Qimera Glossary
A
Active Dynamic Grid
Most dynamic grid operations in Qimera operate on the active dynamic grid. The active dynamic grid is either the currently selected dynamic grid, or if no dynamic grid is selected, the only visible dynamic grid.
B
C
CCOM
Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH, USA.
Chimera
A monstrous mythological fire-breathing creature composed of the parts of multiple animals. These animals depicted are typically lion, goat, dragon, and snake. This was the origin of Qimera in that we have taken technologies from across QPS and created a powerful (fire breathing) bathymetric processing tool.
CUBE
CUBE (Combined Uncertainty and Bathymetric Estimator) is an algorithm that takes advantage of statistical redundancy in a dense collection of soundings. Tracking the uncertainty associated with these soundings, CUBE can make estimates of the true depth of water across a survey area.
D
Data Validation
Dot killing, getting rid of outliers, data cleaning
DTM
Digital Terrain Model. In the QPS software suite, the abbreviation DTM is used in different ways. In QINSy, the DtmData folder stores the QPD files used for generating a DTM. In Fledermaus, DTM SD files are Fledermaus-format files of gridded bathymetric or topographic grids. The Qimera Create Grid Object option creates a DTM SD, which is equivalent to the Static Grid.
Dynamic Grid (GRD)
The Dynamic Grid will allow you to see a grid representation of the soundings you are working with. It is created by raw sonar data that has been sound velocity corrected or created by imported processed point files. This grid allows direct edit capability on the underlying sounding data and will automatically update when updates are complete.
Dynamic Workflow
Dynamic Workflow is an automated state machine based process that guides you through bathymetric processing steps, attempts to complete some steps (such as vessel extraction) automatically and determines the tasks that need to be accomplished next.
E
EPSG
European Petroleum Survey Group format for storing coordinate system information. Wikipedia Reference
F
G
H
I
IMU
Inertial Measurement Unit, often used interchangeably with MRU Wikipedia Reference
J
K
L
M
Multibeam Echosounder
Echosounder that forms a triangular fan of multiple beams that provides several sounding solutions across the ship track with a single ping emission. A single beam echosounder provides a sounding directly below the sounder only.
MRU
Motion Reference Unit, often used interchangeably with IMU.
N
NADIR
The point on the sea floor that lies directly below the sonar during a survey.
O
OMG
Ocean Mapping Group at the University of New Brunswick, in Fredericton, NB, Canada.
P
Processed Point File
These are files that contain processed soundings/footprints with a minimum XYZ attribute for each sounding. Supported file formats can range from simple ASCII to GSF. Refer to this list of supported file formats.
Q
Qimera
See Chimera.
QPD File
This is the processed format of all sonar data imported into Qimera.
R
S
SBET
Smoothed Best Estimate of Trajectory. An Applanix file format that contains the post processed inertial data from a POS MV. The data can include position, GNSS height, heading, and motion data (but not heave). Qimera requires the name "SBET" to to be in the name of the file to make it automatically detected. eg: SBET_11062015.out
SBTC / SBIC
Smoothed and combined (forward and reverse) tightly / loosely coupled trajectory. A NovAtel file format produced by their Inertial Explorer Software. The data can include position, GNSS height, heading, motion (including heave) and their standard deviations.
SD
Scientific Data Object. This is the storage format for Fledermaus visual objects.
SD
Standard deviation. A statistical parameter that describes the spread of measurements about their average. With a normal distribution, the SD gives the expected uncertainty level for any given measurement.
Sound Velocity
The speed that sound travels through a medium. This quantity is fundamental to echosounding since echosounders measure the travel-time of an acoustic pulse and the speed of sound is used to convert this into a range in linear units such as meters. Sound speed is the technically correct term, however, sound velocity is used throughout the marine geomatics industry and we have followed suit.
Sound Velocity Correction
The mathematical process which converts an observed two-way travel time measurement and launch angle relative to the horizontal to the depth and distance traveled by the acoustic pulse relative to its source.
Static Grid
The static Grid is data gridded from the processed (QPD) files. it's a static grid which won't change when editing (QPD) data.
T
TPU (Total Propagated Uncertainty)
The TPU of a point is a measure for the accuracy to be expected for such a point, when all relevant error / uncertainty sources are taken into account.
U
USGS
United States Geological Survey
V
W
Water column
Acoustic backscatter returns between the water surface and the seafloor interface; this information has many uses, but in Qimera its intended use is to help you determine the validity of bathymetric targets. If water column data is acquired and stored with the bathymetry data, Qimera will scan it on on data load and make it available for viewing in the Water Column Window.
Widget
The pick and zoom interface object that appears in the 4D scene that provides navigation through direct interaction with the data space.
WKT
Well Known Text format for storing coordinate system information. Wikipedia Reference
X
Y
Z
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