Welcome and thank you for your interest in RaySAR :-) (just follow the link "release" above to download).

To start with, I will try to summarize the main properties of the software package you are interested in.

RaySAR is a 3D synthetic aperture radar (SAR) simulator which enables to generate SAR image layers related to detailed 3D object models. Moreover, it enables one to localize the 3D positions and surface intersection points related to reflected radar signals. In particular, RaySAR helps to understand the nature of signal multiple reflections at man-made objects (e.g. building structures) or artificial shapes. Scene models with different levels of detail can be processed - from digital surface models (DSMs) to high-end 3D structures - which can be defined in relative or absolute world coordinates. RaySAR can be run on Windows / Linux and is based on an adapted version of the open-source ray tracer POV-Ray.

Publications on RaySAR and related applications can be found here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stefan_Auer/contributions

The RaySAR package contains the following folders:

• MATLAB_code: MATLAB components of RaySAR
• POV-Ray: RaySAR components related to ray tracing (installation instructions, POV-Ray source, model file for testing POV-Ray, compiled version of adapted POV-Ray for Windows)
• RaySAR_Documentation: theoretical background (doctoral thesis) and documentation on RaySAR
• RaySAR_Test_Models: two model files for testing the simulation tools of RaySAR
• License: GNU license related to the RaySAR package

RaySAR has been developed in the course of a doctoral thesis at TUM, Munich, in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). There are experimental parts but also parts which have been applied in the context of various case studies. In particular, 2D (-> maps) and 3D (-> phase center positions) simulation products have been generated for various building models.

Some months ago, I have decided to open the door to other scientists to enable future improvements and extensions of RaySAR. Feel free to use what is there and to extend it for your purposes and scientific needs. Take the opportunity to tell your experiences with RaySAR to a community by using the mailing list of the dedicated Google Group "RaySAR", which is found here:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/raysar

Feedback and contributions for improving RaySAR are welcome there, too.

Finally, please have a look to already conducted work (see "RaySAR in a nutshell", section 1.2. of RaySAR documentation) and don't forget to cite existing RaySAR methods and case studies appropriately in your work. Good luck with your projects!

Stefan Auer

Remote Sensing Technology Institute at German Aerospace Center (DLR), [email protected]

January, 2016