ERDAS announces the release of new version of ECW Plug-in for ArcGIS Desktop. This free plug-in provides a means for ArcGIS for Desktop users to read files in the ECW and JP2 formats and accept ECWP streams of ECW and JP2 data originating from ERDAS APOLLO. Using components of the ERDAS ECW/JP2 SDK version 4.2, the ECW Plug-in for ArcGIS Desktop 2011 extends ArcGIS Desktop support for ECW imagery, providing the fastest decompression available. Using minimal memory, ECW can quickly decompress and open massive files, in many cases faster than uncompressed imagery can be opened. Additionally, multi-resolution level of detail is built into the file, eliminating the need to generate or distribute pyramids or overviews. The ECW technique does not require calculation and storage of intermediate tiles (RRD since they are an inherent part of ECW’s Discrete Wavelet Transformations (DWT). The ECW Plug-in for ArcGIS Desktop also enables ArcGIS Desktop to accept Enhanced Compression Wavelet (ECWP) streams from ERDAS APOLLO Essentials – Image Web Server and ERDAS APOLLO Advantage. ECWP allows streaming of ECW images, enabling rapid delivery of terabyte-sized images over the internet using inexpensive server technology. Learn More