OPTICKS (SOFTWARE)

Opticks is an open source software product created by Ball Aerospace. Opticks is licensed under the LGPL.

Contents

Overview

History

Uses

External links

Overview

Opticks is an Electronic Light Table application used to analyze various types of remote sensing data. Opticks runs on Microsoft Windows and Solaris operating systems. Opticks is primarily written in C++ using the Qt toolkit. A plug-in system allows for expansion of capability. In fact, most analysis capability is provided through plug-in suites with the core application offering display and basic analysis capability. Opticks can import a number of data formats including raw data with ENVI file headers, GeoTIFF, NITF, DTED, and raw data formats. Opticks can handle two dimensional data, three dimensional multi-band data, and animation data. A product layout and generation system is used to create static and animated analysis products.

History

Opticks is based on earlier work performed for the United States Air Force intelligence community. A number of plug-in suites including multi-spectral, hyper-spectral, and thermal analysis tools were developed using the core software. In an effort to increase penetration of the core system and encourage new uses, Ball Aerospace released Opticks as a FOSS product. The initial release in July, 2007 was made under a modified LGPL license as the software was still pending release from ITAR restrictions. This release is expected in late July or early August, 2007 at which time Opticks will be covered by an unrestricted, unmodified LGPL license.

Uses

Opticks provides general import, export, and visualization for multi-band images and animations. A plotting system is available for visualizing non-imaged data. A powerful plug-in system allows a user to write additional importers, exporters, visualizers, and algorithms. Existing uses center on space and aircraft based remote sensing including data from Landsat, Quickbird, Ikonos, and other space based imaging systems. The system is not limited to remote sensing applications. Astronomical analysis is an obvious application, as is medical imaging such as MRI and PET analysis.

External links

★ Main Opticks site