Taking GIS Data into the Field with Global Mapper Mobile

Global Mapper Mobile is changing how teams handle GIS data in the field. We all know, working with data in the field is an ever present requirement. This type of work generally falls into three categories. Teams either gather data for later use, review existing GIS data onsite, or—more commonly—do both.

Dedicated professionals working in this field will have their own preferred tools and methods, but for the casual or occasional user there are a few choices. Most involve lugging a laptop around.

But wouldn’t it be a good idea if anyone with a tablet or mobile phone could carry and review GIS data? Everyone has a smartphone these days so why not use a App?

Why Global Mapper Mobile Matters for Field-Based GIS

This is exactly what happened last week to review some Thistlegorm material with fellow contributors and subject matter experts. The material, filmed in 1994, was breathtaking, previously unpublished, and ran to 7 hours. This rare footage captures a moment in the Thistlegorm’s history that no longer exists. While we hope to share some of the material in the future, it remains under wraps for now.

The volume of Thistlegorm information runs to gigabytes of data and is held in a single Global Mapper project with layer upon layer offering insight and understanding in a way simple 3D data or photographs cannot deliver. The issue is not a lack of data, but how to make it portable.

Which is where Blue Marble’s Global Mapper Mobile app comes in.

Can You Really Use a Mobile App for Field Review?

There is a free and paid version, with the latter adding many more features and tools. But for simple viewing with basic measurement the free version is perfect, which is what we used during the review session

Global Mapper includes an export function that saves data in the App’s native file format and lets users precisely select which layers to export. The system compresses and reduces everything to the minimum for viewing—without any loss in quality—and offers a range of adjustable tweaks and settings.

In this case, we examine the remains of the Port Stanier 8F locomotive and the Mk I Universal Carriers. We also highlight several unexploded ordnance items that were originally stored in Hold No. 4.

We can tile the export or generate a single blob file. Global Mapper also lets us filter layers or areas and reduce quality to boost device performance. Plenty of options for creating in-context datasets for use in the field.

This process allowed us to review critical areas that have undergone significant changes over the decades. Using Global Mapper Mobile, we were able to highlighted certain features that have largely remained unchanged.

The good news is that both Apple and Android operating systems support the App. Which in practice means this data can be loaded onto the Alltab underwater tablet. The same tablet used by UWIS and taken below the surface. Doing so allows for in-context data gathering and real time measurement taking.

This dataset comparison—between modern photogrammetry and legacy video—is less precise than cloud-to-cloud analysis. It relies on the human eye rather than automated alignment. But in absence of comparable legacy data it’s a priceless opportunity to review and bear witness to changes.

It goes without saying we are extremely grateful to the source of the previously unseen material.

If you wish to find out more, please use the contact us page to drop us a line.