Blue Marble Geographics is a developer and provider of

geographic information system A geographic information system (GIS) consists of integrated computer hardware and Geographic information system software, software that store, manage, Spatial analysis, analyze, edit, output, and Cartographic design, visualize Geographic data ...

software Software consists of computer programs that instruct the Execution (computing), execution of a computer. Software also includes design documents and specifications. The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital comput ...

products focused on data translation. They provide software products and services for working with GIS data in different formats. Blue Marble Geographics is a member of the

Open Geospatial Consortium The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is an international voluntary consensus standards organization that develops and maintains international standards for geospatial content and location-based services, sensor web, Internet of Things, Geographi ...

Products

Geographic Calculator

Blue Marble Geographics' first software product, Geographic Calculator, was developed in 1992 and released in 1993. The Geographic Calculator is a

coordinate In geometry, a coordinate system is a system that uses one or more numbers, or coordinates, to uniquely determine and standardize the position of the points or other geometric elements on a manifold such as Euclidean space. The coordinates are ...

conversion Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''The Convert'', a 2023 film produced by Jump Film & Television and Brouhaha Entertainment * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * ...

library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

with a

database In computing, a database is an organized collection of data or a type of data store based on the use of a database management system (DBMS), the software that interacts with end users, applications, and the database itself to capture and a ...

of coordinate mathematical objects, including

projection Projection or projections may refer to: Physics * Projection (physics), the action/process of light, heat, or sound reflecting from a surface to another in a different direction * The display of images by a projector Optics, graphics, and carto ...

s, coordinate systems, datums, ellipsoids, as well as linear and angular units. The tool is primarily used to translate map coordinates from one system to another. In 2004, the underlying GeoCalc library was rewritten, and in 2007, a new version was released as the Blue Marble Desktop. 2013 saw a rebranding of the Blue Marble Desktop back to Geographic Calculator. Blue Marble Geographics incorporated all of the functionality of the Blue Marble Desktop, including the Geographic Transformer, Translator, and Spatial Connect products, into the new Geographic Calculator. This introduced an easier-to-follow annual naming convention with one or two service pack updates between releases.

Global Mapper

Global Mapper Global Mapper is a geographic information system (GIS) software package currently developed by Blue Marble Geographics that runs on Microsoft Windows. The GIS software competes with ESRI, GeoMedia, Manifold System, and MapInfo GIS products. Globa ...

is a geographic information system software package currently developed by Blue Marble Geographics that runs on Microsoft Windows. Global Mapper handles both vector, raster, and elevation data, and provides viewing, conversion, and other general GIS features. In 1995, the

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an government agency, agency of the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geograp ...

was in need of a Windows viewer for their data products, so they developed the dlgv32 application for viewing their DLG (

Digital Line Graph A Digital Line Graph (DLG) is a cartographic map feature represented in digital vector form that is distributed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). DLGs are collected from USGS maps and are distributed in large, intermediate and small scale wi ...

) vector data products. Between 1995 and 1998, the dlgv32 application was expanded to include support for viewing other

data products, including DRG (topographic maps) and DEM (

digital elevation model A digital elevation model (DEM) or digital surface model (DSM) is a 3D computer graphics representation of elevation data to represent terrain or overlaying objects, commonly of a planet, Natural satellite, moon, or asteroid. A "global DEM" refer ...

), and

SDTS Spatial Data Transfer Standard, or SDTS, is a standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventi ...

-DLG and

-DEM data products. The development process is described in detail in the

paper titled 'A Programming Exercise'. In 1998, the

released the source code for dlgv32 v3.7 to the public domain. In 2001, the source code for dlgv32 was further developed by a private individual into the commercial product dlgv32 Pro v4.0 and offered for sale via the internet. Later that same year, the product was renamed to Global Mapper and became a commercial product of the company Global Mapper Software LLC. The

was distributing a version of the software under the name dlgv32 Pro (Global Mapper). Blue Marble Geographics acquired Global Mapper, LLC at the end of 2011. Mike Childs, the original developer of Global Mapper, continues to work for Blue Marble as a lead developer. In 2013, Blue Marble released a major version update to Global Mapper that also introduced the new Global Mapper LiDAR Module. The Global Mapper LiDAR Module offers optional enhancements to the base Global Mapper application and provides numerous advanced

LiDAR Lidar (, also LIDAR, an acronym of "light detection and ranging" or "laser imaging, detection, and ranging") is a method for determining ranging, ranges by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected li ...

processing tools (e.g., automatic

point cloud A point cloud is a discrete set of data Point (geometry), points in space. The points may represent a 3D shape or object. Each point Position (geometry), position has its set of Cartesian coordinates (X, Y, Z). Points may contain data other than ...

classification, automatic extraction of buildings, trees, and powerlines, cross-sectional viewing and point editing, custom digitizing or extraction of 3D line and area features, etc.).

Company history

Blue Marble Geographics was established in 1993 and was originally located in

Gardiner, Maine Gardiner is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,961 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Popular with tourists, Gardiner is noted for its culture and old architecture. Gardiner is a nationally accredit ...

. The company founder, Jeffrey Bennett Cole, retired in 2003, and Patrick Cunningham took over as President, adding employees and re-focusing the product offering over the next few years. In 2008, they received the Governor’s Award for technology company of the year at the TechMaine technology awards showcase. Blue Marble is one of a handful of geospatial or GIS software companies to come out of Maine in the nineties. The company's founder studied at the

University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine, United States. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universitie ...

and, like other well-known GIS companies from the state, its roots are tied to the surveying and forestry programs of the University of Maine. After years of growing, the company has moved its home office to

Hallowell, Maine Hallowell ( ) is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,570 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Popular with tourists, Hallowell is noted for its culture and old architecture. Hallowell is included in th ...

References

External links