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NV5 Geospatial Blog

Each month, NV5 Geospatial posts new blog content across a variety of categories. Browse our latest posts below to learn about important geospatial information or use the search bar to find a specific topic or author. Stay informed of the latest blog posts, events, and technologies by joining our email list!



Deploy, Share, Repeat: AI Meets the Analytics Repository

Deploy, Share, Repeat: AI Meets the Analytics Repository

10/13/2025

The upcoming release of ENVI® Deep Learning 4.0 makes it easier than ever to import, deploy, and share AI models, including industry-standard ONNX models, using the integrated Analytics Repository. Whether you're building deep learning models in PyTorch, TensorFlow, or using ENVI’s native model creation tools, ENVI... Read More >

Blazing a trail: SaraniaSat-led Team Shapes the Future of Space-Based Analytics

Blazing a trail: SaraniaSat-led Team Shapes the Future of Space-Based Analytics

10/13/2025

On July 24, 2025, a unique international partnership of SaraniaSat, NV5 Geospatial Software, BruhnBruhn Innovation (BBI), Netnod, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) achieved something unprecedented: a true demonstration of cloud-native computing onboard the International Space Station (ISS) (Fig. 1). Figure 1. Hewlett... Read More >

NV5 at ESA’s Living Planet Symposium 2025

NV5 at ESA’s Living Planet Symposium 2025

9/16/2025

We recently presented three cutting-edge research posters at the ESA Living Planet Symposium 2025 in Vienna, showcasing how NV5 technology and the ENVI® Ecosystem support innovation across ocean monitoring, mineral exploration, and disaster management. Explore each topic below and access the full posters to learn... Read More >

Monitor, Measure & Mitigate: Integrated Solutions for Geohazard Risk

Monitor, Measure & Mitigate: Integrated Solutions for Geohazard Risk

9/8/2025

Geohazards such as slope instability, erosion, settlement, or seepage pose ongoing risks to critical infrastructure. Roads, railways, pipelines, and utility corridors are especially vulnerable to these natural and human-influenced processes, which can evolve silently until sudden failure occurs. Traditional ground surveys provide only periodic... Read More >

Geo Sessions 2025: Geospatial Vision Beyond the Map

Geo Sessions 2025: Geospatial Vision Beyond the Map

8/5/2025

Lidar, SAR, and Spectral: Geospatial Innovation on the Horizon Last year, Geo Sessions brought together over 5,300 registrants from 159 countries, with attendees representing education, government agencies, consulting, and top geospatial companies like Esri, NOAA, Airbus, Planet, and USGS. At this year's Geo Sessions, NV5 is... Read More >

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2.7

Upsampling images with Lanczos kernel

Anonym
Resampling images is a very common operation in IDL, and it can happen both implicitly as well explicitly. Implicit resampling happens with IDLgrImage rendering. When the destination rendering area contains fewer pixels than the original image, then downsampling occurs. When the destination area is larger than the original image, then upsampling occurs. There are many options for upsampling algorithms. The simplest is a pure pixel replication to fill in the gaps. This is useful when there is a need to look closely at the original data. However, if the goal is to look for details in the scene that may be approaching the limits of the image resolution, then a more sophisticated resampling algorithm should be chosen instead. There are a few options that are commonly used. Bilinear interpolation and cubic spline interpolation are both options that are available with the CONGRID function in IDL. Lanczos and Lagrange resampling are two other options that are more computationally intensive. In the code below, I am showing an example comparing the Lanczos resampling kernel with bilinear and pixel replication. Lanczos resampling is often preferred because of its ability to preserve and even enhance local contrast, whereas bilinear tends have a blurring effect.
function lanczos, data
 
  xval = [-3:3:.25]
  lanc3 = 3*sin(!pi*xval)*(sin(!pi*xval/3d)/!pi/!pi/xval/xval)
  lanc3[where(xval eq 0)] = 1
  l2d = lanc3 # lanc3
  ; high resolution version
  msk = fltarr(data.dim*4)
  msk[0:*:4,0:*:4] = data
  hi = convol(msk, l2d, /edge_trunc)
  hi = byte(round(hi>0<255))
  return, hi
end
 
pro upsample_example
  compile_opt idl2,logical_predicate
 
  ; Read the original image data
  f = filepath('moon_landing.png', subdir=['examples','data'])
  data = read_png(f)
  dim = data.dim
 
  window, xsize=dim[0], ysize=dim[1], 0, title='Original full size'
  tv, data
 
  ; Define a zoomed in are on the flag.
  xs = 200
  ys = 165
  dx = 40
  dy = 40
 
  ; display upsampled 4x with pixel replication
  window, xsize=160, ysize=160, 1, title='CONGRID pixel-replication'
  tv, congrid(data[xs:xs+dx-1,ys:ys+dy-1],160,160)
 
  ; display upsampled 4x with bilinear interpretation
  window, xsize=160, ysize=160, 2, title='CONGRID linear'
  tv, congrid(data[xs:xs+dx-1,ys:ys+dy-1],160,160,/interp)
 
  ; display upsampled 4x with Lanczos convolution
  window, xsize=160, ysize=160, 3, title='Lanczos'
  tv, (lanczos(data))[xs*4:xs*4+dx*4-1,ys*4:ys*4+dy*4-1]
end

 

The results are shown here, starting with the original image, then the 4x zoomed area with pixel replication, then the 4x zoomed with bilinear interpolation, and finally the 4x zoomed with Lanczos convolution. The Lanczos convolution has the advantage of retaining good contrast while avoiding looking too pixelated.

   

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