JMARS Release 5.6.5: Advanced Geometry Tools, Expanded Coordinate & Measurement Controls, and Critical Data Integrity Fixes

Based on recent user requests and feedback, this release introduces three new geometry functions for the Shape Layer, along with expanded calculated field options, improved coordinate formatting controls, enhanced data export behavior, and important data integrity fixes.

New Features and Enhancements

1. Shape Layer: Join Lines

Users can now join multiple selected lines into a single continuous line.

Two join modes are available:

• Join and Keep Originals
  Creates a new continuous line while keeping the original source lines unchanged.

• Join and Remove Originals
  Creates a new continuous line and removes the original source lines.

These new geometry tools can be accessed from the Shape Layer context menu under "Polyline Functions".

2. Shape Layer: Duplication

Users can now duplicate existing shapes (geometry and attributes) directly within the Shape Layer.

This new geometry function, "Duplicate Selected Features", can be accessed from the Shape Layer context menu.

3. Shape Layer: Find Overlapping Shapes

Users can now identify shapes that overlap with a user-defined search region.

• Users can draw any bounding geometry available in the Shape Layer.
• All overalpping shapes within search region are detected, excluding duplicates, for easier spatial analysis.

This new geometry tool can be accessed from the Shape Layer context menu under “Polygon Functions -> Select overlapping features”.

4. Shape Layer: Enhanced Calculated Field Options

The following calculated fields under Feature -> Edit Columns... menu now support user-selectable formatting and units,  allowing values to align more precisely with user preferences, analysis standards, and export requirements.

• Enclosed Area & Perimeter
  • Units: meters (m) or kilometers (km)
• Center Latitude
  • Ocentric or Ographic
• Center Longitude
  • -180° to 180°
  • 0° to 360°

5. Ellipse Export Improvements

Ellipse exports now respect selected coordinate system and longitude format options.

Bug Fixes

• Autosave Improvements
  Autosave now correctly preserves Overlays layer state.
• Polyline Orientation Fix
  Fixed flipped orientation when exporting to Profile Layer.
• Mars Dune Database Update
  Dataset aligned to remove unintended ographic shift.
• Feature Table Context Menu Fix
  Fixed "Save Selected Features".
• Hosted Shape Layer Lon/Lat Fix
  Fixed unintended ographic shift introduced in version 5.6.3. See Bug Notice for details.