Fledermaus 8.3.0 - Improvements
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Improved text rendering in 3D Scenes
The method of drawing text within the 3D scenes has been greatly improved, with better readability, crisper text, and better sizing. This applies to all areas where text is used in a scene, such as the measurement tool, space-time note labels, and imported CAD files.
Shading for Point Spheres
When using the Fledermaus point object, there a number of options of how to draw each individual point. The "Sphere" option uses a fully shaded sphere for each point, which is now shaded using the standard lighting controls. This is a good option when looking for more control on the shading then Eye-Dome Lighting, and have a powerful graphics card. The downside is that the sphere shading is resource intensive, especial with large point clouds.
Memory Usage Tracking
A memory usage tracker has been added to the status bar of Fledermaus, bringing it in line with the same widget in Qimera. This display shows the current memory usage by Fledermaus, and the overall percentage compared to total memory.
Grid Export options for Surfaces
Additional export options have been added for surfaces, matching the options from Qimera and Fledermaus 7.
Image Export options for Surfaces
The image export for surfaces now defaults to a rendered surfaces that can be dynamically scaled up, similar to a 3D screen capture or the new Export Scene to Image function.
The exact pixel option is used to create an output image that exactly matches the resolution and dimensions of the original source grid. It is a 1:1 match for the source, and can be used when this is a requirement of the output product.
It is important to note that there is also the option to export the draped texture of a surface to an image. This option is labelled "Export Texture to Image", and will re-create the exact image used before draping. This can be handy when the original image has been lost, or is not easily accessible. Below is an example of a 3d scene with draped sidescan, and the export texture as an georeferenced image:
Scalar Improvements
In addition to general speed and stability improvements, the scalar tools have been further improved to address missing functionality. The two new tools are interpolation, and attaching a standalone scalar to a surface.
The Interpolate Scalar tool uses the same algorithm as the Interpolate Surface tool, and allows small holes in the scalar surface to be filled in. This tool is not designed for large area interpolation.
The Attach Scalar tool allows selecting a Scalar file that is in the scene or from an exterior file. The scalar to attach must be in the Fledermaus 8 Scalar format, so any Fledermaus 7 scalars need to be updated before attaching. Once a Scalar is attached to a surface, the scalar values will be displayed in the geopick point area of the status bar, and the scalar can be used for draping on the surface. Although a generic format, the Scalar surface is often used for data such as a backscatter mosaic, or a grid of magnetometer data.
Improved Error Detection on Intel Based GPU
Embedded Intel graphics cards have considerable more limitations then dedicated cards from Nvidia or AMD. As a result, certain operations are limited when using an integrated Intel GPU (graphics processing unit). Fledermaus 8.3.0 has better error messages to help identify when a problem has occurred with an Intel GPU.