The Global Mapper SDK® provides a Windows DLL which allows much of the functionality of Global Mapper to be accessed from third-party applications. The SDK includes both native 32-bit and 64-bit DLLs, so you can target any Windows system. The Global Mapper SDK is a standard Windows DLL and can be used with many programming languages on a Windows platform, including Visual C++, Visual Basic, and Visual C#. It also comes with a helpful managed CLR wrapper component that makes developing managed code a snap. The SDK has the capability of leveraging multiple cores to increase processing speeds and utilize the full power of a 64-bit system.

With the Global Mapper SDK, load any number of layers from almost all of the formats supported by Global Mapper. This includes nearly all imagery, elevation, and vector data formats. The SDK can be used to load data from online WMS sources, including built-in access to NED, SRTM, and Landsat7 sources (among others). It can even load imagery that has not been geo-referenced by providing ground control points and projection. The DLL will perform the rectification and display the raster layer in the appropriate projection.

The Global Mapper SDK can be used to initiate a variety of spatial data analysis procedures:

• Determine the elevation at any location from loaded elevation layers
• Retrieve information about loaded layers, including projection/datum, bounding rectangle, description, ground control points, pixel size, etc.
• Generate contour lines from loaded elevation grid layers
• Calculate cut-and-fill volumes along a given line or within an area
• Re-project loaded data to a user-specified projection/datum
• Auto-clip the collar from USGS DRGs
• Re-project coordinates from one projection/datum to another projection/datum
• Modify the drawing style and font of all loaded vector data, including your own custom vector layers
• Perform a position-based search of loaded vector data (similar to the Feature Info tool in Global Mapper)
• Calculate the volume between 2 terrains as well as find ridge lines on loaded terrain data
• Many powerful features for working in 3D
• Enhanced LiDAR analysis and editing functionality
• Pan sharpen imagery using higher-resolution panchromatic (grayscale) imagery

As well as providing access to spatial data files, the Global Mapper SDK offers the option to read and write data to a spatial database. Import and export data from:

• Esri ArcSDE (requires Esri license on a machine and 32-bit only)
• Esri File Geodatabase (includes raster and grid and all versions of file geodatabases, reading raster data requires Esri license on a machine and 32-bit only)
• Esri Personal Geodatabase (reading raster data requires Esri license on a machine and 32-bit only)
• MS SQL Server
• MySQL Spatial
• Oracle Spatial
• PostGIS/PostgreSQL
• SpatiaLite/SQLite

The Global Mapper SDK provides the ability to display the Global Mapper 3D view with loaded terrain and 3D vector features along with any other data draped on top of the terrain surface. It can also retrieve the elevation at any location from loaded elevation layers and it can even perform viewshed analysis using loaded elevation grid layers as well as vector data (areas, lines, and points) with elevation values associated with them. Recent versions have added many significant updates for working with 3d data:

• Support for several 3D formats
• Support for setting up and recording HD 3D fly-through videos
• Support for a Skybox in 3D, rendering a sky simulation
• Support for tracking GPS in 3D
• Support for 3D textures and meshes into GMP files
• Pivot Axis, a 3D navigational aid
• Support for using 3D point styles to render graphically pleasing objects like trees in 3D

The enhanced LiDAR analysis and editing functionality available in the Global Mapper SDK provides developers with the option to add powerful tools including the ability to automatically classify buildings, trees, and power lines as well as the following:

• Automatic classification of ground, building, vegetation and power lines from unclassified LiDAR point clouds
• Feature extraction to render buildings, trees and power lines
• Gridding of point cloud data and support for min/max/average gridding
• Support for gridding LiDAR intensity or height above ground values rather than elevation
• Filter LiDAR points by class, elevation, color, scan-angle, and source-ID when exporting, gridding, and selecting from point clouds
• Accurately transform coordinates in a LiDAR point cloud performing functions such as shift, rotate, and scale
• Automatic classification of high and low noise points
• Calculation of basic rooftop statistics from point clouds

Version 18.1 of the SDK introduces a new managed component for .NET users. This wrapper adds utilities for commonly used classes and simplifies the memory management details when using the Global Mapper SDK with Microsoft’s .NET Framework.

Global Mapper supports the loading of raster and gridded elevation data through user-supplied import plugins. These plugins are Windows DLLs. See the download link below for more details.

Once loaded, these imported layers can be used just like any other natively supported layer. This allows advanced users to provide support for their own custom/proprietary formats without needing to provide format information to Global Mapper or wait for us to be able to implement the format.

Download Raster Import Plugin API

Global Mapper supports exporting any loaded data to raster and gridded elevation data formats through user-supplied export plugins. These plugins are Windows DLLs. See the download link below for more details.

This functionality allows advanced users to provide support for exporting data to their own custom/proprietary formats without needing to provide format information to Global Mapper or wait for us to be able to implement the format.

Download Raster Export Plugin API

Global Mapper supports allowing external applications to control the view window bounds displayed, display point symbols and text at user-specified locations on the main map display, and add a new point, line and area features to the active Global Mapper workspace. This is accomplished through the use of WM_COPYDATA messages to pass data between Global Mapper and the external application.

The structure definitions, as well as sample C++ code for controlling Global Mapper, are provided in the download below.

Download External Control API