**Viewing Data with PCI Geomatica FreeView**

FreeView from PCI Geomatica is a free data viewer which can be
downloaded and used to view NAIP imagery and other geospatial files. It
will open the near infrared band (Band 4), allowing the user to switch
from a natural color display to color infrared, for both Digital Ortho
Quarter Quads (DOQQs) and JPEG2000 Compressed County Mosaics (CCMs).

FreeView displays vector files (shapefiles) and will allow the user to
query the attributes for individual polygons. FreeView does not allow
the user to save a project -- it does what its name implies -- operates
mostly as a viewer.

**Using FreeView**

**Load Data into the Viewer.**

Data can be added to the viewer in several ways. One is to click the
*Open* icon on the main toolbar, or under the *File* dropdown menu.

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="4.873611111111111in"
height="1.2083333333333333in"}

Another method -- necessary when adding imagery -- is to use the *Add
Layer Wizard.* This option will require the user to make band
assignments. In the first window of the Wizard, the user selects the
type of layer to add.

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="5.81875in" height="4.465972222222222in"}

To add a shapefile, select *Vector;* to add a natural color or CIR
image, select *RGB*.

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="6.365972222222222in"
height="3.247916666666667in"}

Both the .shp and .sid files can be selected in this window.

The Wizard will allow the selection of more than one file, of different
types, but they will not display in the view window. Both names will
appear under the *Files* tab, but they will not be visible, and will not
appear under the *Maps* tab.

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="6.475in" height="1.6020833333333333in"}

Files will need to be added individually in order for them all to appear
in the Map View.

![](media/image4.jpeg){width="3.6569444444444446in"
height="2.392361111111111in"}

A vector layer appearing under the *Files* tab can be opened under the
*Maps* tab by right clicking the file name below *Vectors* and selecting
*View*.

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="6.3in" height="2.7263888888888888in"}

When adding an image, the second screen of the Wizard requires band
selection. In the screen below, the bands were assigned for natural
color, as Red: 1, Green:2 and Blue:3.

![](media/image6.jpeg){width="4.050694444444445in"
height="3.417361111111111in"}

In the next graphic, the bands are set for a CIR image, with Red: 4,
Green: 1, and Blue: 2.

![](media/image7.jpeg){width="4.152083333333334in"
height="3.426388888888889in"}

To change the band assignments of an image already in the view, right
click on the individual band under the *Maps* tab, and change the
assignment. In the graphic below, the southwestern DOQQ in the view is
being changed from CIR to natural color.

![](media/image8.jpeg){width="6.274305555555555in"
height="4.759722222222222in"}

The procedure for loading a JPEG2000 image is exactly the same as for a
DOQQ.

![](media/image7.jpeg){width="4.108333333333333in"
height="3.426388888888889in"}

![](media/image9.jpeg){width="5.567361111111111in"
height="3.9791666666666665in"}

This JPEG2000 has been set up to view as a CIR image.

Removing an image is done by right clicking on the image name under
either the *Maps* or the *Files* tab, and selecting *Remove*. The files
need to be removed individually.

**Zoom in and out on the Display**

![](media/image10.png){width="5.90625in" height="0.9680555555555556in"}

There are several Zoom icons in FreeView. From left, they are:

-   Zoom to Overview (square with arrows at the corners moving
    outwards); this zooms to the "whole page" view.

-   Zoom Interactive (magnifying glass); draws a rectangle around the
    area of interest and zooms to it.

-   Zoom In (Plus sign); zooms in after clicking in the view

-   Zoom Out (Minus sign); zooms out after clicking on the view

-   Zoom to 1 to 1 Image Resolution (magnifying glass with "1"); Moves
    to a 1:1 resolution at the cursor location.

**Measuring on the Map View**

FreeView allows the user to measure lines and polygons, in differing
units. The measurement tool is at the far right of the toolbar.

![](media/image11.jpeg){width="2.029861111111111in"
height="2.220138888888889in"}

![](media/image12.jpeg){width="6.9006944444444445in"
height="4.819444444444445in"}

Measuring an ellipse gives a result for the area and perimeter.

![](media/image13.jpeg){width="5.866666666666666in"
height="5.344444444444444in"}

Measuring a polygon also displays area and perimeter.

![](media/image14.jpeg){width="4.689583333333333in"
height="2.553472222222222in"}

Measuring a line gives an azimuth in addition to the length.

**Changing a Vector Layer Display**

[There is no option to label features in the FreeView map
display.]{.underline}

The color of a shapefile can be changed by right clicking on the file
name. Select *Color,* and choose a preset color.

![](media/image15.jpeg){width="4.2875in" height="2.2472222222222222in"}

Selecting *More* will open a color table, with the opportunity to create
a custom color.

![](media/image16.jpeg){width="3.604861111111111in"
height="2.4659722222222222in"}

The line feature can be edited by right clicking the icon for *Default
Polygon* under the file name. This will open the *Style Selector.*

![](media/image17.jpeg){width="5.144444444444445in"
height="4.624305555555556in"}

Clicking on *More*, and then on *Advanced* will open a dialog box with
the option to create different versions of the polygon. The polygon in
the example below was created in three parts:

-   The first step was selecting a dark brown color for the line, and
    making the width greater than the default.

-   The second step involved clicking on the "**+**" sign to add a
    "part", and selecting "2". For *Primitive,* the selection
    *Polygon-Filled* was chosen. A fill color (yellow) was selected.

-   The third step, shown below, began with adding a third part.
    *Primitive* was set to *Line Dotted*, a width was selected, and a
    light blue color was selected. This line is barely visible above the
    brown line in the Preview box at the right of the screen.

![](media/image18.jpeg){width="4.479861111111111in"
height="7.014583333333333in"}

**Viewing a Vector Layer's Attribute Table**

The Attribute Manager is opened by right clicking on the file name under
either the *Maps* or *Files* tab.

![](media/image19.jpeg){width="6.402777777777778in"
height="2.252083333333333in"}

Clicking in the box next to a record, or onto a polygon in the display,
will highlight the record in the table and change its color in the
display.

![](media/image20.jpeg){width="5.8902777777777775in"
height="3.984027777777778in"}

The attributes can be queried through a very simple SQL type query.

![](media/image21.jpeg){width="6.892361111111111in"
height="3.152083333333333in"}

The example above shows a query for counties with an area larger than
1,000,000 acres.

![](media/image22.jpeg){width="4.947916666666667in"
height="4.669444444444444in"}

In the example above, a query of counties larger than 6,000,000 acres
highlighted four in Arizona: Apache, Coconino, Mohave, and Navajo.

**Displaying Data from Different Projections**

FreeView will *sometimes* accommodate data in different projections
within the same map view. The order in which the data is imported will
determine the success.

In the first experiment, the CCM and seamline shapefile, in the same
projection, were added to the view with no problem. When an attempt was
made to add a shapefile of Arizona counties, which is in a different
projection, there was a warning that dealing with the projection
difference might be "time consuming."

![](media/image23.jpeg){width="2.5208333333333335in"
height="1.354861111111111in"}

In spite of the warning, the county shapefile displayed correctly over
the two original files (the CCM and Seamline Shapefile).

![](media/image24.jpeg){width="3.377083333333333in"
height="3.911111111111111in"}

When the county shapefile was added first, an attempt to add the CCM
produced the following warning:

![](media/image25.jpeg){width="5.240972222222222in"
height="1.8194444444444444in"}

The *File Properties* panel is not available in the free viewer version
of the software.

The attempt to add the CCM to this view was unsuccessful. Because the
county shapefile was added first, it set the projection standard for the
other files, and FreeView was unable to project the CCM correctly.

**Printing a Map**

FreeView gives the options of creating either a .pdf or .tif which can
then be printed.

![](media/image26.jpeg){width="3.3777777777777778in"
height="2.2333333333333334in"}![](media/image27.png){width="0.9895833333333334in"
height="0.6208333333333333in"}![](media/image28.png){width="0.9472222222222222in"
height="0.64375in"}