The GEORADAR-EXPERT graphical user
interface is organized as tabs combined into groups. Each group of tabs is
designed for certain tasks and contains panels with controls for these tasks.
There are three groups of tabs, conditionally named according to their location
in the main window of the software system - the left group, the top group and
the bottom group.
The left tab group is located in the left
part of the main window of GEORADAR-EXPERT and contains panels of visualization
of the results of automated BSEF analysis in the form of histograms, as well as
panels with control elements of attribute section creation parameters. When GPR
profile data file is loaded into the program, which does not contain the
results of BSEF analysis, the left tab group is hidden and only the top and
bottom tab groups remain in the main window of the software system.
The bottom tab group is located in the
bottom part of the main window of the software system and is used to place
panels with control elements for processing and visualization of GPR profiles.
The top group of tabs occupies the space limited by the left and bottom groups
of tabs and is intended for visualization of GPR data and results of their
processing. The user can change the ratio of tabs sizes, as well as hide the
left and bottom groups, thereby increasing the data visualization area in the
top tab group.
The GEORADAR EXPERT provides two ways to
organize the workspace of the main program window – 2D mode and 3D mode.
Depending on what type of data is being loaded, the software system
automatically selects the workspace mode corresponding to the loaded data.
2D mode is designed to work with
two-dimensional data, such as GPR profile and attribute section. 3D mode is used to work with a
three-dimensional assembly of attribute sections created based on the results
of BSEF automated analysis of GPR profiles obtained during GPR research, where
a grid of GPR profiles covers the area of the object under survey.
Further
are screenshots of the main window of the GEORADAR-EXPERT software system in
various configurations. Below is the main window in 2D mode with a tab for
visualizing the attribute section. The tab ratio is set by default for a
computer screen with a Full HD resolution.
The main window of the GEORADAR-EXPERT software
system with the GPR profile visualization tab is shown below. Unlike the
previous example, the ratio of tab groups has been changed, the width of the
top and bottom tab groups have been increased by reducing the width of the left
tab group.
Next, the main window of the GEORADAR-EXPERT
software system is shown with a tab for displaying the amplitude-frequency
spectrum of GPR profile signals. The width of the left tab group has been
increased by reducing the width of the top and bottom tab groups.
Below is the main window of the GEORADAR-EXPERT
software system with a tab for visualizing the section of the attribute created
taking into account the terrain correction.
Next, the section visualization tab is shown, taking into account the terrain correction in the attribute visibility limitation mode. In this mode, those areas of the section whose attribute values go beyond the boundaries of the user-defined range are set transparent. Transparent areas are not taken into account in the process of statistical and other analysis of the section.
As noted above, the 3D mode of the main
window of the GEORADAR-EXPERT software system is designed to work with the
results of a GPR survey, where a grid of GPR profiles covers the area of the
object under survey. This mode is used to visualize the three-dimensional
assembly of sections created based on the results of automated BSEF analysis of
GPR profiles of unequal length and arbitrary orientation. In the process of
forming a 3D assembly of sections, it is possible to take into account their
position in accordance with the coordinates of global positioning systems.
In 3D mode, the left tab group is hidden.
The top tab group contains 3D volume visualization tabs, three mutually
perpendicular 3D volume cross-sections, as well as custom 3D volume cross-sections,
which, unlike mutually perpendicular cross-sections, can have a curved shape.
The bottom tab group is used to place 3D visualization controls.
The
following shows the main window of the GEORADAR EXPERT software system in 3D
mode with the 3D assembly volume visualization tab. The volume is divided into
parts by three orthogonal cross-sections, one horizontal and two vertical. The
result is eight sub–volumes, i.e. voxels. Four voxels lie above the horizontal
cross-section and four are located below this cross-section. You can change the
size of voxels by moving orthogonal cross-sections along their respective axes.
In the example presented, one upper voxel of the 3D assembly volume is cut out.
The user can change the position of the
orthogonal cross-sections of the 3D assembly, average the specified thickness
of the 3D volume in all three directions X Y Z, create their own sections of
arbitrary shape, save these sections to a file and load them to the 3D assembly
from a file.
The
following shows the main window of the GEORADAR EXPERT software system with a
3D volume visualization tab containing three orthogonal cross-sections and one
user curved cross-section.
The visualization tab of this curved
cross-section is shown below in expanded form. Vertical lines indicate the
position of the nodal points of the curve through which this cross-section
passes. The names of the nodal points are displayed above the upper border of
the cross-section. For each nodal point, it is possible to obtain a graph of
the logging curve and a table of its values.
The user can save a series of images of
cross-sections of 3D volume to the computer's hard disk in automatic mode with
a specified step along the corresponding axis. In comparison with the manual
mode of saving sections, the automatic mode significantly saves time. In manual
mode, you first need to perform actions to move the section to the desired
point on the axis, and then interact with the image saving dialog box. When the
number of sections is several dozen, the process of manual saving takes a
relatively long time. The figure below shows the directory for saving a set of
horizontal sections in Windows Explorer in the file contents display mode.
In 3D mode, all the necessary visualization
options are provided, including the ability to control the transparency of the
elements of the 3D assembly array. This allows you to show objects hidden
inside the 3D assembly volume, which gives more clarity in the presentation of
the results of the GPR survey.
The
figure below shows an example of 3D visualization, which includes isosurfaces
and the volume of 3D assemblies with varying degrees of transparency. In the
translucent volume of the 3D assembly, interstratified layers of rocks are visible
in the form of areas of red shades. The boundaries of soil anomalies are
represented by isosurfaces of blue color. Translucent isosurfaces do not
overlap each other, and this allows us to observe the shape of these anomalies
completely.
Below is a variant of visualization of the 3D
assembly volume, in which full transparency is defined by the user-specified
range of attribute values, and the isosurface is the boundary between the
transparent and opaque regions.
If the 3D assembly contains isosurfaces,
then these isosurfaces divide the volume of the 3D assembly into parts. The
user can create isosurfaces so that they pass along the contact boundaries of
the layers of the investigated subsurface. The ability to obtain information
about the volume of these layers is of undoubted practical interest.
GEORADAR-EXPERT provides this opportunity.
The
figure below on the left shows the axes of the 3D assembly from the previous
example, on which orthogonal slices and two isosurfaces are placed - one
yellow, the other purple. The values through which these isosurfaces pass are
shown in the lower left corner of the image in the rectangles of the
corresponding colors. The right-hand side of the image shows an automatically
generated table of volumes bounded by these isosurfaces. Similarly, you can get
information about layer area in square meters in 2D mode. Only in this case the
layers do not limit the isosurfaces, but the lines of the boundaries of the
layers.
Below is an example of a 3D assembly, which was
created taking into account the coordinates of the GPS positioning system. In a
three-dimensional view, the positions of GPR profiles and vertical slices along
these profiles are visualized. An isosurface passes through the 3D assembly
volume, showing the contact position of soils with various electro physical
characteristics. For isosurface and 3D assembly volume, various degrees of
transparency are specified.
The graphical user interface of the GEORADAR-EXPERT software system provides the user with the ability to effectively manage the processing of GPR data and display these results as clearly as possible.