Frequently Asked Questions

In order to run CATALYST Python libraries outside of Focus (i.e. Command Line, IDE) you need to make sure that both CATALYST Professional and Python are correctly installed to work together. In Python Command Line or your IDE, type import pci to check if the library can be properly imported.

If the installations are not properly set up you may receive an error similar to the following:

No module named ‘pci’
Failed to initialize the PCI Pluggable Framework…
ImportError: DLL load failed
Try each of the steps below to resolve this error. After each step, run import pci again to check if the issue is resolved.

Make sure that python 3.x is installed
Make sure that python can be run through the Focus Python Scripting Window. Open Focus > Tools > Python Scripting. Type import pci and click RUN.
Log out of the user account on the computer and log back in. You can also restart the computer entirely.
If you have multiple Python versions installed, make sure you are using the 64-bit python 3.x version. For an IDE, make sure that you have set the correct python version in the options. In CMD, make sure that you are running python from the correct folder:
Navigate to the python folder > cd C:\pythonXX (this could be different based on your installation)
Run your python script from this folder in CMD
If the error persists, please contact [email protected]

No our current installation does not support 32bit environments. Geomatica 2013 was the last version of the software released in both 64bit and 32bit.

MAC is not one of our supported operating systems but the following YouTube video explains how to run CATALYST Professional (formerly Geomatica) on a MAC OS through a virtual machine –

You will need to open both Inbound and Outbound UDP port 5093 and 5099 to allow access to the license server. You will also need to add entries into the firewall for all CATALYST Professional related products, such as OrthoEngine, Focus etc.

We currently have four different types of licensing configurations:

1. Standalone dongle based – The license is tied to the dongle itself. If you travel often or switch between computers we suggest using a dongle.
2. Standalone dongle-less – The license in this case is tied to the machine’s configurations not a dongle. This configuration works well if you only use the software on one machine.
3. Client and server dongle based – The license for this configuration is tied to the dongle. The client machine pings the server machine for a license token. If the dongle is removed, the tokens are no longer available.
4. Client and server dongle-less – The licensing in this case is tied to the server’s configuration. This licensing method is available for Linux and virtual machines as there is physically no place to plug in a dongle.

Student licenses are available to universities that have a CATALYST Professional (formerly Geomatica) site license. In order to make use of these student licenses you will need to speak to your professor about student licenses. If your University does allow student licenses you can provide your professor with your software fingerprint which they can forward along to us.

US and Canada Only: If your university does not allow for student licensing we have student licenses available for purchase by post-secondary students from Studica: http://www.studica.com/ca/en/PCI-Geomatics.

Yes. If you can run multiple versions of the software on the same machine provided you have a license key for each version. If you are running a dongle-less installation you can license past versions up to 12.01 on a license server.

No, USB hubs are not supported. The dongle must be directly plugged into the machine.

In order to gather the cpu id/fingerprint of your CATALYST Professional installation please follow the steps seen below:

Windows:

• Standalone – Ensure the dongle (interlock device) is plugged into your machine and run the license utility. (Start –> All Programs –>  PCI Geomatics –>  <product name> <version> –> License Utility)
• Floating License Server – Ensure the dongle is plugged into your machine. Open a DOS command prompt Window (Start > Accessories > Command Prompt) and navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\SafeNet Sentinel\Sentinel RMS License Manager\WinNT and type echoid.

LINUX:

• Standalone or Floating License Server – Navigate to the bin directory and run the echoid program by typing “./echoid” (without quotations).

Please note: The cpu id/fingerprint for Windows operating systems is tied directly to the dongle itself and has no bearing on the original machine it was installed on. For LINUX machines the fingerprint is tied directly to the machine itself.

All of our technology can be licensed under an OEM agreement to help our partners build and sell their own custom products powered by any individual piece of our technology.

So if you want to build and sell your own product under your own brand, but use some of our technology in your product, this would be licensed through CATALYST OEM.

Formerly Geomatica, this product is designed for remote sensing and photogrammetry professionals. It includes many interactive interfaces and over 750 algorithms that can easily be plugged together to create custom workflows. 

Formerly GXL, this scalable solution is designed for automated earth observation workflows, such as basemap creation and Analysis Ready Data (ARD) production.

This subscription based web application allows non-expert end-users to understand important characteristics and change on the earth as captured from satellites and other earth measurement platforms. The information is designed to be easily interpreted by non-experts and integrated into other workflows. For example, users can subscribe  to receive land deformation measurements for a wide range of geotechnical ad infrastructure management applications.

At CATALYST, we create a variety of software products to help geospatial experts and end-users leverage earth data. Our expertise is in earth observation image processing and analysis, such as: Photogrammetry, radiometric normalization, object-based image classification, SAR/InSAR, and image compositing/mosaicking.

Yes, you can still buy our products with a perpetual license. However, we believe the future of software will favour subscriptions. Plus there is a lot of value with our subscriptions that you do not get with perpetual licenses:

1. Subscription include support and update (this is an add-on for perpetual)
2. Subscriptions have low upfront costs and make our technology more affordable
3. Subscriptions are more scalable
4. Subscriptions allow you to use your operational budget (OpEx) as opposed to your capital budget (CAPEx)

Our HAP technology is now available through the CATALYST Professional Aerial bundle.

We have implemented an agile development methodology. Right now we are committing to new releases and enhancements every 4 months. Our subscription options now come with support and update included. As a result, all subscribers will have access to our latest features as they become available.

Your support will continue uninterrupted for the full duration of your support agreement.

In fact, our new pricing and packaging options are more competitive than ever. All subscriptions come with full customer support and updates

We will no longer be promoting anything under the PCI Geomatics, GXL, or Geomatica brand. They are now rebranded as CATALYST, CATALYST Enterprise, and CATALYST Professional, respectively

CATALYST is a new PCI Geomatics brand. PCI Geomatics as a corporate entity still remains. However, all new products and marketing will be under the new CATALYST brand. For example, Geomatica will now be CATALYST Professional and GXL will now be CATALYST Enterprise. All future offerings will be CATALYST _____________. Furthermore, even corporate marketing will be under the new CATALYST brand. For example, our new website is CATALYST.earth. We will register for events as CATALYST and so on.