News Archives
News posts from 2009
Echoview end of year message and holiday closure details
Posted on Thursday, 17 December 2009 | Permalink
As yet another year draws to a close, the Echoview team would like to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thanks and a happy and safe festive season to all of our valued users. As ever, it has been a privilege to be able to learn from and contribute to the diverse and fascinating science that is being undertaken around the world.
For us here it has been a time of change, with various comings and goings from the team. This year saw the release of a new, improved website and a global hydroacoustic user forum, in line with our vision to empower the science community and demystify the black art of acoustics. Next year we will be proudly bringing you version 5 of our familiar software, which will bring with it new paradigms while continuing to deliver the quality, power, flexibility and relevance that has become Echoview's trademark.
The Echoview office will be closed from the 23rd of December until the 4th of January, inclusive. Staff mailboxes may not be checked regularly during this time, so please use the central email addresses if you have an urgent issue: Echoview Support or Echoview Sales, and one of our staff will be in touch with you as soon as possible. If you are planning a survey, specific project or workshop during that time and would like the phone number of an Echoview support staff member for emergencies then please email support.
We look forward to working with you all again in 2010!
All the best,
The Echoview Team
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New scripting-support page added to the Echoview website
Posted on Tuesday, 15 December 2009 | Permalink
Scripting is a powerful but under-utilized component of Echoview, allowing you to automate repetitive tasks and increase the objectivity of your analyses.
We'd love to help you to get familiar with this awesome tool, so please be sure to check out our new Automation via Scripting page on the Echoview website.
Cheers,
The Echoview Team
Eonfusion Update: v2.0 Release
Posted on Tuesday, 20 October 2009 | Permalink
Version 2.0 of Eonfusion was released earlier this month. Amongst the many new features, it contains:
- The Add-in development environment (an Application Programming Interface, or API) that allows any user to write operators, data sources and data writers. The API uses the C# programming language and is included with every Eonfusion license. User-developed “add-ins” can be shared with any other Eonfusion user.
- Reprojection and general manipulation of raster geometry. This was available for vector data in earlier versions and is now extended to raster data.
- A free-viewer mode that allows somebody without an Eonfusion license to explore your Eonfusion scenes.
- Support for 3D models in COLLADA/DAE and OBJ formats. Adding 3D models to scenes can greatly increase the communicative power of data visualization.
- A transparency option for all visualizers, which adds further visual richness to Eonfusion’s scene environment.
- New operators that link neighboring vertices or raster cells together, enabling a huge range of spatial and proximity-based analyses.
Eonfusion V2.0 takes the vision of Eonfusion as a general purpose analysis and visualization tool to a new level of functionality and usability.
Our September newsletter also contained several items that might be of interest. To browse through it and other recent Eonfusion newsletters, go to the Eonfusion Newsletter Archive.
Plans for Echoview version 4.85
Posted on Tuesday, 20 October 2009 | Permalink
The recent release of Echoview 4.80 means that we will soon be moving on to the next release; Echoview 4.85. The key themes for 4.85 include:
- Increasing support for the loading and viewing of multibeam data from an even wider variety of hardware, including the Simrad ME70.
- Further developments to the classification functionality introduced in 4.80.
- Ongoing developments for task automation via COM scripting.
- Ongoing developments to our educational projects, including tutorials and the propagation of Echoview templates via our new website.
As always, to maintain the exceptional value and usability of Echoview for all of our users we will also be implementing a range of specific requests and other useful items with general appeal. If you have any feature suggestions please send them through to Echoview Support for consideration.
Alternatively, you can present and discuss new ideas via the user forum. Echoview development is largely driven by customer requests!
We're looking forward to bringing you yet another release of Echoview!
What's new in version 4.80?
Posted on Wednesday, 14 October 2009 | Permalink
Over the past few months, we have been working steadily towards the release of Echoview version 4.80. The full release is now available to download.
- General enhancements
- Variables & Geometry window enhancements
- COM scripting enhancements
- Tweaks and other changes
General enhancements
Automated region classification
You can now automatically apply region classes to regions using rules based on a region's analysis results (attributes). The new Classification tab on the EV File Properties dialog allows you to create and edit the rules that are evaluated in order to assign classes. Classification can be done automatically after schools detection or manually for a specific region or regions within a selection on an echogram, as well as via the Region Manager.
Above is a screenshot of the EV File Properties dialog box, showing two rules that will apply two region classes. One of these is selected and its conditions are editable in the lower list box.
Hydroacoustics User Forum window
Echoview now contains a new dockable window that shows the most recent posts on the new Hydroacoustics User Forum.
Removal of 500 virtual variable limit
You can now have as many virtual variables in an EV file as you want (we've seen some very large data flows!).
Save as Template
You can now save a copy of your EV file as a template or live viewing template easily via new menu commands on the File menu.
TVG curve available on the ping graph for Sv variables
On Sv echograms, you can now show a TVG Curve on your ping graph using the Shortcut menu. This is useful for faster and more visual Sv background noise estimation.
Variables & Geometry window enhancements
Copy and paste virtual variables, virtual lines and editable lines
This is a long-standing user request! You can now copy and paste items on the Variables & Geometry window. Currently, you can copy and paste virtual variables, virtual lines and editable lines. Objects retain their relationships when they are copied together, and combined with drag and drop of operands (below) this allows very easy duplication of portions of your dataflow within the one EV file, or from one EV file to another!
Drag and drop input operands
The input operands for virtual variables and virtual lines can now be set directly on the Variables & Geometry view. A small node appears when your mouse hovers over an object, and it can be dragged with the mouse to create a new arrow that you can drop onto another object on the view. Objects highlight and dim depending on whether the dragged object is a suitable potential operand. You can either drop the arrow straight on an object, or drop it on an existing input operand’s arrow to replace that specific operand.
This is also useful when pasting virtual variables or lines, as you can easily hook up complex sets of variables and lines after pasting them into an EV file.
Drag tabs to reorder
You can now drag and drop the tabs at the bottom of the Variables & Geometry window to reorder your views.
COM scripting enhancements
- Support for the 'Inherit calibration settings from' settings on the Calibration page of the Variable Properties dialog box for virtual variables
- Support for shifting regions in depth or time
- Support for pre-reading data files - handy for generating EVI files for large quantities of data
- Support for editable lines and picking lines, including line pick properties
- Support for filesets' time offset property
These enhancements will help you automate your data processing.
Plus many more other tweaks and useful changes
- Line usage information able to be shown on the Variables & Geometry window
- A keyboard shortcut to create a marker region at the last ping without having to select the data (especially useful when live viewing)
- The tape measure tool's displayed measurement should stay away from the feature you are measuring
- And much more...
As always, in version 4.80 we have tried to select a balance of enhancements that will have maximum usefulness across our broad and diverse user group. If there are any new features here that make a real difference for you, we'd love to hear about it! Likewise, if there are features that we don't have and that you'd like to see implemented, or if you would like to know more about the new features, please contact Echoview support.
We hope you enjoy this new release!
Echoview 4.80 has been released!
Posted on Tuesday, 13 October 2009 | Permalink
The full version of Echoview 4.80 is now available - head here to download our latest release!
Echoview 4.80 contains many new improvements across a broad range of program features. We are excited to bring it to you in the knowledge that it is almost guaranteed to improve the depth and efficiency of your acoustic data post-processing, regardless of your processing methodology.
Please read the New in Echoview 4.80 page of the help file for full details on the new functionality.
Happy processing!
Echoview training course wrap-up: Poland, September 2009
Posted on Thursday, 8 October 2009 | Permalink
Briony Hutton and Patrick Schneider ran a 3-day Echoview training course in Gdynia, Poland in early September. The class was attended by 9 students from Poland, Latvia, Sweden and Germany with a wide range of skills and experience in acoustics.
Following the recent release of the Echoview technical manual (www.echoview.com/support/echoview-technical-manual), the first half of the course now takes participants through the various exercises in the manual in an immersive blend of presentations and hands-on work. Following this, the course takes a more in-depth look at multifrequency species identification and background noise removal techniques, before going on to explore Echoview’s scripting and 3D-visualization capabilities.
The course wraps up with exploration of example data that students are invited to bring to the course for this purpose, and a brief demonstration of Myriax’s new 4D data-visualization and analysis software package Eonfusion (eonfusion.com).
The Echoview training course is designed to provide value for all, regardless of experience, and can be tailored to suit your specific data analysis requirements. To enquire about training at your location, please see www.echoview.com/products/training-and-consulting.
Forum competition winner announcement!
Posted on Thursday, 8 October 2009 | Permalink
Congratulations to Rebecca Thomas for winning the forum competition! Two bottles of tasty Tasmanian wine will be heading in your direction very soon.
See here for more information.
Eonfusion V2.0 Released
Posted on Monday, 5 October 2009 | Permalink
Eonfusion is a unique 4D software application form Myriax, that provides cutting edge processing and visualization of time varying spatial data.
The release of Version 2.0 represents a major increment in the capabilities of Eonfusion. The two headline features are the public Application Programming Interface (or API) and the exposure of raster vertex attributes. Each of these provides a much-expanded platform for both short and long term additions of new functionality.
Complementing these headline features is a range of new additions that broaden the scope of Eonfusion's application and increase the depth of its capability:
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Analysis capability has been expanded via the introduction of generic neighbour-linking operations.
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Visualization capability has been improved by the addition of transparency.
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The scope of data support has been widened by the addition of a 3D model data source.
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Communication has received a major boost from the addition of a free view licensing mode.
Welcome to our new website
Posted on Thursday, 3 September 2009 | Permalink
As you may have noticed while reading this, we have now released our new and improved www.echoview.com website! As well as a much-needed facelift, the website aims to deliver a range of additional information and functionality, both for Echoview users in particular and for the hydroacoustics community in general.
Key additions to the website include:
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A place to find and contribute information and Echoview templates for data processing techniques.
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Consolidated and clarified information about the way Echoview works and what it can do for you.
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More information about general hydroacoustics topics, including applications, data processing and useful web links (including a link to the new user forum).
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An RSS news feed for the latest comings and going from Echoview.
As with our Beta software releases, this website is a work in progress. We have designed the site from a user’s perspective, with accessibility and utility at the forefront, and will continue to build on its content over the coming weeks.
If there are any new features of the site that you applaud, we'd love to hear about it! Likewise, if there are features that we don't have and that you'd like to see implemented, or if you come across any broken links or inconsistencies, please let us know at Echoview support.
We hope you enjoy our new site. Make it your home page and keep in touch with the pulse of the global hydroacoustics community!
New hydroacoustics forum - and competition!
Posted on Thursday, 3 September 2009 | Permalink
We recently created the Hydroacoustics User Forum at www.hydroacoustics.net as a place to discuss hydroacoustics and Echoview. We hope that this forum will become the place to visit to talk hydroacoustics with input from representatives of the entire community: head on over and sign up today!
To encourage early participation, we are holding a competition: any user that signs up and posts before the 30th of September 2009 (including those who have already posted) will be entered into a draw to win some premium Tasmanian wine! There will be one entry per person, and the winner will be randomly selected.
Echoview Version 4.80 Beta Release
Posted on Wednesday, 2 September 2009 | Permalink
Over the past few months, we have been working steadily towards the release of Echoview version 4.80, and the beta is now available to download for interested users. This is a beta version and is not the final version of 4.80, so may contain bugs or other errors, but if you’re interested in what it contains we encourage you to download it and experiment with the new features!
Training Opportunity in Taiwan
Posted on Monday, 31 August 2009 | Permalink
We are pleased to offer the opportunity to participate in our next training workshop, being held in Taiwan (at a venue to be announced), on the 12th, 13th and 14th November 2009. Some of the benefits of attending this workshop are:
- Much less time spent getting productive with Echoview
- Saving time with regular processing tasks
- Discovering new ways to get information out of your data
- Feeling like an expert, knowing how to make the most of this software (and your data sets)
You will also meet and work with other scientists and technicians interested in acoustics, and have the opportunity to develop friendships and professional relationships that will be valuable to your project and job over the long term.
The workshop is based around a standard set of topics and exercises designed so that you can see how the software works, hear how it is used in practice, and get a real feel for the software through hands-on exercises. All topics, even those on modules you may not yet own, will include skills and information relevant to all participants. If you have specific questions or have data sets that demonstrate problems with acoustic data processing that you would like addressed, then please provide them to us prior to the workshop so that we can best prepare an answer or discussion. Please contact Echoview support for an ftp site link for data upload.
Presenter Myounghee Kang will be available outside of the workshop hours if anyone has specific questions that are not covered in workshop.
For an overview of the workshop and/or to register please write to us at training@echoview.com.
Please note that the course will only proceed if an appropriate number of participants register. If the course is cancelled, a full refund will be provided.
Feel free to contact Echoview support if you have any questions or if there is any other way that we can assist you.
Discover Eonfusion
Posted on Friday, 28 August 2009 | Permalink
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Eonfusion is a unique 4D software application from Myriax, that provides cutting edge processing and visualization of time varying spatial data,
Eonfusion allows you to:
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Streamline the integration of large and diverse data sets
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Easily explore and manipulate time varying spatial data
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Effortlessly share your analysis methods with colleagues
- Clearly communicate results to stakeholders in 4D!
