Users’ Manual

The Global Mapper Users’ Manual is available here.

YouTube Channel

Global Mapper has an extensive YouTube channel featuring many useful webinars and how-to’s. You may find it useful to start with the following webinars:

• Getting Started With Global Mapper   - describes basic functions such a data importation, tools
• LiDAR Processing in Global Mapper - includes reclassification tools, extracting vector features, creating terrain models.
• Working With Terrains in Global Mapper - includes instructions on how to generate contours, perform volumetric calculations, slope analysis, etc.

 

User Forum

A user forum exists with a catalog of over 8,000 entries.

 

Tutorial

The Global Mapper website provides a tutorial for beginners. Registration and access to a license are required, but the tutorial is free otherwise.

The contents of the tutorial are listed below:

• Section 1 - Introduction to the principles of GIS
  • Importing/accessing data
  • Creating and editing vector features
  • Adjusting the appearance of vector features
  • Working with raster layers
  • Querying and filtering data
  • The basics of spatial analysis
  • Methods for sharing data
• Section 2 - Generating a terrain surface and creating contours using LiDAR data
  • LiDAR importing
  • LiDAR editing/processing
  • Data visualization
  • Creating a gridded surface model
  • 3D modeling
  • Shader options
  • Contour generation
• Section 3 - Creating a thematic map
  • Creating and managing attribute data
  • Joining attributes from an external file
  • Performing a calculation to create new attributes
  • Applying a shading pattern to reflect recurring text values
  • Applying a shading pattern to reflect numeric values
  • Designing page layout elements including a legend and map title.
  • Printing the map or exporting to a geospatial PDF
• Section 4 - Rectifying an image file
  • Importing a base map for rectification
  • Using field-collected ground control for rectification
  • Modifying the projection
  • Choosing a rectification method
  • Adjusting the properties of the rectified map
• Section 5 - Extracting vector features from a raster layer
  • Vectorizing a specific color from a topographic map
  • Vectorizing a range of colors to delineate features in from an aerial image
  • Delineating an elevation range from a digital elevation model
  • Outlining areas within a slope angle threshold
• Section 6 - Creating a watershed model
  • Creating a drainage network from a digital elevation model
  • Outlining the watershed boundaries for a defined area
  • Adjusting the watershed boundaries based on area and flow variable
  • Creating a water drop analysis model
  • Delineating the catchment area for a defined location