GPS World

Tag: Esri ArcGIS

  • Esri to monitor illegal activities in Argentine waterways

    Argentina’s coast guard Prefectura Naval and Aeroterra S.A. have partnered to implement Esri’s ArcGIS platform for a real-time tracking system.

    The new system, called Guardacostas Pro, uses a combination of satellite imaging and signal processing to monitor vessels for illegal activities such as drug smuggling and fish poaching in the coastal waters of Argentina’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

    As Argentina’s coast guard, Prefectura Naval deploys patrol vessels, helicopters and airplane spotters to protect its economic interests and to guard against the decline of its fishery.

    This year, the Guardacostas Pro system allowed Prefectura Naval to track a Spanish vessel that entered the EEZ and attempted to return to international waters. The coast guard was able to catch the ship, which had poached roughly $380,000 worth of fish; escort it back to port; impound it; and fine the crew.

    The captain had little ground to refute the charges because the coast guard had the data to prove the illegal activity.

    “As of five years ago, we had very little information about the use of our seas,” said Ernesto Miguel Klocker, Prefectura Naval director of informatics and communications. “Now we have a good picture, which gives us electronic control of the sea, allowing us to send our air and naval units directly to the places where ships operate.”

    Until recently, its primary enforcement tool was constant patrolling and investigation of all ships. Now Guardacostas Pro monitors signals that every vessel transmits to avoid collision and to provide data on vessel type, speed, and location. It combines this with satellite imaging and Esri’s spatial analytics capabilities to give coast guard personnel real-time alerts when a vessel is entering their waters.

    “Prefectura Naval is setting a truly cutting-edge example of a forward-thinking organization,” said Dean Angelides, Esri head of international alliances and partners. “The best way to effectively enforce laws over such a large scale as the EEZ is to know exactly where things are happening and when, and Argentina is now leading the way in data-driven public safety.”

    After being successfully proven at sea, the Guardacostas Pro system has been moved ashore and is now a multiagency tool to aid Argentina’s Ministry of Security’s homeland security mission. The Ministry of Security will use the system to track and locate its operative units through mobile phones, radio equipment, vehicles with location sensors, and search and rescue aircraft.

  • Esri book highlights analyzing, mapping surface water features

    Esri has published its latest book, “GIS for Surface Water: Using the National Hydrography Dataset,” by Jeff Simley, which details how to use geographic information system (GIS) technology to visualize and analyze data sets. Simley is an award-winning cartographer and the former lead of the Hydrography Program at the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

    The book examines the complexities of surface water systems and shows readers how to use the Esri ArcGIS software, the USGS’s National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and the Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s NHDPlus dataset to better study and manage the United States’ vast water system.

    According to Esri, the book thoroughly examines the representation of water features and their attributes in a GIS and then turns its attention on how that data is structured in the NHD, WBD and NHDPlus datasets. In addition, after seeing how surface water hydrography can be modeled in a GIS, readers can then learn how to use these tools to solve real-world problems, such as protecting and restoring the fisheries habitat in Washington.

    The book also offers instructions to guide readers to create surface water flow-volume maps that show how much water flows through any given river system.

    “This book is unique in that it is the most comprehensive, authoritative source for the NHD,” said hydrologist David Maidment in the book’s foreword. “But it is more than that: It is a monument to the intellectual craft and dedicated effort of a generation of digital mapmakers who devoted their professional careers to the completion of this enormous task.”

  • Esri location intelligence to integrate with SAP HANA Spatial Services

    Esri location intelligence to integrate with SAP HANA Spatial Services

    Esri’s ArcGIS software is being integrated into SAP’s latest cloud-based offering, SAP HANA spatial services, to help customers create location-aware business applications faster, according to spatial analytics company Esri.

    Based on SAP Cloud Platform, the new offering enables businesses to process location data such as complex imagery, as well as visualize and analyze their authoritative data in a geospatial context.

    The new geo-enabled solution from SAP will allow users to deliver their data through consumer-friendly maps and integrate the results into custom business applications, the company said. Customers using SAP software will also be able to create custom models that efficiently process streams of Earth observation data such as water content or soil temperatures and see this data on high-quality basemaps provided by Esri’s ArcGIS Online.

    Most business objectives — such as increasing revenue growth, reducing operational costs or improving customer service — rely on some sort of location data. Unfortunately, many executives lack an accurate and up-to-date understanding of where performance is going well and where improvements need to be made.

    This new offering from SAP, which leverages Esri technology, lets organizations extract high-value business information from satellite, drone and open data sources and then easily discover and share location-based insights.

    “As an SAP global technology partner, we are very excited about this offering, as it demonstrates that SAP and Esri products work better together,” said Chris Cappelli, director of strategic business development at Esri. “Users of SAP HANA spatial services can now achieve native integration of spatial and enterprise data across all business processes. By putting the power of location information into the hands of key stakeholders, businesses can make better-informed decisions with their own data.”

    The integration follows SAP’s announcement on Jan. 24 that Esri supports SAP HANA as an enterprise geodatabase with the release of ArcGIS 10.6 and ArcGIS Pro 2.1.

    Esri and SAP customers can benefit from enhanced performance and scalability as well as full integration of both enterprise and spatial data. Both Esri and SAP continue to deliver new innovations that help lower total cost of ownership and administration costs brought on by the tight integration of IT and geospatial landscapes, Esri said.

    Esri will showcase its new integration of location intelligence technology with SAP HANA spatial services at SAPPHIRE NOW and ASUG Annual Conference in booth #1239.

  • Esri’s Africa GeoPortal to help with urgent development challenges

    Esri has launched the Africa GeoPortal, a comprehensive cloud-based platform that provides rich content and solutions from Esri and its partners.

    The geoportal provides access to Esri’s ArcGIS Online service as well as geographic data and imagery for Africa.

    The African Union, African Development Bank, other international agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGO), academia, businesses and national government funds will be able to use the geoportal to address the most urgent development challenges — from economic development and climate adaptation to conservation and health care.

    “Access to this Africa GeoPortal powered by the ArcGIS platform will provide my colleagues at the iLab, and others in the network of African Technology Hubs (AfriLabs), with the information and analytical capabilities that we need to make the most effective development interventions for our citizens and communities,” said Luther Jeke, Manager of iCampus at iLab Liberia.

    The complimentary software-as-a-service technology is offered to all who are supporting African nations for positive economic, social and environmental outcomes — African citizens, NGOs, and international development agencies alike.

    The geoportal offers access to spatial analytics capabilities and authoritative content for charting compelling, educational, informational, entertaining and beautiful maps of Africa, Esri said.

    “We are deeply committed to helping the people of Africa discover, explore, and understand the vast information available to them through the power of maps,” said Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president. “Through this service, we hope to provide our users with the benefit of ongoing developments and investments at Esri so they can foster missions to the best of their abilities.”

    To learn more about the Africa GeoPortal and Esri’s commitment to supporting the global community in the quest for sustainability through better mapping and location intelligence, visit go.esri.com/africa_geoportal.

    Photo: Esri

  • Esri publishes textbook on how to use ArcGIS Pro

    esri-publishes-a-textbook-on-how-to-use-arcgis-pro-WEsri has released GIS Tutorial 1 for ArcGIS Pro: A Platform Workbook, which teaches all the elements of creating and managing data; designing maps; performing spatial analysis; creating 3D scenes; and sharing projects using ArcGIS Pro, Esri’s professional desktop geographic information system (GIS) application.

    The textbook primarily focuses on working with ArcGIS Pro but also offers instruction on using ArcGIS Online and apps such as Collector for ArcGIS, Esri Story Maps, and Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS. The book teaches students how to do the following:

    • Use, design, and share maps
    • Work with file geodatabases, spatial data, and geoprocessing tools plus learn digitizing skills and geocoding
    • Conduct spatial analysis using tools such as ArcGIS Network Analyst; work with raster datasets; and use 3D GIS technology to create scenes, buildings, and bridges
    • Manage operational systems using GIS, and complete a real-world project that provides hands-on experience in setting up and managing graffiti mapping and graffiti removal systems

    Designed for use in a university classroom setting, this workbook includes step-by-step instructions, On Your Own exercises, and in-depth assignments. Instructors can access teaching materials. Self-learners will find this textbook to be an excellent introduction in how to use ArcGIS Pro. Each tutorial includes easy-to follow, step-by-step instructions.

    GIS Tutorial 1 for ArcGIS Pro: A Platform Workbook was written by Wilpen L. Gorr and Kristen S. Kurland, the authors of other highly regarded tutorials including GIS Tutorial 1: Basic Workbook, GIS Tutorial for Health and GIS Tutorial for Crime Analysis.

    Gorr is a professor of public policy and management information systems at the School of Public Policy and Management, H. John Heinz III College, Carnegie Mellon University, where he teaches and researches GIS applications.

    Kurland is a professor of architecture, information systems, and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University’s H. John Heinz III College and School of Architecture. There, she teaches GIS, computer-aided design (CAD), building information modeling (BIM), 3D visualization, and infrastructure management.

    GIS Tutorial 1 for ArcGIS Pro: A Platform Workbook is available in print (ISBN: 9781589484665, 480 pages, US$99.99) and as an e-book (ISBN: 9781589484931, 480 pages, US$99.99). The print and e-book editions of the book can be obtained from online retailers worldwide, at esri.com/esripress, or by calling 1-800-447-9778.

    Outside the United States, visit esri.com/esripressorders for complete ordering options, or visit esri.com/distributors to contact your local Esri distributor. Interested retailers can contact Esri Press book distributor Ingram Publisher Services.

  • Esri ArcGIS helps firefighters with mutual response

    The International Association of Fire Chiefs, Intermedix and Esri have signed an agreement to build the National Mutual Aid System or NMAS.

    The NMAS will be the next-generation version of the IAFC’s Mutual Aid Net tool built in 2008. The NMAS will use Esri ArcGIS and Intermedix’s WebEOC, a crisis information management software, to manage and track emergency services resources during mutual-aid responses.

    During large-scale emergencies and disasters, it is critical for response personnel to have easy access to a mutual-aid system for managing their resources. WebEOC will allow IAFC to manage information sharing, event reporting and task management in a central, web-based environment that allows IAFC to connect to partner agencies and organizations during response efforts.

    The use of spatial data to identify and respond quickly and effectively is also paramount. Esri’s ArcGIS platform brings mutual aid management data into a location context, integrating that information into spatial analysis technology that emergency responders around the world use every day.

    The IAFC has long been the leader in supporting state and local fire and emergency management communities in disaster management. The current Mutual Aid Net is used to identify, request and deploy resources for mutual aid support.

    The NMAS will use the latest technology to help decision makers accomplish these tasks faster, easier and more accurately.

    The use of Intermedix’s WebEOC and Esri’s ArcGIS platforms provides information sharing, decision support and situational awareness capabilities to jurisdictions, regions and countries around the globe.

    The foundation of NMAS will be on the WebEOC platform which through the ArcGIS Extension for WebEOC will provide access and integration to Esri online tools and dashboards.

    The result of this integration is the near real-time data availability of WebEOC information within ArcGIS Online applications, without the need for any development, middleware or technical expertise.

    “The IAFC is extremely pleased to partner with Intermedix and Esri to build the next generation of the National Mutual Aid System,” said Tommy Hicks, IAFC’s Chief Programs & Technology Officer and Assistant Executive Director. “Ensuring that emergency managers and responders have real-time information and resources at their fingertips is an essential to protecting their communities from harm.”

    “Identifying the status and availability of resources for mutual aid support has always been challenging,” said Russ Johnson, Esri global director, emergency response. “In today’s environment with increasingly complex multi-jurisdictional incidents, this need is greater than ever. Through the leadership of IAFC and the partnership between Esri and Intermedix, the ability to know the availability of required mutual aid resources and immediately request them will be realized. This will be a major step forward in supporting public safety agencies throughout the country.”

    “Intermedix looks forward to our partnership with IAFC and an expansion of our partnership with Esri,” said Bob Watson, Intermedix president of preparedness solutions. “Our mission is to serve those who save lives, and the National Mutual Aid Net project is perfectly aligned with that mission. The only effective way to respond to emergencies is through collaborations and partnerships between public and private organizations. The National Mutual Aid Net takes that principle and puts it into practice. We are honored to be a part of this undertaking.”

  • Kansas utility finds new workflow solutions

    Water, Water, Where?

    WaterOne found itself stuck in the past. The independent public utility knew that its workflow for collecting geospatial data was broken.

    WaterOne serves a 272-square-mile area on the Kansas side of the Kansas City, Missouri, metropolitan area, which has a population of 420,000, 145,000 metered accounts and 2,685 miles of water pipes. The survey/geospatial staff consisted of three analysts, two editors, one programmer and one GPS collector. By 2016, less than 40 percent of the water features had been captured with GPS.

    The staff was using legacy GNSS handhelds — operators had to return to the office every night and physically download their data.

    Besides being time-consuming, the operators would become frustrated by the antiquated system. Sometimes the handhelds wouldn’t sync to the computer, or files for download would be hard to find. Also, the GNSS handhelds had a tiny screen, making it difficult for operators to see background data in the field. The handhelds’ limited computing power meant the entire water system couldn’t be loaded onto it.

    WaterOne turned to a new workflow using Panasonic ToughPad tablet computers and Eos Positioning Systems’ Arrow 200 RTK GNSS receivers mounted on a range pole (see photo).

    The Arrow 200 receiver connects to the Panasonic ToughPad via wireless Bluetooth link. The ToughPad has a Verizon SIM card for internet connectivity, used for two purposes:

    • Connecting to the Missouri Department of Transportation RTK network to receive RTK corrections for centimeter accuracy;
    • Connecting to the WaterOne ArcGIS server in real time from the field.

    Whenever the field tech collects data, the data syncs up with ArcGIS server. This eliminates the task of having to physically download the data at the end of the day.

    The new workflow also provides near real-time updates to WaterOne’s geospatial information system. This means that if five techs are in the field collecting data, they can each see the map updated in near real time.

    The ToughPad tablets have a large, sunlight-readable 10-inch display. The large displays combined with the new data-collection software allows the field techs to view the entire GIS water system on the tablets. The field tech can now “see” all of the water system assets — pipes, valves, fittings, hydrants — around them. This significantly improves productivity over the legacy GNSS handhelds.

    Street maps and aerial photos were loaded on the ToughPad to give the field techs a choice of background data to view.

    The result? Compared to the 1,767 GPS points collected in 2016, the WaterOne team has collected 5,770 just in the first four months of 2017.

  • 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.

  • Esri and Pokévision speed Pokémon Go hunting

    Pokévision, a third-party app for the viral mobile game Pokémon Go, uses Esri’s location-based data and mapping platform ArcGIS to help players of the game find Pokémon around them.

    Pokévision helps Pokémon Go players hunt more strategically by displaying location changes and time spent in each place; the length of time in a given location depends on the rarity of the character.

    A web map powered by ArcGIS services, Pokévision shows all Pokémon near user-requested locations. When visitors type an address or drop a pin on the map, Pokémon are displayed in real time.

    “When we created Pokévision, we chose Esri ArcGIS almost immediately because it was the only option that was able to scale at the rate we were growing,” said the Pokévision founder Y. Liu. “Using Esri alleviated many of the concerns we had with scaling, and helped us to quickly and seamlessly keep pace with our growing user base.”

    Pokévision had 20 million unique users in the first five days and is growing. Its peak usage exceeded 320,000 visitors with map requests reaching into the tens of millions.

    Pokévision developers chose Esri for its open-source, mobile-friendly interactive mapping capabilities. The developers first built the locator for a few friends, but the tool was so popular it quickly went viral. Within hours of creation, Esri experienced double the normal hit rates, and use of interactive maps used to display Pokémon rose by more than 30 percent.

    “The ArcGIS Online platform is designed to scale in high-performance, high-growth environments,” said Paul Ross, product manager for ArcGIS Online at Esri. “Even large data sets at high volume can be handled in real or near real time, as happened with the Pokévision locator.”

    Developers can bring the Pokévision location to their apps using ArcGIS regardless of their experience in creating geospatial applications. Web, mobile, and desktop apps can incorporate the same mapping, visualization, and analysis that hundreds of thousands of organizations around the world rely on every day.

    Learn more at go.esri.com/pr-developersarcgis.

  • Geneq’s iSXBlue receivers fully compatible with Collector 10.4

    Geneq’s iSXBlue receivers are now fully compatible with Esri’s Collector for ArcGIS 10.4. for iOS, according to Geneq.

    The high sub-metric accuracy which characterizes the iSXBlue receivers is thus available in real time for field workers and Collector users.

    Users of the high-recision receivers can take advantage of new features of data collection with the Collector software, particularly:

    • Detailed information about the location and its related accuracy
    • An easy way of setting a minimal precision value during data collection
    • A new simple interface for Bluetooth connection setting with the iSXBlue receiver
    • New correction profile setting to define datum transformations
    • Capture GNSS metadata (accuracy, correction type, DOP,…) and attach it to features you collect
    • Improved notifications for receiver changes or configuration issues

    Users that need centimeter accuracy can use Geneq’s iSXBlue RTN software, available at the Apple App Store. iSXBlue RTN allows users to receive and use RTK corrections via an Internet Protocol (IP) connection (NTRIP or DIP) along with iSXBlue receivers.

  • Esri agreement to provide access to Chinese maps, imagery

    Dean Angelides, director of International Operations, Esri (left), and Feng Xianquang, director for NGCC, signed the historic agreement to share data with users around the world.
    Dean Angelides, director of International Operations, Esri (left), and Feng Xianquang, director for NGCC, signed the historic agreement to share data with users around the world.

    Esri and the National Geomatics Center of China (NGCC) have signed an agreement providing access to NGCC’s mapping web services, starting this fall.

    The historic agreement will allow more users outside of China to access the country’s authoritative cartographic and imagery data. Users of the Esri ArcGIS platform will have access to the maps for no additional charge.

    NGCC is a government agency attached to National Administration of Surveying, Mapping (NASG) and Geoinformation of China. NGCC is responsible for national data that is used in surveying and mapping projects in China, as well as facilitating the scientific and technological communication between agencies in China, in the areas of sharing geographic data and services over the web.

    “The cooperation between NGCC and Esri will enable a large number of ArcGIS online users to gain access to the rich regional online geodata of China,” said Zhigang Li, NASG chief engineer, on behalf of NASG. “The agreement will facilitate the scientific and technological communication between agencies by sharing geographic information and services over the web in the Asia Pacific Region. NGCC hopes this joint work is able to promote regional, even global, promotion of spatial data.”

    “We are honored to work with the government of China to provide access to the most current and authoritative basemaps for the country,” said Jack Dangermond, president of Esri. “We look forward to continued collaboration.”

    The web services will be available in the third quarter of 2016.

    Photo: Esri

  • New ArcGIS Full Motion Video release gives faster access

    Esri’s latest version of ArcGIS Full Motion Video (FMV) presents new capabilities to improve the way analysts and managers interact with videos.

    ArcGIS FMV allows users to view, organize and analyze video from drones and other collection platforms.

    The new release includes a performance boost in playback and panning, and in zooming the video during playback. It offers full support for JP2, and TIFF support for video mosaics including full image transformations for better accuracy. A new search tool makes it easier to find video segments based on location, time, and selected features.

    “ArcGIS FMV expands the capabilities of ArcGIS as a complete, professional platform for managing, sharing, and extracting value from geospatial data,” said Gerald Kinn, Esri’s lead product engineer for imagery. “Imagery from video is one of the most important sources of data in ArcGIS.”

    The previous version of ArcGIS FMV included a multiplexer tool that allowed users to transform non-MISB format videos, such as from UAVs or drones, into MISB-compliant videos compatible with the FMV add-in.

    “ArcGIS FMV tools add a dimension to our remote sensing analysis not previously possible,” said Verne LaClair, general manager for Vertex Geo, an Esri partner that specializes in civilian, municipal, defense and intelligence initiatives. “The ability to map FMV content will play an important role in search-and-rescue operations, wildlife tracking and monitoring, and cinematography projects.”

    For specific and technical details about this and the latest version, visit Esri.com/FMV.