Didger is a highly accurate digitizing program that will be an invaluable addition to your software library. In seconds, Didger precisely transforms points, lines, or areas from your paper maps, graphs, aerial photos, scanned raster images, imported vector files, or GeoTIFF images to a versatile digital format you can use with your other software. You name it and Didger can handle it quickly, accurately, and usefully. With Didger’s multitude of features and ease-of-use, this is an unbelievable value, considering the time and effort you will save!! You will soon wonder how you have done your job without this indispensable tool.

Which Didger Features Would You Like to Learn About?
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One Program - Innumerable Uses

There are innumerable uses for this powerful application. We have compiled this list to give you an idea of the versatility of Didger, but the ways in which you can use Didger go far beyond this list. If you aren’t sure whether Didger is right for your needs, give us a call and we’ll be happy to discuss the possibilities with you.

• Georeference your raster and vector files for export to other applications.
• Convert your UTM data to Lat/Long or vice versa.
• Create maps from multiple Digital Line Graphs.
• Resample your well log data on specified intervals.
• Digitize oil & gas or monitoring wells.
• Digitize soil, rock-chip, or other sample locations.
• Digitize contours from topo sheets, hand-drawn maps, or computer-generated maps.
• Digitize from aerial or satellite photographs either onscreen or from your tablet.
• Reproduce well logs or strip charts even when you don’t have the original data.
• Digitize township and range lines, section lines, or claim boundaries.
• Digitize owner, operator, or property boundaries.
• Digitize seismic section lines with shot point locations.
• Digitize stream, river, watershed boundaries, lakes, and coastal shorelines.
• Map archeological sample sites.
• Determine stream length, shoreline length, or watershed or lake area.
• Apply Didger in medical research, such as digitizing radiation dose calculations from patient films.
• Study urban growth such as expansion of residential areas.
• Digitize road and street maps and obtain route distances.
• Reproduce hand-drawn cross sections.
• Digitize wildlife information such as animal habitats, migratory routes, and territorial boundaries.
• Digitize geological rock formations, lithologic types, and faults from maps and aerial photos.
• Digitize vegetation boundaries, burn areas, restoration projects, and lumbering areas.
• Determine the area under a curve from a graph.
• Digitize meteorological data to produce isobar maps.
• Create spreadsheet files for data analysis.
• And many other uses!

Some of Didger’s Superb Features

• Digitize any map, graph, aerial photo, site map, or printed image regardless of size using any Wintab32 compatible tablet.
• Digitize a vector or raster project onscreen.
• Digitize directly into a vector project using a GPS unit.
• Display all the raw data being sent form the GPS unit or save it to a data or text file.
• Average the data from the GPS over x number of sample points.
• See the current position of the satellites that are being used for a lock for the GPS.
• Display all GPS displays and settings.
• View the current elevation with the GPS unit.
• Thin and smooth objects by selecting point selection removal, deviation distance, vertex averaging, or spline smoothing options.
• Reshape objects by adjusting individual nodes.
• Combine, split, and/or reverse islands and lakes.
• Merge two polygons together, or create a polygon from the intersection of two polygons.
• Import any vector file and retain or apply up to 23 map projections. Projections supported are: Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), State Plane 1927, State Plane 1983, Albers Equal Area Conic, Azimuthal Equidistant, Eckert IV and VI, Equidistant Conic, Equidistant Cylindrical, Gauss-Kruger/Gauss-Conformal, Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area, Lambert Conformal Conic, Mercator, Miller Cylindrical, Molleweide, Orthographic, Polyconic, Robinson, Robinson-Sterling, Sinusoidal, Stereographic, Transverse Mercator, and Unprojected Lat./Long.
• Specify one of over 200 datums for your project.
• Convert the projection of a bitmap in a raster project.
• Warp, or rubber sheet, your calibrated raster image to fit any calibration units.
• Import a georeferenced bitmap into a vector project and overlay it with other data or vector files, or tile it with other georeferenced bitmaps.
• Add a graticule or a grid automatically to your project.
• Display the coordinates of selected objects in the Coordinate Manager.
• Define a polygon and use it to clip a bitmap
• Specify up to 256 colors to be transparent for a bitmap.
• Export directly to Surfer using the Create Surfer Base Map command.
• Use the Create Post Map option when importing a data file.
• Organize your data into different layers with the easy-to-use Layer Manager.
• Select objects with And/Or criteria.
• Resample polylines at a specified interval along either the X or Y axis.
• Use the built-in scanning features to import a bitmap using any TWAIN compatible scanning device.
• Import vector or raster files using any of the 27 formats that Didger supports.
• Import data points from 9 different data formats.
• Export vector or raster files using any of the 23 formats that Didger supports.
• Import and export spatially referenced images including GeoTIFF, TFW, and RSF.
• Calibrate your project using Cartesian or Projected coordinate space types.
• Specify map datum parameters and perform datum transformations using the following methods: Molodensky, Bursa-Wolfe, DMA Multiple Regression Equations (RME), and user defined.
• Specify projection parameters when importing data or vector files.
• Combine vector maps from different projections into a single map projection.
• Digitize different cultures on separate layers and export only selected layers.
• Use Didger data with Surfer®, Grapher™, MapViewer™, or any other mapping, graphing, or database application.
• Associate and display up to four data values or identifiers for each object.
• Use any units (feet, angstroms, miles, meters, kilometers, etc.) with any combination of linear or logarithmic axes.
• Determine allowable error for your project and work within acceptable standards based on statistical calibration analyses.
• Obtain length information from polylines.
• Obtain polygon area and perimeter length.
• Zoom in or out to display any portion of the project.
• Set project limits for the extent of your project, or let Didger define default limits.
• Automatically assign IDs or assign data as you digitize.
• Edit polylines and polygons with the numerous editing tools.
• Define tolerance settings controlling the chaining and sensitivity of polyline and polygon creation.
• Get immediate help for all aspects of Didger, including useful digitizing examples, from the extensive online help system.
• Use the highly accurate and simple-to-use Tablet Calibration Wizard using between 3 and 256 calibration points.
• Receive unlimited technical support for as long as you own Didger.
• Create and print a report of all or selected objects in your Didger project.
• Print the entire map in full color.
• Use the mouse, the digitizing tablet pointer, or both while completing project work.
• Enjoy over 440 Megabytes of Digital Line Graphs and Digital Raster Graphs for the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, and Yellowstone National Parks included on the CD.
• Enjoy over 80 Megabytes of boundary files, including boundaries for US 3- and 5-digit ZIP codes, US states, US counties, US State Plane delineations, US city point locations, and world countries.
• And much more!

Digitizing Options

There are three ways you can digitize information from your source documents or files. You can digitize hard copy documents using any Wintab32 compatible digitizing tablet. You can digitize digital information, such as vector or raster files, onscreen. You can also use your GPS unit to digitize your position or trace your route directly onto a map imported into a vector project!

Raster Based Maps

With Didger you can perform onscreen digitizing using an imported bitmap or an image you scanned using Didger’s scanning functionality. Performing "Heads-Up" digitizing has never been easier. Didger has all the functionality necessary to import or scan in a bitmap and calibrate the image in real world coordinates using one of ten georeferencing methods.

Once the image has been calibrated, Didger allows you to digitize points, polylines, and polygons with ease. You can export the digitized objects with the image in GeoTIFF format. Or, simply export the digitized objects without the underlying bitmap and still retain the georeferencing information. Use the numerous bitmap filtering options on the bitmap to make identifying and digitizing the objects a breeze.

Georeferenced Raster Based Maps

A georeferenced raster image retains all georeferencing parameters. When you import a georeferenced raster image, you can skip the calibration process and start digitizing immediately. You can import a georeferenced raster image into a vector or a raster project.

If you import a georeferenced bitmap into a vector project, you can overlay it with other data or vector files or tile it with other georeferenced bitmaps.

If you import a georeferenced bitmap into a raster project, you can convert the projection of the bitmap (if it contains a projection) or you can warp (rubber sheet) the image to fit your calibration points.

Didger also supports importing and/or exporting ESRI World Files [TFW] and Blue Marble [RSF] files when exporting georeferenced bitmaps. This is a powerful and advanced feature of Didger!

Vector Based Maps and Data Files

With Didger you can import a variety of vector based maps and data files in many formats. Create large coverages easily by importing several vector or data files into one project. The files will align according to their coordinate systems. Digitize new features onto an existing vector plot from your digitizing tablet and map, or digitize onscreen. Change line styles, object IDs, and add labels to objects with ease. Even import different files onto separate layers!

If the files are projected and contain different projection information, they will be converted to the projection of the first imported file using a datum transformation. You can also convert vector or data files from one projection to another.

Map Projections and Coordinate Conversions

Converting data from one coordinate system to another is one of Didger's advanced features. Didger supports over 20 projections and over 200 datums. Easily calibrate or import your files using one of these projections and convert your coordinates between them. For example, with a few simple steps Didger can transform your Lat/Long point data into Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates to be used by other mapping applications.  All supported projections include:

In addition to projection and datum transformations, Didger can also convert coordinates of vector projects by utilizing either a math or georeference operation. Converting coordinates by applying a simple math operation allows the user to specify a value to add, subtract, multiply, or divide to the current vector project. Advanced georeferencing conversion is also available. By specifying the source and destination coordinates of the vector project, Didger’s georeferencing methods allows the user to convert the current project to the new destination coordinate system. The possibilities are endless and the flexibility is astounding!

Advanced Editing Features

• Create line intersections from overlapping polylines.
• Snap undershoot polylines and trim overshoot polylines.
• Create polygons by using a polygon locator in the center of linked polyline objects.
• Reshape polylines and polygons.
• Create complex polygons.
• Thin and smooth polylines using one of four different methods.
• Resample polylines to specified intervals.
• Break or Trim polylines.
• Convert polylines to polygons and vice versa.
• Connect polylines.
• Create polygons by locator or by ID.
• Merge two polygons together, or create a polygon from the intersection of two polygons.
• Combine, split, and/or reverse islands and lakes.
• Select up to 256 colors to be transparent for a bitmap.
• Sharpen bitmaps, or adjust the brightness, contrast, and saturation.
• Apply Median or Spatial filters to bitmaps.
• View the coordinates of selected objects in the Coordinate Manager.
• Edit the coordinates of selected objects in vector projects in the Coordinate Manager.

Import and Export Formats

Many sophisticated import and export filters come with Didger, simplifying the transfer of your data and images to and from your other applications.

Spatially Referenced formats: GeoTIFF, TFW, and RSF.

Vector Import formats: EMF, GSI, GSB, BNA, DLG, LGO, LGS, DXF, PLT, BLN, CLP, WMF, SHP, MIF, DDF, E00.

Raster Import formats: TIF, BMP, TGA, PCX, GIF, WPG, DCX, EPS, JPG, PNG, PCT.

Data Import formats: XLS, SLK, DAT, CSV, TXT, BNA, WKx, WRx, BLN.

Export formats: LAS, EMF, GSI, GSB, DAT, DXF, SHP, BLN, BNA, GIF, BMP, WMF, CGM, MIF, CLP, TIF, TGA, PCX, WPG, PNG, JPG, PCT, DCX.

Important News about Digitizing Tablets

Nearly all digitizing tablets work with Didger. If you already have a tablet, Didger requires a 32-bit WinTab compliant digitizing tablet driver, available from most tablet manufacturers (for no charge) or from third party vendors.

If you don’t currently own a tablet, you shouldn’t be discouraged. The price of new, high-resolution digitizing tablets is astonishingly low. And with Didger’s capabilities, large maps are easily digitized in a single project so even smaller tablets work quite well.

See a list of tablet manufacturers

System Requirements

• PC running Windows 95, 98, Me, NT4 SP3, 2000, XP and higher
• 25 MB of free hard disk space
• 32 MB RAM minimum, 64 MB or higher recommended
• 800 x 600 minimum monitor resolution