GPS World

Category: Mapping

  • Communication matters with spatial data

    International Cartographic Conference much more than just cartography

    I’ve always been a strong proponent of good cartography since my early days in geographic information systems (GIS) when I saw countless examples of very poor GIS map products. Regrettably, many early practitioners of GIS understood the software but lacked an appreciation and understanding of the good cartographic principals that are absolutely necessary to communicate spatial data well.

    Consequently, the International Cartography Conference (ICC 2017) was an event I didn’t want to miss, especially since this was the first time in 39 years that this prestigious conference has been held in the United States.

    The 28th annual International Cartographic Conference, ICC 2017, was held in Washington, D.C., July 2-7 with moe than 1,000 attendees from 80 countries representing government, academia and international companies.

    Two years ago at a an Esri Federal User Conference, I met Dr. Eric Anderson and Lynn Usery of the Cartography and Geographic Information Society of the US (CaGIS).  Both were promoting the ICC 2017 and heavily involved in its planning and organization.

    Dr. Anderson was a research scientist and executive with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for 35 years and is now the executive director of CaGIS and a faculty member of the College of Charleston. Lynn Usery is a senior scientist of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and director of the Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science. ICC events have been key activities of the International Cartographic Association (ICA).

    George Washington, First in the Arts of Mapmaking

    In a keynote address, Director Robert Cardillo from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) explained the interesting history of NGA citing George Washington, surveyor and mapmaker, as NGA employee number one.

    Washington also appointed the nation’s first geographer and father of military mapping, Robert Erskine, whose work helped win the American Revolutionary War.

    He also spoke of the Civil War use of manned balloons with telegraph wires tethered to the ground, used to verbally aim indirect artillery defilade fire. He continued the history lesson up to modern times, leading to imagery and Big Data.

    Other keynote speakers included: Tom Patterson, senior cartographer, U.S. National Park Service; Lee Schwartz, geographer, U.S. Department of State; and Mikel Maron, Mapbox, OpenStreetMap Foundation.

    Among the many interesting presentations was one from Payam Tabrizian, Anna Petrasova and Vaclav Petras, all Ph.D. candidates at North Carolina State University and special guests of CaGIS. They  demonstrated their unique physical 3D sandbox system using low-cost gaming scanners and GRASS GIS.

    Imagine being able to hold a GIS in your hands: feel the shape of the earth, sculpt its topography, and direct the flow of water.

    This open-source interface physically, interactively manifests geospatial data, making GIS more intuitive and accessible for beginners, and creating new opportunities for developers. It consists of a near real-time feedback cycle of interaction, 3D scanning, point-cloud processing, geospatial computation and projection.

    Peer Review

    Although the word cartography was dominant, the conference covered a much broader range of topics, with a heavy emphasis on GIS and the science of mapping spatial data.

    Dr. Anderson reminded me that the conference is an outgrowth of the International Journal of Cartography, published on behalf of the ICA. The publication is a peer-reviewed journal, and much of the conference provides an opportunity for originators to present their work to a live audience.

    The conference ran from July 3-7 with more than 600 presentations and sessions. There were also several days of pre-conference meetings and field trips in the D.C. area. My colleague, William Tewelow, who has taken over my monthly Geointelligence Insider column, and I were both overwhelmed with the number of presentations.

    William was only able to attend part of the conference, but found a wealth of new material to digest and write about during the coming year.

    To give you an idea of the scope, below is a list of ICC Commissions (special interest groups), with each holding dozens of break-out sessions:

    • Art and Cartography
    • Atlases
    • Cartographic Heritage into the Digital
    • Cartography and Children
    • Cartography in Early Warning and Crisis Management
    • Cognitive Issues in Geographic Information Visualization
    • Education and Training
    • Generalization and Multiple Representation
    • Geospatial Analysis and Modeling
    • GI for Sustainability
    • History of Cartography
    • Location Based Services
    • Map Design
    • Map Production and Geoinformation Management
    • Map Projections
    • Maps and Graphics for Blind and Partially Sighted People
    • Maps and the Internet
    • Mountain Cartography
    • Open Source Geospatial Technologies
    • Planetary Cartography
    • SDI and Standards
    • Sensor-driven Mapping
    • Topographic Mapping
    • Toponymy
    • Ubiquitous Mapping
    • Use, User and Usability Issues
    • Visual Analytics

    You can read the session abstracts through the online schedule.  Additionally, ICC smartphone apps permit the download of text and some PowerPoint presentations. Go to your app store and search for and install “ICC2017.”

    Once you install the app, you can search for topics or presenters. You can view most presentation summaries, and even view or download some PowerPoint presentations and PDFs. (I’m not sure how long these will be available, so act soon).

    Expo and Posters

    The ICC featured several map/poster areas including a collection of maps created by children from around the world. Also included was an expo area with booths from organizations and businesses.

    Since this was a more academic conference that fell between GEOINT and the Esri User Conference, geospatial businesses were lightly represented. Below are video clips of some of the exhibitors.

    • Jill Saligoe-Simmel of MapDiva demonstrates Ortelius map design software for the Mac:

    • Markus Fuchs-Winkler with OCAD, a cartographic software program:

    • Liu Xiang Ming and Tao Wang of Top MAProducts at Qingdao Geotechnical Investigation & Surveying Research Institute. The comprehensive geoscience research institute focuses on geotechnical investigation, surveying, GIS and map culture. Ming and Wang were displaying some unique gift items with mapping themes. If you know someone with a gift shop or need some unique trade show or conference gifts, email Top MAProducts at [email protected].

    All in all, this was a very robust conference that I wish I could have seen more of. Lynn, Eric and the organizing committee did a superb job with such a complex effort.

    Photo and video by Art Kalinski

  • Esri UC: How CityEngine powered Disney’s Zootopia

    Esri UC: How CityEngine powered Disney’s Zootopia

    Brandon Jarratt took plenary attendees behind the scenes of city creation in Zootopia, using Esri CityEngine. (Photo: Esri)
    Brandon Jarratt, Disney.

    Brandon Jarratt took GIS professionals behind the scenes of animated city creation at the Esri User Conference, being held this week in San Diego.

    Jarratt served as general technical director for Disney’s Zootopia, which won the 2016 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Jarrett took the stage during the plenary session to describe how the Zootopia team used Esri CityEngine software to create the complex city that serves as the backdrop for the movie.

    Jarratt said Disney animated features need three elements: compelling stories, appealing characters and believable worlds. That’s believable worlds, not realistic worlds.

    Disney animated movie elements. (Photo: T. Cozzens)

    In this case, the complex city of Zootopia had to be designed from the ground up as a complex city with various districts designed to accommodate the vast array of animal species.

    In the world of Zootopia, humans don’t exist. Transportation systems, houses, streets and services need to accommodate animals as tall as giraffes and as small as a shrew. To meet these challenges, the designers turned to Esri CityEngine and its multi-scaling feature.

    The Zootopia world also needed to incorporate various habitats, or in this case, districts. At the center a large complex city dominates.

    The four burroughs of Zootopia. (Image: Disney)

    CityEngine was used in the creation of the city in Big Hero 6 as well. In Big Hero 6, the base city geography used was San Francisco, upon which Japanese-style buildings were placed. In all, 80,000 buildings were incorporated into San Fransokyo.

    San Fransokyo in Big Hero 6. (Image: Disney)

    Zootopia, on the other hand, was built from scratch — including the terrain. The team started with research of various landscapes to create a basemap.

    Zootopia concept map. (Photo: T. Cozzens)

    At the city-building stage, CityEngine’s custom tool was used to lay down streets.

    Buildings were designed for each district. The building styles couldn’t be repeated too often, or the city would look unrealistic, Jarratt said. The designers used carefully calibrated mix rules to keep the cities lively.

    The desert area of Sahara Square is make of 61,000 parts, including buildings, wall segments and palm trees. (Image: Disney)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The ability in CityEngine to change the makeup of a city, adjusting the frequency of the various parts, made it easy for the illustration team to meet the art director’s requirements. When he wanted more skyscrapers, or buildings of a certain design, the team was able to provide new concept images the same day.

    Zooptopia being built in Esri CityEngine. (Photo: T. Cozzens)

    Esri’s CityEngine GIS technology is used by city planners to design our future smart cities. “It’s so similar to how city planners create real cities,” said Esri President Jack Dangermond. He then presented Jarratt with Esri’s first-ever Best Animated Feature Using GIS award.

  • ‘Maps are alive’: Highlights from the Esri UC plenary

    ‘Maps are alive’: Highlights from the Esri UC plenary

    GIS provides the means for users to apply “the Science of Where” everywhere, according to Esri President Jack Dangermond. (Photo: Esri)

    “Maps are alive,” declared Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president, on the plenary stage at the world’s largest GIS event. The 38th annual Esri User Conference is taking place July 10–14 at the San Diego Convention Center.

    We are on the cusp of a data and information explosion, Dangermond explained while introducing the conference theme “The Science of Where.”

    Esri President Jack Dangermond describes the value of GIS at the plenary session of the Esri UC. (Photo: GPS World)

    “We are about to launch in to a different scale,” he predicted. GIS is changing rapidly with numerous new information streams and advances in real-time data, and maps are central to understanding our changing world. GIS provides a platform for managing, analyzing and applying that data and information, he said.

    His advice? “Share, collaborate. Communicate so we collectively can learn all bout world. Let’s take our work collectively to scale.”

    GIS is vital to understanding developments in numerous areas: population growth, climate change, social changes, natural disasters and political polarization, to name a few. “We have to do everything we can to better understand and form collaborations to address these areas,” he said.

    “Today’s businesses and governments require new ways of thinking,” said Dangermond. “Our users are leading the charge, using mapping and analytics to empower digital transformation, accelerate understanding of big data, and democratize technology. It is an inspiration to see how so many different organizations are applying the science of geography and the technology of GIS to gain insight into their data and reveal hidden patterns and spatial relationships.”

    Dangermond presented numerous examples of organizations using GIS in new ways. For instance, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has created an “energyshed” map similar to a watershed map. An orchard is using GIS and GPS tracking to collect data on cherry picking. The Democratic Republic of Congo is making use of crowdsourcing to generate maps.

    Story Maps are aiding what Dangermond calls “geo-journalism,” telling stories about new developments in virtually every field.

    A screenshot of “Washington's Ice Age Floods” story map from the Washington Geological Survey.
    A screenshot of “Washington’s Ice Age Floods” story map from the Washington Geological Survey.

    Dangermond also presented the following awards:

    • Ice Age Floods, by the Washington Geological Survey, won Best Story Map.
    • The GIS Digital Transformation Award went to Abu Dhabi, which “has taken GIS to new frontiers” in every government agency with every citizen, Dangermond said.
    • The Enterprise GIS Award went to the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for maintaining the largest GIS database in the world, with daily updates and a user-friendly portal.
    • The President’s Award, chosen personally by Dangermond, was given to the United Parcel Service (UPS), which saves up to $400 million a year with its location-enabled Orion system. It puts the ability to update maps in the hands of supervisors, who constantly are optimizing routes. Now deployed in the U.S., the Orion system is going worldwide.
    UPS took home the President’s Award for innovative use of GIS. (Photo: Esri)

    Other speakers and their topics at the first-day plenary included:

    • Renowned author and theoretical physicist Geoffrey West — His book Scale: The Universal Laws of Growth, Innovation, Sustainability, and the Pace of Life in Organisms, Cities, Economies, and Companies, explores dynamic growth and the challenges of achieving that growth sustainably.
    • Walt Disney Animation Studios — Behind the scenes of Zootopia. (Read more here.)
    • Oakland County, Michigan — Making government services more cost-effective
    • Chesapeake Conservancy — Analyzing imagery and sensor data to protect watershed areas
    • Taylor Shellfish Farms — Transforming the family-run business by implementing cloud GIS solutions so staff can perform spatial data collection in the field
    • Severe Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS), Calgary, Canada — Powering real-time decision support systems to improve emergency services
    • Smart Dubai — Empowering one of the smart cities of the future with citizen engagement and smart growth.

  • ArcGIS Pro 2.0 offers innovations, streamlined workflows

    ArcGIS Pro 2.0, Esri’s next-generation desktop geographic information system (GIS), is now available. This latest version provides more highly requested workflows and features new innovations.

    It is also more tightly integrated with the rest of the ArcGIS platform, so that users can complete more of their workflows solely in ArcGIS Pro.

    Jack Dangermond, Esri president, introduced major features of the upgrade at the Esri User Conference plenary July 10. The Esri User Conference takes place in San Diego July 10-14. Several focused sessions at the conference will explore the updates to ArGIS Pro.

    Highlights of ArcGIS Pro 2.0 include the following.

    Workflows

    The user’s favorite workflows are now easier and more powerful in ArcGIS Pro 2.0. Users can perform more complete workflows solely in ArcGIS Pro, such as map creation and data management.

    • Create more effective and meaningful maps with annotation and grids.
    • Getting started with new ArcGIS Pro projects has vastly improved with Favorites.
    • Modify topology properties directly in ArcGIS Pro.
    • Enhanced traverse tool improves COGO workflows.
    • Highly requested context menu options for importing and exporting data included in the Catalog pane.
    Users of ArcGIS Pro can now create map notes in 3D in a scene.
    Users of ArcGIS Pro can now create map notes in 3D in a scene.

    Innovations

    ArcGIS Pro 2.0 features the following innovations.

    • Explore 3D landscapes with new 3D navigation controls, and sync the views of 3D and 2D maps.
    • Layouts are more useful and powerful with embeddable dynamic interactive charts.
    • Improvements to 3D drawing including feature drawing by camera distance and enhanced lighting of 3D objects make 3D visualizations even better.
    • Analytics improvements with fill-missing-values tools and enhanced spacetime cubes.
    • Get more done with new geoprocessing tools.

    ArcGIS Platform Integration

    ArcGIS Pro 2.0 works better with the rest of the ArcGIS platform, including ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise and Esri’s library of ready-to-use apps. Cross-platform workflows are now easier and more powerful than ever.

    • Enhancements for editing and interacting with the geodatabase in the ArcGIS Pro 2.0 SDK.
    • Consume native OGC Web Feature Service (WFS) Services directly in ArcGIS Pro.
    • Sync with feature layers that reference data registered in Portal for ArcGIS 10.5.1.
    • Vertical coordinate systems are included when sharing web scenes and web scene layers.
    • Continue to work in ArcGIS Pro while packaging operations complete in the background.

    Get the full details on what’s new in ArcGIS Pro 2.0.

  • GPS World reports live from the 2017 Esri User Conference

    GPS World reports live from the 2017 Esri User Conference

    The 2017 Esri User Conference, the mecca of geographic information systems (GIS) in the U.S., is taking place July 10-14 in San Diego, California. This year, the theme is “The Science of Where.”

    The conference is designed to give attendees practical advice and hands-on experience with GIS tools from Esri and other companies, as well as share ideas and best practices for improving our world through maps.

    The event encompasses 16,000 GIS users, managers and developers; 300 moderated sessions; 450 hours of technical training; and 300 software vendors.

    GPS World/Geospatial Solutions staff is on site, so check this page for news, photos and videos live from the show. Also follow us on Twitter at @GSS_NCM and @GPSWorld.

    The Expo Hall at the Esri User Conference. (Photo: T. Cozzens)
    A wall in the SDCC lobby is dedicated to tracking the upcoming full eclipse across the U.S. (Photo: T. Cozzens)

    NEWS

    Esri UC: How CityEngine powered Disney’s Zootopia

    ‘Maps are alive’: Highlights from the Esri UC plenary

    ArcGIS Pro 2.0 offers innovations, streamlined workflows

    Esri CityEngine 2017 designed for efficient urban planning

    ArcGIS Web AppBuilder receives major widget updates (7/5)

    PHOTOS

    VIDEOS

  • Trimble Catalyst brings high-accuracy positioning to Android devices

    The Trimble Catalyst software-defined GNSS receiver for Android devices is now available through Trimble’s global distribution network.

    Trimble Catalyst DA1 antenna attaches to a smartphone running a Catalyst-enabled app.

    Through Catalyst and a special antenna, customers can access positioning-as-a-service to collect geolocation data with Trimble or third-party apps on smartphones, tablets and mobile handhelds.

    When combined with a plug-and-play digital antenna and subscription to the Catalyst service, the receiver provides on-demand GNSS positioning capabilities to turn consumer Android devices into centimeter-accurate data-collection systems.

    Catalyst requires only a few components:

    • Any location-enabled mobile app.
    • A Catalyst subscription, with accuracy options ranging from one meter to centimeter level.
    • Trimble’s small, lightweight DA1 antenna that plugs directly into Android smartphones and tablets.

    “Our goal has always been to extend the accessibility of high-accuracy positioning to a broader base of geospatial and non-geospatial professionals,” said Ron Bisio, vice president of Trimble Geospatial. “Trimble Catalyst represents a new era of GNSS technology by making high-precision positioning a reality for new user segments around the world. With economical on-demand service, it puts high-accuracy in the palm of anyone’s hand — it’s revolutionary.”

    Both Trimble and third-party development teams have produced a range of Catalyst-enabled applications for geographic information system (GIS) data acquisition, cadastral land management, topographic mapping and ground control for unmanned aircraft systems (UAVs).

    Also, the Trimble Catalyst solution includes a software development kit (SDK) for building mobile applications with integrated professional workflows.

    “Trimble is enabling us to deliver better solutions for our customers thanks to the level of integration that the SDK provides,” said Paul Brodin of Korec Group. “It allows us to provide sophisticated solutions that are innovative, easy to use and remove the technical complexity associated with high-accuracy workflows.”

    Trimble Catalyst service subscriptions and the Catalyst DA1 antenna are now available through Trimble’s Authorized GIS Distribution Network. Catalyst availability, pricing, subscription and accuracy may vary by region. Catalyst-enabled apps for Android can be found in the Google Play Store.

     

  • Esri CityEngine 2017 designed for efficient urban planning

    Esri CityEngine 2017 designed for efficient urban planning

    Esri has released Esri CityEngine 2017 with a variety of new features.

    This latest version of Esri’s 3D modeling software offers new features that let planners and architects compare different scenarios and visualize them with dashboards to view how each would affect the same geographic area — all in real time.

    Image: Esri
    Image: Esri

    With the updates available in the new version of CityEngine, users can make changes to specific features — such as adjusting the size of windows or adding a balcony — in a model without affecting the entire structure.

    Before this, planners would have to create two entirely different projects to understand the consequences of a proposed building’s design variations.

    “With this release of CityEngine, we focused on the needs of urban planners, designers and architects,” said Pascal Mueller, director of Esri R&D Center Zurich AG, where CityEngine is developed. “We are proud to introduce a groundbreaking new-tool concept for the scenario-based planning in a 3D application.

    The software team also implemented long-awaited user requests such as measurement tools and computer-generated architecture (CGA) neighborhood queries, Mueller said. Also, the graphical user interface has been completely revamped with a fresh, modern look and improved ease of use.

    The new CityEngine also introduces procedurally generated 3D city content. This means that planners can automatically create unique design features on buildings without manually rendering them. This feature saves time that urban planners and architects would otherwise spend generating details themselves.

    “Smart cities of the future will be designed more transparently, and the design process will engage citizens,” said Dominik Tarolli, head of 3D geodesign business at Esri. “With CityEngine 2017, smart city scenes can be created in minutes and shared via the web or Esri’s ArcGIS 360 VR app in a single click.”

    The latest version of CityEngine is available for Windows, Mac and Linux platforms. A free 30-day trial with full export capabilities can be downloaded.

  • ArcGIS Web AppBuilder receives major widget updates

    ArcGIS Web AppBuilder receives major widget updates

    Major changes have been added to the ArcGIS Web AppBuilder in its June 2017 update, in the form of new widgets. For those who use the AppBuilder for creating applications rather than using ArcGIS for Developers, widgets serve as a mainstay for mapping application projects.

    For the summer update, eight new core widgets are now available for users. Here’s a quick overview of what’s new.

    GIS developers focused on aesthetic aspects of the new update will find a lot of use out of the new basemap gallery widget. Rather than the standard set of initial maps that Esri provides, organizations are now capable of setting up a variety of basemaps of their own. This could work concurrently with the design aspects of ArcGIS for Photoshop and Illustrator.

    An infographic feature also provides graphic templates that allow for greater data visualization, with a variety of graphs spanning from simplistic number representations to more complicated charts.

    Additionally, the new “dashboard” theme can take widgets such as the basemap gallery and infographic widgets and display them simultaneously, with the added ability for users to format the size and arrangement of how they’re displayed.

    A screenshot of the ArcGIS infographic widget.
    A screenshot of the ArcGIS infographic widget.

    For GIS professionals working more with data analytics, a conversion widget enables users to input coordinates in one system and output to another. Some of the coordinate conversions listed:

    • Global Area Reference System (GARS)
    • Degree-based formats (DDM, DMS, and DD)
    • Military Grid Reference System (MGRS)
    • United States National Grid (USNG)
    • World Geographic Reference System (GEOREF)
    • Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)

    The new suitability modeler also helps analysts visualize location susceptibility based off of available data, and can project the likelihood of future occurrences in selected areas.

    An in-depth overview of all eight widgets, alongside some general enhancements for the ArcGIS summer 2017 update, is available here.

    Olivia Harne is a writer, researcher and geographer.

  • senseFly brings drone education to Esri User Conference

    senseFly will showcase how to integrate drone imagery into current workflows at the Esri User Conference, which takes place July 10-14 in San Diego. senseFly is hosting a series of workshops designed for surveying, mapping and GIS professionals.

    As a producer of mapping drones and an Esri Silver Partner, senseFly will present the innovative ways in which its drones are being used with Esri’s Drone2Map for ArcGIS software to deliver on-demand high-resolution imagery and robust GIS projects.

    Drone Surveying 101 – Wednesday, July 12

    This workshop will be led by Francois Gervaix, surveying project manager, and is aimed at visitors wanting to know more about drone mapping and surveying. He will explain how senseFly solutions can be used as a surveyor’s own imagery sourceanytime, anywhere — as well as how Esri’s Drone2Map for ArcGIS makes the creation and integration of drone imagery into workflows even easier.

    The session takes place 12-1 p.m. in room 30 B of the San Diego Convention Center. Refreshments will be provided. To register, go to https://dronesurveying101.eventbrite.com.

    senseFly User Meeting – Thursday, July 13

    With the geospatial market needing specific and integrated solutions, Briton Voorhees, sales engineer, will give existing senseFly customers an in-depth look at its latest features. This includes senseFly Corridor, a new platform enhancement that vastly simplifies the drone mapping of linear sites, for applications such as utilities monitoring, as well as the newest release of eMotion 3.

    The user meeting takes place 12-1 p.m. in room 30 B – SDCC, where refreshments will be provided. Register at https://senseflyusermeeting.eventbrite.com.

    Briton will also speak at the pre-conference Imaging and Mapping Forum on the various sensors available to senseFly users and detail how they can apply to imaging applications.

    senseFly’s drones offer full compatibility with Esri’s Drone2Map for ArcGIS mapping and spatial analysis software.

    senseFly is also exhibiting at the UC Expo and encourages visitors to stop by booth 2126 to speak to its team of experts.

  • Avineon launches portal to highlight Esri’s Utility Network in ArcGIS

    Avineon Inc. has launched a new portion of the Avineon Innovation Lab dedicated to articles, white papers and videos highlighting the impact of Esri’s Network Management System in the ArcGIS Platform. Avineon is a provider of geospatial, information technology and engineering support services.

    The new section focuses on Avineon’s contributions, expertise and partnership with Esri on the next evolution of GIS Network Management: the Utility Network.

    Part of the ArcGIS platform, the Utility Network is available on any device.
    Part of the ArcGIS platform, the Utility Network is available on any device.

    GIS services and solutions have been a part of Avineon’s success for the last 25 years, which is keeping pace with evolving technology and the impact GIS has on companies in the utility and telecommunications industries.

    The Utility Network lets users create, manage, and share electric, water, wastewater, gas, district heating, and telecommunications asset data. The beta release of the Utility Network comes with base data models for electric, gas and water networks.

    The technology is capable of supporting other networks — such as district heating, telecommunication and wastewater — but, for now, users need to build their own data models or rely on partners. Esri will provide base data models in some of these areas in later releases.

    “Avineon has been a valuable partner and contributor to Esri’s Utility Network throughout the early adopter program, providing valuable feedback to our product teams,” commented Bill Meehan, Director of Utility Solutions for Esri. “The resulting Network Management System in the ArcGIS Platform will support utility and telecommunication companies as they execute their business plans for innovation, digital transition and transformation, sustainability, and smart ecosystems (smart grid, smart buildings, smart transportation, smart cities, etc.). We believe Avineon’s partnership with Esri and offerings like Avineon’s Head Start program, as well as observations into the practical applications of the Utility Network, through their Innovation Lab, will help industries understand the strategic and tactical pathway to maximize the value of their GIS now and into the future.”

    Joel Campbell, Avineon’s vice president of Commercial Systems, added, “As an Esri business partner, it is exciting to support our customers and contribute to Esri’s vision of the ArcGIS Platform. These new capabilities serve as the foundation for delivering a new generation of business applications leveraging web and services patterns as well as evolved network management capabilities. We at Avineon look forward to utilizing our Innovation Lab as an outlet to share the lessons learned, best practices, and case studies around the newest evolution of GIS and its impact on the utility and telecommunication industries.”

  • Trimble launches VRS Now correction service in France

    The Trimble VRS Now GNSS correction service is now available in France. The service is designed for a variety of geospatial and construction applications including surveying, cadastral, land administration, and urban and rural construction that would benefit from easy access to high-accuracy, centimeter-level positioning.

    Trimble also now provides Galileo support for VRS Now. Powered by the Trimble Pivot Platform, VRS Now in Europe fully supports GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS and the Galileo satellite system.

    Galileo support improves network performance and reliability with access to additional satellites, particularly in urban canyons or other harsh environments. The increased number of visible satellites provides additional data observations that enhance positioning integrity to better mitigate errors.

    “Trimble continues to aggressively expand its VRS Now footprint in Europe,” said Patricia Boothe, general manager of Trimble’s Advanced Positioning Division. “With the addition of correction services in France, Trimble VRS Now covers over 179 million square kilometers (732 million square miles) across 10 countries.”

    VRS Now coverage is available throughout the majority of France as well as Belgium, The Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden using a compatible GNSS receiver or display.

    Subscriptions are available through Trimble’s Authorized Business Partners or Trimble’s online store.

  • Leica Geosystems offers complete imaging solution

    Leica Geosystems offers complete imaging solution

    Leica Geosystems’ BLK360 is a miniaturized black 3D imaging laser scanner. The BLK360 captures the world with full-color panoramic images overlaid on a high-accuracy point cloud.

    The one-button Leica BLK360 is easy to use, Leica said. Anyone who can operate an iPad can now capture the world around them with high-resolution 3D panoramic images.

    The Leica BLK360 imaging laser scanner is so small and light that it fits in a typical messenger bag. It features a 60-meter measurement range for full dome scans. A complete full-dome laser scan, 3D panoramic image capture and transfer to the iPad Pro takes only 3 minutes.

    Using the ReCap Pro 360 mobile app, the BLK360 streams image and point cloud data to iPad. The app filters and registers scan data in real time. After capture, ReCap 360 Pro enables for point cloud data transfer to a number of computer-aided design, building information modeling, virtual reality and augmented reality applications. The integration of BLK360 and Autodesk software streamlines the reality-capture process, opening the technology to non-surveying individuals.