- Mapping the Seafloor:
- Software for the Processing and Display
- of Swath Sonar Data
-
- David
W. Caress (1) and Dale
N. Chayes (2)
- 1. Monterey Bay Aquarium
Research Institute
- 2. Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory
- of Columbia University
- Introduction
- MB-System is an open source software package for the processing and
display of bathymetry and backscatter imagery data derived from
multibeam, interferometry, and sidescan sonars. The source code for
MB-System is freely available (for free) by anonymous ftp (including
"point and click" access through these web pages). A complete
description is provided in web pages accessed through links below.
- MB-System was originally developed at the Lamont-Doherty Earth
Observatory of Columbia University (L-DEO) and is now a collaborative
effort between the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and
L-DEO. The National Science Foundation has provided the primary support
for MB-System development since 1993. The Packard Foundation has
provided significant support through MBARI since 1998. Additional
support has derived from SeaBeam Instruments (1994-1997), NOAA
(2002-2004), and others.
- Current Distribution Release Status
Stable Release: 5.1.1 (31 December 2008)
Unstable Release: 5.1.2beta15 (30 December 2009)
Recent Announcements
- MB-System 5.1.2beta15 Now Available (December 30, 2009) NEW!!!
- This is now the latest unstable release of MB-System.
- The code has been rewritten to work when compiled 64 bit, but has not been well tested yet.
- For more information read the MB-System 5.1.2beta15 README
file.
- We thank all of the MB-System users who have provided
comments, corrections, bug reports, and data samples.
- Update to Integrating Third-Party Bathymetry Editors
with MB-System (December 26, 2009) NEW!!!
- This
updated document addresses the issue of integrating a third-party
bathymetry
editor with the MB-System
processing environment.
- The edit event definition and related source code have been augmented to handle data from multiple head sonars that produce multiple pings with identical timestamps.
- Since some editors
may have licensing and distribution schemes (e.g. commercial with
source held proprietary) that are inconsistent with the GNU Public
License (GPL) applied to MB-System,
the suggestions presented here do
not involve direct use of GPL licensed MB-System
source code.
- For the
most part, this can be accomplished using executable programs that are
part of the MB-System
distribution, and therefore freely available to
be installed (but not sold) by third parties.
- However, we also include
some code derived from the MB-System
distribution that we will
separately release under the Lessor
GNU Public
License (LGPL), allowing those
functions to be linked with commercial software.
- Directions for Installing GMT and MB-System on Ubuntu (June 14, 2009)
- On April 18, 2009, Marcel Croon posted instructions for installing GMT and MB-System on Ubuntu systems to the MB-System Discussion List.
- A slightly edited version of these instructions are available here.
- Thanks Marcel!
- MB-System 5.1.1 Available (December 31, 2008)
- This is now the current release of MB-System.
- For more information read the MB-System 5.1.1 Release Notes and README
file.
- We thank all of the MB-System users who have provided
comments, corrections, bug reports, and data samples.
- MB-System Packaged for MacOS X and Poseidon Linux (December 31, 2008)
- This isn't really new, but we haven't previously highlighted these efforts to package MB-System for easy installation.
- Since 2004, Kurt Schwehr of CCOM/JHC has maintained a Fink Project MB-System package for MacOs X. Users must specify use of "unstable" packages to make the MB-System package available.
- Since July 2008, MB-System has been included in Poseidon Linux, the "Scientific GNU/Linux". Poseidon is an Ubuntu Linux based distribution including a selection of open source software packages intended to support scientific research. In particular, it offers several specific tools in the areas of GIS, 3D Visualization, Mathematics, Statistics and several other fields of research.
- Not So Recent Announcements
- MB-System Discussion List has changed (May 16, 2008)
- As of May 11, MBARI changed the list server hardware and software that hosts the MB-System Disccussion List
- The MB-System Discussion List URL has changed to http://listserver.mbari.org/sympa/info/mbsystem
- Anyone can read the list archives. Click on "Archives" in the web interface linked above.
- Only members can post to the list. Join the list via the web interface linked above.
- List members can post via the web interface or by emailing to mbsystem@mbari.org
- MB-System Beta Distributions Now Linked in Web Pages (May 16, 2008)
- Beta Distributions of MB-System are generated much more frequently than "official" releases, mostly because we have difficulty keeping the documentation concurrent with the code development.
- The sections of these web pages relating to downloads now note that beta distributions are frequently updated, and include a link to the most recent beta distribution.
- Version 5.1.1 will be released as soon as reasonable documentation is completed for the new tools mbgrdviz and mbeditviz.
- MB-System NSF Proposal Funded (July 26, 2006)
- The Marine Geology and Geophysics Program of the NSF has
approved our request for another five years of funding for MB-System
development and support.
- We thank all of the MB-System users who provided letters of
support for inclusion in this proposal. Your time and effort are
appreciated!!
- The proposal can be read here
- Update to MB-System Cookbook Now Available
(January 14, 2006)
- We are developing an MB-System Cookbook to provide tutorial
style documentation for MB-System Version 5. An updated
draft of this cookbook by Val Schmidt, Dale Chayes, and David Caress is
being made available here along with the data samples used to
illustrate the use of our software (see
links below).
- First Visualization-Aided MB-System Tool Released
(February 20, 2005)
- MB-System version 6 is already under development. Our intent
is to embed a 3D vizualization capability into tools used for tasks
such as project management, bathymetry editing, and patch tests. The first
tool using this capability is part of the 5.0.6 release. This program is
called MBgrdviz, and allows simple 2D and 3D vizualization of GMT grids. Some
screen dumps are available here.
- Integrating Third-Party Bathymetry Editors
with MB-System (October 6, 2004)
- This
document addresses the issue of integrating a third-party
bathymetry
editor with the MB-System
processing environment.
- Since some editors
may have licensing and distribution schemes (e.g. commercial with
source held proprietary) that are inconsistent with the GNU Public
License (GPL) applied to MB-System,
the suggestions presented here do
not involve direct use of GPL
licensed MB-System
source code.
- For the
most part, this can be accomplished using executable programs that are
part of the MB-System
distribution, and therefore freely available to
be installed (but not sold) by third parties.
- However, we also include
some code derived from the MB-System
distribution that we will
separately release under the Lessor
GNU Public
License (LGPL), allowing those
functions to be linked with commercial software.
- Draft MB-System Cookbook Now Available
(December 5, 2003)
- We are developing an MB-System Cookbook to provide tutorial
style documentation for MB-System Version 5. A preliminary (incomplete)
draft of this cookbook by Val Schmidt, Dale Chayes, and David Caress is
being made available here along with the data samples used to
illustrate the use of our software (see
links below).
- New MB-System Discussion Email List Established
(December 5, 2003)
- We have established an MB-System discussion email list to
facillitate communication among MB-System developers and users see
links below (see
links below).
- SURF format API released under GPL by ATLAS
Hydrographics GmbH (October 18, 2001)
- ATLAS Hydrographics GmbH of Bremen, Germany, has released the
source code used to read and write swath mapping sonar data in the SURF
format as open source under the GNU Public License (GPL).
- ATLAS markets a number of widely used multibeam sonars,
including the Fansweep 15 and Fansweep 20 multibeams for shallow water
surveying and the Hydrosweep MD-2 and Hydrosweep DS-2 multibeams for
mid- to deep-water surveying.
- The ATLAS HYDROMAP processing package stores Fansweep
and Hydrosweep data in the SURF format. A large amount of seafloor
mapping data worldwide is archived in this format.
- We will be adding support for the SURF format in MB-System
soon (as time and resources allow).
- MB-System NSF Proposal Funded(April
6, 2001)
- The Marine Geology and Geophysics Program of the NSF has
approved our request for another five years of funding for MB-System
development and support.
- We thank all of the MB-System users who provided letters of
support for inclusion in this proposal. Your time and effort are
appreciated!!
- We also thank Dr. David Epp, our NSF Program Manager, and the
mail reviewers and panel members who reviewed our latest proposal.
- Caution
MB-System is under active development and is updated periodically. This
(usually) results in improved performance and additional capabilities,
but often means that the documentation (including these web pages) lag
somewhat behind the actual software. Please bear with us and send your
comments and suggestions.
- Downloads
-
The MB-System source code distribution and related files, including
data samples, are available by anonymous ftp to
Click here to download (by ftp) the most recent stable MB-System source code release.
Click here to download (by ftp) the most recent unstable (beta) MB-System source code release.
To find further documentation about downloading the MB-System source
code distribution go to:
An MB-System package is available for MacOS X through the Fink Project. Users must specify use of "unstable" packages to make the MB-System package available.
MB-System is included in Poseidon Linux, the "Scientific GNU/Linux". Poseidon is an Ubuntu Linux based distribution including a selection of open source software packages intended to support scientific research. In particular, it offers several specific tools in the areas of GIS, 3D Visualization, Mathematics, Statistics and several other fields of research.
Instructions for installing GMT and MB-System on Ubuntu systems are available here.
Documentation
-
The complete web page documentation distributed with MB-System can be
accessed here:
-
The MB-System Cookbook tutorial
documentation by Val Schmidt, Dale N. Chayes, and David W. Caress is
available both as web pages and as a downloadable pdf document:
A document providing guidance for integrating a third-party
bathymetry
editor with the MB-System
processing environment can be accessed here:
- A few swath data format specifications made available to us can
be
viewed here:
Documents concerning how mapping sonars work can be viewed here:
MB-System Discussion
List
We maintain an MB-System discussion email list to facillitate
communication among MB-System developers and users. We encourage users
with questions and/or problems to use this list rather than emailing
the developers directly. One must subscribe to the list in order to
post messages, but the message archive is publically viewable and
searchable over a web interface. The maximum message size in this list
is 100K.
The web interface to the list is at:
http://listserver.mbari.org/sympa/info/mbsystem
To subscribe to the list go to:
http://listserver.mbari.org/sympa/subscribe/mbsystem
To read the archives go to:
- http://listserver.mbari.org/sympa/arc/mbsystem
- MB-System Announcement List
We maintain a second, very low traffic list of email addresses which is
used solely for providing notification of major updates. If you would
like to be notified when new releases are available, but do not wish to
join the discussion list described above, please send an email message
to:
- majordomo@ldeo.columbia.edu
- with a single line in the body of the message that says:
- to be automatically added to the announcement list.
- Last Updated: 31 December 2009