Digital-NGP or DNGP is an online GIS database system for archiving and delivering remote sensing images and geo-spatial information. You can retrieve high resolution satellite imagery and interactive maps easily from our system but you may not be familiar with all the features for manipulating the images, exploring the maps, their themes and the data contained in the map layers. This document describes the features involved in our system and how you can use them to effectively retrieve the data and information from our system.

The Digital-NGP website features a modularized interface design resembling the Windows environment that most of you are used to. There are user navigation buttons and five independent panels for map, reference map, image list, layers, and controls; each of them can be independently moved, resized and minimized.


  1. Map Panel

  2. Layer Panel

  3. Image Panel

  4. Reference Map Panel

  5. Control Panel

  6. Navigation Buttons
1. Map Panel
 
The Map panel consists of the map window to view the images, maps and corresponding legend. The right side of the panel consists of interface icons which help in navigating the map, retrieving the map and getting information about specific features. The icons are black in color by default; when clicked the icon becomes active and will be highlighted in maroon color. The bottom side of the panel displays the scale at which the map is displayed using scale bar and also displays the corresponding cursor position on the map in Latitude and Longitude. The Map Panel can be moved in the web browser according to your convenience.

 
Zoom In Icon
 
This button lets you view part of the map in greater detail. You can either just click on the map at the desired location or you can hold the mouse key down to drag a box over an area of interest.

Instructions:
  1. Select the Zoom In Icon by clicking on it
  2. Position the cursor over the part of the map you want to see in greater detail and click
  3. Or Click on a point and drag the mouse to draw a rubber band box defining your area of interest
  4. The map will be redrawn to show 2 times more detail when clicked on the map. Or the map will be redrawn to show your area of interest when a rubber band box is drawn
Zoom Out Icon

This button lets you view a larger area with less detail.

 Instructions:

  1. Select the Zoom Out Icon by clicking on it
  2. Click on the spot of the map
  3. The map will be redrawn to shown a greater extent centered on the mouse position
    4.
Full Extent Icon

This button lets you view the entire region covered by UMAC (North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Minnesota).

Instructions:

  1. Click the Full Extent button
  2. The map will be redrawn showing the entire UMAC area. The difference between this button and Home button is the Full Extent button will just change the map coverage to view the entire UMAC area without making any other changes whereas Home button will reset all the settings to default and restart the website

Query Map Icon

This icon shows the attributes associated with the enabled layers in the Layer panel when clicked on any location on the map.

Instructions:

  1. Select the Query Map Icon by clicking on it
  2. Select the layers in the Layer panel on which you want to perform the query
  3. Click on any point of map
  4. The attributes of the layers at the point click will be displayed in a new window
 

 

 Print Map Icon

This icon lets you print the map as it is in the map window on a paper. You can print what you see in the window.

Instructions:

  1. Click the Print Map button
  2. The system default Print dialog pops up and helps you through the printing process

 

 Save Map Icon

This icon lets you save the map as it is in the map window as an image file (only in PNG format). You can save what you see in the window.

Instructions:

  1. Click the Save Map button
  2. The system default Save dialog pops up and helps you through the saving process
Pan Icon

This icon allows you to pan (shift) the map to the desired direction.

Instructions:

  1. Select the Pan Icon by clicking on it
  2. Click on any corner or side of the map you wish to pan
  3. The map will pan to the desired direction
  4. The Pan icon and the small direction icons (in yellow/orange color) around the map perform the same function of panning the map in a desired direction. The only difference is that with Pan icon you will have to select the icon first by clicking on it and then you have to click on some corner of the map to pan in that direction whereas with the direction icons, clicking on any of those direction icons will pan the map towards that direction

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2. Layer Panel

The layer panel features many layers which convey information about various spatial features. Multiple layers can be overlaid on one another to make a map according to your needs and can be viewed in the Map window, or printed and saved. The layers are categorized into different groups which can be minimized or maximized by clicking on the group names. The layers DOQ, DRG and Shaded Relief are Scale-dependent; they can be viewed only at a particular zoom level. The Shaded Relief layer cannot be viewed at greater zoomed level. The DOQ and DRG layers are obtained from the Microsoft TerraServer using Web Map Service which require you to view them at moderate zoom levels. The Layer Panel can be resized, minimized or moved in the web browser according to your convenience.

Instructions:

  1. Enable  the layers which you want to display by clicking in the checkboxes next to them
  2. To disable the layers, uncheck the boxes next to those layers
  3. Click the Select Layers button on the top of the Layer panel
  4. The selected layers will be displayed in the map window

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3. Image Panel

 

The layer panel contains a list of Raster images in GeoTIFF format. Different images cover different areas on the map. The image list varies according to the map extent. At any instance, the list shows images that are covering the area that is viewed in the map window. Each image is shown with a name which describes the Acquisition Date, Sensor type and Coverage information. If an image covers the current map window completely then is shown as Full otherwise it shown as Partial. The image list can refined by selecting a particular sensor type in the Select box on the top of the panel to view images only from that sensor covering the displayed area in the map window. Default Sensor type shows all the images from all the sensors. The Image Panel can be resized, minimized or moved in the web browser according to your convenience.

Instructions:

  1. Select the image you would like to view
  2. Click on the Select Image button at the top of the Panel
  3. The image shows up in the map window

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4. Reference Map Panel

 

The Reference Map panel gives a reference of the location that is being viewed in the Map window with respect to the entire UMAC coverage by highlighting with a red colored pointer. You can change the current location displayed in the Map window by clicking on any other location on the reference map. The Reference Map Panel can be minimized or moved in the web browser according to your convenience.

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5. Control Panel

 

This feature allows the user to manipulate and download the chosen raster image. The buttons over the control panel will be enabled only if an image is selected and displayed in the map window. The Control Panel can be resized, minimized or moved in the web browser according to your convenience.

Band Combination

These buttons are enabled when an image is selected and displayed in the map window. If the image contains more than 3 bands, then the Red, Blue and Green bands (4,2 and 1 bands) are selected by default. You can change the band combinations depending on the number of bands the image contains to suit your needs. The corresponding bands of the image will be displayed in the map window.

Brightness

This button is enabled when an image is selected and displayed in the map window.  The brightness of the image can be increased or decreased from 0.1 to 100 times the original value. Default is 1.

View a Product

This box is enabled when an image is selected and displayed in the map window. You can select from a range of products obtained from the image including Natural color, False color, NDVI, GREEN NDVI, Sugar beet yield. Upon selecting the required product,  the image in the map window changes accordingly with the corresponding legend integrated in the map. Then you can either download the current view of the image in the map window or print or save the map.

Color Scheme

This button is enabled upon selection of the specific products like NDVI, GREEN NDVI and Sugar Beet Yield. You can select the grey or color scheme. The image in the map window changes accordingly with legend integrated in the map.

Download

This button is enabled when an image is selected in the map window. You can download either all the bands or the current view of the raster image in the map window (with selected band combinations; default is RGB) in GeoTIFF format.

View AOI

This box is enabled if you are logged into the website. If you have already created AOIs either from the map using the Create an AOI button in the Control Panel or from the Navigation buttons on the DNGP AOI menu, they will be displayed as a list. Upon selecting an AOI name from the list, the map window displays the map covering that AOI.

Create AOI

This box is enabled if you are logged into the website. You can save your AOI for later use by selecting the location in the map window and giving it a name in the box provided.

Note: After selecting an image, if you refresh the webpage using the Browser Refresh button then the control panel buttons would be disabled. To enable them you will have to reselect the image in the image panel.

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6. Navigation Buttons

The navigation buttons on the Digital-NGP header image provide links to other pages as described by their titles.

 

 

 

 The Login button takes the you to login screen, where you can enter username and password to logon to your account. Upon success the login button changes to Logout button.

Instructions:

  1. If you don't have an account with Digital-NGP then you need to create an account by clicking the Register Button
  2. If you already have an account with us, Click the Login Button
  3. A new window pops up and lets you enter the username and password
  4. Upon successful logon, you can use the DNGP AOI navigation button to manage your AOI and DNGP ACCOUNT navigation button to manage your ACCOUNT information
  5. The DNGP LOGIN button changes to DNGP LOGOUT. You can successfully end your session by clicking the LOGOUT button or by closing the web browser or by refreshing the page
  6. If you forgot your password, then you can follow the FORGOT PASSWORD? link on the login interface where you will need to answer  your Hint Question created at the time of Registration. If you answer correctly, then we will let you create a new password for your account. If you have any problem with the Login, please contact us through the DNGP QUESTION navigation button and we would be very happy to help you promptly.

NOTE: Once you are logged in to our system and if use the web browser's Refresh button or the DNGP Home button then you will be required to Login again.

 
The Register button takes you to Registration screen.

Instructions:
 

  1. Click the Register Button
  2. A new window pops up where you can Enter the registration details and click Register
  3. The rows marked * are required and have to be provided before the process is complete.

The Question button takes you to Comments/Question window where you can send your suggestions, requests, comments, bugs or doubts about Digital-NGP to us.

Instructions:
 

  1. Click the DNGP QUESTION Button
  2. A new window pops up where you can Enter your comments or questions about our Website
    3.

The Help button brings you to this Help screen.

Instructions:
 

  1. Click the Help Button
  2. A new window pops up with this Help page

The Home button restarts the website.

Instructions:
 

  1. Click the Home Button
  2. The Digital-NGP website restarts with the default settings.

 

 Only after logging into the Digital-NGP, this button appears. This button allows you to create an Area of Interest (AOI) by entering the bounding coordinates and Delete AOIs.

Instructions:

  1. Place the mouse cursor on the DNGP AOI Button
  2. A drop down menu  appears with the Create AOI and Delete AOI entries
  3. Make the selection and click on it to go to desired function

Create AOI

  1. Click on Create AOI link.
  2. Enter the name of AOI.  Enter the values in DMS format and should be either in clock-wise/anti-clockwise format.
  3. To enter longitude values you can either enter the values with the hemisphere, for eg., 106 25 34.56 W with a space between degree, minute, seconds and direction.  For Latitude the value is 44 29 68.09 N.
  4. Alternatively, the values can also be entered with a negative sign in front of it without the hemisphere.  For eg., -106 25 34.56 with a space between the degree, minute and seconds but NO space between the '-' sign and the degree value
  5. AOI will be created which can be accessed  from the View AOI menu in the Control Panel

Create AOI

  1. Click on Create AOI with Map link.
  2. Zoom in to the desired Area of Interest. 
  3. Enter the AOI Name and click Create AOI Button.

Delete AOI

  1. Click on Delete AOI link.
  2. Select the AOI Names you want to delete and click Delete AOI.
  3. AOI values deleted are removed permanently from the database and are irrecoverable.

Only after logging into the Digital-NGP, this button appears. This button allows you to manage your account.

Instructions:

  1. Place the mouse cursor on the DNGP ACCOUNT Button
  2. A drop down menu appears with the Edit my account, change my password and change my secret question entries
  3. Make the selection and click on it to go to desired function

Edit my account

  1. Click on Edit my account link.
  2. A new window pops up showing your current account information. You can change the information in the window

Change my password

  1. Click on change my password link.
  2. A new window pops up to let you create a new password but it requires you to enter your current password

Change my secret question

  1. Click on change my secret question link.
  2. A new window pops up to let you change your secret question and answer which would be required if you forget your password

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