Able Software R2V combines automatic vectorizing technology with a menu-driven, graphical user interface in the Microsoft Windows environment. The software converts scanned maps or images to vector formats for mapping, geographic information systems (GIS), CAD, and scientific computing applications.
R2V provides a solution to digitize vector data from image sources, such as scanned maps and drawings, aerial photos, and satellite imagery.
The tool extracts all the lines in seconds and displays them right on top of the image for you to verify and edit.
This tool can vectorize a typical contour or parcel map (scanned at 200 DPI — dots per inch — as black and white or grayscale) in seconds or minutes.
The editor enables you to handle lines, points, polygons, text labels, image pixels, and control points.
R2V will classify the colors and vectorize each color separately.
The tool supports SPOT satellite image format. It can automatically classify or segment natural source images (such as aerial photos and color satellite images) to generate region or boundary maps. Advanced image processing functions include image warp or registration, image mosaic, color classification and separation.
Image Formats: TIFF, GeoTIFF, JPEG, GIF, RLC, PNG and BMP formats. R2V supports most image types, including 1-bit bi-level, 8-bit grayscale, and color images (4-bit, 8-bit, and 24-bit). It supports most TIFF image compressions. There is no software limit for image sizes. R2V also supports SPOT and other satellite raw image formats. Geo-reference your raster image in R2V and save to GeoTIFF format.
Vector Export/Import: ArcView (Shape file), Arc/Info Generate, AutoCAD DXF, MapInfo (MIF/MID), IGES, MapGuide SDL, 3D Grid file, 3D DEM (compatible with USGS DEM), VRML, and 3D XYZ vector file formats. The company is adding more vector file formats.
R2V supports three types of vectorization:
Fully automatic vectorization. One command will vectorize your scanned map in seconds or minutes at high quality. Batch function allows vectorizing a number of maps without any user intervention. Write your own batch script to customize the processing steps for the images before vectorization and for vector line processing after the vectorization.
Interactive line tracing. You select two points on the image and let R2V trace the line for you. For complex maps or drawings, use the interactive tracing to vectorize lines selectively. Or use the multiple line tracing function to vectorize a group of lines with only two clicks.
Manual on-screen heads-up digitizing. With R2V’s easy to use vector editor, you simply draw the lines with your image as the backdrop, zoom in and out, and quickly create the data set for your specific applications
Complete Vector Editing: A complete on-screen vector editor is available using the image as a backdrop. You can create, move, join, split, remove, color, and label lines. And you can easily create form closed polygons from existing lines with the polygon editing tool.
Vector Labeling and Contour Map Digitizing: Lines can be labeled with different ID values which are saved as attributes when exporting to a mapping or GIS package. Semi-automatic contour line labeling is supported for quick elevation assignments of contour lines
Vector Rasterizing: Converts vector data to high resolution raster image for printing and processing.
Multiple Layers: Use R2V’s layer manager to define as many layers as needed to organize vectorized data into layers. Layers created in R2V are fully compatible with the export vector file formats that support multi-layer structure. With multiple layers defined, you can process, edit and display vector data by layer and move between layers. You can turn layers on and off, or lock them.
Point Feature Digitizing: Complete support for digitizing of point features. You can create, move and label points. And you can export point data to all the supported vector file formats.
Automatic Polygon Layer Creation: Create polygon layers automatically from vectorized lines with just one command. You can then edit the closed polygons and label them using R2V’s line editor. You can also display polygons in fill mode with a user defined hatch pattern and color for the layer.
Powerful Raster Image Editing: R2V provides a powerful raster drawing tool for easy image pixel editing and repairing. The Image Pixel Tool supports all image types, including 1-bit monochrome, grayscale, 8-bit color, and 24-bit color. Pixel mapping functions can easily map one pixel value to another for the entire image to remove noise pixels, clean up image background, or merge color layers.
Geo-Referencing Using GeoTIFF or Control Points: You can geo-code or geo-reference vector data to a real world coordinate system (e.g., UTM, Latitude/Longitude) using GeoTIFF, user selected control points or a World file (TFW). And you can geo-reference raster images as well with a generated World file supported by ESRI’s Arc/Info, ArcView, or TAB file by MapInfo. Image rubber sheeting functions allow geometric correction or registration of an image to a new coordinate system. R2V supports both Bi-linear and Delaunay triangulation methods for geometric transformation. You can save geo-referenced raster images in GeoTIFF format.
Conversion between Map Projection Systems: R2V supports conversion between UTM coordinate systems, latitude/longitude, State Plane NAD27 and State Plane NAD83 systems. You can convert one point or an entire set of control points automatically.
Automatic Text Detection and Recognition (OCR): Detects and recognizes text of different fonts, sizes, and languages automatically. Flexible editor for easy removal and manipulation. Other irregular intersection symbols can be detected and corrected as well.
Merge Multiple Maps: Use R2V to vectorize maps separately and then merge them into one set by specifying proper control points. You can then edit the merged vector data set within R2V and treat it as a single map.
Flexible Region of Interest for Vectorization and Image Processing: R2V supports regions of interest in the form of circles, rectangles, free form polygons, and their combinations for vectorization and image cropping.
3D Display With Image Draping: Create a 3D data set automatically from your labeled line data and display them using R2V’s advanced 3D display and animation function. View your data with image draping in 3D at any angle and distance. Supports 3D DEM (compatible USGS DEM format) and Grid formats for both input and output. You can export 3D models to DXF, VRML, and XYZ formats. Simply download a VRML plug-in for your web browser and then click here to see an example
Powerful Image Processing: Vertical and horizontal flip, transpose, rotate, remove dark background, edge detection, image resample, crop a region, smoothing, segmentation, image mosaic, fusion, warping, and negate. Both supervised and unsupervised classification are built in to help process aerial photos or satellite imagery that are in color. Color separation, grayscale image enhancement, and image type conversions can all be done using R2V.
Image Mosaic: R2V’s Image Mosaic command makes it easy to create a mosaic image from a series of sub-sections. Simply start by selecting the Image/Mosaic option, and specify the layout matrix and image file names. The Image Mosaic will appear in a few seconds. Images with overlapped borders are correlated to create seamless image mosaic.
Image Merge and Overlay: The image merge function allows you to combine multiple images interactively to create image overlays or mosaics.
Colorize Grayscale Images using a Low Resolution Color Image: R2V’s image fusion technology provides a powerful way to colorize a high resolution grayscale image using color information from a low resolution multi-spectral image. If you need to interpret a grayscale image at a higher accuracy, colorizing the image gives you the correct information about water, shadow, and vegetation, instead of just dark pixels.
If you would like to use Able Software, let us know and we’ll use it to auto-vectorize your scanned drawing. If you require higher accuracy, we would be happy to have one of our CAD experts provide you with our premium service. Click here to request a quote.
For more information on various vectorization tools like Able Software’s R2V, click here.