ProRaster Help – Publish and Export

On this page, you will find general help for the ProRaster product family including links to documentation, instructional videos, and training videos.
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Publishing Algorithms

 You can publish your algorithm to the latest version of MapInfo Pro. It is important that you are using the latest release of MapInfo Pro and that you have applied the latest patches and upgrades.

When you publish your algorithm, MapInfo Pro is directed by ProRaster to open your MRD algorithm file in a new map. Consequently, it is essential that you have saved your algorithm prior to publishing. If you have not done so, ProRaster may save it to a default location. 

Make sure that MapInfo Pro is running. To publish to MapInfo Pro, hit the Publish button. If required, your algorithm will be saved and then you ought to see a new map opened in MapInfo Pro. Your algorithm will be rendered in this new map. 

You can do this manually by simply opening a new map in Pro and then adding a new raster table and browsing to your MRD algorithm file. You cannot publish or otherwise consume your algorithms in any software apart from ProRaster and MapInfo Pro. This is because MapInfo Pro has a driver that will read and render MRD algorithms. It is exceedingly unlikely that such a driver will ever be made available for any other software. When you publish, no copy of the algorithm data is made. MapInfo Pro renders the rasters referred to in the algorithm. Consequently, you will be able to zoom in to any level of detail. 

The ”Publish Clipped” button publishes your MRD algorithm to MapInfo Pro, clipped to a polygon. MapInfo Pro will not render any pixels outside of the clipping polygon. When you hit the “Publish Clipped” button, a file browse dialog opens, and you must select the polygon file. This must be in MapInfo Pro table format. It can contain a complex polygon set but should not contain any other data besides the clipping polygons.

Exporting Algorithms

 You can export your algorithm to a located image raster. You can take this located image raster and display it in any GIS or mapping application. It is essential that you have saved your algorithm prior to exporting. If you have not done so, ProRaster may save it to a default location. 

Choose an appropriate format for the located image raster. MRR is the most efficient format, but to load an MRR into software other than MapInfo requires an MRR GDAL driver. GeoTIFF is a widely supported format.

Depending on the output raster format, you may have storage compression options. I recommend using a lossless compression codec. 

You can output 24-bit (RGB) or 32-bit (RGBA) color format. I recommend using 32-bit RGBA as the alpha band can be used as a transparency mask in applications like QGIS and ArcGIS. 

You can output the full extent of the algorithm, or the clipped extents reflected in the preview map window, or you can clip the algorithm to a polygon file. The polygon vectors must be in a MapInfo Pro table format. Complex polygons sets are supported. You can specify a rectangular extent manually. In this case you must enter the coordinate range, in the coordinate system and horizontal units of the algorithm. 

Having established the extents of the output raster, you must then establish the cell size. This will determine the raster size (in columns and rows of pixels). This, in turn, will determine how large the output raster file is and how long the export processing operation will take to execute. 

When using automated extents, you adjust the cell size by varying the target resolution level. This integer level varies the cell size by a factor of 2 for every integer adjustment. These cells are aligned with the raster cells (if possible) and by maintaining cell alignment you minimise the required interpolation and produce the highest quality output. Dial the resolution level up and down and you will see the pixel size and raster size adjusted accordingly. Once you are happy with your choice, you can proceed to execute the operation. 

When using manual extents, you can edit the pixel size or the raster size independently (choose one!). After you edit one of these parameters you should adjust the other parameters to suit. Buttons are provided to – 

  • Fit the raster size to the range
  • Fit the pixel size to the range
  • Fit the raster size to the pixel size
  • Fit the range to the pixel size
  • Fit the pixel size to the raster size
  • Fit the range to the raster size 

When you hit the Process button to execute the export operation, a raster processing dialog will open to report the progress of the operation. You can cancel the operation in this dialog if you wish. If the output raster is large, this processing operation may consume a significant amount of memory and CPU resources. Much like Eddie, the shipboard computer of the Heart of Gold thinking about how to make tea, you may find your computer sullen and unresponsive whilst the process is executing.