The DIRSIG User's Manual

Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Laboratory



Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science
Rochester Institute of Technology
54 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623-5604
        

Copyright © 2007 Rochester Institute of Technology

Table of Contents
I. Introduction
1. Overview
1.1. Layout of this manual
1.2. How-to use this manual
1.3. Updates and Errata
1.4. Problems, Bugs and Enhancements
2. Technical Description
2.1. What is DIRSIG?
2.2. Application Areas
2.3. Technical Description
2.4. Supporting Software
2.5. Frequently Asked Questions
3. Installation
3.1. Usage Restrictions
3.2. Installation Requirements
3.3. How to get the software
3.4. How to install the software
3.5. How to upgrade the software
3.6. Tutorials
3.7. Troubleshooting Tips
3.8. Frequently Asked Questions
4. Getting Started
4.1. Using DIRSIG
4.2. Framing Array Tutorial
4.3. Pushbroom Scanner Tutorial
II. In-Depth Material
5. Materials
5.1. Overview
5.2. Technical Description
5.3. How-To
5.4. Tutorials
5.5. Troubleshooting Tips
5.6. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Property Mapping Techniques
6.1. Overview
6.2. Technical Description
6.3. How-To
6.4. Tutorials
6.5. Troubleshooting Tips
6.6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. Thermal Modeling
7.1. Overview
7.2. Technical Description
7.3. How-To
7.4. Tutorials
7.5. Troubleshooting Tips
7.6. Frequently Asked Questions
8. Atmospheric Modeling
8.1. Overview
8.2. Technical Description
8.3. How-To
8.4. Tutorials
8.5. Troubleshooting Tips
8.6. Frequently Asked Questions
9. Sensor Modeling
9.1. Overview
9.2. Technical Description
9.3. How-To
9.4. Tutorials
9.5. Troubleshooting Tips
9.6. Frequently Asked Questions
10. Platform Modeling
10.1. Overview
10.2. Technical Description
10.3. How-To
10.4. Tutorials
10.5. Troubleshooting Tips
10.6. Frequently Asked Questions
11. Basic Scene Construction
11.1. Overview
11.2. Technical Description
11.3. How-To
11.4. Tutorials
11.5. Troubleshooting Tips
11.6. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Gas Plume Modeling
12.1. Overview
12.2. Theory
12.3. How-To
12.4. Tutorials
12.5. Troubleshooting Tips
12.6. Frequently Asked Questions
13. DIRSIG3 Run-Time Manual
13.1. Overview
13.2. How-To
13.3. Tutorials
13.4. Frequently Asked Questions
III. DIRSIG4 Features
14. DIRSIG4 Migration Manual
14.1. Overview
14.2. How-To
14.3. Tutorials
14.4. Frequently Asked Questions
15. Improved Platform Modeling
15.1. Overview
15.2. Technical Description
15.3. How-To
15.4. Tutorials
15.5. Troubleshooting Tips
15.6. Frequently Asked Questions
16. Instrument Mount Modeling
16.1. Overview
16.2. Technical Description
16.3. How-To
16.4. Tutorials
16.5. Troubleshooting Tips
16.6. Frequently Asked Questions
17. LIDAR System Modeling
17.1. Overview
17.2. Technical Description
17.3. How-To
17.4. Tutorials
17.5. Troubleshooting Tips
17.6. Frequently Asked Questions
18. Polarization Modeling
18.1. Overview
18.2. Technical Description
18.3. How-To
18.4. Tutorials
18.5. Troubleshooting Tips
18.6. Frequently Asked Questions
19. Interactive Mode
19.1. Overview
19.2. Technical Description
19.3. How-To
19.4. Tutorials
19.5. Troubleshooting Tips
19.6. Frequently Asked Questions
20. Voxelized Geometry
20.1. Overview
20.2. Technical Description
20.3. How-To
20.4. Tutorials
20.5. Troubleshooting Tips
20.6. Frequently Asked Questions
21. Moving Geometry
21.1. Overview
21.2. Technical Description
21.3. How-To
21.4. Tutorials
21.5. Troubleshooting Tips
21.6. Frequently Asked Questions
22. Balfour Thermal Model
22.1. Overview
22.2. Technical Description
22.3. How-To
22.4. Tutorials
22.5. Troubleshooting Tips
22.6. Frequently Asked Questions
23. NEF Material Modeling
23.1. Overview
23.2. Technical Description
23.3. How-To
23.4. Tutorials
23.5. Troubleshooting Tips
23.6. Frequently Asked Questions
IV. Support Application Manuals
24. The make_adb User Manual
24.1. Installation and Configuration
24.2. Usage and Options
24.3. Tutorials
24.4. Troubleshooting Tips
24.5. Frequently Asked Questions
25. The Bulldozer User Manual
25.1. Overview
25.2. Getting Started
25.3. Object Editing Mode Techniques
25.4. Scene Editing Mode Techniques
25.5. Troubleshooting Tips
26. The platform_edit User Manual
26.1. Overview
26.2. Usage and Options
26.3. Tutorials
27. The clean_ems User Manual
27.1. Overview
27.2. Usage and Options
28. The geom_voxelizer User Manual
28.1. Overview
28.2. Usage and Options
29. The make_dem User Manual
29.1. Overview
29.2. Usage and Options
30. The prn2wth User Manual
30.1. Overview
30.2. Technical Description
30.3. Usage and Options
31. The cmpimgs User Manual
31.1. Overview
31.2. Usage and Options
V. Reference
32. DIRSIG3 Input Configuration File
32.1. PATHS Section
32.2. SCENE Section
32.3. ENVIRONMENT Section
32.4. PLATFORM Section
32.5. OPTIONS Section
32.6. TRUTH_IMAGES Section
33. XML Reference
33.1. DTD and Validation
33.2. Basic Elements
33.3. Scene
33.4. Atmosphere
33.5. Platform
33.6. Platform Motion
33.7. Task List
34. File Formats
34.1. ADB: Atmospheric Database
34.2. EMS: Spectral Emissivity Database
34.3. EXT: Spectral Extinction Database
34.4. DUMP: Custom AutoCAD export file
34.5. GAS: Gas Absorption Spectrum
34.6. GDB: Geometric Database
34.7. INT: Source Radiant Intensity
34.8. MAT: Material Database
34.9. ODB: Object Database
34.10. PGM: NetPBM Image File Format
34.11. PRF: Classic Platform Location/Orientation Data
34.12. PPD: Generic Platform Positioning Data
34.13. PSF: Detector Point Spread Function
34.14. Plume Release File
34.15. RSP: Sensor Response
34.16. WTH: Weather History
35. Frequently Asked Questions
35.1. General
35.2. Installation
35.3. Materials
35.4. Property Mapping Techniques
35.5. Thermal Modeling
35.6. Atmospheric Modeling
35.7. Sensor Modeling
35.8. Platform Modeling
35.9. Scene Construction
35.10. Plume Modeling
36. Troubleshooting
36.1. Installation
36.2. Materials
36.3. Property Mapping Techniques
36.4. Thermal Modeling
36.5. Atmospheric Modeling
36.6. Sensor Modeling
36.7. Platform Modeling
36.8. Scene Construction
36.9. Plume Modeling
36.10. make_adb
36.11. bulldozer
37. Tutorials
37.1. General
37.2. Installation
37.3. Materials
37.4. Property Mapping Techniques
37.5. Thermal Modeling
37.6. Atmospheric Modeling
37.7. Sensor Modeling
37.8. Platform Modeling
37.9. Scene Construction
37.10. Plume Modeling
37.11. make_adb
Index
References
List of Tables
4-1. Desired values for Card #1 variables.
4-2. Desired values for Card #2 variables.
5-1. Basic Material Properties
5-2. Value ranges for the EXPOSED_AREA parameter.
6-1. Summary of Map Types
6-2. Master List of MAPS Configuration Tags
7-1. Inputs to Thermal Submodel
7-2. Thermal Property Units
7-3. Sample THERM Input Values
7-4. Temperature for different times
9-1. The list of variables that can be set in the PLATFORM section
9-2. The list of variables that can be set in the INSTRUMENT section
9-3. The list of variables that can be set in the COMMON_BAND and BAND sections.
9-4. List of sensor response files distributed with DIRSIG
9-5. The variables used to describe a FRAMING_ARRAY instrument.
9-6. The variables used to describe LINE_SCANNER sensors.
9-7. The variables used to describe PUSHBROOM_SCANNER instrument.
10-1. The list of all the variables that can be set in the platform POSITION section.
12-1. Plume Release Required Parameters
12-2. Tutorial 1: Plume Release Parameters
19-1. Simulation Level Collectors
19-2. Solution Level Collectors
19-3. Surface Level Collectors
19-4. Interactive Input Parameters
19-5. Basic Type Descriptions
19-6. DIRSIG Type: String
19-7. DIRSIG Type: Mueller Matrix
19-8. DIRSIG Type: Stokes Vector
19-9. DIRSIG Type: Spectral Vector of Mueller Matrices
19-10. DIRSIG Type: Spectral Vector of Stokes Vectors
19-11. DIRSIG Type: Point
19-12. DIRSIG Type: Vector
19-13. DIRSIG Type: Ray
19-14. DIRSIG Type: Box
19-15. DIRSIG Type: Bandpass
19-16. DIRSIG Type: Bandpass List
19-17. Binary Collector Outputs
30-1. WTH Data Sources
32-1. List of the variables that can be set in the PATHS section
32-2. List of the variables that can be set in the section.
32-3. List of the variables that can be set in the ENVIRONMENT section.
32-4. List of the available input files for common atmospheres.
32-5. List of the distributed weather history files.
32-6. List of the variables that can be set in the OPTIONS section.
34-1. DUMP Sample File
34-2. Tags values and descriptions for section.
34-3. Value ranges for the EXPOSED_AREA parameter.
34-4. Format of column data in a flight profile (PRF) file.
34-5. Definition of platform orientation angles when using flight data with a FRAMING_ARRAY type instrument.
34-6. List of the variables that can be set in file.
34-7. Values and units for a weather history () file.
34-8. Possible values and descriptions for ``Cloud Type'' in weather history.
37-1. Thermal Property Units
37-2. Sample THERM Input Values
37-3. Temperature for different times
37-4. Tutorial 1: Plume Release Parameters
List of Figures
2-1. An active vehicle temperature model produced with PRISM (image courtesy of Signature Research, Inc and the National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC)).
2-2. Solar insolation history estimation utilizing the ray-tracer.
2-3. An LWIR simulation of a simple scene of a vehicle casting a shadow onto an concrete slab surrounded by grass.
2-4. A LWIR simulation of an airfield featuring the thermal scar left by a departing aircraft.
2-5. Diffuse insolation estimation utilizing the ray-tracer.
2-6. Real and synthetic LWIR imagery of an urban area during a winter night. Note the warm spots between buildings.
2-7. Logical flow of the DIRSIG texture mapping approach.
4-1. The general 4-step modeling process for using the DIRSIG model on pre-built scenes.
4-2. The CFG file editor is the starting point for the DIRSIG GUI tools.
4-3. The initial Scene Editor window default settings
4-4. The Scene Editor window featuring the final settings
4-5. The Path Editor window displaying the final settings.
4-6. The Environment Editor window displaying the initial settings.
4-7. The MODTRAN Tape5 Editor window showing only the DIRSIG required "cards" settings.
4-8. The MODTRAN Card #1 Editor window showing final settings for this example.
4-9. The MODTRAN Card #2 Editor window showing final settings for this example.
4-10. The Environment Editor window displaying the final settings.
4-11. The Platform Editor window displaying the initial settings.
4-12. The "General" tab of the Band Editor window featuring the desired values for the Pan Visible band.
4-13. The "Geometry" tab of the Band Editor window with the desired values for the Pan Visible band.
4-14. The "Optical" tab of the Band Editor window illustrating the default values for a new band.
4-15. The "Optical" tab of the Band Editor window after the user has selected the spectral response function.
4-16. The completed "Optical" tab of the Band Editor window for the "Thermal" band.
4-17. The Instrument Editor window displaying the final instrument settings and bands.
4-18. The Position tab of the Platform Editor window displaying the initial position values.
4-19. The final Position tab of the Platform Editor window with the desired position values.
4-20. The Options window illustrating the desired option settings.
4-21. The Truth Images Editor window with the desired truth values selected.
4-22. The resulting image for the "Visible" band using the "Equalization" stretch in Freelook.
4-23. The 1232 [cm-1] channel of the "Thermal" image in Freelook.
4-24. A spectral plot of a pixel in the thermal image cube in Freelook.
4-25. The "Material" truth image in Freelook.
4-26. The Scene Editor window with the correct variables set.
4-27. The completed Card #2 Editor window from the MODTRAN input file editor.
4-28. The Environment Editor window with the correct variables set.
4-29. The completed "General" tab of the Band Editor window.
4-30. The completed "Geometry" tab of the Band Editor window.
4-31. The completed "Optical" tab of the Band Editor window.
4-32. The "Instrument" tab of the Platform Editor window with the variables set for the Pushbroom imager.
4-33. The "Position" tab of the Platform Editor window for a moving platform.
4-34. The completed "Position" tab of the Platform Editor window for the Pushbroom instrument.
4-35. The material map imaged produced using the DIRSIG "preview" mode.
6-1. Unmapped vs mapped facets.
6-2. An example of a material map.
6-3. Map Application Flowchart
6-4. Tiling Algorithm
6-5. Unwrapping an object onto a map image
6-6. Bump Mapping.
6-7. Grazing Problem.
6-8. Flow diagram of the DIRSIG texture methodology. A texture drives the selection of data from a large database of spectral measurements. Optical parameters derived from the spectral data are passed to the thermal model.
6-9. Grass field texture image
6-10. Z-score computation over a spectral region
7-1. Direct Solar Insolation
7-2. Thermal Inputs
7-3. Diurnal Temperature Cycle
7-4. Material Editor Screen Shot
7-5. Configuration file editor showing DIRSIG Options
7-6. The Truth Images GUI from the configuration file editor.
7-7. Results from the first tutorial
7-8. The helicopter is still in the scene (t=0)
7-9. One minute after the helicopter has left (t=1)
7-10. Ten minutes after the helicopter has left (t=10)
7-11. Sixty minutes after the helicopter has left (t=60)
8-1. A basic framing array system.
9-1. The different data-acquisition modes (``Hyperspectral prism-grating-prism imaging spectrograph'', Mauri Aikio, Doctoral Dissertation, University of Oulu, Finland, p.21, June 2001);
9-2. Line scanner concept
9-3. Framing array concept
9-4. Pushbroom concept
9-5. Spectrometry concept (www.ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca/ccrs/misc/issues/hyperview_e.html)
9-6. GUI configuration for platform section
9-7. GUI configuration for line scanner instrument
9-8. GUI configuration for optical band
9-9. Illustration of variables used to describe a Framing Array
9-10. GUI configuration for framing array instrument
9-11. GUI configuration for line scanner instrument
9-12. Illustration of variables used to describe a Line Scanner
9-13. GUI configuration for pushbroom instrument
9-14. Illustration of variables used to describe a Pushbroom
10-1. Nominal Instrument Pointing Geometry
10-2. Static positioning variables for the platform model
11-1. The Bulldozer help browser.
11-2. The Bulldozer tool upon startup.
11-3. The Material Editor dialog allows the user to modify the properties of a specific material.
11-4. This warning dialog tells the user the materials the object uses which are not available in the currently loaded database.
11-5. The 737 object after it has been loaded into Bulldozer.
11-6. This View Selector allows the user to view the object or scene from a set of predefined positions.
11-7. This Mouse Button controls allows the user to define the action associated with each of the three mice buttons.
11-8. The 737 object with the tire parts selected and awaiting a material assignment.
11-9. The confirmation dialog associated with material attributing.
11-10. The directory selection dialog box looking at the GDB file hierarchy distributed with DIRSIG.
11-11. The Bulldozer tool with the Available Object List populated.
11-12. A zoom of a region near the center of the terrain from an off nadir position.
11-13. The Bulldozer tool containing an example scene constructed from the basic objects distributed with DIRSIG (objects have been highlighted for clarity).
12-1. cfg_edit options to run plumes
12-2. cfg_edit options to run plumes
12-3. cfg_edit truth for plumes
12-4. cfg_edit paths section for plume tutorial #1
12-5. cfg_edit Plume Entry for plume tutorial #1
12-6. Band 22 Image for plume tutorial #1
12-7. Plume pixel spectrum for plume tutorial #1
12-8. Truth Column Densities for plume tutorial #2
12-9. Plume and background spectra for plume tutorial #2
13-1. Preview image of the Foxbat scene generated from a pushbroom scanner simulation.
15-1. Nominal Instrument Pointing Geometry
16-1. Whisk scan mount ground track from an ideal north-bound platform
16-2. Whisk scan mount ground track from an ideal northeast-bound platform
16-3. Whisk scan mount ground track from a northbound platform that includes roll.
16-4. Whisk scan mount ground track from a northbound platform that includes yaw (crab).
16-5. Whisk scan mount ground track from a northbound platform that includes orientation jitter.
16-6. Tabulated scan mount ground track modeling a "sawtooth" scan on a northbound platform.
16-7. Tabulated scan mount ground track modeling a "conical" scan on a northbound platform.
17-1. An illustration of the photon mapping tracing phase (left), storage phase (center) and collection phase (right).
17-2. An illustration of the photon mapping collection method for surfaces (left) and volumes (right).
17-3. An illustration of the photon density at range from a source using a uniform beam density.
17-4. An illustration of the photon density at range from a source using a Gaussian beam density.
25-1. The general layout of Bulldozer.
25-2. Error displayed when an unattributed object is loaded into Bulldozer
25-3. Object before flipping the normals on the roof.
25-4. Object after flipping the normals on the roof.
25-5. Image of scene before hiding the house on the right.
25-6. Image of scene after hiding the house on the right.
26-1. The DIRSIG4 "Platform Editor" main window.
26-2. The DIRSIG4 "Platform Editor" main window.
26-3. The "Platform Editor" main window with a single platform location/orientation entry.
26-4. The "Platform Editor" main window with the first location/orientation entry selected
26-5. The initial "Static Positioning Wizard" tool dialog window.
26-6. The completed "Static Positioning Wizard" tool dialog window.
26-7. The "Platform Editor" main window featuring the modified platform location and orientation data created by the "Static Positioning Wizard" tool.
26-8. The initial "Generate Data" dialog window.
26-9. The "Generate Data" dialog window containing the desired flight specifications.
26-10. The main window containing the generated flight data.
26-11. The "Add Noise" dialog completed to add 0.01 degrees of noise to the rotation data.
26-12. The main window containing the generated flight data with the addition of rotation/orientation noise.
26-13. The "Translate Data" dialog window containing the addition of rotation/orientation noise.
26-14. The main window containing the generated flight data after the data has been shifted to a higher altitude.
30-1. Comparison of Modeled vs. Measured Insolations
33-1. Scene Element
33-2. Atmosphere Element
33-3. Platform Pictorial Representation
33-4. Platform Element
33-5. Platform Motion Element
33-6. TaskList Element
34-1. Illustration of flight profile orientation angles used in a flight profile (PRF) file.
34-2. X-Axis Rotation (pitch)
34-3. Y-Axis Rotation (roll)
34-4. Z-Axis Rotation (yaw)
37-1. Grass field texture image
37-2. Z-score computation over a spectral region
37-3. Material Editor Screen Shot
37-4. Configuration file editor showing DIRSIG Options
37-5. The Truth Images GUI from the configuration file editor.
37-6. Results from the first tutorial
37-7. The helicopter is still in the scene (t=0)
37-8. One minute after the helicopter has left (t=1)
37-9. Ten minutes after the helicopter has left (t=10)
37-10. Sixty minutes after the helicopter has left (t=60)
37-11. cfg_edit paths section for plume tutorial #1
37-12. cfg_edit Plume Entry for plume tutorial #1
37-13. Band 22 Image for plume tutorial #1
37-14. Plume pixel spectrum for plume tutorial #1
37-15. Truth Column Densities for plume tutorial #2
37-16. Plume and background spectra for plume tutorial #2
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