USING ERDAS IMAGINE

EASYTRACE
eTRAINING

Introduction
This eTraining module demonstrates how to digitize polyline vector features from satellite imagery
using ERDAS IMAGINE Easytrace.

Software
 ERDAS IMAGINE

Data
 QuickBird-2 image of Prescott, Nevada

Transcript
0:09
Thank you for watching this Hexagon Geospatial eTraining module: Using ERDAS IMAGINE
Easytrace. In this module we will look at digitizing polyline vector features from satellite
imagery using the Easytrace assisted digitizing tools.

0:23
Let’s start today with a multispectral image loaded in the ERDAS IMAGINE Viewer. This
image, QuickBird-2 image provided by DigitalGlobe, is displayed using a False Color Infrared
band combination to emphasize the difference between tracks and surrounding sparse
vegetation.

0:39
When performing heads-up feature capture from satellite imagery, it is best to maximize the
display parameters so the feature of interest is easily discernable. This will help the operator
in manually capturing the feature and also increase the ability of Easytrace to accurately
follow the feature’s path or outline.

0:56
You’ll make a few changes to optimize the display.

Zooming to 1:1 shows the roads and tracks we’re interested in capturing, but not in quite
enough detail. Navigate to the Home tab and use the Scale menu in the Extent group to
zoom in to 200%.

1:12
At this scale you can now see pixel edges. To smooth the image and make the display look
nicer, let’s change the resampling method. From the View group on the Multispectral tab,
change the Resampling Method technique from Nearest Neighbor to Bilinear Interpolation.

1:27
Next you need to create a vector layer. You’ll use this layer to insert the roads you’re going to
capture. We could use an existing road layer, enable editing, and use it to capture the roads.
In this example, let’s start with a new layer.

Create a new shapefile layer by right-clicking in the 2D View and selecting New Vector
Layer. Let’s give the layer a name, such as roads.shp, and click OK. In the dialog that opens,
select ArcShape as the Shapefile type and again click OK.
 Using ERDAS IMAGINE Easytrace

Note in the Contents pane that there is a new vector layer over the QuickBird layer and that
the Vector group of the contextual tabs is now available in the ribbon.

2:06
In the Styles group on the Drawing tab, select a red line color and use the Line Style pull
down to set the line thickness to two points. This will set the default styling for any vector you
add.

2:18
You’ll adjust the view slightly to better see the roads you want to digitize.

2:23
Let’s use Easytrace to assist in the rapid capture of the curving features you see here. To
activate it, click the EasyTrace button on the Insert Geometry group on the Drawing tab.
When you want the software to automatically add vertices along a feature, turn on the Easy
Tracing option. We’ll turn this on now.

2:41
There are several Feature Type options within the Easytrace tool.

 Boundary is used to follow edges in the imagery, such as the boundary between a lake
and surrounding land.

 Ribbon is used to trace a feature that has two distinct parallel edges such as a wide
road.

 Centerline is used to create a single line in the middle of a linear feature.

For the roads and tracks in this image, use Centerline.

3:05
The Tracing Mode is used while capturing a specific geometry.

 Rubber Band will lay down a continuously updated vector following the feature in the
image between the last vertex and the position of the cursor.

 Discrete shows a straight vector between the last vertex and cursor, but will only follow
the feature when you click the next vertex location.

 Manual temporarily suspends Easytrace mode so that vertices can be manually placed in
a classic heads-up digitizing mode.

We’ll see examples of these in a few minutes.

3:36
Note that there are keyboard shortcuts between the Tracing Modes so that you can easily
switch while in the middle of capturing a geometry. For example, you can use A, D, Shift to
switch between Rubber Band, Discrete, and Manual modes.

From the Insert Geometry group, select the Polyline tool.

3:56
The first action required to use Easytrace is to point the software to a section of the feature
which provides a representative cross-sectional template of the feature. This trains the
software to recognize the road and assist in the digitizing process.

Left-click at one edge of the road and then left-click again at the other edge across from the
first. ERDAS IMAGINE now has a template to compare to the other locations.
 Using ERDAS IMAGINE Easytrace

Place your cursor on the feature to be captured where you want to start the polyline geometry
and left-click. Then move the cursor further along the feature.

4:29
Because Rubber Band tracing mode is selected, a line is continuously placed where the
software thinks the feature is located between the first vertex and the cursor location. This
helps to see if you’re trying to jump too far in a single section - or if you captured a poor
template.

4:45
If the rubber band does not stay on the feature, move the cursor to see if it can adjust. Place
another key vertex further down the road by left clicking again, and the software will fill in
more vertices between the two manually entered key vertices.

We’ll continue down the feature, adding more key vertices until a suitable location is reached
to terminate this geometry, such as an intersection. We’ll double-left-click to terminate the
capture and create the geometry.

5:12
We have more features to capture that have similar spectral properties to the first feature.
Because they are spectrally similar, turn on the Reuse Temp(late) option. With this option
active, you will not need to capture a new template before adding a new geometry. You’ll turn
it off when you need to acquire a new template for Easytrace to use.

Let’s use the Polyline tool to insert more geometries.

5:34
While digitizing, note that Easytrace cannot negotiate sharp bends in linear features, so add a
manual key vertex at the apex of any sharp turns.

Also note that if you encounter a section of the feature that is spectrally different to the
template, Easytrace may not be able to follow the feature in that section.

5:53
Add a key vertex just before the problematic section, swap to Manual tracing mode (which
can be done by pressing Shift on the keyboard), and manually digitize vertices to jump the
gap. Then turn the Rubber Band mode back on again (using the A key).

6:08
If you’re digitizing and reach the edge of the current display extent while capturing a
geometry, you can hold down the middle mouse button to drag the data to a new location
without needing to stop capturing the current geometry.

6:20
Easytrace may not work in all circumstances, but as we have seen in this module, it can often
significantly increase the efficiency of capturing complex geometries which would require
considerable user input if captured completely by traditional manual digitizing methods.

6:44
Thank you for watching this eTraining module from Hexagon Geospatial. For more eTraining,
visit hexagongeospatial.com/eTraining.