Speleo Software

On this page we show some computer programs which are useful tools for cave surveying and earth scientific work. A short description is added to each program to give you an imagination of the software before you probably will begin with a download. At the end of every description a hyperlink is found which directs you to the home page of the software's author where you will get some additional information from first hand.

We put only software on this page which we have tested and from which we know it would work and be of some worth. Unfortunately we can do this tests only on IBM compatible PCs and because of this, with one exception, only software for DOS/ Windows and Linux appears on this page at the moment. But we are sure that also pretty good programs are existing on other platforms and we are interested in hearing more about them! All cavers are invited to send us their comments! If you are missing something on this list, please don't hesitate to send an E-Mail!

CaveRender is a very professional designed German language software with a high level usability. A survey data editor is available. Emphasis is on the many ways of visualising the cave complex: Not only plans and elevations are possible but also sections, perspectivic views (isometric) and real stereoscopic views (red- green-glasses). The speed of graphic performance is amazing. Further details are powerful layer technique, work sheets, multi-page technique. The program has also converting filters for standard file formats like AutoCAD DXF and ANSI. German

Visit Jochen Hartig's CaveRender Homepage.

Compass was developed in the USA and is available in a DOS and a Windows release of different abilities but they are completing themself. The most powerful part is the data editor which can be configured by the user in nearly unlimited ways (units, sequence of data entries, system configurations, screen display, automatically support of station names...) and supports the easy handling of complex data. Plan views and elevations could be displayed and rotated in every angle of view you want. Compass supports in the Win version also passage wall modelling by polygons, splines and cylinders and today perspectivic and stereo views are also possible. You can view the cave map on background images and digitized maps. The generation and handling of separate sheets is really easy and comfortable. The Windows release has also a GIS data base interface and the DOS version comes with a lot of useful tools (e.g. converting Compass to AutoCAD DXF, cave statistics, filters...). Super for using it on very big or complex caves! English

Link to Compass Homepage

Cybertopo is the work of the French caver Eric Sibert who created a reasonable and compact application. The software has an integrated data editor which can be configured in nearly any way to please the needs of the individual user. Using icons in the menu bar the cave can be comfortable drawn as plan, elevation or perspectivic view. A 3D mode in combination with red- green-glasses is also allowed. You may rotate the cave on the screen in real time using the mouse but unfortunately the viewing angle isn't displayed so you must read this kind of information in a context menu (right mouse button). By clicking on a survey shot detailed informations about it are displayed in the status bar of the program, that's rather useful. The survey can be easily scaled for print using a pull-down menu.
It seems that development of this software has been halted by now.
French

Details on the Cybertopo Homepage

Survex is a software packet from England which supports different languages and hardware platforms: The text displayed on the screen or stored in files could be in English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish switched with a single command. It is also available in releases for DOS, Linux/Unix, and Archimedes. It hasn't a graphic user interface and is handled in the "classic way" by line commands. The most important contents of the software package are "survex" (processing of the survey data), "aven" (3d cave viewer) and the printer drivers. Survex is very fast and the aven viewer works without any jerking and blurring. The printer drivers are dividing automatically large caves in separate sheets if the map doesn't fit on one page. The error correction is very good. The main disadvantage is the lack of control over the page break. English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

Link to Survex Homepage in England.

Toporobot is a Macintosh-Program developed in Switzerland and available in different languages. It is called the software which any other program must be compared. Toporobot based on the surveying script of the same name for naming the stations in complex caves. It has a built-in data editor. Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish

More details on the Toporobot-Homepage in Switzerland.

Visual Topo is from France and it contains also a tool for converting the different types of "official" co-ordinates from different countries. The data interface is build like an Excel spread sheet and it is very user friendly and the various entries are highlighted with colours. Visual Topo supports the usual measure units and instrument types, connects the cave entrance with the co-ordinate grid (if you want), takes care of the instrument's accuracy and has a very quick 3D draw mode. Catalan, English, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish

More on the Visual Topo Homepage!

Walls is a Windows based program from the USA which has in spite of its early beta release state some very interesting features. The handling is in some parts still very confusing but the possibility of exporting the survey into VRML files and view them as three-dimensional objects is rather impressing. The objects maybe rotated and zoomed on the screen in any way you like. Walls has now a built in VRML viewer so you need no longer a Web browser with a plugin like Live 3D. Anyway the best results you'll get by publishing the files on the Web or on a network. English

More on the Walls Homepage!

WinKarst is a software packet very popular in the USA. It has a data editor. The survey can be viewed in plan and elevation; the passage walls are showed as polygons. The software has a lot of good features like comfortable highlighting of certain cave passages or quick scaling for printing. English

More Details on the WinKarst-Homepage in USA.