Import Background Image
Background images, in raster format, can be imported and used as background to the forest map. Preferrably, the image should be in .tif-file format (but other graphical formats are possible, e.g. bitmaps). NB: Only one layer per type (Road-, Terrain-, and Ortomap) is possible to import to the forest database, any new image-import will overwrite the old, already imported images! This is of course unfortunate and will be fixed in future releases. A roadmap, more or less covering the entire company sphere of activities, might be imported once and for all while the ortophotos probably would be added continuously as new areas are to be analysed.
However, this is the somewhat advanced steps in importing images:
- In your GIS, open the raster image.
- If necessary, zoom to/select the area of interest (to decrease the extent of the image and hence the file-size).
- Choose "Export Raster Data" (or similar).
- Now you might be in a tricky position; if the original image is in 8 bit you must force it into the three bands RGB to obtain a 24 bit-image. This might be possible only if you export to an output raster with .bmp-format. If so, open the bitmapped file in, e.g., Paint and save it as .tif-file.
- Did you obtain a corresponding World file (.tfw or .bpw)? This is needed for geo-referencing purposes, and in most GIS's a built-in functionality (automatically runned), else you might need to create such file separately.
- Did your World file turn out alright? Sometimes EOL is misinterpret and then you must edit the .tfw-file so that it contains six rows. This can be done in, e.g., Notepad (but beware of any double extensions after saving, like "*.tfw.txt" - rename files with such names).
- Finally, the spatial reference of an image should be set to the Swedish Grid RT90, 2.5 gon West, to enable viewing in PlanWise. [Redundant? What is important is probably that different imported maps and images are in the same system, in future releases preferrably in SWEREF99].
Now return to PlanStart, and in menu "External data" > "Import background image...":
- In "Path to grapichal files", the folder with graphical files must contain at least one graphical .tif-file with a corresponding world .tfw-file (formatted as described above).
- In "Path to pyramide files", the folder with pyramid files can be empty, created files will end up here.
- Choose correct map type and "Create".
- Looking at the pyramids of an image, you will find it divided into several images, or layers, with different resolution in each layer. The presentation of such image in a GIS/Map viewer will then be done more rapid, adapting to current view-scale.
Before you go on with importing the pyramids (i.e. the divided background image), make sure this is done to a forest database where no other image data is overwritten.
- Tip 1
- Since creating pyramids for large images are time-consuming, look for databases with already imported image data and possibilities to use such as the forest database in the following analyses.