IDRISI Kilimanjaro Guide to GIS and Image Processing - ABU UPRM

328 Pages·2003·5.38 MB·English

IDRISI Kilimanjaro
Guide to GIS and Image Processing
April 2003
J. Ronald Eastman
Clark Labs
Clark University
950 Main Street
Worcester, MA
01610-1477 USA
tel: [phone]
fax: [phone]
email: [email protected]
web: http://www.clarklabs.org
Idrisi Source Code
©1987-2003
J. Ronald Eastman
Idrisi Production
©1987-2003
Clark University
Manual Version 14.00

Table of Contents
IDRISI Kilimanjaro Introduction 1
License Agreement 1
Warranty 1
Trademarks 1
Introduction 2
Exploring IDRISI 3
Contacting Clark Labs 5
Clark Labs Return Policy 5
Clark Labs Technical Support 5
The Clark Labs Staff 6
Introduction to GIS 9
Components of a GIS 9
Map Data Representation 12
Geographic Database Concepts 13
Analysis in GIS 15
The Philosophy of GIS 20
Introduction to Remote Sensing and Image Processing 21
Definition 21
Fundamental Considerations 21
Sensor/Platform Systems 26
Digital Image Processing 32
Conclusions 38
Idrisi System Overview 39
System Operation 39
Program Modules 40
Data Paths and Projects 41
Working with IDRISI Dialog Boxes 41
Getting Help 44
Map Layers, Collections and Data Structures 45
Map Layers 45
Map Layer Collections 46
Attribute Files 48
Map Layer File Structures 48
Display System 61
Introduction 61
DISPLAY Launcher 61
Composer 65
Symbol Workshop 73
Media Viewer 74
Interactive Display Features 74
A Final Note 80
Database Workshop 81
Other Database Operations 82
IDRISI Modules 85
The File Menu 85
The Display Menu 88
The GIS Analysis Menu 89
The Modeling Menu 104
The Image Processing Menu 105
The Reformat Menu 112
The Data Entry Menu 113
Window List 114
The Help Menu 114
IDRISI Modeling Tools 117
IDRISI Macro Modeler 117
Image Calculator 120
Command Line Macros 121
The IDRISI API 122
Database Development 125
Introduction 125
Collecting Data 125
General Import Tips 129
Data Integration 133
Conclusions 134
Georeferencing 135
Geodesy 135
Geodetic Datums 136
Cartographic Transformation 137
Georeferencing in IDRISI 138
Projection and Datum Transformations 143
Algorithms Used by PROJECT 143
Further Reading 143
Decision Support: Decision Strategy Analysis 145
Introduction 145
Definitions 146
A Typology of Decisions 151
Multi-Criteria Decision Making in GIS 151
Multi-Objective Decision Making in GIS 158
A Worked Example 160
The Multi-Criteria/Multi-Objective Decision Support Wizard 165
A Closing Comment 165
References / Further Reading 165
Decision Support: Uncertainty Management 167
A Typology of Uncertainty 167
Database Uncertainty and Decision Risk 169
Database Uncertainty and Decision Risk 171
Decision Rule Uncertainty 173
A Closing Comment 183
References / Further Reading 183
Image Restoration 185
Radiometric Restoration 185
Geometric Restoration 191
References 192
Fourier Analysis 193
The Logic of Fourier Analysis 193
How Fourier Analysis Works 194
Using Fourier Analysis in IDRISI 196
References 199
Classification of Remotely Sensed Imagery 201
Introduction 201
Supervised Classification 203
Unsupervised Classification 218
Hyperspectral Remote Sensing 222
References and Further Reading 226
RADAR Imaging and Analysis 229
The Nature of RADAR Data: Advantages and Disadvantages 229
Using RADAR Data in IDRISI 230
References 231
Vegetation Indices 233
Introduction 233
Classification of Vegetation Indices 233
The Slope-Based VIs 234
The Distance-Based VIs 236
The Orthogonal Transformations 242
Summary 243
References 244
Time Series/Change Analysis 247
Pairwise Comparisons 247
Multiple Image Comparisons 249
Predictive Change Modeling 251
References: 254
Anisotropic Cost Analysis 255
Isotropic Costs 255
Anisotropic Costs 255
Anisotropic Cost Modules in IDRISI 255
Surface Interpolation 261
Introduction 261
Surface Interpolation 261
References / Further Reading 265
Triangulated Irregular Networks and Surface Generation 267
Introduction 267
Preparing TIN Input Data 268
Non-Constrained and Constrained TINs 269
Removing TIN “Bridge” and “Tunnel” Edges 269
Outputs of TIN 274
Generating a Raster Surface from a TIN 274
Further Reading 275
Geostatistics 277
Introduction 277
Spatial Continuity 277
Kriging and Conditional Simulation 281
Summary 282
References / Further Reading 282
Appendix 1: Ellipsoid Parameters 283
Appendix 2: Datum Parameters 285
Appendix 3: Supplied Reference System Parameter Files 295
Geodetic (Latitude/Longitude) 295
Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) 295
US State Plane Coordinate System 1927 295
US State Plane Coordinate System 1983 299
Gauss-Kruger 303
Miscellaneous 304
Appendix 4: Error Propagation Formulas 305
Arithmetic Operations 305
Logical Operations 305
IDRISI Kilimanjaro Introduction
License Agreement
The software described in this document is furnished under a license, and may be used or copied only in accordance with
the terms of this license.
The IDRISI Kilimanjaro software described in this document is protected by the United States Copyright Law and Inter-
national Treaty provisions. This software remains the property of Clark Labs, Clark University. However, Clark Labs
grants the purchaser non-exclusive license to use this software subject to the terms outlined in this statement.
The purchaser of a single-user license of IDRISI Kilimanjaro is licensed to install and use the software on no more than
one single-user computer system. The purchaser is also permitted to make a backup copy of the IDRISI Kilimanjaro dis-
tribution media for the sole purpose of protecting the purchaser’s investment from loss. The purchaser may not rent or
lease the software, but may transfer the license to another user upon written agreement from Clark Labs. The user may
not reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble the IDRISI Kilimanjaro software or any of its associated software pro-
grams contained on the distribution media.
The pdf manuals that accompany this software are also protected by United States Copyright Law and International
Treaty provisions. All rights are reserved. No part of the manuals may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, microfilm, recording, or otherwise without
written consent of Clark Labs. Direct translation of any part of the manuals is also prohibited without the written permis-
sion of the copyright holder.
Warranty
This software is sold “as is,” and the information in this manual is subject to change without notice. Furthermore, the
Clark Labs assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document, or in the software it describes.
THE CLARK LABS DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO DEFECTS IN THE CD-ROM AND/OR DOCUMENTATION, AND THE PRO-
GRAM LICENSE GRANTED HEREIN IN PARTICULAR, AND WITHOUT LIMITING OPERATION OF THE
PROGRAM LICENSE WITH RESPECT TO ANY PARTICULAR APPLICATION, USE, OR PURPOSE. IN NO
EVENT SHALL THE CLARK LABS BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT OR ANY OTHER COMMER-
CIAL DAMAGE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR
OTHER DAMAGES.
Trademarks
IDRISI and CartaLinx are registered trademarks of Clark Labs, Clark University. Windows and Access are trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation. ArcInfo and ArcView are trademarks of Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. MapInfo
is a registered trademark of MapInfo Corporation. Acrobat Reader Copyright 1987-2003 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
All rights reserved. Adobe and the Adobe logo are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. All other product names
mentioned in this volume may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby
Chapter 1 IDRISI Kilimanjaro Introduction 1
acknowledged.
Introduction
Thank you for choosing IDRISI Kilimanjaro and welcome to the Clark Labs. The organization was founded in 1987 as
the IDRISI Project by Geography Professor Ron Eastman. In 1994, the name was changed to the Clark Labs to reflect
the broader suite of software offered and the full range of activities undertaken.
The Clark Labs is an educational and research institution located at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
The Clark Labs is one of four centers within the George Perkins Marsh Institute at Clark University, and enjoys close ties
with the Graduate School of Geography and the International Development program at Clark. Activities of the Clark
Labs may be broadly grouped into three areas: the development, distribution and support of the geographic analysis and
image processing software system IDRISI and the digitizing and vector editing package CartaLinx; research; and educa-
tional programs.
Software
Clark Labs software is designed to be easy to use, yet provide professional-level capabilities on Windows-based personal
computers. They are intended to be affordable to all levels of users and to run on common computer platforms.
Since the introduction of the IDRISI system in 1987, it has grown to become one of the largest raster-based microcom-
puter GIS and image processing systems on the market. IDRISI and its companion products are supported by a full-time
staff dedicated to the development and support of the software for over 35,000 installations in more than 170 countries
around the world. IDRISI is used by a wide range of research, educational, government, local planning, and resource
management institutions.
During its early development, partial support was provided by the United Nations Environment Programme Global
Resource Information Database (UNEP/GRID), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR),
and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Today, all support comes through software sales.
However, close relations are maintained with these and many other international development agencies in the attempt to
provide equitable access to geographic analysis tools.
IDRISI is the industry leader in raster analytical functionality, covering the full spectrum of GIS and remote sensing needs
from database query, to spatial modeling, to image enhancement and classification. Special facilities are included for envi-
ronmental monitoring and natural resource management, including change and time series analysis, multi-criteria and
multi-objective decision support, uncertainty analysis (including Bayesian, Dempster-Shafer, and Fuzzy Set analysis), sim-
ulation modeling (including force modeling and anisotropic friction analysis) and surface interpolation and statistical char-
acterization. Yet, despite the highly sophisticated nature of these capabilities, the system is very easy to use.
IDRISI consists of a main interface program (containing the menu and toolbar system) and a collection of nearly 200 pro-
gram modules that provide facilities for the input, display and analysis of geographic data. See the IDRISI Modules
chapter for an overview of the menu structure and a listing of all modules and their capabilities. Detailed information
about each module, as well as a variety of other technical information, may be found in the on-line Help System.
In 1998, Clark Labs released CartaLinx, a spatial data builder. The software is intended for digitizing, database develop-
ment and topological editing. CartaLinx supports a variety of input methods and formats and is intended as a companion
to many common GIS and Desktop Mapping products, including IDRISI, ArcInfo, ArcView and MapInfo.
Research
There are currently several active research groups at the Clark Labs. These include: Change and Time Series Analysis,
Decision Support and Error Incorporation in GIS, Geostatistical Analysis and Surface Modeling, and Technology Trans-
IDRISI Guide to GIS and Image Processing 2
fer and System Implementation. Journal articles, conference presentations, project documents, training materials, and new
software capabilities are typical products of these research activities. Much of this research focuses on how these research
problems manifest themselves in developing countries.
Educational Programs
The Clark Labs is also concerned with the development of training materials and the provision of training. IDRISI soft-
ware packages include a set of tutorial exercises and data that guide the new user through the concepts of GIS and Image
Processing while also introducing the features of IDRISI. The tutorial exercises are appropriate for use in either self-train-
ing or in classroom settings. Because of its low cost and advanced capabilities, IDRISI has always been a popular choice
for teaching GIS and Image Processing at the university level. CartaLinx also includes a tutorial that teaches the funda-
mentals of vector topology and database manipulation as well as CartaLinx operation.
In 1990, the Clark Labs (then the IDRISI Project) signed a memorandum of understanding with UNITAR (United
Nations Institute for Training and Research) to provide scientific assistance to its training programs through the develop-
ment of curricula and training materials related to specific application areas. A series of workbooks, Explorations in Geo-
graphic Information Systems Technology, has been produced and is available from the Clark Labs. Each workbook
includes an overview that explores in detail the theoretical aspects of the given application, a bibliography, and a set of
exercises using real-world data to explore the issues raised.
Intensive hands-on introductory training sessions in GIS and Image Processing, typically lasting five days, are offered sev-
eral times per year at Clark University and, on request, at other sites. These training sessions provide theoretical back-
ground material essential to the new GIS user, as well as training in using IDRISI and CartaLinx. Intermediate and
advanced training sessions, customized to the needs of trainees, are also available.
IDRISI is not an Acronym!
A Muslim scholar of international reputation in the Mediterranean world of his day, Abu Abd Allah Muhammed al-Idrisi
(1100-1166 A.D.) was born in a town on the North African coast, probably contemporary Ceuta, at that time, like much
of Andalucia (southern Spain) and western North Africa, part of the Almoravid state. Educated at the University of Cor-
doba, and widely traveled in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, al-Idrisi was a cartographer and
geographer of major significance during the medieval period. Commissioned by the Norman king Roger of Sicily to pre-
pare a geographical survey of the world, al-Idrisi led a fifteen-year collaborative effort by scholars and technicians based at
the Norman Court at Palermo. Based on direct field studies as well as archival sources, the maps and texts that resulted
from that collaborative effort served as primary reference material for over 500 years. It is to this spirit of collaboration in
geographic inquiry that the IDRISI software system is dedicated.
Exploring IDRISI
The best introduction to IDRISI is through the Tutorial which can be accessed through the Help menu of the IDRISI
program. Parallel to working on the exercises, you should read the remainder of the IDRISI Guide to GIS and Image
Processing.
The first three chapters present a general overview of IDRISI (this chapter), GIS, and Remote Sensing and Image Pro-
cessing.
The next several chapters explore the use of the IDRISI system. The chapter System Overview describes the nature of
the user interface. The chapter Maps, Collections, and Data Structures outlines the logic with which IDRISI organizes
data and gives an overview of the file structures of the most commonly used data files. The Display System chapter dis-
cusses issues related to the display of geographic data and the interactive display features available for their exploration.
The Database Workshop chapter describes the database management system, giving detailed information on all its func-
Chapter 1 IDRISI Kilimanjaro Introduction 3
tions, including the ability to link the database to a map, and its ability to use structured query language (SQL). The
IDRISI Modules chapter gives an overview of the capabilities of the IDRISI modules and their typical usage. It also out-
lines the logic of the menu structure. The chapter IDRISI Modeling Tools describes the use of IDRISI's Macro Mod-
eler, Image Calculator, macro scripting language and API (COM Server) modeling tools. The Database Development
chapter covers some of the important issues for the development and creation of GIS databases, especially techniques for
importing data to IDRISI.
The Georeferencing chapter presents issues of geodesy, geodetic datums, projections and reference systems in under-
standable terminology. While many project-level applications of GIS and image processing do not require georeferencing
to a geodetic system, integration of data with local or national government mapping will unquestionably require that the
issues treated in this chapter be addressed.
The Decision Support chapters will be of particular interest to those involved with resource allocation and planning. It
covers the special procedures required to undertake multi-criteria / multi-objective analyses, as well as decision making in
the presence of uncertainty.
Several chapters are included that relate to the use of remotely-sensed data and image processing techniques. The Image
Restoration chapter suggests methods for removing or diminishing the degree of random and systematic distortions that
occur in imagery. A separate chapter on Fourier Analysis continues this discussion of methods for noise removal. The
Classification of Remotely Sensed Imagery chapter outlines in detail the IDRISI approach to image classification,
including the use of "soft" and "fuzzy" classifiers for this process. Use of hyperspectral data is also discussed in this chap-
ter. The RADAR Imaging and Analysis chapter provides some suggestions for the use of radar imagery. The chapter
on Vegetation Indices describes the vegetation index models included in IDRISI for the transformation of satellite
imagery into images that indicate the relative amount of biomass present. The Time Series/Change Analysis chapter
deals with an increasingly important set of tools in environmental monitoring. Topics covered include pairwise compari-
sons, procedures for distinguishing true change from natural variability, temporal profiling, and time series analysis by
means of Principal Components Analysis.
Another group of chapters addresses issues of modeling continuous raster surfaces. In the Anisotropic Cost Analysis
chapter, the brief discussion of cost distance procedures in the Introduction to GIS chapter is extended to consider the
case of anisotropic forces and frictions (i.e., forces and frictions that act differently in different directions). These tools are
somewhat experimental, but offer special opportunities for the modeling of dynamic phenomena such as groundwater
flows, forest fire movements, oil spills, and so on. Three chapters focus on issues of spatial interpolation from sample
data. The Surface Interpolation chapter gives an overview of the techniques commonly encountered in GIS and points
out some of their relative advantages and disadvantages. It also indicates how these techniques are carried out in IDRISI.
The Triangulated Irregular Networks and Surface Generation chapter details the IDRISI implementation of the
TIN. The chapter Geostatistics presents background information for the use of advanced geostatistical procedures such
as kriging and simulation.
This volume also contains a series of Appendices containing Georeferencing parameters, most importantly, detailed
tables of constants used for transformation between map datums (yes, in Geodesy, the plural of datum is datums, and not
data!), as well as error propagation formulae referred to in the Decision Support chapter.
The Tutorial manual is intended as a means of learning (and teaching) the IDRISI system and the basic tools used in GIS
and image processing. The exercises are in a format suitable for classroom use as well as individual instruction. Literally
thousands of users have learned the basics of GIS by means of these exercises.
In addition to the manuals described above, IDRISI also contains a very robust on-line Help System. This does not dupli-
cate the information in the IDRISI Guide, but acts as a very important supplement to it. Specifically, the Help System
contains detailed information on the use of every module in the IDRISI set. This includes information on operation, spe-
cial notes, explanations of error messages, command line syntax, and so on. Every module has a help button that can be
clicked on to get help for that module. The Help System can also be accessed by clicking on the Help menu item. You will
find there a table of contents, index, and a keyword search facility. The Help System also contains a basic glossary and
IDRISI Guide to GIS and Image Processing 4