Sonarwiz Getting Started

Welcome to the SonarWiz Getting Started page. This is a resource for users who are renting SonarWiz or evaluating it for the first time. View or download the Quick Start Guides, watch 8 brief videos, and scroll down to learn more.

Step 1: Download & Install

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.  (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.  Adjust 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: Colors, 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: Picking Contacts

Now that your project is created, data imported, bottom tracked & colors adjusted... identify targets/contacts on seafloor. Measure shadow, height, distance, adjust gains. View metadata, generate Contact Reports in PDF etc in Contact Manager (2 min 47 sec)

Step 7: Export Products

SonarWiz has a wide variety of export types & formats. Mosaic exports to geo image, select file type & image resolution. Large projects can be divided into "tiles." Save interactive mosaic as HTML page or Google Earth KML, add to web or email.  (2 min 38 sec)

Step 8: How to Get Help

Search the User Guide in PDF or HTML from the SonarWiz Help tab or from our website under the Support menu.  Watch How To videos in the Resources page of the main site. Visit Support - Help Desk to open a ticket. (3 min 7 sec)