Misc. software downloads that my students and I use all the time:

• for conversion of different formats of data to SIR-2000 and earlier formats, so that my software will work (I know, I should spend the $10,000 or so to have someone totally re-write every time GSSI, Sensors and Software and Mala changes their file formats....but considering that these programs take about 10 seconds to convert all your files to the old format, and that I do not charge for this software, what is the point?)  click here for the software and instructions (in zip files) for these data formats:

   

  • GSSI SIR-3000 data
  • RAMAC (Mala) data
  • Sensors and Software data

   

• if you collect your data in time (continuous mode) and not with a survey wheel of some sort, you will have profiles with just traces stacked up next to each other and no distance along the x axis when you look at them in GPR_Viewer.   To re-sample these profiles so that the traces are put into space correctly (rubber sheet them), I use Jeff Lucius' program called gpr_xsu.exe.  It is a DOS program, and a little "clunky", but gets the job done quickly for me.  Here are my instructions, the program and a command file that I have made up, which you can edit for your own data, all in a zip file:
  • gpr_xsu

   

• I have also found out recently that my new SIR-3000 does not put in manual marks the same way that my old SIR-2000 does.  I have no idea why this is.  GSSI just keeps changing things, and then we have to scramble to keep up.  Anyway, Jeff Lucius wrote a simple little program that will find the marks for you in 3000 .dzt files.  The executable file is called get_mrks.exe.  I have written up a small Word document that explains how to use this program to find the marks.  It will then save those marks in files called file1.mrk etc., just like many of us have used for processing our data in slices, or using GPR-Viewer.  To download the executable file, for this, and my instructions, click here.
  • marks_in_3000
• for topographic corrections of profiles, when you have surveyed elevations along a profile and want to make an image of this profile I used Jeff Lucius' gpr_disp.exe program.  Here is a zip file that has the command file, exe file, and a file called file9.dzt from Israel that I just processed in this way.  You can see in the command file how I changed the parameters to adjust the traces in space, and also look at the .xyz and .mrk files to see how I manually input the survey data each 5 meters along the profile.
  • topo_correction (using gpr_disp.exe)

   

• These are also some great Windows programs that will do a number of GPR processing steps, which my programs will not.  They were written by Colorado School of Mines graduate Dr. Charles Oden, using some DOS programs written by him and Jeff Lucius.  I can't give you instructions on these, as I only use them for certain things myself, such as frequency filtering, foreground removal [the poor man's (and woman's)] migration to remove axes of reflection hyperbolas, trace stacking and hyperbola fitting.  Remember that Chuck wrote these for HIS use, but he has been very free in giving them out, and encouraged me and my students to try them out.  So, you get what you pay for, but I know that Chuck would love to have you try them and use them (I hope this is still true...Chuck, if you are reading this, will you let me know if this is NOT true??)

   

  • GPR Workbench: this is the 2004 version of his software that includes foreground removal and frequency filtering, which is quite nice.  click here for the zip file
  • GP Workbench: the 2006 version of the above that added hyperbola fitting for velocity analysis, but for some strange reason not foreground removal. click here for the zip file

   

• many of you have been using GPR_Viewer, written by Jeff Lucius.  It has changed my life in GPR processing, and I hope it changes your life too.  But there have been a few snags in getting it loaded on some Windows systems.  We have had trouble with IBM and Sony computers, for reasons that are not clear.  Here are some instructions on how to get that program loaded on your machine, if you have troubles.  These problems are related to finding Java on your computer.  Mike Stone, who took my GPR class in 2007 sent me this note on the problem:
   

  I spent some time with our local "all things Java guy" who took less than 60 seconds to get GPR Viewer working on my IBM.  See attached file with the DOS command (also below).  I think those machines want the whole file name.  Hope it works on your end for your IBM students.

   
   C:\gpr_viewer>java –mx512m –classpath %CLASSPATH%;.\ gov.usgs.GprViewr.GprViewr

Here is his slide on the instructions.  What he means is that you just get into the GPR_Viewer directory on your computer and find the file called file that you click on to get it to run in Windows.  That is usually g.bat or g512.bat.  In DOS you just type this: Edit g512.bat (enter).  Then type all that stuff that is on the image below.  Then save that file and replace the old g512.bat just where it was.  At that point when you click on g512.bat it will run Java, load the program ant it will be ready to go in Windows.  All this is really just telling these computers where to find Java and how to get it to run GPR_Viewer.  For those of you that don't know how to get into DOS (those of you that are 35 years old or younger!),  to to Start, Run and type: cmd

I can't give you all lessons on how to run DOS..sorry....but if you don't know how, you might get a 23 minute lesson from one of us old folks, and you will be cruising.

Note:  I have recently had some people start to use all this in Vista, and I have had no problems with it.  One trick, however in Vista, is to get GPR Viewer to run, click on the g.bat to launch the program.  For some reason it will not run when you click g256.bat or the others that are like that.  I have no idea why, and have not spent the time to figure it out.  

• The last of the programs that we all use is Mike Powers' program, also run in DOS that is great for doing velocity analysis using hyperbola fitting.  The program can be loaded by click below.  You must get into DOS first (Start-Run-type in cmd).  Then you put the program called fieldvew.exe (linked to below) in the folder where your GPR files are (or put the files in the folder where fieldvew.exe is) and type this:

fieldvew file2.dzt (enter)   or whatever the file number is that you want to process.

here is Mike's program, called fieldvew.exe

there are sometimes a few tricks for getting it to fit on your computer screen, if you have a really small laptop.  If you just type this: fieldvew.exe it will tell you about screen resolutions and how to modify what you type above to get it to fit on your screen.

My student Sabrina typed these instructions for how to get around in Fieldvew:

• First find the files to be viewed and copy them into same folder with Fieldvew
• Open DOS = Start - Run - cmd
• At dos prompt type: cd.. until get back to just “C:/” or wherever you have the program and your files to test.
• Fieldvew filename.dzt – enter
• Runs the file
• 1^st tell where ground surface: click on "0" (that is a zero).  move top bar to the first reflection on the trace on the right to the ground surface reflection (the first deflection) -  enter
• put in artificial tick marks along top of file if you didn't put in manual marks (on GSSI format lines with a survey wheel, the one meter marks can be seen as little white clicks at the top of the profiles)
• to put marks there line up with them and press “a” for each one near the hyperbola you want to test
• now correct the distance by pressing “l”
• remove background noise by typing “b”
• type the "v" key
• Use up and down arrows to fit the hyperbola
• change the numbers at the bottom that are highlighted in red using the up and down keys.  These are target size (who knows?....usually just a guess...I use 20 cm or so) and mark spacing (usually one meter)
• Once this is done you have:
• Cursor depth
• Time
• R = D/T
• Divide cursor depth (meters) by time (ns) then move decimal to right 2 points to have #cm/ns
• Relative Dialectic Permeability
• At bottom left
• Chart translates to distance
• Good idea to compare the two to make sure that have correct velocity