TralaineDLL
Technical Specifications Download Full Working Demo
Your own in house applications can now sport the same geographic coordinate
conversion capability that, previously, only the biggies could offer. Mentor Software, the
developer of the coordinate conversion software used by several of these biggies, has now
put this capability into an easy to use, affordable package called TralaineDLL.
TralaineDLL is versatile, accurate, extremely fast, easy to implement, and affordable.
Versatile
TralaineDLL will work in just about any 32 bit Windows programming environment. It has
been tested, and sample applications are provided for, the MFC, Visual Basic, Delphi 2,
and Optima++ environments. TralaineDLL eschews the fancy OOP/OLE stuff for a simple,
efficient, easy to use application programmer interface that is described in three pages
of our manual. An Application Programmer Interface that programmers at any level of
experience can use, in just about any environment. Any environment that can access a 32
bit DLL can use TralaineDLL.
Accurate
Notwithstanding its incredible performance, TralaineDLL is based completely on full
double precision floating point mathematics. Results match all of the available test
sources within the precision of the test source. Datum shift algorithms (i.e. NADCON,
HPGN, Canadian National Transformation) use the same data and algorithms as the
governmental agency producing the data. Numerical results are identical.
Extremely Fast
TralaineDLL is capable of more than 35,000 non-trivial conversions per second on a 120Mhz
Pentium running NT. (Our standard bench mark converts from NAD27 based UTM coordinates to
NAD83 based Lambert State Planes.) It is this same technology that has made re-project on
the fly possible in many of the newer GIS products becoming available today. Without the
aid of a stop watch, users can’t tell if the image being displayed is being
reprojected or not. This performance is no accident. It was designed in from the beginning
when Tralaine was originally designed in 1987. If performance is important to you,
TralaineDLL is your solution.
Easy to Implement
TralaineDLL is a straight and simple DLL. To convert coordinates from any coordinate
defined coordinate system to any other, including full datum shift, you call a single
function which takes three arguments. That’s it. No OOP, no property pages, no
registrations, no interfaces. In fact, the Quick Start section of our manual is only three
pages long. The functions are the same in all environments, so you know that there are no
pointers, complex structures, or involved user interactions. In the same simple manner,
the grid scale factor or convergence angle is another simple function call with two
arguments. You’ll have fully capable geographic coordinate conversion incorporated
into your application in an hour or two.
Robust
The code behind TralaineDLL has been in use for ten years, by thousands of users, and in
many varied environments. Our rigorous testing subjects every release of TralaineDLL to
hours of testing designed specifically test the robustness of the code.
Try it out Today
Call 1-303-278-3534 X100 now for a free copy of our demonstration
version of TralaineDLL. It includes sample applications for your evaluation in any of the
supported environments.
What Is It?
TralaineDLL consists of a 32bit DLL and a Windows NT/95 executable. Use the DLL to add
geographic coordinate conversion to your C, C++, MFC, Visual Basic, Dephi 2, or Optima++
applications. TralaineDLL can be used in any environment which can access a 32 bit Windows
DLL. Use the executable module to examine and/or modify any of the 1000+ coordinate system
definitions provided with TralaineDLL. Of course, the executable enables you to define new
coordinate systems; and examine, modify, and/or create datum and ellipsoid definitions.
How does it Work?
Coordinate system definitions are given simple, easy to remember names and are maintained
in simple file we call a Coordinate System Dictionary. (It’s a simple file, you
don’t need to have any other software package to access it.) To convert a coordinate,
you simply provide TralaineDLL with the coordinate, the name of the coordinate system upon
which it is based, and the name of the coordinate system you wish it to be converted to.
The application programmer need not know or care which of the 30 supported projections is
involved. Nor does the application programmer need to know or care if a datum shift is
needed. TralaineDLL figures this out automatically and performs all appropriate
calculations. Thus, you really can implement a TralaineDLL application in a couple of
hours.
Coordinate Systems
TralaineDLL’s Coordinate System Dictionary comes with more than 1000 definitions of
commonly used coordinate systems. This includes all UTM zones, all State Plane Zones,
several variations thereof, and many others. Most users never need to use the coordinate
system editing functions provided. When they do, they can define a new coordinate system
on any of the 30 supported projections.
Projections
TralaineDLL supports 30 projections. A partial list: Transverse Mercator (Gauss-Kruger),
Lambert Conformal Conic, Hotine Oblique Mercator, Albers Equal Area, American Polyconic,
Mercator, Lambert Tangential, Azimuthal Equal Area, Azimuthal Equidistant. Mentor Software
routinely adds new projections, call for the latest information. TralaineDLL also supports
a pseudo projection which we call the Unity Projection. This projection is really a null
projection and enables TralaineDLL to treat latitude and longitude coordinates in exactly
the same way it treats cartesian coordinates.
Since geographic coordinate systems (i.e. latitudes and longitudes) are stored
in the Coordinate System Dictionary just like any other, they can be defined with
different units (e.g. grads, radians, etc.), different origins (e.g. the Meridian of
Paris), and referenced to any defined datum (e.g. WGS84, NAD83, NAD27, WGS72, HPGN, etc.).
Again, the application programmer need not know, or care, if either the source or target
coordinate system is geographic or Cartesian, or what datums are referenced. TralaineDLL
handles it all automatically.
Datums
TralaineDLL supports eight different datum transformation techniques. The appropriate
technique is automatically selected by TralaineDLL by examining the referenced datum in
the source and target coordinate system definitions. The supported techniques are:
Molodensky, Bursa/Wolfe (a.k.a. Seven Parameter Transformation), DMA Multiple Regression
Formulas, WGS72 conversions, NGS NADCON algorithm and data files, NGS HPGN algorithm and
data files, and Canadian National Transformation, Versions 1 and 2. TralaineDLL will
automatically apply one or more of these techniques, as appropriate, to accomplish the
conversion required by the coordinate systems involved in the transformation. For example,
converting NAD27 UTM coordinates to HPGN based State Plane coordinates is still one
function call.
Datum definitions are stored in a simple file called the Datum Dictionary. Using
the Datum Editor portion of TralaineDLL’s executable module, you can add your own
definitions, or modify any of the 160 definitions provided in the TralaineDLL
distribution.
Ellipsoids
TralaineDLL’s ellipsoid dictionary includes the definition of more than 40
ellipsoids. If we don’t already have the one you need, you can define it using the
Ellipsoid Editor in the executable module.
Networking
Due to the simplicity of TralaineDLL’s design, it is fully networkable. Just
reference the DLL wherever it exists on the network.
License Fees Starting at $495
TralaineDLL licensing is controlled through a software protection scheme which is
virtually invisible to the end user. This protection enables us to license TralaineDLL at
very reasonable fees. Call 1-303-278-3534 X100 for information and a free demonstration.
Or Call 303-278-3534 X100
Have Technical Questions? Call 1-888-ASK-NORM or Email
to: norm@rockware.com
Mentor Software, Inc.
2221 East St. Suite 203
Golden, CO 80401
303-278-3534 X100
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