July 2008

GeoSage Releases New Version of Image Fusion and Pan-Sharpening Software: Rediscovering High-Resolution Satellite Imagery

Sydney, Australia - 1 July 2008: GeoSage is pleased to announce the release of new version of advanced image fusion and pan-sharpening software: DOS-based HighView (Version 3.0). This latest version is specifically designed to rapidly process a large volume of the recent generation of high-resolution satellite imagery (QuickBird and IKONOS) and the future GeoEye-1 and WorldView-2 imagery.

A fully-functional trial version is available at http://www.geosage.com/. Anyone with QuickBird and IKONOS imagery in GeoTIFF format directly from DigitalGlobe and GeoEye data vendors is invited to evaluate the whole range of image pan-sharpening methods and enhancement options included in the software. With this utility program users now are able to conveniently process full scenes of QuickBird and IKONOS imagery to explore superior fused results.   

Features include:

• Both local and global image fusion optimization methods
• Selection of true- or false-color composite
• Two spatial enhancement options – detailed and sharper
• Spectral enhancement option to show vegetation greener
• Feature enhancement option to highlight urban vegetation in total green based on user-defined NDVI thresholds
• Pixel offset adjustment option for both panchromatic and multispectral inputs in X/Y directions
• Adaptive image stretching - a hybrid of linear and non-linear image stretching
• Low memory usage and very fast in running

Pan-sharpened color composites in popular GeoTIFF format can be readily digested by mainstream GIS software such as ArcGIS and MapInfo and general image manipulation software such as PhotoShop and IrfanView.

The release of this software also comes with another two handy utility programs: RGB Image Stretching Tool and RGB Image Composition Tool. All these can be easily embedded within customer’s image processing workflow and system.

Besides, a fully-functional trial version of GUI-based HighView (Version 2.5.3) is also available for download. It features a free utility of band combination and image stretching with 8- and 16-bit inputs, and is capable of processing full scenes of QuickBird and IKONOS imagery as well.

About GeoSage

GeoSage is an enthusiastic leading developer in image fusion and spectral transformation analysis. Through continued research and development of advanced image processing techniques, GeoSage is committed to promoting high-quality satellite imagery in the geospatial community as well as the public.

May 2008

GeoSage Releases RGB Image Stretching Tool - A Time-Saving Utility Program for Versatile Image Stretching

Sydney, Australia - 17 May 2008: GeoSage is pleased to release RGB Image Stretching Tool, a time-saving utility program for versatile image stretching.

Image stretching is arguably the most common task in remote sensing image analysis. Almost all remote sensing software programs contain a suite of well-known stretching methods such as histogram stretching, Gaussian, Equalization, and Square Root. So, why another tool on the topic?

As an experienced image analyst would tell, to produce a visually-appealing RGB composite from raw imagery with true radiometric reflectance is often tedious, involving the trials of many image stretching options available. Choosing a suitable method and related parameters is highly unpredictable, and it is fairly common to take dozens of minutes or even hours to produce a desirable result.

RGB Image Stretching Tool is an efficient DOS-based utility program and contains both linear and non-linear stretching options. Users can define a set of band-specific, adaptable parameters for both options in a single run.

RGB Image Stretching Tool analyzes 8- or 16-bit multiple-band GeoTIFF inputs, and outputs 3-band, 8-bit RGB composite in GeoTIFF format with a single image planar configuration.

RGB Image Stretching Tool runs super-fast. Processing 8,500+ Landsat ETM+ scenes with a global coverage would take less than 24 hours on a typical office PC.

A numbers of useful tips and a set of default parameters are also provided for advanced image stretching.

Users of mainstream GIS software such as MapInfo and ArcGIS and general image manipulation software such as PhotoShop and ACDsee will find this tool very useful and handy too. The processed RGB composite can be directly displayed within applications, no hassles.

A fully-functional trial version is available at GeoSage website http://www.geosage.com/. Also included is a free band combination utility program called RGB Image Composition Tool.

Email: info@geosage.com

Sydney, Australia - 2 May 2007: GeoSage is pleased to release Spectral Transformer B742B321, a powerful utility tool for producing high-quality, natural-color imagery (equivalent to Landsat bands 3/2/1) from pan-sharpened, false-color Landsat bands 7/4/2 at 14.25m resolution in NASA GeoCover series. Medium-resolution, natural-color Landsat imagery is an excellent and indispensable mapping layer for observing land covers in major virtual globes such as Google Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth. The input for such global Landsat imagery is the enduring GeoCover Landsat series, which is now publicly available in many forms.

Spectral Transformer B742B321 uses pan-sharpened, false-color Landsat bands 7/4/2 as inputs. Both individual scenes and mosaic tiles are acceptable. For un-stretched individual scenes with full dynamic ranges, Spectral Transformer B742B321 includes an intelligent and highly-efficient image stretching option; for mosaic tiles with color balancing already applied, B742B321 is equipped with a number of color templates during false-to-true colour simulations. Processed natural color, full-scene images at 14.25m resolution for the following ten worldwide cities are available at GeoSage website, for evaluation and non-commercial uses:

Vancouver: Image size 17738 x 15966 pixels, zipped JPEG file size 24.8Mb
San Francisco: 17254 x 15490 pixels, 32.6Mb
New Orleans: 16956 x 15136 pixels, 26.2Mb
New York: 17480 x 15488 pixels, 14.5Mb
Washington, D.C.: 18058 x 15986 pixels, 35.8Mb
Paris: 18114 x 16232 pixels, 32.7Mb
Jerusalem: 17154 x 15146 pixels, 29.6Mb
Kuala Lumpur: 17276 x 15096 pixels, 25.1Mb
Seoul: 18086 x 15978 pixels, 29.4Mb
Tokyo: 17982 x 15980 pixels, 30.2Mb

This tool is of great potential use since 14.25m-resolution, false-color Landsat bands 7/4/2 imagery is now widely available in the public domain. It can be licensed separately or as an add-on of HighView software. Detailed features and a three-step tutorial are available at GeoSage website http://www.geosage.com

Email: info@geosage.com

About GeoSage

GeoSage is an enthusiastic leading developer in image fusion and spectral transformation analysis. Its advanced and easy-to-use image pan-sharpening software HighView has been licensed by companies, agencies and universities in more than 20 countries. Through the continued research and development of its advanced and proprietary image processing techniques, GeoSage is committed to promoting higher-quality satellite imagery and its wider usage among the geospatial community as well as the public.

June 2006

GeoSage releases medium-resolution global satellite imagery in simulated true colour

Sydney, Australia - 26 June 2006: GeoSage is pleased to announce the availability of true-colour, medium-resolution global satellite imagery, offering a very low cost solution to a wide range of visualisation-related applications.

This dataset is based on NASA's orthorectified Landsat ETM+ GeoCover 2000, which consists of 880+ mosaic tiles covering the entire earth land surface except Antarctica. Each mosaic in a compressed form contains three pan-sharpened, false-colour bands at a spatial resolution of 14.25 m: Band 7 (mid-infrared), Band 4 (near-infrared), and Band 2 (visible green).

Original mosaics are successfully converted into natural- or true-colour composites at a re-sampled resolution of 28.5 m, after applying GeoSage's spectral analysis techniques and leveraging between spatial details and the total file size of images. True-colour outputs still retain the specifications of GeoCover 2000, such as minimised cloud covers and high positional accuracy.

Since a robust spectral transformation and colour balancing scheme is developed and applied across all individual mosaics, the result is a consistent and visually-appealing representation of global land surfaces circa 2000. This dataset can offer numerous applications. For system integrators, it can be readily combined with other highly popular global data layers such as VMAP and SRTM elevation, to build a global data warehouse or virtual exploration platform, similar to those from major web portals.

For more information about this true-colour global satellite imagery dataset and samples, please visit http://www.geosage.com

Email: info@geosage.com

GeoSage is a leading developer in image fusion and spectral transformation analysis. Its advanced and easy-to-use image fusion software HighView has been licensed by companies and institutes in more than 20 countries. Through the continued research and development of its advanced and proprietary image processing techniques, GeoSage is committed to promoting higher-quality satellite imagery and its wider usage among the geospatial community as well as the public.

February 2006

GeoSage introduces advanced image fusion software HighView version 2.5

Sydney, Australia - 2 February 2006: GeoSage, a leading developer for advanced image fusion and spectral transformation analysis, announced the release of HighView version 2.5.

This latest version incorporates a series of exciting new features to meet the increasingly popular demand for natural-colour and fine-resolution satellite imagery. These new features include:

- Two new local optimisation approaches capable of achieving objective spectral consistency and finer spatial details. These methods are nicely complementary to the two global optimisations included in HighView previous versions, and provide additional options to explore the full information content of the recent generation of satellite imagery.

- A new function for pan-sharpening SPOT-5 imagery series, with options of outputting either false- or simulated "natural"-colour composites. Thanks to its full range of spatial resolutions, very large swathes (60km by 60km), and relatively low cost, SPOT-5 imagery has been widely used in natural resources, environment and other sectors. Now with the advanced spectral simulation techniques in HighView, common false-colour composites can be readily turned into eye-catching "natural"-colour scenes. This function offers a very cost-effective alternative for producing regional-level, natural-colour mosaics favourably used by land managers.

- An option for either intensive or low memory usage during pan-sharpening large-size inputs (e.g., image size of 30,000 by 30,000 pixels). As a result, now users with low hardware configurations can process a standard, full scene of QuickBird, IKONOS, SPOT-5 or Landsat ETM+ imagery.

- An option for pan-sharpening high-resolution imagery data in 8-bit. Previous versions only absorb 16-bit data directly supplied by image vendors such as DigitalGlobe and Space Imaging.

- An option for improved outputs. If the file size of fused output is close to or larger than 2GB, HighView automatically produces output with separate bands, rather than a single, multi-band file.

- And other features such as spectral transformations for Landsat and ASTER's Green/Red/NIR false-colour composites, and a green-colour adjustment factor in pan-sharpening Landsat ETM+ imagery.

Through the continued research and development of its advanced and proprietary image processing techniques, GeoSage is committed to promoting higher-quality satellite imagery and its wider usage among the geospatial community and the public.

For more information about HighView, please visit http://www.geosage.com

Email: info@geosage.com

April 2005

HighView Version 2.0 released

This new version

- Includes an easy-to-use batch processing function for image pan-sharpening and band combination, in response to the overwhelming demand of users. This facility can be easily integrated into enterprise workflows and enables users to process hundreds or thousands of images overnight.

- Enhances image stretching options. Now users can specify any R/G/B band for a combined use of both linear and nonlinear image stretches.

- Adds a new section about batch processing in HighView User Guide.

August 2004

July 2004

GEOSAGE.COM website open on 6 July 2004 to start to market HighView software

June 2004

GEOSAGE as a business entity registered on 8 June 2004