GPS World

Author: Tracy Cozzens

  • SuperGIS 3D Earth Server 3.2 Officially Launched

    20140407 SuperGIS 3D Earth Server 3.2

    Supergeo Technologies, a provider of complete GIS software and solutions, has released SuperGIS 3D Earth Server 3.2 to assist enterprises in managing, integrating, publishing and displaying geographic data and 3D models.

    SuperGIS 3D Earth Server 3.2 is GIS software designed to publish and overlay terrain data, 3D models, and so forth with spatial data, as well as to display the spatial data in 3D view. The GIS software can help users better explore geographic space and the spatial relation among data.

    Integrating a cloud concept for straightforward data publishing and management, SuperGIS 3D Earth Server 3.2 allows users to easily distribute and deploy data. Administrators not only can effortlessly publish data as 3D map services over the Internet, but also apply browsers to access the published data, services, and websites without extra plug-ins.

    Front-end users can directly view and manipulate the services in the 3D environment, including Query Feature, Position Query Results, and Share Screenshot. In this way, excellent interaction between users and maps can be obtained to further examine  GIS-related problems to get best solutions for spatial issues.

    For the latest product or to download a free trial, visit http://www.supergeotek.com/ProductPage_3DEarth.aspx

    Introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCidggbbBpM&list=UUZif2ttCAyr0Z-LUUrd6aKQ

    Demo site with Google Chrome: http://sgs.supergeo.com.tw/SeaLevel/SGSEarth.htm

     

  • GIS 2Go Allows for Offline Access to ArcGIS Maps from Tablets

    GPS2Go-O

    Disy Informationssysteme GmbH, a provider of GIS and reporting solutions for spatial and non-spatial data, is offering a new app and service for offline maps for tablets.

    GIS 2go allows users to save Esri’s ArcGIS Desktop maps to their tablets (iPad or Android). The GIS 2go add-in for ArcGIS Desktop supports data selection, map export and re-import via the cloud. With the app Cadenza Mobile GIS 2go installed on a tablet, users have immediate access to their maps, including all attribute data and media — even if they are offline in the field. Graphic notes and media created on the go can also be imported back into ArcGIS Desktop.

    Disy_GIS2go_2_Tablet_Szenario_Strassenwesen_englUsers can interactively navigate on the map while on the go. Moreover, it is possible to show attribute data and use the graphic notebook to add points, lines and areas or track them via GPS. This information can be complemented with photos and audio/video recordings or text notes. Data captured on the go can be imported into ArcGIS Desktop and stored to the local database or file system.

    How to save and use mobile maps on a tablet is described in 4 easy steps is at www.gis2go.com. The website also provides information on features and pricing, as well as tutorials and an FAQ.

    A personal demo account is offered  for interested users interesting in testing GIS 2go their mobile devices. The demo account is free of charge and without any obligation.

  • Supergeo Superior Public Bike System with SuperGIS Desktop 3.2

    20140416 Public Bike

    Chart: Supergeo Technologies

    Supergeo Technologies, a global provider of GIS software and solutions, is assisting Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, in analyzing  public bike system networks. SuperGIS Desktop 3.2 is helping administrators and citizens conveniently use the public transportation system for bicycles, the company said. Kaohsiung City has decided to provide its citizens with public bikes.

    Biking is a popular transportation method and personal leisure activity for the people of Kaohsiung City. Determining where to establish bike stops that will attract locals to use the bikes, without affecting the current busy traffic patterns, is the most important issue for administrators.

    The dilemma facing administrators is that bike stops shoud be near facilities, and the distance between each stop shouldn’t be too far. Through GIS technologies, decision makers can easily overlay the different layers that show diverse impact factors, such as nearby subway and train stations, and the most used pick-up and return routes.

    Also, SuperGIS Desktop 3.2 provides rich spatial analysis functions. With the buffer analysis, for instance, various factors can be analyzed and displayed so administrators can optimize the vehicle supplement.

  • Supergeo Superior Public Bike System with SuperGIS Desktop 3.2

    20140416 Public Bike

    Chart: Supergeo Technologies

    Supergeo Technologies, a global provider of GIS software and solutions, is assisting Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, in analyzing  public bike system networks. SuperGIS Desktop 3.2 is helping administrators and citizens conveniently use the public transportation system for bicycles, the company said. Kaohsiung City has decided to provide its citizens with public bikes.

    Biking is a popular transportation method and personal leisure activity for the people of Kaohsiung City. Determining where to establish bike stops that will attract locals to use the bikes, without affecting the current busy traffic patterns, is the most important issue for administrators.

    The dilemma facing administrators is that bike stops shoud be near facilities, and the distance between each stop shouldn’t be too far. Through GIS technologies, decision makers can easily overlay the different layers that show diverse impact factors, such as nearby subway and train stations, and the most used pick-up and return routes.

    Also, SuperGIS Desktop 3.2 provides rich spatial analysis functions. With the buffer analysis, for instance, various factors can be analyzed and displayed so administrators can optimize the vehicle supplement.

  • Launch a River Trip from Your Computer Using Streamer

    Streamer map of the conterminous United States showing water basins, weather radar, and real-time streamflow stations.
    Streamer map of the conterminous United States showing water basins, weather radar, and real-time streamflow stations.

    Field & Stream called it a “…very cool tool and quite a bit of fun.”  MinnPost described it as a “…high-tech illustration of Norman Maclean’s timeless view that, ‘Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” And Popular Science noted that, “There’s something especially satisfying about clicking a stream that…shoots its way across multiple states to empty into the ocean.”

    These publications are all describing Streamer, the popular on-line mapping program from the U.S. Geological Survey. Streamer is a powerful, yet easy way to explore our major waterways. With a simple map click, anyone can trace rivers and streams from a starting point all the way downstream to where a stream drains. Even more impressive, they can click on a stream and trace all others that drain to that point. Streamer also produces a report that includes a map and information about the people and places encountered along the streams traced.

    Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on Belle Fourche River in South Dakota extending into Wyoming and Montana. Weather radar and real-time streamflow stations are shown on the map.
    Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on Belle Fourche River in South Dakota extending into Wyoming and Montana. Weather radar and real-time streamflow stations are shown on the map.

    As good as Streamer was when it launched last summer, it just got better. Four major enhancements and dozens of small improvements have been made. These include:

    • A new map layer displays the locations of real-time streamflow stations across the country. Streamer updates this information hourly and symbolizes these stations to illustrate current streamflow conditions compared with each station’s observed mean streamflow on the same day of the year.
    • You can tell at a glance whether conditions are above, below, or at normal levels at each station.
    • Links are provided from Streamer directly to selected stations for additional information and data.
    • Another new map layer has been added that shows weather radar across all 50 States.
    • Useful improvements to Streamer’s detailed reports have been added. One of these lists the names of waterbodies (lakes, reservoirs, etc.) along the path of your trace.
    • Congressional Districts encountered along your trace have been added.
    • A mouse click takes you from the Streamer report to additional information from the Census Bureau about socioeconomic conditions in each District.
    • Searching for locations on Streamer’s map by place name, zip code, geographic coordinates and more is greatly enhanced.

    In its first eight months in service, Streamer users traced more than 2.9 billion river miles.

    The USGS announced in February that it is ending production of the National Atlas on September 30, and that some of its products and services would transition to The National Map. With this release, Streamer becomes the first of these National Atlas products and services that The National Map will offer.  For cartographers and geospatial information professionals, Streamer’s surface water data is available for download at no cost.

    Detail from a Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on the Arkansas River near Geuda Springs, Kansas, extending into Colorado and New Mexico. Real-time streamflow stations are shown.
    Detail from a Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on the Arkansas River near Geuda Springs, Kansas, extending into Colorado and New Mexico. Real-time streamflow stations are shown.

  • Launch a River Trip from Your Computer Using Streamer

    Streamer map of the conterminous United States showing water basins, weather radar, and real-time streamflow stations.
    Streamer map of the conterminous United States showing water basins, weather radar, and real-time streamflow stations.

    Field & Stream called it a “…very cool tool and quite a bit of fun.”  MinnPost described it as a “…high-tech illustration of Norman Maclean’s timeless view that, ‘Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” And Popular Science noted that, “There’s something especially satisfying about clicking a stream that…shoots its way across multiple states to empty into the ocean.”

    These publications are all describing Streamer, the popular on-line mapping program from the U.S. Geological Survey. Streamer is a powerful, yet easy way to explore our major waterways. With a simple map click, anyone can trace rivers and streams from a starting point all the way downstream to where a stream drains. Even more impressive, they can click on a stream and trace all others that drain to that point. Streamer also produces a report that includes a map and information about the people and places encountered along the streams traced.

    Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on Belle Fourche River in South Dakota extending into Wyoming and Montana. Weather radar and real-time streamflow stations are shown on the map.
    Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on Belle Fourche River in South Dakota extending into Wyoming and Montana. Weather radar and real-time streamflow stations are shown on the map.

    As good as Streamer was when it launched last summer, it just got better. Four major enhancements and dozens of small improvements have been made. These include:

    • A new map layer displays the locations of real-time streamflow stations across the country. Streamer updates this information hourly and symbolizes these stations to illustrate current streamflow conditions compared with each station’s observed mean streamflow on the same day of the year.
    • You can tell at a glance whether conditions are above, below, or at normal levels at each station.
    • Links are provided from Streamer directly to selected stations for additional information and data.
    • Another new map layer has been added that shows weather radar across all 50 States.
    • Useful improvements to Streamer’s detailed reports have been added. One of these lists the names of waterbodies (lakes, reservoirs, etc.) along the path of your trace.
    • Congressional Districts encountered along your trace have been added.
    • A mouse click takes you from the Streamer report to additional information from the Census Bureau about socioeconomic conditions in each District.
    • Searching for locations on Streamer’s map by place name, zip code, geographic coordinates and more is greatly enhanced.

    In its first eight months in service, Streamer users traced more than 2.9 billion river miles.

    The USGS announced in February that it is ending production of the National Atlas on September 30, and that some of its products and services would transition to The National Map. With this release, Streamer becomes the first of these National Atlas products and services that The National Map will offer.  For cartographers and geospatial information professionals, Streamer’s surface water data is available for download at no cost.

    Detail from a Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on the Arkansas River near Geuda Springs, Kansas, extending into Colorado and New Mexico. Real-time streamflow stations are shown.
    Detail from a Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on the Arkansas River near Geuda Springs, Kansas, extending into Colorado and New Mexico. Real-time streamflow stations are shown.

  • Esri Offers Interactive Map of Landslide Risk

    Aerial photograph of the Oso mudslide, taken by the Washington State Patrol.
    Aerial photograph of the Oso mudslide, taken by the Washington State Patrol.

    The March 22 mudslide in Oso, Washington, has drawn national attention to the danger of landslides. So far, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed that 39 people had died and seven people remain missing.

    Esri provides an interactive map for users to see where the risk of landslides is low, moderate, or high in the United States.

    The map shows landslide suspectibility and incidence data from the USGS, which says this 1982 map was not intended to show landslide areas. Areas with low landslide incidence have been omitted.

    Users can click any feature on the map for detailed information about the people living in that area.
     Esri-Landslide-map

  • Esri Offers Interactive Map of Landslide Risk

    Aerial photograph of the Oso mudslide, taken by the Washington State Patrol.
    Aerial photograph of the Oso mudslide, taken by the Washington State Patrol.

    The March 22 mudslide in Oso, Washington, has drawn national attention to the danger of landslides. So far, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed that 39 people had died and seven people remain missing.

    Esri provides an interactive map for users to see where the risk of landslides is low, moderate, or high in the United States.

    The map shows landslide suspectibility and incidence data from the USGS, which says this 1982 map was not intended to show landslide areas. Areas with low landslide incidence have been omitted.

    Users can click any feature on the map for detailed information about the people living in that area.
     Esri-Landslide-map

  • CompassData Certified by FAA to Collect Data for Aviation Mapping

    CompassData, a worldwide provider of geospatial data and services, has received DO-200A certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for collection and processing of survey and ground control data used in the creation of Airport Mapping Database (AMDB) products.

    “DO-200A certification enables CompassData to provide Ground Control Points (GCPs) for generation of digital aeronautical products, such as Airport Moving Maps, used by pilots in the cockpit to navigate on the ground at airports worldwide,” said Hayden Howard, CompassData Vice President. “This certification applies to custom ground control collects and to many of the GCPs that exist in our worldwide archive available off the shelf for immediate purchase.”

    In addition, CompassData has been approved to use its GCPs and Accuracy Analyst map tool to verify the accuracy of satellite or aerial imagery used in creation of AMDB DO-272C aviation products. This means CompassData may orthorectify a high-resolution DigitalGlobe satellite image, verify that the orthoimage accuracy meets sub one- and five-meter specifications, and provide the image to an aeronautical mapping firm or avionics system developer to generate commercial products.

    DO-200A standards were developed by FAA to assure the quality of data used in the preparation of aeronautical mapping, navigation and situational awareness products and systems. Prior to certification, CompassData completed a rigorous examination procedure in which FAA reviewed every step in the firm’s methodologies for collecting, processing and managing GPS-surveyed ground control to ensure the data is accurate, timely, complete, and traceable.

    FAA has granted only six LOAs (Letters of Acceptance) in the Denver ACO Region and only 24 globally. CompassData is the first in the world to receive certification for verification of data sets used to create Airport Moving Map data.

    In March, CompassData purchased the assets of Spatial Information Solutions (SIS) in Starkville, Mississippi, and announced the continued sale and support of the popular Accuracy Analyst and Topo Analyst Map Accuracy Tools. These software applications are relied upon by geospatial end users to automatically verify the accuracy of orthoimagery and digital elevation data sets, often with CompassData GCPs.

    CompassData will discuss the FAA DO-200A certification and demonstrate Accuracy Analyst and Topo Analyst Map Accuracy Tools in booth #2063 at GEOINT 13* being held April 14-17, 2014, in Tampa, Florida.

  • Trimble Offers Software Updates to Simplify Geospatial Analysis

    Trimble announced today comprehensive updates to its powerful suite of geospatial office software, including Trimble Business Center, RealWorks and Trident solutions. Together, these updates provide increased data interoperability between Trimble office software platforms, enabling users to easily combine data generated through traditional survey methods, laser scanning and mobile mapping workflows, to produce richer and more intuitive deliverables, the company said.

    “Data interoperability across Trimble software platforms provide users with seamless and efficient workflows and the flexibility to focus first on the output needed for each job,” said Alain Samaha, business area director of GIS and software for Trimble’s Geospatial Division. “Whether it is a stakeout design or a precise as-built model, users can select the best software environment to get the job done right and deliver that information in the most useable format.”

    The announcement was made at SPAR International 2014, a conference for 3D data capture, processing and delivery technologies.

    Trimble Business Center Version 3.20. Geospatial professionals now have access to an improved processing and analysis experience. With an integrated and powerful new point cloud engine, users can visualize and edit large point clouds while simultaneously working with high- resolution imagery. Combining these rich data sets into a single workflow saves time and potential conversion errors.

    Trimble RealWorks Version 8.1. The latest release of Trimble RealWorks provides surveyors and laser scanning professionals with enhanced tools that make it easier to visualize and interpret scan data. Point clouds can now be easily colorized using high-resolution and High Dynamic Range (HDR) images from professional grade external cameras, significantly reducing measurement and modeling times.

    Trimble Trident Version 6.1. Mobile mapping professionals can now combine the rich datasets captured using spherical cameras with laser scanner and inertial measurements from the Trimble MX2, to easily determine the location of surveyed features and automatically classify imaged objects.

    The new office software versions are expected to be available in April 2014 through Trimble’s worldwide Geospatial distribution network.

  • Esri Issues Help to Fight Heartbleed Bug in ArcGIS Products

    heartbleedEsri has issued guidelines for users to protect themselve against the Heartbleed Bug, officially named OpenSSL Vulnerability CVE-2014-0160 (Heartbleed).

    The Heartbleed Bug is a serious vulnerability in the popular OpenSSL cryptographic software library. This weakness allows stealing the information protected, under normal conditions, by the SSL/TLS encryption used to secure the Internet. SSL/TLS provides communication security and privacy over the Internet for applications such as web, email, instant messaging (IM) and some virtual private networks (VPNs).

    Some 17 percent (around half a million) of the Internet’s secure web servers certified by trusted authorities were believed to be vulnerable to the attack, allowing theft of the servers’ private keys and users’ session cookies and passwords.

    Since learning about the vulnerability, Esri staff have been performing maintenance to validate, secure, and patch Esri servers and infrastructure to close this vulnerability and ensure Esri customers are protected.

    Esri suggests its customers read its Knowledge Base Technical Article to determine the action required for their particular ArcGIS products and services. As an extra precaution, users may want to change their passwords.

  • NGA’s Bryan Goltry Honored with Lt. Michael P. Murphy Award

    This morning at the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation’s (USGIF) GEOINT 2013* Symposium, the 2013 Lt. Michael P. Murphy Award in Geospatial Intelligence was presented to Bryan Goltry, an analyst at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). NGA Director Letitia A. Long and Dr. Todd S. Bacastow, professor of practice for geospatial intelligence at Penn State University, presented the award to Goltry on the main stage directly following Long’s keynote address.

    “The Murphy award committee felt that Bryan’s independent studies made an exceptional contribution to understanding the principle dimensions of the geospatial intelligence profession,” said Bacastow.

    Goltry is a geospatial analyst with NGA’s Analysis Directorate, and recently completed Penn State’s master’s degree program in homeland security with a GEOINT focus. Goltry began his GEOINT career with Earth Satellite Corp., where he assisted with NGA’s GeoCover project. He then served as an imagery analyst at NGA from 2002 to 2006. In 2006, he worked in the private sector with 3001 Inc. as a program manager providing imagery and geospatial analysis services to customers in the Intelligence and Defense Communities. Goltry received his bachelor’s degree in geographic sciences with concentrations in GIS, global studies, and environmental studies from James Madison University.

    “Goltry’s contributions to NGA and his tradecraft continue the high standards established by the Murphy Award,” said Mark Brender, executive director of the DigitalGlobe Foundation. “We congratulate him for his excellent work and passion for his industry.”

    The Murphy Award is named for Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a distinguished Penn State alumnus. Murphy was killed June 28, 2005, by enemy forces during a reconnaissance mission in Afghanistan. For his selfless leadership and courageous actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The award, in his honor, recognizes achievement by a Penn State graduate student who is serving or has served in the U.S. Armed Forces or U.S. Intelligence Community. Recipients are
    chosen based upon demonstration of exceptional contributions to the discipline after completing Penn State’s Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence, as part of the university’s Master of Geographic Information Systems program.
    The generosity of USGIF, the DigitalGlobe Foundation, and faculty, staff, and friends of Penn State fund the Murphy Award.