementand their associated attributes to the Arc E00 Vectorformat (though a single file cannot contain bothpoint and polygon attributes). You choose theprimary table for each element type you want toexport; this should be a table that is directly relatedto the elements and that contains a field designatedas a primary key field. The Export Other Tables toggleallows you to also export all tables that haverelational links to the primary table.

Point elements in the vector object in this exercisemark the locations of landmark features. TheLandmark point table is the primary table that isdirectly related to the elements. It includes a fieldwith an alphanumeric code for the landmark class.The list of landmark codes and their descriptions arecontained in the related Class_Codes table. Thesettings used here export both tables to the E00 file.

Relationships between vector points and theirattribute tables in the LincTiger vector object.

Vector object LincTigerdisplayed with lines (streetsand hydrologic features)and points (landmark) styledby attribute.

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Export a Vector Object to MySQL Spatial

STEPSkeeping the same inputvector as in theprevious exercise,choose the MySQL-SPATIAL or POSTGISformatclick [Next...]choose Line from theElement Type optionmenu on the ExportParameters windowturn on the Table togglebuttonthe Basic_Data tableshould be automaticallyshown in the Table textfield; if not, press[Table] to open awindow to select itpress [Export]in the Database Loginwindow, enter the IPaddress of the hostcomputer and your username and passswordpress [Query] topopulate the Databasemenu, then use themenu to select thedesired databasepress [OK] on theDatabase login windowwhen the exportprocess is complete,press [OK] on theStatus windowpress [Remove] on theExport window

NOTE: to complete thisexercise you must havelogin privileges on a MySQLor PostgreSQL databaseserver on your network andhave permission to createnew tables.

The Export process allows you to export geometricobjects directly to the spatial extensions of severalserver-based relational database managementsystems: MySQL Spatial and PostGIS (the spatialextension of the PostgreSQL database system).Export procedures for both of these formats areidentical.

Each spatial object is stored in these databasesystems as a single table with one record for eachspatial element. A special geometry column in eachspatial table stores the spatial coordinate informationfor its element. Each table can include only onetype of spatial element, so when you export a vectorobject you must choose which element type to export.

You can also select a single directly-attached tableto export along with the geometric elements. Theattributes in the selected table are written to the sameMySQL or PostgreSQL table that contains theelements. The export prompts you to log in to thedatabase system and choose the particular databaseobject that you want to contain the spatial andattribute data.

NOTE: If the TNTobject includes

other related tables, you can use the MySQL/PostgreSQL database format to export these tables tothe same database. Keyfield designations and tablerelationships are not set automatically by the export,so you will need to set these manually in the externaldatabase after the tables are exported.

Press [Query]to populatethe Databasemenu

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Export a Database Table

NOTE: When you have a database table open in Tabular View, the Save As option on theTable menu allows you to save a copy of the table in one of several forms, includingdBASE III, ODBC, CSV, or tab-delimited text format. This procedure provides a quickalternative to the Export process for these file formats.

STEPSpress theDatabase Tablefilter button on theExport windowchoose the DB-TEXTformatpress [Select Objects...]and select table CRIME

from the CRIME databaseobject in the EXPVECT

Project Filepress [Next...]turn on the Columnsradio buttonturn on the toggle buttonFirst record containsfield namespress [Export] and namethe output filewhen the exportprocess is complete,press [OK] on theStatus window

A TNT database table can be exported to a databasefile format such as DBASE or INFO, to a databaseserver such as MySQL or PostgreSQL, or to a textfile. You can export tables from a database associ-ated with the elements of a geometric object or froma stand-alone database object. If the database ob-ject contains more than one table, each table mustbe exported separately.

Database export procedures are quite simple for mostformats. For all formats you can specify the type oftext encoding to use in the output (such as ASCII orUnicode UTF-8). Export to a server-based databasesystem additionally requires logging in to the de-sired database, as in the previous exercise. TheDB-TEXT format used in this exercise requires someadditional format-specific settings. Radio buttonsallow you to choose between having the databasefield entries aligned in vertical columns in the out-put text file or delimited by a separator character(comma is the default). You can also opt to have thefield names written to the first line in the text file. Choose the CSV format

to produce a comma-delimited text file with a.CSV file extension.

Portion of text file produced in thisexercise, with fields aligned in columns.

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General Export TipsWhen Good Data Goes BadIf some objects in an exported series of objects show incorrect spatial registrationin another software package, check the georeference information for the originalobjects in your TNTmips Project Files. Make sure that all of the objects use thesame coordinate reference system, including the geodetic datum. (An easy wayto do this is to use the Extents tool in the Display process.) Since TNTmips canreproject data on-the-fly and overlay objects with different georeferencing, it iseasy to forget that other software packages may expect all related objects to usethe same coordinate reference system. If necessary, you can use the GeometricWarping process (Geometric / Reproject) and the Automatic Raster Resamplingprocess (Image / Resample and Reproject / Automatic) to reproject all objects intothe same coordinate reference system. You should also reproject any objects thathave control point georeference prior to export.

When you export geometric objects to ArcView Shapefile format, you can havethe objects automatically reprojected to latitude / longitude coordinates (ifnecessary) by turning on the Convert to Latitude / Longitude toggle button.

Save Metadata for Exported FilesDigital geospatial data can be copied, edited, and transformed with ease, and itcan be displayed at virtually any scale. Without metadata, the end user ofgeospatial data has no way to know the original scale and accuracy of the dataand may be unaware of other potential limitations. When you are conveyingexported data to a third party, it is a good idea to create a metadata text file toaccompany the data.

You can create metadata subobjects and/or text files in TNTmips for spatial objectsyou plan to export. To create metadata for a spatial object, select the object in theTNTmips File Manager (Tools / File Manager).Click on the Metadata icon button in the FileManager’s toolbar, and the Metadata Viewer andEditor window then opens. You can enter anyrelevant metadata text and save it as a metadata subobject. You can also chooseSave as Text File from the File menu to name and save a separate metadata text filethat you can then place with your exported file.

Send Data When You Contact Software SupportWhen you contact MicroImages Software Support to report a problem with exportor import, be sure to include copies of your data that illustrate the problem. Bydoing so you will make it possible for Software Support to diagnose the problemmore quickly and to find problems that may be peculiar to your data.

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Supported Export FormatsTNTmips allows you to export objects in Project Files to the following externalfile formats:

Raster Export FormatsARC-BIL/BIP: Arc/Info BIL/BIPBigTIFF: Tag Image File FormatBMP: Windows BitmapCCRS: Canadian Center for Remote

SensingCDED: Canadian Digital Elevation DataDEM: USGS Digital Elevation ModelDOQ: USGS Digital Orthophoto QuadDTED: Digital Terrain Elevation DataECW: Enhanced Compressed WaveletER-MAPPER: Earth Resource MapperERDAS-GIS/LANERDAS-IMGGeoJP2: JPEG-2000GEOSOFT-GRD: Grid File Format v.2GEOSOFT-GXF: Grid eXchangeGEOTIFFGIF: Graphics Interchange FormatGRASS-RASTERJP2: JPEG-2000JPEGMrSIDNITF2.1: NIMA National Imagery TransferPCIPCXPICTOMETRY: JPEG formatPNG: Portable Network GraphicsSIMPLE- ARRAYSUNRAST: Sun Raster FormatTEXT-RASTER: ASCII textTEXT-XYZ: Text, 3 coordinates per cellTIFF: Tag Image File FormatUSER -DEFINED

Vector/CAD/Shape Export FormatsARC-COVERAGE: ArcInfo CoverageARC-E00-VECTOR: ArcInfo Export

ARC-GENERATE: ArcInfo GenerateARC-SHAPEFILE: ArcView ShapefileATLASBNA: Atlas BNADGN: MicroStation/IntergraphDLG-OPT: USGS DLG OptionalDWG: AutoCAD Drawing FormatDXF: AutoCAD Drawing eXchangeEPANET: EPANET Pipe Network INPFileGDB: ESRI File GeodatabaseFUSION: Google Fusion TableGEOCONCEPT: GeoConcept Text FileGeoJSONGeoRSSGML: Geographic Markup LanguageGMTVECTOR: Generic Mapping ToolsGPSTRACK: GPS TrackmakerGPXKML: Google KMLLAS: LAS LIDAR point dataMAPINFO: MapInfo .tabMIF: MapInfo InterchangeMOSS: Map Overlay and Statistical SystemMYSQL-SPATIALORACLE-SPATIALPOSTGIS

Database Export FormatsACCESS: Microsoft Jet 4.0 OLE DBCSV: Comma Separated ValuesDB-TEXT: ASCII textDBASE: dBASE III/IV & FoxProINFO databaseMIPS-EXTERNAL (DOS MIPS)MYSQLORACLE: Oracle databasePOSTGRESQL: PostgreSQL Database

Import / ExportIcon Button

The TNTmips Import and Export procedures arealso available in TNTedit™. This stand-alone

editor allows you to accessgeodata in all import formatssupported by TNTmips, modify thedata using the powerful editingfunctions found in the TNTmips

Spatial Data Editor, and export the object to anyof the supported export formats.

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Advanced Software for Geospatial AnalysisEXPORTING

MicroImages, Inc.

IndexCAD.....................................................3,17compression

JPEG.............................................6in JP2.............................................11in MrSID..........................................14in PNG.......................................5in TIFF............................................10

database... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,20,21E00............................................................20GEOTIFF.......................................................10JP2................................................12JPEG.....................................................6-7MapInfo MIF.....................................17M r S I D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4MySQL.....................................20-21

null area...........................................11PNG... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5PostGIS..........................................20PostgreSQL... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20-21raster.............................................3-16,23shape object..................................3,17,23shapefile.................................................18text...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

export database to.......................21export raster to..............................15

TIFF.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-9T I N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3TNTedit...............................................23vector..................................3,16-20,23

MicroImages, Inc. publishes a complete line of professional software for advanced geospatialdata visualization, analysis, and publishing. Contact us or visit our web site for detailed productinformation.

TNTmips Pro TNTmips Pro is a professional system for fully integrated GIS, imageanalysis, CAD, TIN, desktop cartography, and geospatial database management.

TNTmips Basic TNTmips Basic is a low-cost version of TNTmips for small projects.

TNTmips Free TNTmips Free is a free version of TNTmips for students and profession-als with small projects. You can download TNTmips Free from MicroImages’ web site.

TNTedit TNTedit provides interactive tools to create, georeference, and edit vector, image,CAD, TIN, and relational database project materials in a wide variety of formats.

TNTview TNTview has the same powerful display features as TNTmips and is perfect forthose who do not need the technical processing and preparation features of TNTmips.

TNTatlas TNTatlas lets you publish and distribute your spatial project materials on CD orDVD at low cost. TNTatlas CDs/DVDs can be used on any popular computing platform.