OVERVIEW

CFLOOR: THE FUTURE OF SEABED MAPPING

CFLOOR is an international product for seabed mapping. This high performance software package is currently in use with
clients in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The developers of CFLOOR have been processing large data volumes since the first
multi-beam echo sounder delivered in the 1980s, and they have established a reputation for recognizing problems and
developing solutions.

CFLOOR provides an industry-leading user interface and advanced graphics that are easy to use. The package can handle
very large data volumes and provides many flexible terrain modelling methods.

Ease of use means that hydrographers and surveyors can concentrate on their data, not on the software. Cfloor is designed to
relieve bottlenecks in production lines handling large data volumes, particularly data administration, measure point evaluation,
data cleaning, chart series generation, terrain modelling and mass production of plots. file.

SUPPORTING THE CUSTOMER

Cfloor AS maintains a team of experienced users who are
familiar with the software and the data production lines in which
CFLOOR is used. The team helps train new CFLOOR users and
provides comprehensive telephone and digital support. It also
holds regular user meetings and organises training courses.

CFLOOR is under continuous development and our

maintenance agreements ensure that installed software is
updated frequently. These agreements also include full
telephone support and our suggestions for optimisation of
software use. New processing techniques are developed in-
house through cooperation with the industry and various
research institutes. By adopting this approach, improvements
are dictated by the demands of the market - an important
element in the success of CFLOOR.

MODERN USER INTERFACE

CFLOOR offers outstanding 3D visualization and crystal-clear
graphics. One click allows users to zoom in, spin the model
through 360˚ or turn it upside down. Information on surfaces,
contours, cross sections and more can be displayed
simultaneously.

Users interact with CFLOOR via icons which represent

different elements of chart production such as a set of
soundings, a chart, a coast line or any other data set. These
icons can be used to input data by dragging them from place
to place within the system. Data sets can be manipulated
through integral menus.

A data set can be viewed simultaneously in several windows.

If data in the data set (icon) are changed, this change will be
reflected in all the views.
DATA ADMINISTRATION

Project overview
CFLOOR organises processing project-by-project, as loaded and
saved by the user.
Projects are visualised in the Project Panel. This representation is
based on charts as the natural unit. Each row in the panel
represents a chart, and the icons represent elements in that chart.
Each column contains a different data type.

Almost all CFLOOR processing procedures are started from this

panel. The status of the different elements of the charts (the icons)
can be seen, and operations are undertaken via the icon menus.
Data can also be copied to the clipboard to allow experimentation
without modifying the original data set

Geodetic consistency
CFLOOR allows users to define geodetic parameters for the project
and the different charts. Exact charts require the coordinate systems
to be accurate and consistent for all chart elements. CFLOOR’s
tools can carry out automatic or user-defined transformations
between almost any systems (data are transformed to the project’s
geodetic system at the time of the input).

Chart management
Defining the charts in a series can be a time-consuming task.
CFLOOR has automated the definition process and enables users to
modify charts or manually define them. A graphical representation of
the terrain and the data files is available before the charts are
defined. This means the charts can be interactively placed relative
to formations on the sea floor. Individual raw data files can be
viewed in the graphical display, and their consistency with the rest
of the files can be cross checked.
The charts are displayed in the Chart Manager, and their status
indicated by colour. These charts can be moved and resized either
manually on-screen, or through forms for exact numeric positioning.
Changes to the definitions in the Chart Manager are immediately
reflected in the Project Panel.

TERRAIN MODELLING
Modelling methods
CFLOOR offers a variety of methods for terrain modelling. It can
even take uncertainty information into account in the modelling
process to honour points with high accuracy. The system operates
using gridding and triangulation methods, and all parameters can
be user-defined.
Terrain smoothing functionality is available, together with log files
of statistical information about the gridding process.
CFLOOR can also grid and manipulate rotated grids.

Cross section and profiles

Cross sections are vital for cable laying and pipeline planning. These can be generated from the terrain model. The trace of the
profile can be imported into the system from files or digitized on-screen by the user. Scaling of the x and y axes is also user-
defined. Cross sections can be viewed in either 3D or 2D, and the result included in plots. Profiles along the trace, or as
projections into a plane, are optional.

Volumetrics
CFLOOR can calculate volumes and determine distribution. For many years dredging companies have used our terrain modelling
software to calculate volume differences.
 SENSOR DATA PROCESSING

CFLOOR offers a full range of bathymetric processing covering

everything from sensor data management to final plot generation.
Processing starts from the Sensor icon by importing data related to
a survey campaign. Typically, this is data from the echo sounder,
navigation and motion sensors, and tide information. In the Sensor
container the data are organized as range, sound velocity, swath,
backscatter, position, gyro, heave, roll, pitch and tide - one row for
each input file.

CFLOOR interfaces sensor data from the following multi-beam systems:

É Simrad EM Series
É Reson 8101, 8111, 8125
É Submetrix 2000 Series
É Elac/Seabeam
É Any echo sounder on UNB format

With the sensor data available, the user can process them by using
a variety of options:
É Visualization and editing in 2D and 3D
É Parameter settings
É Filtering, thinning and smoothing
É Adjust soundings
É Angular filtering
É Tide correction
É Calibration
É Sound velocity correction
É Convert to swath, soundings, backscatter, lines and surfaces

The main scope in processing sensor data is to create depth

values with Easting and Northing coordinates - so-called
soundings (or XYZ-files) - to be stored in the Survey container. If
pre-processed soundings are available these can be imported
directly to the Survey container.
DATA ANALYSIS

Statistics
CFLOOR can calculate the statistics of each cell in a regular grid.
These include minimum and maximum values, difference values,
mean values, standard deviations and other statistical values. The
results can be placed in a grid to visualize distribution. Histograms
and crossplots can also be created for these values.

Uncertainty
The very nature of measure points makes all soundings uncertain.
However, quantification of this uncertainty can be a useful way to
document the quality of a chart. Uncertainty values can be input to
CFLOOR for calculation of total uncertainty.

Bias and confidence curve

Some echo sounder beams show a bias from the exact depth.
CFLOOR can calculate this bias, and generate curves to show bias
as a function of beam angle. It is also possible to determine those
beams within the hydrographic standard, and to plot the result
(confidence curves). This function is important for users of multi-
beam echo sounders in evaluating performance at test time and
in calibration.

EDITING AND PLOTTING

Graphic editing
Chart presentation is of paramount importance and a good graphic
editor adds final polish to the product. In addition to standard
editing, the Graphic Editor has several functions that are
dedicated to geographical operations. The editor contains IHO
(International Hydrographic Organisation) symbols, and tools are
included for users to add their own symbols.
The scale bars and colour legends in CFLOOR are connected to the
plots. If a plot is rescaled or another contour interval is chosen, the
scale bars and colour legends will update automatically.

The plotting system

Users select a plot template that includes the layout and plotting
information. Layouts can be modified by the operator and saved
as new templates for later use. Parameters such as contour
intervals, UTM zone and processing date can be defined in the
template and be expanded to real values by the plotting system.
The plotting is then executed automatically using the template and
the data. When this batch-like process is finished, the plot can be
taken into the editor for amendment.
SPECIAL FEATURES

Sea floor classification and Sonar image presentation

CFLOOR imports sea floor classification grids or samples. Surface
distribution can be generated from these data and merged with the
terrain model. The resulting classification and the terrain can be
presented in several ways, including:

- pure colour coded classification charts

- classification as colours and bathymetry as contours
- classification as colours, draped on 3D bathymetry

CFLOOR imports previously processed sonar image data to make

final presentations of the sonar image and other hydrographic data.
The data are imported in grid form or as a point set and treated in
the same way as sea floor classification data. The same end
products are available. However, as the density of the sonar image
is much greater than the density of sea floor classification data, the
processing will be extended and will require greater computer
memory and disk capacity.

POINTS CLASSIFICATION

CFLOOR contains a unique point classification function developed for

hydrographic offices.

DTMs can be analysed and crucial points for navigation can be

detected. The DTM from which this operation is started can be either a
regular grid or a TIN (Triangular Irregular Network) model.

The following five classes of terrain features can be extracted:

Shoal points: The shallowest point (node or sounding) in an

area.
Deep points: The deepest point (node or sounding) in an
area.
Ridge points: A break point (node) on a ridge.
Valley points: A break point (node) in a valley.
Saddle points: The shallowest point (node) in a fairway.
Cfloor AS is a software house developing and
marketing the CFLOOR® seabed mapping software,
focusing on the special needs in the hydrographic market.
Cfloor AS was established in June 2003, created from the
seabed mapping business in Roxar Software Solutions.

For more information contact

Cfloor AS

Tel: +47 22 36 02 70
Fax: +47 22 36 02 71

email: info@cfloor.no

or visit our Web site: www.cfloor.no