Art Kalinski, GeoIntelligence Insider editor, reports on Remote GeoSystems‘ geospatial DVR at the 2015 Esri Federal GIS Conference, held Feb. 9-10 in Washington, D.C. LineVision Esri ArcGIS is a stand-alone desktop software that leverages Esri GIS technology to map, analyze and package geospatial full motion video, photos, annotations, documents, SHP files and raster imagery from the geospatial DVR.
Tag: Esri ArcGIS
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Esri Launches Site to Find Open Data
Esri has launched a website to help citizens discover organizations sharing open data around the world and provide direct access to thousands of open government datasets. Citizens can search, download, filter, and visualize this data through their web browser or mobile device.
Since July 2014, more than 1,200 organizations from all levels of government, including the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the cities of Raleigh, North Carolina; Tampa, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Muroran, Japan, have used Esri’s ArcGIS Open Data to configure custom open data sites to serve local citizens and businesses. Now the public can search across these sites to find authoritative data by location and topic.
“We are excited about the large number of organizations currently sharing open data and believe we have a great opportunity to boost global support for open data and open knowledge,” said Andrew Turner, CTO of Esri’s DC R&D Center. “As more of the 380,000 organizations we work with across the globe begin to contribute open data, we will be able to help foster innovation by connecting the millions of datasets created by government agencies and shared through ArcGIS Open Data.”
Any organization can make its data available through ArcGIS Open Data, and people can now discover this data by visiting opendata.arcgis.com.
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ArcGIS 10.3, ArcGIS Pro Modernize GIS for Organizations and Enterprises
ArcGIS 10.3 is now available with the release of ArcGIS Pro, Esri announced. ArcGIS 10.3 realizes the vision of web GIS, which empowers customers to use information anywhere and on any device. It includes new apps and enhancements that continue to advance the science of geography and GIS and enable users to more readily share their work throughout their organizations, Esri said.
“ArcGIS 10.3 is a very large release that fully completes the picture of ArcGIS for organizations and enterprises,” said Sud Menon, director of software development and engineering, Esri.
The release of ArcGIS 10.3 transforms the entire ArcGIS platform and is headlined by the introduction of ArcGIS Pro.
ArcGIS Pro
ArcGIS Pro is a new desktop GIS application from Esri. Designed as a multithreaded 64-bit application for Windows, ArcGIS Pro takes advantage of modern technology that allows users to visualize, edit, and analyze data faster than ever before. With ArcGIS Pro, users can create and work with geographic layers in both 2D and 3D and share map information as feature layers, imagery, maps, analysis services, 3D web scenes, and web maps.
“ArcGIS Pro is an integral part of the ArcGIS platform,” said Menon. “It’s our premium application for authoring maps and scenes that can be easily shared through the web GIS model.”
ArcGIS Pro is included at no charge with every license of ArcGIS 10.3 for Desktop. Users can run ArcGIS Pro simultaneously with any version of ArcMap.
SmarterBetterCities, a start-up based in Switzerland, uses ArcGIS Pro to help cities understand the impacts of zoning changes in 3D. “We understand our world in 3D. ArcGIS Pro is a fantastic platform for us to create affordable next generation planning tools for small town and big city planning,” said Antje Kunze, CEO of SmarterBetterCities.
ArcGIS in Your Own Infrastructure
At ArcGIS 10.3, Portal for ArcGIS is now included at no charge with ArcGIS for Server Standard or Advanced licenses. With Portal for ArcGIS, users can bring the full ArcGIS experience into their own infrastructure for secured stand-alone or hybrid deployments in ArcGIS Online. Portal for ArcGIS also gives organizations access to the full suite of ArcGIS apps, including the new Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS, so that they can more easily share maps and analyses across their enterprise.
Better 3D across the Platform
ArcGIS 10.3 features improved support for 3D data across the entire ArcGIS platform. In addition to the 3D capabilities in ArcGIS Pro, Esri has also released a new web scene viewer in ArcGIS Online that lets users create 3D scenes by mashing up existing layers directly within a browser.
Real-Time GIS
ArcGIS 10.3 fully integrates real-time, streaming data into the ArcGIS platform. ArcGIS GeoEvent Extension for Server delivers improved performance and throughput capabilities, as well as faster spatial filtering. ArcGIS GeoEvent Extension for Server also offers better scalability by allowing organizations to create clusters that can handle higher volumes of data. Users can take advantage of new spatial operators and processors in ArcGIS 10.3 to perform more powerful spatial filtering and real-time analytics.
More Opportunities for Developers
From the launch of Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS to the enhanced JavaScript API, ArcGIS 10.3 offers new capabilities for developers across the board. This release also marks the beginning of a wave of releases that will further help developers build mobile applications using ArcGIS Runtime.
For more information on the dozens of other improvements in ArcGIS 10.3, visit esri.com/whatsnew.
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Esri ArcGIS 10.3 Now Certified OGC Compliant
As part of Esri’s ongoing support of GIS interoperability, the latest ArcGIS 10.3 release is now certified as Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC), compliant.
Through its support for OGC specifications, ArcGIS users can access data and services from many different sources, regardless of the technology used by those sources, Esri said. In addition, users can share their content with others, including non-Esri users, contributing to the larger goals of the open data movement.
“Our goal is to help our users be successful, and Esri sees technical interoperability as a key driver to successful implementations,” said Dr. Satish Sankaran, Esri product manager for interoperability and member of the OGC Architecture Board.
The OGC leads the development of geospatial interoperability standards. Esri is a long-standing, active OGC participant, helping GIS users to seamlessly work together, Esri said.
Esri’s first OGC compliancy certificates were granted in 1999, and many more Esri ArcGIS platform products have met OGC compliancy since then.
See the full list of OGC-compliant products from Esri.
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Is Severe Weather Coming Your Way? Check Out Esri’s Map
Esri is offering a Severe Weather Public Information Map that charts instances of severe weather throughout the United States and Canada. Weather events tracked include snowstorms, tornadoes, floods, hail storms, wind storms, and short-term weather warnings issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The map features live feed layers. Users can click on reports and warnings to receive information about the specific location and read a short description about the issue. Radar is provided by AccuWeather and Environment Canada as part of the Esri Disaster Response Program.
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Trimble’s Smart Water Software Adds GNSS for 3D Accuracy
Trimble has introduced the latest version of its smart water infrastructure mapping and work management cloud software — Trimble Connect for Water version 1.9.
The latest release of the geographic information system (GIS) centric software-as-a-service (SaaS) adds real-time, high-accuracy centimeter-level horizontal and vertical GNSS accuracy for capturing 3D asset positions. The new release includes a suite of applications that allow water, wastewater and stormwater utilities to accurately locate, inventory and visualize their infrastructure assets and increase operations and maintenance efficiency.
The announcement was made at Trimble Dimensions.
Trimble Connect for Water cloud software leverages Trimble’s GNSS rugged mobile devices and Esri’s GIS technologies to accurately map, locate and assess the condition of critical infrastructure assets, allowing utilities to keep their field infrastructure data up-to-date and accurate.
The new release now supports Trimble’s Geo 7 Centimeter Edition rugged handheld, integrating 3D mapping into utility field workflows and enabling mobile workers to precisely locate and map the horizontal position and elevation of buried infrastructure.
Trimble Connect for Water version 1.9 can be configured and deployed quickly on a variety of Trimble and non-Trimble mobile devices, laptops, tablets and smartphones, including Apple iPads, iPhones, Android, Windows and Windows Mobile devices to automate fieldwork and eliminate paper-based maps.
Trimble Connect uses the latest Esri ArcGIS for Server, Mobile and ArcGIS Online basemap services. The software is designed to automate a variety of specific water, wastewater and stormwater industry workflows through individual pre-configured “apps” offered within the product and as part of a subscription.
The new version provides standard core apps including Map Book, Manhole Inspector, Leak Repair, Hydrant Inspector, Valve Inspector, Meter Changeout, Incident Repair, Water Mapper, Wastewater Mapper and Stormwater Mapper. In addition, an optional partner app developed for American Flow Control (AFC) hydrant and valve data collection, “AFC Mapper,” can be purchased from AFC and their distributors for use with Trimble rugged handhelds.
Trimble Connect for Water version 1.9:
- Offers centimeter-level real-time GNSS accuracy to improve the quality and accuracy of the utility’s GIS data to precisely locate hard to find assets.
- Allows capturing accurate vertical elevations in real-time. Combined with horizontal precision, the solution provides high-accuracy GIS data that can be used to measure pipeline slopes, perform flow analysis and generate 3D and hydraulic models.
- Supports the Trimble Geo 7 Centimeter edition with an integrated laser rangefinder.
- Offers pre-configured Water, Wastewater and Stormwater mapping apps, allowing utilities to quickly start mapping network infrastructure and updating their asset data.
- Provides the capability to export data in a variety of formats including Esri File Geodatabase, Shapefiles and MS Excel, which allows users to update the utility’s enterprise GIS or visualize and analyze the collected data using third-party systems.
Trimble Connect for Water version 1.9 is expected to be available in December 2014 from Trimble’s Water Division and its authorized distribution partners.
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NGA Creates Website to Support Ebola Relief Efforts
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency made available October 23 a public-facing website to assist U.S. and international relief efforts to combat the spread of the Ebola virus disease, providing unprecedented online access to its unclassified geospatial intelligence in support of lead federal agencies and partners.
NGA’s efforts add important value to the support offered by other organizations, including the All Partners Access Network, which provides community spaces and collaborative tools to the Department of Defense and mission partners to leverage information to effectively plan, train and respond to mission objectives.
“The dynamic site provided by NGA allows the agency to automatically federate its geospatial content, which then is used by organizations such as APAN for mission-related efforts,” said agency Director Robert Cardillo.
NGA’s role in the Ebola crisis has been in step with many other global events that have required the agency’s disaster support, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Haiti earthquake in 2010, Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. The
agency’s focus on unclassified support to the crisis allows its content to be available with no caveats or limits in distribution.The large number of non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, involved in the relief effort requires NGA take a different approach to disseminating unclassified information so the people who need NGA’s information on the crisis, have it.
The dynamic site uses Esri’s ArcGIS Platform hosted in the cloud by Amazon Web Services, both publically available services. The site features various base maps that provide foundational context for users, who will then have the ability to visually overlay public NGA data, as well as ingest open-source data. NGA’s data can provide logistical information relevant to the situation on the ground affected by the Ebola crisis.
NGA’s first exposure of data includes geospatial layers relevant to the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, including cultural places and structures, and communication, electric power and ground transportation infrastructure. For example, Ebola cases by province and
locations of emergency treatment units will be visually accessible for users to ascertain the distance from a certain airfield to the closest emergency treatment unit. -
Esri User Conference Seeks Papers, Presenters
The Esri User Conference has issued a call for papers for its 2015 event, scheduled for July 20-24 at the San Diego Convention Center. “Every year, ArcGIS users tell stories of inspired solutions, insightful best practices, time-saving apps, and game-changing maps,” conference organizers said in a statement. “The most innovative and influential GIS work comes into focus at the Esri User Conference. You could tell your GIS story at the 2015 Esri UC. This is a chance to show your peers what you can do.”
The 2015 call for papers covers 90+ session topics highlighting GIS solutions today and in the future. The user sessions combined with the UC plenary and lightning talk presentations will bring more than 900 speakers together covering more than 260 sessions dedicated to the success and advancement of geospatial technology.
Paper sessions help attract peer recognition and provide valuable feedback, organizers said. “As an Esri UC presenter, you will gain recognition and exposure to over 16,000 Esri users who represent over 26 unique and diverse fields, coming together with the common goal of answering today’s challenges with tomorrow’s GIS to create a better world.”
Deadline for submitting papers is October 31. Full details are on the Esri UC website.
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CartoPac 5.0 Offers Workflow Manager, Windows 8 Optimization
CartoPac International Inc. has announced a major new release of the CartoPac Mobile Platform. CartoPac 5.0 extends the mobile platform with support for Windows 8 and introduces the CartoPac Workflow Manager, which provides a structured process to manage the use of geospatial data across the enterprise.
CartoPac will demonstrate the applications and technologies of Version 5.0 in the free CartoPac Mobility Webinar Series beginning on September 30.
The CartoPac Platform is a configurable suite of field and office tools designed to maximize the productivity of crews as they digitally map, inventory and inspect critical assets using GPS-enabled mobile devices. Seamlessly integrating with the Esri ArcGIS Server, CartoPac is used extensively by oil and gas companies, pipeline operators, electric utilities, state/local governments and environmental engineering firms to populate the enterprise GIS and asset-management systems with captured infrastructure information.
The new CartoPac Workflow Manager (CWM) in CartoPac 5.0 provides organizations with a structured workflow to view, edit, validate and approve asset data as it moves from the field back into the enterprise. CWM ensures that individuals responsible for data are notified as it comes into the organization so they can incorporate the data into systems related to work-order fulfillment, risk analysis, integrity modeling and other asset management processes.
CartoPac developed CWM for the management of heavily regulated assets in the field, such as gas pipelines and electric distribution infrastructure. A module within the CartoPac Server, the CWM extension creates an audit trail of all the edits and modifications made to the data sets that represent the monitoring and maintenance of real world assets in the field.
“CartoPac Workflow Manager fills the gap between data collection and enterprise asset management systems to enable organizations to maximize the value of their data,” said CartoPac CIO Scott Crouch. “CWM enables organizations to show regulators they have a structured process for tracking and responding to the conditions of their critical assets and has proven to be key component for assisting companies with their regulatory compliance and integrity management programs.”
Further expanding the capabilities of the CartoPac mobile components, version 5.0 has been optimized for the Windows 8 operating system running on standard GPS-enabled laptop computers and tablet devices. This migration means that crews can use CartoPac to collect and manage asset data in the field on the same hardware devices they will use back in the office to run their daily business applications.
“The attractive cost, integration with GPS and expanded performance of Windows 8 tablets and laptops will enable organizations to put more personnel into the field, ensuring that vital infrastructure is mapped, inventoried and properly managed,” said Crouch “Laptop/tablet-equipped maintenance personnel in the field will now be able to run CartoPac solutions on the hardware they already use for tracking repairs and closing work orders.”
To demonstrate the advantages of enterprise asset management, CartoPac has launched the CartoPac Mobility Webinar Series, which will feature applications by electric and gas utilities and highlight new mobile technologies. The first webinar, “Applying New Mobile Technologies to Electric Utility Inspections,” will be presented with EDM International Inc., a Colorado electric utility services company.
The free “Applying New Mobile Technologies to Electric Utility Inspections” webinar will be held on September 30, 2014, at 4:00 pm Eastern Time. To register, click here.
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GeCo in the Rockies Combines Two Geospatial Conferences
GeCo in the Rockies — a combined conference of GIS in the Rockies and GeCo West — will be held September 22-26 in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Two full days of presentations and workshops will showcase the projects, applications, and solutions of geospatial professionals. A special Technology Panel showcases innovators and leaders in the field, who will address “The Future of GIS.”
LizardTech, a provider of software solutions for managing and distributing geospatial content, will exhibit at the conference and prsesent a workshop titled “Compressed Data Workflow in a GIS Environment” on September 23, hosted by LizardTech’s Regional Territory Manager Genie Hays.
In the workshop, Hays will introduce the MrSID file format, which provides a complete geospatial workflow, from data acquisition, to access and delivery on desktop and mobile devices. She will demonstrate how to use MrSID files for imagery and LiDAR in industry tools. Her demonstrations of industry tools will include ArcMap, AutoCAD, Global Mapper, Q-GIS, GeoServer, Google Earth, ArcGIS Explorer Online, Trimble devices, UAV data samples, and more.
“We are really excited to share with the GeCo attendees how they can make the most of MrSID data using common industry programs and applications,” Hays said.
Other Conference Highlights
The keynote speaker is the founder of What3Words, who will discuss the creation of a universal address system based on words rather than numbers. Also, GeCoX is a premier kick-off event highlighting short, focused talks about the changing technology landscape.
Esri will provide a hands-on Learning Lab, with an introduction to ArcGIS software in a variety of self-paced training sessions.
A networking social provides an opportunity to meet the leading businesses in the geospatial industry and learn more about the changing tools, software, hardware, and solutions, and a Student and Career Exploration Breakfast provides an interactive session with education and industry experts to learn, which personal and technical GIS skills are in demand for today’s GIS employee. The breakfast is open to all students for free.
Learn more at the conference website.
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GeCo in the Rockies Combines Two Geospatial Conferences
GeCo in the Rockies — a combined conference of GIS in the Rockies and GeCo West — will be held September 22-26 in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Two full days of presentations and workshops will showcase the projects, applications, and solutions of geospatial professionals. A special Technology Panel showcases innovators and leaders in the field, who will address “The Future of GIS.”
LizardTech, a provider of software solutions for managing and distributing geospatial content, will exhibit at the conference and prsesent a workshop titled “Compressed Data Workflow in a GIS Environment” on September 23, hosted by LizardTech’s Regional Territory Manager Genie Hays.
In the workshop, Hays will introduce the MrSID file format, which provides a complete geospatial workflow, from data acquisition, to access and delivery on desktop and mobile devices. She will demonstrate how to use MrSID files for imagery and LiDAR in industry tools. Her demonstrations of industry tools will include ArcMap, AutoCAD, Global Mapper, Q-GIS, GeoServer, Google Earth, ArcGIS Explorer Online, Trimble devices, UAV data samples, and more.
“We are really excited to share with the GeCo attendees how they can make the most of MrSID data using common industry programs and applications,” Hays said.
Other Conference Highlights
The keynote speaker is the founder of What3Words, who will discuss the creation of a universal address system based on words rather than numbers. Also, GeCoX is a premier kick-off event highlighting short, focused talks about the changing technology landscape.
Esri will provide a hands-on Learning Lab, with an introduction to ArcGIS software in a variety of self-paced training sessions.
A networking social provides an opportunity to meet the leading businesses in the geospatial industry and learn more about the changing tools, software, hardware, and solutions, and a Student and Career Exploration Breakfast provides an interactive session with education and industry experts to learn, which personal and technical GIS skills are in demand for today’s GIS employee. The breakfast is open to all students for free.
Learn more at the conference website.
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Icaros to Unveil Oblique Image Viewer, Measuring Tool for ArcGIS at Esri UC
Icaros Inc., a provider of advanced aerial remote sensing and 3D visualization solutions, will introduce its Icaros Measurement Tool (IMT), a simple but powerful photogrammetric visualization application based on ArcGIS technologies, at the 2014 Esri User Conference. The 2014 Esri User Conference will be held July 14-18 in the San Diego, California, Convention Center.
The IMT enables customers working within Esri’s GIS environment to view and measure structures in oblique aerial imagery captured by any commercial oblique sensor system, including those from Pictometry, Vexcel/Microsoft, IGI, Leica, Midas, as well as oblique sensors mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
“Icaros is opening the oblique imagery market to all GIS users by building our IMT’s coming functionality upon Esri’s Arc Engine,” said Richard Baumgartner, vice president of business development at Icaros. “IMT lets users unlock the full potential of their imagery by combining 3D analysis capabilities with their GIS data.”
IMT is specifically designed to make highly accurate vertical and horizontal 3D measurements of structures and surfaces, including calculating distances, areas, slopes and azimuths in complex 3D features.
For too long, Baumgartner explained, oblique imagery has been limited by proprietary collection systems and metadata formats. Usage beyond tax assessment and public safety applications is very rare. The Icaros vision is to expand the use, visualization and analysis of oblique aerial images into the entire spectrum of the GIS market with special focus on local and state government segments.
Beyond tax assessment and public safety, oblique analysis of structures can be beneficial to a host of new applications such as facility management, pipeline corridor infrastructure monitoring, energy audits, economic development, and asset management. In addition, as Esri users continue the move to 3D, oblique imagery will be critical for constructing accurate image-based realistic 3D models.
“Icaros has done a terrific job designing easy to use, yet highly sophisticated, measurement tools for any client wanting to do 3D oblique measurements. Not only are these tools well developed, but they are integrated completely within Esri’s ArcGIS platform, which is a critical advantage for our clients,” said Paige Parker, Vice President at Control Cam, an Icaros distributer serving the state and local markets.
IMT enables users to manipulate and view oblique imagery while leveraging other geospatial data layers within their GIS environment. This capability allows users to navigate multi-image scenes in three dimensions while zooming and panning. The software also provides an optional Icaros Digitizer Tool (IDT).
“IDT provides additional tools to extract physical building structures and digitize them into open format models, such as Collada, Obj, and Ply, textured from the source imagery,” said Baumgartner. “Automated 3D model generation from oblique imagery is at the intersection between imagery and GIS.”
To view a demonstration of the Icaros Oblique Viewer, visit Icaros in booth #619 at the conference.
