Tag Archives: ArcGIS

Batch Geonews: Bing Maps Updates, Nokia’s Yahoo Maps, U.S. Geoplatform Launches, GIS and the Cloud, and much more

Here's the latest geonews in batch mode. But first, as a media partner of the Geomatique event, if you participated to the conference, we invite you to fill this survey and get a chance to win an iPad 2.

On the Google front:

  • The GEB introduces the free Maxwell Render Suite to make your SketchUp models more realistic, the screenshots are impressive 
  • You can now Share biking and walking directions with Custom Maps
  • We told you before that Street View is available inside businesses now, and here's a Slashdot discussion about it
  • The Google Model Your Town Competition has begun
  • Google requests feedback for their map news channels, if you fill that survey, you can tell them you're reading Slashgeo ;-)
  • And there was new imagery released yesterday for Google Maps and Earth

On the Microsoft front:

  • Microsoft announced several updates and new features in the Bing Maps REST web services and the Bing Spatial Data Service
  • In another entry, Microsoft informs us that the improved map sharing and Bing Maps route modifications

On the Esri front:

  • Mandown mentions that the ArcGIS API for iOS 2.1 is now available

On the open source front that wasn't mentioned yesterday:

  • Via O'Reilly, I learned about an jQuery open source Country Selector that has autocomplete
  • I also forgot to share this DM article named Experiences Teaching Free and Open Source GIS at the Community College Level

In the miscellaneous category:

  • APB reports that Yahoo Maps is now powered by Nokia
  • The U.S. Geoplatform launched based on Esri's Portal for ArcGIS, here's the direct link
  • V1 has an interesting perspective named What Do You Think GIS in the Cloud Will Be Like? and on the same topic, DM shares an informative article named Is Geospatial Cloud Computing a Commodity?
  • SS mentions a iOnRoad, free Android app that includes colision avoidance
  • MapQuest Vibe is now available for the iPhone
  • O'Reilly tells us about Dark Sky's app Kickstater project for "hyperlocal hyper-realtime" weather prediction, with similarities to NowCasting
  • If you're into podcasts, VerySpatial mentions another geospatial-related podcast now in English, Geografree
  • APB informs us of a OGC survey of the business value of geospatial standards
  • V1 lists what he thinks are the Hottest Jobs In The Geospatial Sector Today
  • APB has excellent coverage of the SimpleGeo acquisition by Urban Airship
  • Remember we told you about Atanas Entchev? There's now a petition to help him

In the maps category:

  • StrangeMaps shares an informative map of electric sockets of the World
  • Here's a Google Maps mashup on disease risk and migration
  • O'Reilly shares an animated map of how dance music travels
  • APB share their disappointment at the map of the American Jobs Act
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OSM2NetworkDataset Version 1.1 Available

Via email I learned that the open source OSM2NetworkDataset version 1.1 is now available, it readies OpenStreetMap data for ArcGIS's Network Analyst extension.

From the announcement: "Version 1.1 now supports ArcGIS 10.0, as well as ArcGIS 9.3.1. New features include restrictions for tracktype, smoothness, surface, and maxwidth.

The Java application OSM2NetworkDataset converts OpenStreetMap (OSM) data so it can be used for network analyses in the ArcGIS extension Network Analyst. It is designed to generate transportation networks for any mode of transportation and any region. The generated networks are based on OSM attributes, such as restrictions, one-way roads, turn restrictions, point barriers, and maximum speed. The path can be chosen according to the shortest distance or the shortest time with user defined average speed settings."

While we mentioned it once before, it never got its full story, until now.

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MXD2map is released in version 1.0

MXD2map is a free converter for the generation of UMN MapServer-compatible Map files from ESRI ArcGIS MXD files. This program offers the possibility making the map design as usual in the ArcGIS Desktop GIS. A configuration file for UMN MapServer can be generated at the touch of a button. UMN MapServer provides the MXD project as an OGC-compliant WMS or WFS service. This provides a simple yet cost-effective way to publish existing spatial data including design requirements as WMS / WFS service.

"The realization of such a tool helps us tremendously in creation of OGC-compliant WMS services based on UMN MapServer. The usual work on the desktop with ArcGIS remains unaffected and the benefits of the fast UMN MapServer can be used easily for intranet/internet representation.", explains Jörg Gerdes, Head of IT of the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) in Hamburg/Germany. The BSH has been ordered the initial development of MXD2map from Intevation GmbH.

The BSH is an agency within the German Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Urban Affairs with offices in Hamburg and Rostock. The BSH is an important maritime service provider of the federal government and provides the maritime geodata center for digital and analog (sea) map products.

Intevation is an independent IT service provider, which is consistently based on Free Software. The company consists of experts with the experience to develop cost-effective IT solutions and maintain it. For this purpose Free Software (also called "Open Source") is used and all results and all the necessary knowledge, including the source code, is passed to the client.

MXD2map is Free Software. It was released under the GNU Lesser General Public License (GNU LGPL) version 3.

A Windows installer and the source code are available on the website for download.

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Batch Geonews: ArcGIS for Android 1.0 Released, GeoIQ Social, Business Interiors in StreetView, Income Inequality, and more

First, I'm sorry for not publishing the "batch mode" version of the geonews for the last two weeks - along with several other responsibilities, taking care of two young daughters at home is certainly fun, but engulfs all available time. In this batch mode edition, there are certainly a few geonews that could deserve their own entry - click on what interests you to learn more!

From the Google front:

  • In my previous Google entry earlier today, I forgot to mention the GEB entry detailing even more major improvements of Xavier Tassin's Google Earth Flight Simulator, now at version 0.7
  • This one via APB, Google Maps rolls out business interiors in Street View

From the Esri front:

  • Via VerySpatial, ArcGIS for Android 1.0 has been released
  • Two weeks ago, mandown informed us that the ArcGIS 10 Service Pack 3 Now Available For Download

From the miscellaneous category:

  • GeoIQ launched GeoIQ Social, "the first and only product that provides self-service analysis of social media data by time and location"
  • On the OGC blog, there's an interesting short entry on "Big Data" vs SDI in geospatial
  • Clearly, WebGL is en vogue, mapperz mentiones the new Nokia Maps 3D WebGL, and Nokia is readying LiveView, which blends maps and augmented reality for their upcoming Windows Phone
  • Apple expanded iPhone 4S GPS capabilities with GLONASS support and Apple Siri's support for maps and local search is coming to international customers in
  • MapQuest refreshed their Developer Network
  • The name Atanas Entchev ring a bell to you? He's an active member of the geospatial community and he needs our help, he's facing deportation from the U.S.

In the maps category:

  • Mapperz mentions the UK car crash map
  • Ok, not exactly a map, but trying to find what are the Wall Street protestors are so angry about, here's a breakdown of income inequality, the Gini coefficient, by countries
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Tuesday Geonews: OSM Inspector, Single-Language Labels in Google Maps, TomTom Teaming with Oracle, and much more

Here's the recent geonews in batch mode. Some of those news seem important enough to deserve their own entries, but I dare share them in a single one. Yes, that's another unusually long post. Normal posting frequency should resume next February!

From the open source / open data front:

  • SS shares an entry named MIT Releases Smartphone Data Tracking Tools as Open Source Software, it's called Funf
  • There's now an OpenStreetMap Inspector, a quality evaluation service to help improve OSM data
  • Here's a short entry on using OpenStreetMap data, tidbit: the entire database is 250GB
  • Here's an entry on generating contours using GDAL (via shell or QGIS)
  • Paul explains Indexed Nearest Neighbour Search in PostGIS
  • Here's the FOSS4G WMS Performance Shootout slides, and I haven't shared this yet, James Fee's Guide to what was important at FOSS4G

From the Esri front:

  • Mandown reports that Esri updated their deprecation plans for ArcGIS 10 and 10.1
  • SS indicates Esri Releases a Map Story on Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions

From the Google front:

  • Finally, single-language labels made their way to Google Maps, that's making it much less confusing
  • Here's in simple words why Google offers Google Maps / Earth
  • Ogle Earth shares an entry on using Google Earth to hunt illegal mining in Goa, India

From the Microsoft front:

  • Bing Maps added detailed airport maps, 42 U.S. airports so far 

In the miscellaneous category:

  • SS reports that TomTom Launched a Geospatial Platform with Oracle: "The service will offer geocoding, vehicle routing and mapping information, all hosted on Oracle’s 11g database."
  • V1 writes about INTERGEO, the German geospatial conference that attracted 17,000 attendees, making it one of the largest geoconferences in the world (the largest?)
  • James Fee linked to the U.S. and Canadian top 10 largest cities GIS web maps
  • We mentioned it before, but here's another article on the completion of the ERS satellite missions after 20 years
  • O'Reilly shares an entry named Why indoor navigation is so hard and another entry on the state and future of local news
  • If you have interest in the GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification), here's data model diagrams
  • MapQuest launched a Mobile Flash Maps API
  • VerySpatial mentioned the National Geographic Challenge game for the PS3, XBox360 and Wii
  • On a more serious topic, VS shares an entry on The Geography of the Death Penalty

Slashdot discussed a few geospatial-related stories:

  • Don't you wish you were a student again, Put On Your 3D Glasses — Class Is About To Start
  • Not the first time we hear such news (from any OS phone), HTC Android Backdoor Leaks Private User Data, including GPS locations
  • US Military Seeks Non-Cooperative Biometric Tracking Technology
  • A story named California Governor Vetoes Ban On Warrantless Phone Searches, including GPS logs
  • An on the same theme, a Senator Goes After 'Brazen' OnStar Privacy Shift
  • With a search, you'll find plenty of similar stories, German Researchers Crack Mifare RFID Encryption, in other words, RFID can be of great use, but can't be considered secure 
  • There's also a story about using stereo-vision mapping to visualize the oldest submerged city

In the maps category:

  • TMR shares a few map books for Fall
  • Here's the first global map of ocean salinity
  • Here's the Japanese tsunami mapped in detail for the first time

In the coming days, I'll be at Géomatique, the major geospatial event in the province of Québec. Slashgeo is a media partner of the event.

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Monday Geonews: ArcGIS Explorer Build 1750, Metadata Tool for QGIS, Iran’s Basir Google Earth Rival, VDatum, and much more

Here's the recent geonews in batch mode.

On the open source front:
  • Wonder where GeoTools is? Here's the Status of GeoTools presentation from FOSS4G
  • Here's about Metatools, a metadata management plugin for QGIS, now at version 0.2
  • Here's the GeoServer Aggregating DataStore, enabling the republication from several data sources, including remote ones
  • The slides and videos of OpenStreetMap's State of the Map conference are now available
  • Sean Gillis' at it again, he started a new project called Fiona, an OGR API which wants to be "a clear alternative to the complex layers and cursors and fussy geometry objects of OGR and ArcPy"
  • Ok, not directly geospatial, but Gource is the nicest tool to visualize source code changes I've seen yet (works with Git, SVN and others), and here it is showing the changes in QGIS from version 1.6 to 1.7
On the Esri front:
  • ArcGIS Explorer Build 1750 is now available
  • Mandown summarizes what’s new on ArcGIS Online for September
  • There's also an ArcGIS API for iOS 2.01 update for those developing with iOS 5 and another one for ArcGIS API For JavaScript 2.5
  • Here's the Best Practices For Using Custom State Highway Shields In ArcGIS
In the everything-else category:
  • Here's another entry on the New KML features in Google Earth 6.1
  • Iran is releasing Basir, a Google Earth competitor, to counter Google's cultural aggression 
  • Microsoft has an entry on the recent updates to Bing Maps: REST API, AJAX Control v7, and Account Center
  • We mentioned a few times vertical datums, via Kurt, now NOAA is releasing VDatum, "designed to vertically transform geospatial data among a variety of tidal, orthometric and ellipsoidal vertical datums"
  • That's how far sensors can go, millions of geolocated seismic sensors wirelessly connected for oil and gas exploration by Shell and HP
  • V1 mentions a comprehensive guide on 3D spatial relationships
  • Here's a Maperitive tutorial for Generating OSM Map For Adobe Illustrator
  • In the neverending series of cellphone tracking, Slashdot discusses a story named Surveillance Case May Reveal FBI Cellphone Tracking Techniques
  • And regarding car tracking Slashdot offers another story named Canberra Police Want Drones To Track Cars
  • In the trivia category, Slashdot discusses a story named Swedish Daycare Tracks Kids With GPS Devices
In the maps category:
  • O'Reilly mentions the Global Adaptation Index map, which "rates a given country's vulnerability to environmental shifts precipitated by climate change, its readiness to adapt to such changes, and its ability to utilize investment capital that would address the state of those vulnerabilities"
  • V1 shares a map of the gas infrastructures in Europe
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FOSS4G: Tiles, GeoNetwork, ArcGIS, GeoScript, Emergency Apps and more…

While the presentation was on its first day in Denver, Peter Batty starts by exposing the overall success of the edition (and the slow Wifi network at the conference Hotel...) as well as the force of the open source community. In his opening ceremony, he has compiled the registration and the FOSS4G had more than 900 attendees with almost half of the crowd from the USA, around 150 Europeans and Japan as the only Asian country represented.

Secondly, Arnulf Christl presents, by showing OSGeo/FOSS4G geek T-shirt, the diversity of OSGeo around the world. Thirdly, Paul Ramsey, with his unique sense of humour, speaks about the Open source business model in his own language as it can be defines by each corporation and organisation that is working in FOSS4G as long as it keeps code alive. 

Afterward, technical and academic session were exposing what’s hot in terms of geospatial open source software. Presentations on Map tiling and the new trend as managing map tiles in a database such SQLite with MapProxy. At the same time, the Apache module called geocache, renamed MapCache, was presenting its benchmark as well as its integration in the MapServer stack. In the Geonetwork presentation, the newest 2.8 geodata catalog release now separates the client and server product, the interface of metadata editor has been improved and a tool to add shapefile on-the-fly as a layer has been developed. With a strong presence of ESRI a the FOSS4G, the City and County of Denver showed that using OpenLayers in combination with ArcGIS Server is quite effective and how their contribution to the AgsjsAdapter.js to support the ArcGIS tiles version 10 was beneficial.

A discussion on the WFS-Transactional versus the REST/geoJson has been helpful to understand the performance implementation of this OGC standard with GeoServer/MapFish and to raise issue on the gml format as a WFS lack of documentation and fully compliant readers in the market.

With the ongoing INSPIRE project in Europe, a suggestion of using OpenStreetMap as data transfer catalyser was done and seriously discussed. The idea was in fact when local and national government will transfer their data in INSPIRE geospatial infrastructure, they could import their own data into OpenStreetMap infrastructure, then transform and extract the information from OSM to the INSPIRE specifications. GeoScript has been presented in a full packed room and demonstrated as a geoprocessing library in a variety of scripting environment (JavaScript, Python, Scala, and Groovy) based on GeoTools. A real life presentation shows how a the Quebec Public Safety ministry has been using open source software stack (MapServer, Tilecache, PostGIS, GeoExt and OpenLayers) in a web application (G.O.LOC French description) and by developing web map services to support 9-1-1 emergency call centre.

This open source collaboration project with partners organisation, such as Quebec National Public Health Institute, has been helpful to first responders and emergency manager to actually open the used of geodata in real life-saving situation.

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Geonews CatchUp: QGIS vs gvSIG, Landsat 8 Milestone, Shaderlight 2, osmdroid, and too much more

That's probably our biggest "geonews in batch mode" issue ever. That's the price I have to pay for three weeks of holidays! ;-) I tried to keep only the most pertinent geonews. After reading this unusually long entry, you and I are back to being up to date in terms of geonews.

On the Google front:
  • Here's a Google Earth mashup of Fukushima and Chernobyl meltdowns side-by-side
  • Google added a Regional Expert Reviewer Program to Google Map Maker
  • The tool Shaderlight to create awesome SketchUp models is now at version 2
  • Google purchased Zagat Survey, a firm offering local ratings of restaurants and much more  
  • And there's new imagery in Google Earth released on September 7
On the ESRI front:
  • ArcGIS 10.0 SP3 is coming next month
  • Spatially Adjusted has an entry seemingly confirming You Can’t Edit Spatial RDBMS with ArcGIS for Desktop without SDS
  • V1 reviews the Esri Map Book, volume 26
On the open source front:
  • Via no solo I read this informative QGIS and gvSIG comparison, useful to understand the differences between what are probably the two most mature open source desktop GIS packages available
  • The FOSS4G conference will take place in Beijing, China
  • We did mention them before, but only indirectly - here's osmdroid, OpenStreetMap tools for Android (maybe that's what missing for iOS?)
  • In case you don't read our geospatial press releases, the OSGeo-Live 5.0 DVD has been released
  • If you're interested in Brazilian topography, see this entry on TOPODATA's version of SRTM-DEM for Brazil

In GPS news:

  • North Korea forced a US reconnaissance plane to land by jamming GPS signals
  • Via Spatial Law, Bangladesh Mandates Use of GPS in Vehicles

In Apple news:

  • Autodesk released the 'Lite' version of AutoCAD for MacOS X, in addition to the full version available since a year
  • For their iOS devices, Apple is exploring enhancing maps with augmented reality
  • APB mentioend Apple's patent application on crowdsourcing data for local searches
  • The class-action lawsuit against Apple in South Korea over location data collection has started 

In Microsoft news:

  • Streetside is now available for parts of London
  • Microsoft shares an entry on the Bing Maps v7 Module CodePlex Project
  • Even if Virtual Earth 3D is discontinued, Microsoft posted details to enable you to use it longer
  • Microsoft released the Bing Maps 'Windows Presentation Foundation' (WPF) Control
  • Here's an entry on the Wall Street Journal using Bing Maps in their hurricane tracking tool

In transportation news:

  • SignalGuru system that change your route to avoid red lights
  • Regarding tracking and privacy, the NYC mayor wants traffic cameras at every corner

In remote sensing news:

  • A critical milestone has been reached for Landsat's LCDM mission in, aka "Landsat 8"
  • Both NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X remote sensing satellites have been launched successfully
  • The ERS-2 mission is completed, its last image has been taken
  • Can you believe that over 700 government satellites will launch in the next 10 years? Obviously not all for remote sensing purposes
  • The bankrupted RapidEye has been purchased
In the miscellaneous category:
  • It seems UniStrong has 40% of GIS marketshare in China
  • V1 shares a perspective named Where Did All the Talk About Spatial Data Quality Go?
  • The data provider Infochimps have a new GEO API
  • Slashdot discusses a story named Judge Nixes Warrantless Cell Phone Location Data
  • Of course I'm a bit too late, but here's a recap of mapping and mobile data for Hurricane Irene
  • Here's an entry named Everything you wanted to know about UK Coordinate Systems
  • It's confirmed, Kansas is flatter than a pancake
  • Do we need another map building website? There's the new Build-A-Map site in Beta
  • APB mentions 'Location Aware', a free location-aware task management app for Android

In the maps category:

  • O'Reilly shared a map of U.S. job losses
  • Here's the U.S. National Parks as seen from space
  • Tthe USGS launched their Historical Topo Map Collection
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FOSS4G Geonews: FOSS4G & SotM at the door, Sextante in ArcGIS, MapGuide Maestro 3.5, OpenTripPlanner Update, and more

Still in catch up mode, here's the last three weeks of geospatial open source news in batch mode.

  • Of huge pertinence to the geospatial open source and open data communities, the FOSS4G and State of the Map conferences are set to being in a few days. If you're in the Denver area and still hesiting, don't, they are really worth. I'll have to miss them myself this year, but Slashgeo's editor Nicolas Gignac will be attending and provide coverage.
  • Directions Mag share an interview with Peter Batty on what to expect at FOSS4G
  • Another recent article at DM is named Open Source Licensing: Risk and Opportunity, risks related to intellectual property and governance
  • Sextante, the open source spatial java data analysis library, can now work in ArcGIS, and run SAGA and GRASS GIS in ArcGIS via Sextante, and why not, use Sextante algorithms in ArcGIS Model Builder
  • PostGIS's Paul Ramsey continues to share insightful comments in an entry named Open source is not free (as in beer) ...
  • Users of Autodesk's MapGuide Open Source will be happy to know MapGuide Maestro 3.5 has been released. We already know that MapGuide Maestro 4.0 is introducing 'Local Conneciton Mode'
  • V1 mentions updates to the open source multi-modal routing software OpenTripPlanner, which now supports Canada, Poland, India, Spain, Ireland, and Israel (we covered OpenTripPlanner in May
  • Tim links to a generic article on Quantum GIS in the GeoInformatics magazine, and here's a tip on modifying SVG symbols in QGIS
  • Here's an entry on getting GPS data (GPX format) into SpatiaLite, either from QGIS, CSV or OGR
  • Here's web-based PostGIS geometry and raster viewer, no need to install anything
  • GeoServer now has extensions to monitor and audit your GeoServer installation
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Friday Geonews: New 45° Imagery for 35 Cities, Tablets Offer Location-Based Info in Groceries, Printing Aircrafts, and more

Here's the recent geonews in batch mode. As we can see by the lower number of stories shared recently, a lot of people are on holidays.

From the open source front:

  • In an entry on GIS salary results, GeoChalkboard mentioned that after Esri software at 93%, open source GIS came second at 14% as their primary platform
  • Two entries on QGIS, one on the upcoming massive improvements to raster performance and the second the upcoming new hatching modes

From the Esri front:

  • If you like betas, ArcGIS 10.1 Beta 1 is now available

From the Google front:

  • Google offers new 45° imagery for 35 cities: "Augsburg, Germany. Barstow, CA. Bartlett, TX. Big Bear, CA. Blackstone, VA. Catalina Foothills, AZ. Córdoba, Spain. Delano, CA. Desert Hot Springs, CA. Richmond, VA. Elgin, TX. Healdsburg, CA. Helendale, CA. Hemet, CA. Houston, TX. Mendoza, Argentina. Midlothian, VA. Napa Valley, CA. New Braunfels, TX. Ojai, CA. Ottawa, Canada. Pensacola, FL. Porterville, CA. Plant City, FL. Rancho Del Lago, AZ. Rosario, Argentina. Santa Clarita, CA. Sarasota, FL. Taylor, TX. Temecula, CA. Treasure Island, CA. Troy, IL. Twentynine Palms, CA. Wakefield, VA. Yucca Valley, CA."
  • I also liked this example, using Google Earth to preview what you'll see from your seats at a Paul McCartney show

From the Microsoft front:

In the miscellaneous category:

  • APB mentions tablets in grocery stores using RFID to provide location-based information, and instant deals, to shoppers
  • C3 Technologies has been acquired by an unknown but presumably big company, they focus on generating impressive 3D  "maps" from aerial imagery, such as this example in Oslo
  • Slashdot reports that working UAV aircrafts can be built by 3D printers within minutes
  • V1 mentions GeoHive, a website offering world statistics on various themes, including population, and India will surpass China in population pretty soon

In the maps category:

  • SS mentions that the online CORONA Atlas of the Middle East, based on spy imagery from 1968-1972, is now available  
  • O'Reilly mentions the oldest surviving map of Great Britain, from the 14th century, now digitized. Also for the same region, there's a new Great British Picnics maps
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