GPS World

Tag: gvSIG

  • gvSIG 2.3 called ‘qualitative leap’ for functionality

    gvSIG 2.3, the new gvSIG version, is now available to download.

    According to the gvSIG association, this version has been a qualitative leap — on a functional level as well as an architecture one — because of all the improvements and features.

    Downloads are available from the project website, and there are two distribitions: installable and portable.

    Features of this version include distributions for Mac and Windows 64-bit; PRJ file support for projections; access to Google Maps, Bing Maps or Street View; and lidar data support.

    If users have questions or experience any errors, they can be sent to the user mailing list. Feedback is important to continue improving gvSIG, the association said.

  • Presentations and videos available from first gvSIG Festival

    gvSIG_associationPresentations and videos from the first gvSIG Festival are now available online. The festival — a virtual conference about free geomatics — was held May 23-27, offering 25 presentations in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish and Russian.

    All of the presentation material is now available, as well as recordings of every session. The material can be filtered by language.

    The festival was sponsored by the gvSIG Association.

  • gvSIG 2.2 Release Available for Download, Feedback

    The first gvSIG 2.2 Release Candidate (gvSIG 2.2 RC1) is now available for download.

    The gvSIG project team is asking for the gvSIG community to help test and debug version 2.2 as soon as possible so the final version can be released. The gvSIG team encourages users to test the software and send them any errors and suggestions in the users mailing list.

    The main new features of this version are:

    • New editing extension, including new functionalities
    • Labeling by scale
    • Legend by scale
    • Hyperlink to folders
    • OGC services publishing
    • Seismic formats
    • Sailing symbols library

    The development team says the new version represents a marked change from the previous version, and therefore may have still-unidentified errors. A new manual has also been developed.

  • gvSIG Conference Sessions Now Available Online

    Presentations, posters and articles presented at the 10th International gvSIG Conference are now available online. The conference was held Dec. 3-5, 2014, in Valencia, Spain.

    Videos of sessions and workshops are also available online. All of the videos are available with both English and Spanish audio, except for three workshops given on Wednesday and Thursday that are only in Spanish.

    “With this publishing, we pretend to bring the Conference closer to the interested people that couldn’t attend the event, having the possibility to access the recording of the different sessions,” gvSIG organizers said.

  • Final Version of gvSIG 2.1 Offers New Features, Bug Fixes

    The gvSIG Association has published the final version of  gvSIG 2.1. This is the first version based on the new architecture oriented to users, and offers many new features, the association said.

    Besides the new functionalities and the correction of a great number of errors that were detected through community collaboration, the association wants to highlight the availability of a distribution for Linux 64 bits and portable versions for Windows as well as Linux.

    Along with the gvSIG 2.1 release, gvSIG has published a new gvSIG website that includes the old gvSIG Association website as well as the project website. It will also serve as a knowledge portal about gvSIG technology. The new website features gvSIG’s catalog of products, such as gvSIG Roads or gvNIX.

    “We want to take advantage of this announcement to thank all the people that have collaborated in making this new version reality, and all the entities that have counted on the gvSIG Association services to solve their needs on geomatics, helping to guarantee the sustainability of the project,” the association said in a statement.

    Features in the latest version include:

    Legends

          – Expresions

          – Proportional symbols

          – Graduated symbols

          – Dot density

          – Quantities by category

          – Charts (pies and bars)

          – Import/export SLD

    Copy/paste geometries

    Lateral buffer

    Split line

    Consecutive numbers function

    Duplicated records function

    Derived geometries

    Chart document

    Map sheets (map series)

    Connection with OpenStreetMap services

    New symbol libraries: Geology, POI Cities, Commerce, Military-APP6, Collective Mapping, Colors, AIGA, Weather

    PostGIS 2.x support (raster and vector)

    Layout

          – Insert chart

          – New layout with TOC (table of contents) included.

          – New grid functionalities.

    Portable views (thematic maps plugin)

    Advanced dissolve geoprocess

    Labeling

          – Advanced labeling

          – Halo option

          – Always show label option

    Raster

          – Set projection to layer

          – Change data type

          – Create multi-file layer

          – Convert to grayscale

          – Integration of tools in the geoprocessing toolbox

          – Principal components tool improved

          – Georeferencing tool improved

          – Tasseled cap

          – Masks by regions of interest

    Export to KML

          – Show attributes in ballon option

          – Use labels option

    Reprojection

          – Reprojection forcing

          – New EPSG projections support.

    Scripting: raster data support

    Layer loading

          – Dragging layers from the file browser.

    Memory management at the Preferences menu.

    Dyschromatopsia / colour blindness

    MsExcel format supporting as a table and a layer

    CSV support

    WFS service:

          – XY axis order selection.

    Print performance improved

    New design of info tool

    Linux 64 bits supporting

    Bug fixing

  • Thoughts on Mobile Devices, UAVs, and Cheap Data-Collection Software

    On the coattails of last week’s Geospatial Solutions newsletter outlining the United Nations’ five- to ten-year vision on geospatial information management, and my column on the mobile device operating system war, here are some more thoughts on those subjects.

    As the cost of GIS data collection devices (handheld, tablet) has plummeted in the past two years and smartphones have proliferated, the quest for inexpensive GIS data-collection software has intensified. It makes sense. When people were used to paying thousands of dollars for a GIS data-collection device, another US$800-$1,000 for GIS data collection software seemed reasonable. It might have added 15-25% to the total price of the system. With today’s inexpensive devices, sometimes data collection software ends up costing more than the device itself, thus pushing the demand for cheaper software. On top of that, as I discussed a couple of weeks ago, we are in the middle of a mobile device operating system war. Whereas it used to be a no-brainer that Windows Mobile (or some derivative of it) was going to be the dominant operating system and supported by software developers, that’s not the case any longer. Windows Embedded is going to be around, but it’s clearly not the dominant mobile device operating system it once was.

    Interestingly enough, GIS data collection software for iOS and Andoird have followed the iOS and Android price trends. The mobile devices running iOS and Android are inexpensive, sometimes free. You don’t see any iOS or Android GIS data collection software packages costing thousands of dollars. On the other hand, many Windows Mobile-based geospatial softwares cost upwards of US$2,000. Of course, you can make the argument that the Windows Mobile-based softwares are mature and feature rich. That’s true, as most of the iOS and Android-based softwares have a fraction of the capability, but I’d venture to say that most users don’t need many of the features they are paying for. I also agree with one of the trends outlined in the UN document in that I think open source might be where things are headed.

    • Free and open source software will continue to grow as viable alternatives both in terms of software, and potentially in analysis and processing.

    Ironically, open source GIS data collection software has been around for years. However, you probably don’t know about it because no organization is actively marketing it (if there’s no revenue, there’s no marketing budget). Software like gvSIG Mobile is a reasonably powerful GIS data collection product. A little quirky? Perhaps. But, if your budget is depleted and your requirements exceed the capabilities of the typical free or inexpensive software in the iTunes or Google Market, you might tolerate the quirkiness.

    gvSIG Mobile Open Source GIS Data Collection Software.
    gvSIG Mobile Open Source GIS Data Collection Software.

    The UN also predicts that geospatial data will trend toward open source.

    • Within five years the level of detail on transport systems within OpenStreetMap will exceed virtually all other data sources and will be respected and used by major organizations and governments across the globe.
    • Community-based mapping will continue to grow.
    • There is unlikely to be a market for datasets like those currently sold to power navigation and location-based services solutions in five years, as they will have been superseded by crowdsourced datasets from OpenStreetMaps or other comparable initiatives.|
    While I agree that the trend towards open source data is gaining traction, five years is a really aggressive timeline for phasing out the likes of TeleAtlas (owned by TomTom) and Navteq (owned by Nokia). These are the two major map database suppliers for virtually all GPS navigation devices used in vehicles around the world. I think there will be, for the forseeable future, a quanitifiable and valued difference between open source data and commercial geospatial data. Commercial users will pay for perceived quality and accountability, especially if the price differential is minimal. Consumer GPS users (vehicle navigation) might be a different story. A $30 difference in retail price can sway a consumer from one brand to another.
    More on UAVs for Mapping
    One of the first trends in the UN listed are:
    • There will be an increased demand for applications to be used with high-resolution imagery.
    • The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as a tool for rapid geospatial data collection will increase.

    Trimble’s acquisition of Gatewing just last month supports this trend as well as the Obama administration’s accelerating the use of civilian UAVs back in February of this year via the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012.

    Cost-effective mapping UAVs are starting to emerge. In just this past week, Event 38 announced a small mapping UAV for under US$1,000.

    Low-cost E382 Mapping UAV from Event 38.
    Low-cost E382 Mapping UAV from Event 38.
    Augmented Reality

    As does the UN vision, I think augmented reality has a bright future for both commercial users and consumers.

    • Augmented reality applications will be pervasive, with the ability to view a whole range of data overlays on top of the real world.

    For professional geospatial users, the situational awareness possibilities are tremendous. Imagine the backhoe operator being able to “see” the underground infrastructure in order to avoid it. Imagine the park superintendent being able to “see” all of the underground irrigation and drainage lines by simply positioning a tablet computer towards the area of interest.

     

    Thanks, and see you next week.

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