New update delivers user-driven interface improvements, expanded visualization tools, and enhanced file format support.
Blue Marble Geographics has announced the release of Global Mapper® v26.2, the latest version of its all-in-one GIS software. The update was introduced this week at Intergeo 2025, the international mapping conference taking place in Frankfurt, Germany this week.
The new release emphasizes usability, dynamic data visualization, and expanded file compatibility, further strengthening Global Mapper’s role as a versatile solution for geospatial professionals.
User-Driven Interface Enhancements
According to Blue Marble, the v26.2 release reflects direct feedback from customers. Frequently used functions within the Digitizer menus—such as feature measurements, statistics, and path profile tools—are now consolidated in the dockable Digitizer Toolkit. This update makes it easier for new users to get started while providing seasoned users with faster access to essential workflows.
Other interface improvements include a dockable file browser with file-type filters and a shortcut for instantly restoring toolbar positions, features designed for professionals who frequently work across multiple monitors.
Expanded Visualization and File Format Support
The new release also introduces a redesigned animation toolset. The “Animate Layers” button opens a floating pane that allows users to create timelapses, manage timeseries datasets, and export animations as videos. These tools support the growing demand for geospatial storytelling and time-based analysis.
Global Mapper v26.2 also expands lidar and terrain display controls, offering more intuitive shader scaling and histogram-based adjustments for lidar data. Point cloud filtering has been improved, allowing attributes to be quickly isolated without deleting original data, ensuring precision and flexibility in analysis.
File format compatibility continues to broaden as well. The update adds support for Phase One’s IIQ RAW image format, OpenStreetMap’s Protocolbuffer Binary Format (OSM PBF), and the TFADS-O aeronautical data set. Updates to ECW and JPEG2000 export options further improve raster workflows.
Industry Applications
Global Mapper is widely used by government agencies, universities, and Fortune 500 companies for terrain analysis, lidar classification, and photogrammetry. Its Pixels to Points® tool enables drone operators to process aerial imagery into 3D models, point clouds, and orthoimages—capabilities that continue to support the rapid growth of drone-based mapping.
Blue Marble has scheduled a live webinar for October 23, 2025, featuring guest speakers from Phase One and Hexagon, to demonstrate the new tools and their applications in real-world workflows.
About Blue Marble Geographics
Based in Hallowell, Maine, Blue Marble Geographics has been providing geospatial software solutions for more than 30 years. Its suite of products includes Global Mapper Pro®, Global Mapper Mobile®, and the Geographic Calculator®. The company is recognized for delivering powerful yet affordable tools that support over 350 file formats and streamline workflows across the geospatial industry.
Read more:
- Blue Marble Geographics Offers Live Webinar on Bathymetry and Terrain Analysis
- Drone Mapping Transforms Police Crash Investigations: A Blue Marble Geographics Case Study
- Advancing GIS Software: Blue Marble Geographics Expands Cloud and AI Capabilities
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
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