Global Mapper v18 Released

Hallowell, Maine – September 26, 2016 - Blue Marble Geographics is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Global Mapper version 18. The culmination of an extensive design and development effort, this major version release boasts a bold new look and feel with new graphics, reconfigured menus; customizable toolbars; and improved layer management. Beyond usability upgrades, version 18 also delivers a powerful collection of functional enhancements, with a particular focus on the visualization and processing of 3D data. The 3D View now offers full range dynamic rendering of all loaded terrain or LiDAR data and supports the concurrent display of multiple terrain surfaces.

Blue Marble's GIS software is used by hundreds of thousands satisfied customers throughout the world who need an affordable, user-friendly, yet powerful GIS solution. Users come from all industries including software, oil and gas, mining, civil engineering, surveying, and technology companies, as well as government departments and academic institutions.

Driven by the ever-changing needs and requirements of GIS community, Global Mapper has established a well-earned reputation as a low-cost but fully-functional alternative to traditional GIS applications. Over the years, the software’s evolution has followed an aggressive and ambitious development path with each successive version introducing a broad array of new features and functions. The release of version 18 provides further evidence of this development philosophy with new and improved functionality evident throughout the application.

For longtime users of Global Mapper, the most noticeable change in version 18 is the redesign of the interface along with a fresh new logo and updated button graphics. The toolbars have been reorganized to promote more efficient access to critical functionality, and each toolbar can now be customized by adding or removing buttons to reflect the requirements of each user. The toolbars can even be docked along the side or bottom of the main map window if required.

The 3D View now offers “infinite view” capability with the extent of the display encompassing all loaded 3D data. A new dynamic rendering process updates the detail level and resolution as the map is zoomed and panned. This enables the creation of truly stunning 3D data visualizations and provides the means to work with even the largest aerial or terrestrial point cloud dataset completely and natively in a 3D environment Also within the 3D View, the updated display engine now supports the viewing of multiple surfaces, such as sequential geological bedding planes, and allows the viewing angle to be adjusted for a below-surface perspective.

“The release of version 18 of Global Mapper represents a significant milestone in the history of the software.” stated Blue Marble’s President, Patrick Cunningham. “The redesigned interface not only provides a fresh new style but it promotes productivity through streamlined data management. We are particularly excited about the upgraded 3D engine and its ability to display the full range of any loaded 3D data.”

The release of Global Mapper also brings a new flexible licensing option for users who work on both a laptop and desktop computer. The Floating Single User License allows the license to be easily transferred back and forth facilitating both office and field work.