Lowrance HDS-8m Gen2 Guide

StructureMap™

HDS Gen 2 Addendum

StructureMap is a tool that allows you to overlay SideScan sonar returns on top of the chart, giving you a birds-eye view of underwater structure below and beside your boat. StructureMap makes it easier for you to visualize the underwater environment in relation to your position and aids the user in interpreting sidescan sonar images.

Refer to your HDS manual for basic information about HDS unit operation. Refer to your StructureScan manual for more information about StructureScan.

Same structure shown in each panel

		SideScan
StructureMap

Viewing StructureMap data

You can view StructureMap data by turning on Structure overlay from the Chart menu, or by using the Overlay softkey (HDS-8/10). StructureMap data will start to appear on the Chart screen as soon as Structure overlay is enabled. The Structure Source setting determines whether the StructureMap information you want to view is live or previously recorded.

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Turning on Structure overlay

Selecting Structure Source

StructureMap can be used in Live mode or Saved mode. Live mode allows you to view real-time StructureMap data on the screen. Saved mode is used to display StructureMap data previously saved to a SD card or the unit’s internal memory.

Live mode

Displays the last few minutes of the Side Imaging history as a trail behind the vessel icon. The length of this trail will vary depending on the Side Imaging and Down Imaging range settings. The higher the range settings the longer

Vessel icon

History trail

Structure

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the history length that will show up behind the vessel icon. Typically it will display the last 4-5 minutes of recording. Live mode allows the user to quickly identify interesting areas of the lake and how they relate to vessel position. It also allows the user to scroll back and zoom in on a recently scanned areas of the lake to look at additional details of what was scanned. Live mode does not save any data. If the unit is turned off, all recent sonar history is lost. You must have Structurescan installed on your boat to use Live mode.

Saved mode

Displays StructureMap (.smf) files that have been created from structure sonar log (.sl2) files. Saved mode is used to view a map of the underwater environment that can be reviewed and examined either on or off of the

Navigating a StructureMap in saved mode

water. It can be used when revisiting an area that has already been scanned in order to assist the user in positioning the vessel or locating specific points of interest.

NOTE: If there is more than one StructureMap of the same area on the same SD card, the maps will overlap on your screen. If you want to have more than one map of the same area, you should put the maps on separate SD cards.

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