Export GeoTIFF for GIS

Use this when

You want to load a side-scan mosaic into QGIS, ArcGIS, GDAL, Hydromagic, ReefMaster, or any other tool that reads georeferenced images.

Before you start

• A mosaic must already be generated. The Export button is greyed out until generation completes.
• The exported file is an uncompressed 8-bit grayscale TIFF referenced to WGS84 (EPSG:4326). Most GIS tools open it directly without any conversion step.

Export the GeoTIFF

1. Open the recording in HumVision and go to the Mosaic view.
2. Generate the mosaic if you have not already done so.
3. Click Export.
4. Select GeoTIFF (GIS) from the menu.
5. Choose a save location in the file dialog. The filename defaults to the recording name with a .tif extension.
6. Click Save. A confirmation toast appears when the file is written.

What you should see

The .tif file is saved to your chosen location. Load it into your GIS tool and the image appears at the correct geographic position. The file includes coordinate reference system metadata (WGS84), pixel scale, and a tiepoint anchoring the top-left pixel to the northwest corner of the survey area.

The image description tag inside the file records the recording name, bounding coordinates, resolution in metres per pixel, and grid dimensions.

The contrast stretch applied to the export matches the in-app preview so the visual appearance is consistent. If you want raw intensity values without any stretch, use GDAL or your GIS tool to remap the band after import.

If it does not work

• Export button is greyed out — the mosaic has not been generated yet. Click Generate Mosaic first and wait for it to complete.
• GIS tool cannot read the file — confirm the tool supports uncompressed TIFF with WGS84 geographic coordinates. QGIS and ArcGIS both support this format without any plugins.
• Image loads but is positioned in the ocean or at 0,0 — the recording's GPS data was invalid. Check the GPS track in the Map view before generating.
• Image looks very dark — the raw sonar intensity is low. Increase brightness in the Mosaic view and export again, or apply a stretch inside your GIS tool.