Archive for the 'ESRI' Category

USGS Vector Maps in GeoPDF

Published June 10, 2009 in Technical, Google Maps and Mashups and ESRI. 0 Comments

usgs_map_finder.jpgThe USGS which calls itself “the nation’s largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency” yesterday announced the availability of free vectorized topographic maps for the US in GeoPDF  format.  Details are on their Digital Map-Beta home page.  Raster images of topographic maps have been available in GeoPDF form for some time, but the new series will include vector “layers” which can be switched on and off - contours, water, transportation, labels, etc. … just like a real GIS, but much easier to share.  So far, only Arizona is available from the USGS, but much more will be released this year.

detail_fowler_in_geopdf.jpgThe GeoPDF reading software (TerraGo Desktop) can be download free from the developer, TerraGo Technologies.  It is essentially a toolbar which is added to Adobe Reader which makes it possible to see the layers, to do a few spatial calculations (distance and area), and with a single click, hop into Google Maps.   This is a fascinating development for the GIS world.  Late last year ESRI announced an extension for ArcGIS 9.3 for exporting to GeoPDF.  The US government is embracing GeoPDF in a big way, so little TerraGo will probably go a long way.  After three venture-capital financing rounds will they go public, or be gulped by Google?  Could we be looking at the ultimate Google/GIS Mashup?  More later.

Southern CA Fires Mapped

Published October 23, 2007 in Google Maps and Mashups, ESRI and News. 0 Comments

san_diego_google_map.jpgHuge fires are raging in California, fanned by strong winds yesterday.  Looking for maps online… and there’s not too much available if you wanted to know which way to run.  Of course, you’re probably not sitting at your computer, but more likely talking to the competent guy with the orange hard hat who is patrolling the neighborhood and has up to the minute routing information.  Disaster response is still a tricky application for GIS.  Getting the correct information is the hard part.  All those California GIS guys are ready to go, but probably waiting for a phone call or a shape file. 
so_cal_fires_oct_22.jpg

The helpful Google fire map above was created by KPBS Online, Sandiego TV/Radio station, presumably including information from listeners calling in.  (Interesting how the fire stops conveniently at the Mexican border.)   The static map (right) was made with ESRI software by the OES (Office of Emergency Services), displayed on their website.  Interesting, and shocking, but not to helpful to the locals.

EPA Chooses Microsoft Virtual Earth

Published September 30, 2007 in Microsoft Virtual Earth, Technical, Tools and ESRI. 0 Comments

james_fee_illustration.jpgJames Fee wrote about the Sept 13 Microsoft announcement that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has licensed Microsoft Virtual Earth (for one year, with possible extension to two) for “mission critical” applications.  According to an article in Federal Computer Week (FCW), the partnership between Microsoft and ESRI contributed to the selection, as the EPA can leverage its existing ESRI GIS resources.

Why not Google Earth?  According to a Bloomberg interview with EPA’s Pat Garvey, the fact that GE requires that the user download an application, whereas VE is all browser based was a key factor.

mapdotnet_miami.jpgAn alternative path to putting “real GIS” on the web with MS Virtual Earth (and ESRI’s geodatabase ArcSDE) is using ISC’s MapDotNet Server.  This product competes with ArcGIS Server, and according to the ISC blog  they were “kicked out” of the ESRI partner program last spring. 

EUC2007: Diamond Touch

Published September 29, 2007 in Conferences, Tools and ESRI. 0 Comments

merl_diamondtouch.jpgNow this is really, really cool.   MERL (Mitsubshi Electric Research Labs) showed a tabletop  ”touch-and-gesture-activated” screen, hooked up to an ordinary laptop and ordinary projector (suspended above).   It is billed (in the online fact sheet) as “the world’s first multi-user touch technology”.   Maybe gaming will be the killer app for this product, but disaster response is the GIS-related application which brought MERL to EUC2007.   Continue reading ‘EUC2007: Diamond Touch’

EUC2007: Cellular Expert

Published September 29, 2007 in Technical, Conferences and ESRI. 0 Comments

cellularexpert_visibility_screenshot.jpgAn exhibitor at EUC 2007 in Stockholm was HNIT Baltic from Lithuania, makers of Cellular Expert, an ArcGIS extension for wireless telecommunications networks planning, optimisation and data management.  A technical article in an ESRI’s Telecom Connections Winter ‘07 (see page 4) publication describes research done by Ball State University, using Cellular Expert together with ArcGIS and various extensions.  

Continue reading ‘EUC2007: Cellular Expert’

EUC2007: SpaceNavigator

Published September 29, 2007 in Conferences, Tools and ESRI. 0 Comments

3d_connector.jpg

At ESRI EU conference in Stockholm,  3DConnection, a division of Logitech, demo-ed SpaceNavigator for use with ESRI’s ArcGlobe (but of course, it works with Google Earth, too).  Its a 3D mouse priced for consumers (59€ or $59, so guess where I’ll buy it.)  This has been available for a year, launched in Australia, so maybe I’m the last to know about it.  Beautifully constructed and intuitive, there are various more expensive models with more features .  This works with SketchUp and other 3D design applications. 

MS Researach with GIS

Published August 15, 2007 in Health and ESRI. 0 Comments

esri_healthygis_article.jpgThe spring edition of “Healthy GIS“, ESRI’s newsletter for GIS users in healthcare fields, features a fascinating article about a young (18 years old) researcher who is investigating the causes of MS, using GIS software.  Correlating data on the incidence of Multiple Sclerosis by US county with the incidence of  Lyme disease, Megen Blewett, has developed a hypothesis about a possible cause for MS: secondary tick bites.  Whether or not this hypothesis is scientifically and bio-medically validated (apparently scientists are now looking into this), the article illustrates a fascinating approach to medical research which is probably greatly underutilized.  As young Megan herself explained, the greatest difficulty was finding the data.  She claims to now have (to her knowledge) ”the largest standardized data set of Lyme information.”  She wants to expand her research globally.  Her website is:  www.msgeographics.com.  Note, this is a case where GIS software (such is ESRI ArcGIS) must be used for spatial statistics, but it is fantastic to think about Google Maps / Earth becoming tools for sharing the results.

ESRI NL GIS Conference

Published August 1, 2007 in Conferences and ESRI. 0 Comments

Esri NL Conference

The 2007 ESRI Nederland GIS conference will be held September 19-20 in the Doelen in Rotterdam. Theme translates approximately to “Geo links the chain”.  Last year it was “Geo at the foundation”.  The conference keynote address will feature Paul Smits, member of the Spacial Data Infrastructures Unit of the EC Institute for Environment and Sustainability, talking about INSPIRE, the “Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community.”  Setting standards leads to greater cooperation and understanding, and maybe problem-solving.

Converting .shp to .kml for GIS Techies

Published August 1, 2007 in Technical, Tools and ESRI. 0 Comments

Shape files (.shp) are the standard ESRI format for geographic data.  Converting these to Google-readable KML files is key to adding custom data generated by GIS software to Google Earth / Maps.  It seems that this is still not as easy as pie, so we are investigating the possibilities starting here with this post.

A great series of articles provides background from earlier this year on the Free Geography Tools blog.  Great place to start.  The articles mention several tools which still seem to be prevalent:

1) Arc2Earth – by Brian Flood, which allows entire MXD files (the basic ESRI ArcGIS project file) to be converted, or at least a substantial portion.  This software can be purchased in several different versions for prices from $199 - $2500.  (Price seems up since FGT’s blog.) Requires that you have ArcGIS 9.

2) KMLer by Russian developer Valery Hronusov - converts single shape files from ArcGIS to KML.   

3) Shape2KML  does not require ArcGIS ownership.  Described as “fast, easy to use, and produces good results”, and is also cheap (free).

4) Shape2Earth sounds like the best solution, not free, but cheap, no need to own ArcGIS, and described by FGT as superior to all the others.

 5) ArcGIS Extension “KML Home Companion 3.2.0, converts shape files to KLM, but does not keep attributes.

6) Google Earth Pro reads shape files… unclear yet how it handles attribute data.  More experimenting to do.

Now the fun begins (for me), testing all these options, and looking for other solutions, too.

ESRI User Conference Europe

Published July 26, 2007 in Conferences and ESRI. 1 Comment
The annual European ESRI User is in Stockholm this year, in September. Last year it was in Athens. I missed the California conference this year, so it will be interesting to see latest developments, meet European counterparts. What is the impact of Google APIs? How strong is ESRI market in Europe?
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