Sonarwiz Quick Start Guides

Welcome to the SonarWiz 7 Getting Started page. This is a resource for users who are renting SonarWiz or evaluating it for the first time. Download the Getting Started and Quick Start PDF Guides, watch the brief videos, and scroll down to learn more.

I. SonarWiz Fundamentals: Getting Started (42 pages)

II. Sidescan Quick Start Guide (18 pages)

III. Sub-bottom Quick Start Guide (30 pages)

IV. Bathymetry Quick Start

V.  Quick Start Videos

You can introduce yourself to SonarWiz 7 in about 30 minutes by following these brief videos. They cover how to:

1. Download and Install SonarWiz
2. Create a New Project
3. Import Data
4. Bottom Track

5. Apply Colors and Gain Filters
6. Pick Contacts and Make Reports
7. Export & Report in Many Formats
8. Where to Get Help

Step 1: Download and Install SonarWiz 7

Covers downloading and applying license files: online evaluations, time limited electronic licenses, hard dongles or perpetual electronic licenses aka DFL or dongle-free licenses. (2 min 48 sec)

Step 2: Create a New Project

Input project name and specify project folder location. Select location and determine coordinate system or accept automatic selection. Set fish position and leave time constant for course smoothing at default 300. See User Guide for more details. (1 min 48 sec)

Step 3: How to Import Data

This video covers importing Sidescan data in XTF and CSF formats.  Place source files on the local hard drive where possible. Make sure your coordinate system is right prior to import.  Adjusting the initial color palette and histogram values. (2 min 55 secs)

Step 4: Bottom Tracking

Use bottom track to determine towfish altitude above the seafloor. By bottom tracking a sidescan file, you tell SonarWiz how to bridge the nadir gap. This allows you to remove the water column from your data. (2 min 50 secs)

Step 5: How to Use Colors and Gain Filters

Use standard colors or create custom colors. Choose how to display overlap regions on mosaics. Correct backscatter using a wide range of algorithms such as Auto TVG. View image, check settings and apply filters across all files using Make Others Like This. (4 min 3 secs)

Step 6: How to Pick Contacts

Now that your project is created, data imported and bottom tracked and color adjusted. Learn to identify targets or contacts on the seafloor. Measure shadow, height, distance, adjust gains. View all metadata and generate Contact Reports in PDF and other formats using Contact Manager (2 min 47 sec)

Step 7: How to Export Products

SonarWiz has a wide variety of export types and formats. Mosaic exports to geo image where you select file type and image resolution etc. Large projects can be automatically divided into squares saved as "tiles." Save interactive mosaic as HTML page, zoom in and see contact details, add to web page or email attachment. Save as Google Earth KML image. (2 min 38 sec)

Step 8: How to Get Help

Search the User Guide in PDF or HTML version from the SonarWiz Help tab or from the main website under Support - Downloads - Software & User Guide. See Docs folder to find and read Reference Guides and How Tos for specific topics and sonars. Watch How To videos in the Resources page of the main site. Visit Support - Submit a Request to start a Service Desk ticket. (3 min 7 sec)