MountainsMap

{{Infobox software

| name = MountainsMap

| logo = Mountains (software) logo.jpg

| logo size = 220px

| screenshot = MountainsMap 7 gui.jpg

| caption = MountainsMap 7.0 Graphical user interface (microtopography of an artificial leather texture from a car dashboard)

| author =

| developer = Digital Surf

| released = September 1996

| latest release version = 10.0 [https://www.digitalsurf.com/support/software-updates/ Software updates on the editor's Web site]

| latest release date = {{start date|2023|06|01}}

| latest preview version =

| latest preview date =

| operating system = Windows

| platform = PC

| language =

| genre = Scientific Software

| license = Proprietary

| website = {{URL|www.digitalsurf.com}}

}}

Mountains is an image analysis and surface metrology software platform published by the company Digital Surf. Its core is "micro-topography", the science of studying surface texture and form in 3D at the microscopic scale. The software is dedicated to profilometers, 3D light microscopes ("MountainsMap"), scanning electron microscopes ("MountainsSEM") and scanning probe microscopes ("MountainsSPIP").

Integration by instrument manufacturers

The main editor's distribution channel is OEM, through the integration of MountainsMap by most profiler and microscope manufacturers,{{Cite web |year=2009 |title=Digital Surf Mountains Technology |url=https://analyticalscience.wiley.com/content/news-do/digital-surf-mountains-technology |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Wiley Analytical Science |language=en |via=Analytical Science News}}[http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/diu/diu100.html Surface analysis data to be sold with instruments in Engineering talk] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726044125/http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/diu/diu100.html |date=2008-07-26 }} usually under their respective brands.

Compatibility

  • Mountains native file format is the SURF format (.SUR extension).
  • Mountains is compatible with most instruments of the market capable of supplying images or topography.[https://www.digitalsurf.com/file-fomat-compatibility/ List of file formats compatible with Mountains, on the editor's web site]
  • Mountains complies to the ISO 25178 standard on 3D surface texture evaluation and offers the profile and areal filters defined in ISO 16610.
  • The metrology reports are generated in proprietary format but can also be exported to PDF and RTF formats.
  • Mountains is available in English, Brazilian Portuguese, simplified Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian and Spanish.

Data types ("studiables") accepted

Vocabulary:

  • x,y,z refer to space coordinates, t to the time, and i to an intensity. A=f(B) means A is function of B, B referring usually to space coordinates and A to a scalar.
  • In Mountains's vocabulary, these data types are referred to as "studiables".

Most studiables have a dynamic (time-series) equivalent, e.g., the surface studiable z=f(x,y) used to study topography has an associate studiable Series of Surfaces z=f(x,y,t) used to study the evolution of topography (e.g., heat distortion of a surface).

Mountains analyses the following basic data types:[https://www.digitalsurf.com/data-i-can-analyze-with-mountains-software/ List of data types compatibles with Mountains on the editor's web site]

class="wikitable"
Data type

! Example Image

! Formula

! Application

! Has a time-dynamic equivalent ("series of ..." )

! Instrument

style="height:45px;" align=left| Profile

|

| align=center| z=f(x)

| align=center|

| align=center| Yes

| align=center| stylus 2D profilometer.

style="height:45px;" align=left| Parametric profile

|

| align=center| (x,z) = f(t)

| align=center| "Contour": Form analysis in 2D

| align=center| No

| align=center| Contour instruments

style="height:45px;" align=left| Surface

| File:Topographie Timbre-Poste.jpg

| align=center| z=f(x,y)

| align=center| Surface Topography

| align=center| Yes

| align=center| Optical or contact 3D profilometer

style="height:45px;" align=left| Shell

|

| align=center|

| align=center| Analysis of Free Form Surfaces

| align=center| No

| align=center| Multiple axis profilometers, tomographs

style="height:45px;" align=left| Point clouds

|

| align=center|

| align=center| Import of non-meshed shells and surfaces

| align=center| No

| align=center| Scanning devices

style="height:45px;" align=left| True color image

|

| align=center| (R,G,B) = f(x,y)

| align=center| True color or gray-level image

| align=center| Yes

| align=center| Scanning Electron Microscope, Light microscope, simple camera

style="height:45px;" align=left| Surface-image

|

| align=center| (Z,R,G,B) = f(x,y)

| align=center| Topography and true color image

| align=center| No

| align=center| optical profilometer providing the topography with the image

style="height:45px;" align=left| Multi-channel image

|

| align=center| (i1,i2,...,in) = f(x,y)

| align=center|

| align=center| No

| align=center| Atomic force microscope, spectrum analyzer, correlative imaging using heterogeneous sources

style="height:45px;" align=left| Multi-channel cube

|

| align=center| (i1,i2,...,in) = f(x,y,z)

| align=center|

| align=center| No

| align=center| FIB-SEM, Confocal-Raman tomography

style="height:45px;" align=left| Force curves

|

| align=center|

| align=center|

| align=center| Yes

| align=center| Atomic force microscopes

style="height:45px;" align=left| Spectrum

|

| align=center|

| align=center| (i) = f(lambda)

| align=center| Yes

| align=center| Spectrometer

style="height:45px;" align=left| Hyperspectral image

|

| align=center|

| align=center| i = f(x,y,lambda)

| align=center| No

| align=center| X-Y scanning spectrometer, hyperspectral camera, SEM/EDX, Raman, Cathodoluminescence...

History of versions

  • Digital Surf launched their first (2D) surface analysis software package in 1990 for MS-DOS ("DigiProfil 1.0"), then their first 3D surface analysis package in 1991 for Macintosh II ("DigiSurface 1.0").
  • Version 1.0 of MountainsMap was launched in September 1996, introducing a change in the name after a move of the editor to Windows from MsDos and Macintosh platforms.
  • Version 5.0 introduced the management of multi-layers images. It was a move to Confocal microscopy (analysis of topography+color as a single object as opposed to separate objects in former versions), and to SPM image analysis (analysis of topography+current, topography+phase, topography+force as a single image).{{Cite web |url=http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=12629.php |title=New Mountains 5.1 From Digital Surf Available For Free Upgrade on nanowerk.com |access-date=2013-10-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303184738/http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=12629.php |archive-date=2016-03-03 |url-status=dead }}

File:Mountains 6 logo.png

  • Version 6.0{{Cite web |url=http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=17501 |title=MountainsMap 6 Available in July 2010 from Digital Surf on Azonano.com |access-date=2013-10-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203202444/http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=17501 |archive-date=2014-02-03 |url-status=dead }} completed the specialization of the platform per instrument type.{{Cite web |url=http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=16260.php |title=MountainsMap 6 - Instrument-oriented Solutions for Surface Texture Analysis on nanowerk.com |access-date=2013-10-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221143554/http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=16260.php |archive-date=2014-02-21 |url-status=dead }} For Version 6.0 the company teamed with a group of alpinists to launch the new version at the summit of the Makalu mountain. A special logo was created for this marketing event. The expedition was successful and Alexia Zuberer, a French and Swiss mountaineer was then the first Swiss woman to reach the summit of the Makalu, Sandrine de Choudens, a French PhD in chemistry being the first French woman to succeed{{in lang|fr}}Makalu summit climbing history{{in lang|fr}}[http://www.altissima.org/succes-franco-suisse-au-makalu-1061.html a french and swiss success at the summit of the Makalu mountain][http://www.fifad.ch/portfolio/makalu-2010 Makalu2010 expedition film participates to the mountain film festival of Les Diablerets, Switzerland]
  • Version 7.0 was unveiled in September 2012 at the European Microscopy Congress in Manchester, UK. It expanded the list of instruments supported, in particular with new Scanning electron microscope 3D reconstruction software and hyperspectral data analysis (such as Raman and FT-IR hyperspectral cube analysis).{{Cite web |url=http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=25549 |title=Digital Surf Announce New Generation of Mountains 7 Software for Surface Metrology in Azonano.com |access-date=2013-06-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204042855/http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=25549 |archive-date=2014-02-04 |url-status=dead }}
  • Version 7.2 (February 2015) introduces near real-time 3D topography reconstruction for scanning electron microscopes
  • Version 7.3 (January 2016) adds fast colorization of scanning electron microscope images based on object-oriented image segmentation.[http://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=45031 Next Monday, Digital Surf to Launch Revolutionary SEM Image Colorization in Azonmaterials][http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/7d4d3b26#/7d4d3b26/34 Showing your true colors, 3D and color in electron microscopy in Lab News magazine]
  • Version 7.4 (January 2017) offers 3D reconstruction from a single SEM image, and enhanced 3D printing {{Cite web|url=http://www.digitalsurf.com/en/issuu.php?id=18877935/40775565|title=Digital Surf - Surface Imaging, Analysis and Metrology Software}}
  • Version 8.0 (June 2019) is the successor of both Mountains 7.4 and SPIP 6.7 software packages ("SPIP" standing for "Scanning Probe Image Processor") after the acquisition by Digital Surf of the Danish company Image Metrology A/S, the editor of SPIP.[https://www.digitalsurf.com/learning/surface-newsletter/surface-newsletter-fall-2018/ The story behind MountainsSPIP, interview of Digital Surf's CEO in Surface Newsletter, Fall 2019, Pages 4-6] Version 8.0 also introduces the analysis of free form surfaces, called "Shells" in the software.
  • Version 9.0 (June 2021) completes the "shells" (free form surfaces) with surface texture analysis adapted from the ISO 25178 parameters already calculated on the standard surfaces. It also comes with a new product line, "MountainsSpectral", dedicated to the chemical mapping of elements in both 2D (images of chemical composition) and 3D (multi-channel tomography of chemical composition), with applications such as FIB-SEM EDX (X-Ray analysis coupled with focused ion beam tomography) or confocal Raman (Raman analysis in confocal microscopy)[https://www.digitalsurf.com/learning/surface-newsletter/surface-newsletter-spring-2021/ The Mountains 9 release, what's coming, in the editor's magazine SURFACE Newsletter]
  • Version 10.0 (June 2023) completes the list of supported microscopes with Light Microscopes, and introduces new features such as CAD-comparison of free-form surfaces ("shells"), aspherics lens analysis.[https://www.qualitymag.com/articles/97409-digital-surf-mountains-10-software New Product : Digital Surf Mountains 10 Software, in Quality Magazine]

Instruments supported

class="wikitable"

!Version

!Instruments supported{{Cite web |url=http://www.digitalsurf.com/en/mntproducts.html |title=Product Range Description on the editor's Web site |access-date=2016-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328075845/http://www.digitalsurf.com/en/mntproducts.html |archive-date=2016-03-28 |url-status=dead }}

!Specific functions

valign="top"

|MountainsMap Profile

|2D Profilometers

|ISO 25178 surface texture parameters
Roughness, Waviness, Contour analysis

valign="top"

|MountainsMap Topography[https://www.digitalsurf.com/software-solutions/profilometry/ MountainsMap range description from the Editor's web site]

|3D Profilometers based on single point sensors[http://www.mitutoyo.co.jp/eng/new/news/2012/06/mitutoyo_corporation_signs_oem_contract_with_digital_surf_for_3d_surface_characteristic_analysis_sof.html Mitutoyo Corporation signs OEM contract with Digital Surf]
(stylus contact, chromatic non-contact)

|ISO 25178 Surface topography parameters
3D surface topography rendering
Sensor range expansion by vertical patching

valign="top"

|MountainsMap Imaging Topography

|White light interferometers[http://www.news-medical.net/news/20160406/Bruker-Nano-Surfaces-offers-Vision64-Map-with-3D-optical-microscope-systems.aspx Bruker Nano Surfaces offers Vision64 Map with 3D optical microscope systems in News medical]
Confocal Microscopes{{Cite web |url=http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=22830 |title=Carl Zeiss to Provide Surface Imaging Software from Digital Surf with Selected Microscopes in Azonano.com |access-date=2012-08-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007200835/http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=22830 |archive-date=2012-10-07 |url-status=dead }}
Fringe projection profilometers[http://www.photonics.com/Product.aspx?PID=6&VID=124&IID=819&PRID=57524 3-D Measurement Software in Photonics.com]

|Management of missing/bad data points
Field expansion by stitching
3D true-color management (topography+color)

valign="top"

|MountainsSEM

|Scanning electron microscopes

|3D reconstruction from a stereo pair[http://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=36485 Digital Surf Releases Mountains 7 Software for Surface Imaging and Metrology in Azomaterials]
3D reconstruction using a 4-quadrant detector
semi-automatic colorization[http://www.electronicspecifier.com/medical/adding-colour-to-sem-imaging Adding colour to SEM imaging in Electronic Specifier]

valign="top"

|MountainsSPIP

|Atomic force microscopes
Scanning tunneling microscopes

|Multi-Channel SPM image management
Force curve analysis

valign="top"

|MountainsSpectral

|Cathodoluminescence microscopes[http://www.electronicspecifier.com/design-automation/software-brings-3d-mapping-to-nanoscale-objects Software brings 3D mapping to nanoscale objects in Electronic Specifier]

|Hyperspectral analysis

valign="top"

|MountainsLab

|All of the previous

|Correlative microscopy (colocalization of images from heterogeneous microscope types)[https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/microscopy-today/article/correlation-of-afmsemeds-images-to-discriminate-several-nanoparticle-populations-mixed-in-cosmetics/9334DCD11F25DBB61ECCEE8B87842C8C Correlation of AFM/SEM/EDS Images to Discriminate Several Nanoparticle Populations Mixed in Cosmetics in Microscopy Today, Vol 29 issue 3, 21 May 2021]

valign="top"

References

{{reflist|30em}}