042] How to Customize Elevation Colors and Terrain Shaders in Global Mapper

Master terrain visualization by importing and creating professional color scales.

This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide on how to modify the default Atlas Shader in Global Mapper. You will learn how to manually register elevation-specific colors and how to efficiently import industry-standard Surfer (.clr) color scale files to achieve professional-grade terrain mapping results.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to customize terrain shader colors using elevation data in Global Mapper.

Loading DEM Data and Understanding the Atlas Shader

I am providing a suitable elevation dataset for this tutorial, so it is recommended to use the attached file.

Attachment: 042-Custom Shader.zip (Verified and safe file for Global Mapper.)

The compressed file contains DEM data and a .prj file. Open the DEM data in Global Mapper.

Global Mapper DEM data loaded with Atlas Shader
img 1 : Global Mapper DEM data loaded with Atlas Shader

It should be loaded as shown above. The currently applied shader is the Atlas Shader.

How to Create a Custom Shader in Global Mapper

Now, let’s create a custom shader with your preferred color scheme.

Selecting Add Custom Shader from the Shader list box
img 2 : Selecting Add Custom Shader from the Shader list box

Click on the Shader list box and select "Add Custom Shader...". The Custom Shader window will appear.

Custom Shader dialog and color selection interface
img 3 : Custom Shader dialog and color selection interface

Name: Enter a name for the shader you want to register.

Manually Adding Elevation Colors

By entering the altitude in the Height/Slope field under New Height/Slope Entry and clicking Add, you can specify a color for that specific elevation. By repeatedly specifying desired elevations and colors and clicking OK, a new shader will be registered.

Blend Colors Between Elevation/Slope Values: This option allows you to choose whether to apply a gradient transition between each color.

Manually entering every elevation and color value can be quite tedious. Therefore, it is much more convenient to use a pre-saved color scale file.

How to Import Surfer CLR Files into Global Mapper

Attachment: ColorScales.zip
(This is a safe proprietary data file for Global Mapper.)

A .clr file is a commonly used color scale format supported by Surfer and various GIS applications.

Importing a Surfer CLR file into Global Mapper
img 4 : Importing a Surfer CLR file into Global Mapper

When you extract the attached files, you will find various types of .clr files. Click on "Initialize From Surfer CLR File...", navigate to the extracted folder, and open the BATHYMETRY_WARM.clr file.

The color scale has now been loaded into the Custom Shader window.

Scaling the shader to current elevation values
img 5 : Scaling the shader to current elevation values

If you look closely, the current terrain has an elevation range of approximately 158m to 600m, but the loaded .clr color values are only applied from 0m to 100m.

Scaling Shader Colors to Terrain Elevation

In this case, check the "Scale Shader to Loaded Elevation Values" option. If the elevation range of the specified shader differs from the actual terrain, this will match the first and last colors of the .clr file to the minimum and maximum elevations of your current data. Let's click OK.

Terrain map with the new BATHYMETRY_WARM shader applied
img 6 : Terrain map with the new BATHYMETRY_WARM shader applied

As you can see, the newly imported .clr file has been successfully applied.

How to Edit Existing Shader Settings

If you wish to modify the .clr file settings:

Navigating to Shader Options
img 7 : Navigating to Shader Options

Select "Shader Options..." from the list.

Configuration Shader Options window
img 8 : Configuration Shader Options window

The Configuration - Shader Options window will appear. Verify that BATHYMETRY_WARM is selected and click the Edit button.

Editing color and elevation values in the Custom Shader window
img 9 : Editing color and elevation values in the Custom Shader window

This will bring up the Custom Shader window we saw earlier. To change elevation or color values, select the desired item from the list, click Change Color... or Change Value..., modify the data, and click OK.

Although the setup process is somewhat detailed, it provides precise control over terrain color visualization in Global Mapper.

That's all for today!

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