Updates to SonarWiz Magnetometer

Chesapeake Times, Vol 4 | January 2021

During the first quarter of this year we are rolling out several improvements to the SonarWiz Magnetometer module. Here, I would like to highlight some of the more interesting changes.

The first group of changes are in the Project Explorer and the Properties Window. We have shortened the display name of the magnetometer CMF lines to just the filename and removed the full path display. Selecting a CMF file populates the Properties window where you can review and modify all relevant settings for the selected file. We have also fleshed out the CMF and anomaly context menus so that it is easier to find all of the relevant commands that can apply to the selected object. These changes are designed to standardize the user interface of magnetometer files to be more like working with sidescan or sub-bottom files.
Figure 1: Updated Project Explorer and Properties windowshown with the new Magnetometer context menu open
The next area we have improved is the Magnetometer File Editor. In this window, we have added the ability to display the residual trace after the ambient background has been removed. This will make it easier to identify magnetic anomalies. We have moved the Ambient Smoothing Constant and the Observed Smoothing Constant into this window where these filters can be manipulated on the fly. Also, these filter settings are now properties of the selected line and no longer global settings for the whole project.
Figure 2 New Magnetometer File Editor with new draw residual trace option and controls for manipulating the Ambient Smoothing Constant and Observed Smoothing Constant filters
Finally, we have changed how magnetic anomalies are named. In current versions of SonarWiz, anomalies are named with a sequential number only and the user has no control. We have changed this behavior to be more consistent with Sonar Contact naming. In the SonarWiz Preferences and Settings menu, you will now have the same options for naming magnetic anomalies as sonar contacts.
Figure 3 New Magnetometer anomaly naming options in Preferences and Settings
These automatic naming rules can be overridden manually by the user to whatever name they want to use. These anomaly names are used in the Project Explorer, the main display window and all anomaly reports.
Figure 4 SonarWiz using new Anomaly names in place of sequential numbers
Many of these changes were requested by users. As we consider what additional changes should be made to Magnetometer, we’d love to hear from you about how you use the tool and what would make your work easier with SonarWiz. 

-David Finlayson, Chief Scientist