GPS World

Tag: GIS software

  • Bathymetrics Data Portal delivers quality water-depth data online

    The Bathymetrics Data Portal allows users to search, purchase and automatically download water-depth information directly from an online store to their computer.

    The Bathymetrics Data Portal is a combined offering by DHI, experts in water environments; TCarta, a global provider of marine geospatial products; and powered by DigitalGlobe, provider of high-resolution satellite imagery.

    Example of 2m Bathymetry data available through The Bathymetrics Data Portal. (Image: © DHI, TCarta, DigitalGlobe)
    Example of 2m Bathymetry data available through The Bathymetrics Data Portal. (Image: © DHI, TCarta, DigitalGlobe)

    The dedicated commercial bathymetry portal offers continuously expanding 2m Bathymetry data in shallow water areas and a global database of interpolated 90m bathymetry. The portal allows users to search for data in their area of interest and purchase what they need. Data is priced by the square kilometer; the customer pays online with credit card and can download the data shortly after.

    “We are very excited about this launch, as we have made direct access to off-the-shelf bathymetry data very easy and intuitive,” said DHI COO, Jacob Høst-Madsen. “The shop marks an important milestone in our continued quest to develop and offer high quality, affordable bathymetry data”

    Bathymetric products are used extensively by organizations involved in energy infrastructure development, port construction, environmental monitoring, aquaculture planning and hydrodynamic modeling.

    “The per-kilometer pricing model puts high-quality bathymetric data within easy reach of organizations of any size in all industries,” said TCarta CEO David Critchley. “One-person engineering shops, academic entities and other organizations with limited budgets can now engage in complex offshore projects.”

    The portal is constantly being updated with new and improved data, providing users with the best available bathymetric information around the world.

  • Agency9 releases free global 3D world in CityPlanner

    Agency9 has released free global 3D terrain and buildings in CityPlanner, its cloud solution for collaborative urban planning on the web. Agency9 is a provider of software for online 3D visualization of geographic information and maps.

    “Agency9 currently serves many customers with web-based 3D visualization tools in CityPlanner. With the release of the free global 3D world in CityPlanner, we aim to further stimulate users transition to 3D using modern planning paradigms — as well as lower the financial hurdle of adopting such services. Bundling free 3D data with the service allows any city in the world to start using CityPlanner instantly, without the lead time of acquiring data,” said Håkan Engman, CEO Agency9 AB.

    CityPlanner represents a new generation of 3D tools for the preparation of plans, project communication, and citizen dialogue in smart cities, according to Agency9. CityPlanner is used by many cities for urban planning, promotion, GIS presentation and crowdsourcing.

    The free global 3D model has a terrain based on open satellite data and LOD1 buildings generated dynamically from OpenStreetMap building data. Buildings are currently available for the Nordics, expanding globally throughout the year.

    “Later this year Agency9 will add large scale paid 3D premium content on a region, national, and continental basis. This further supports market adoption with easy access to 3D data and services.” continued Engman

    CityPlanner is available as a subscription service with the new global data included at price plans starting at €220/month. In the Enterprise plan, customers can expand the number of users and capacity to suit organisational needs, as well as use their own 3D data of any size — including highly detailed textured 3D city models.

    CityPlanner is available as a free 30-day trial, which includes the free global 3D data.

  • Boundless partners with global special forces foundation

    Boundless has partnered with the Global SOF Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that aims to build and grow an international Special Operations Forces (SOF) network of military, government, commercial and educational stakeholders.

    The foundation fosters SOF objectives and partnerships to confront both global and networked threats.

    SOF_Logo“We’re honored to partner with an organization that supports national and international Armed Forces in such an important way,” said Andy Dearing, CEO of Boundless. “The work conducted by Global SOF plays an integral part in safeguarding national security and supporting critical decision-making; two initiatives that we’re proud to stand behind.”

    The Global SOF Foundation aids the support and growth of the international SOF network. Besides working with its partners to promote SOF capabilities, it contributes to the unification of the SOF community through a variety of annual convening forums.

    The foundation also informs national security policy to ensure the proper development, sustainment and resourcing of SOF.

    “We are thrilled to have Boundless on board,” said Stu Bradin, president and CEO of the Global SOF Foundation and U.S. Army Special Forces colonel (ret.). “They were recommended to us by one of our long-term partners, so we know they are the real deal. We are excited to see what they can bring to the international SOF community.”

    Boundless offers a complete open GIS solution through a unique combination of technology, products and experts, to give enterprises deeper intelligence and insights into their location-based data. The Boundless platform is built upon open source technology and open APIs that generate actionable location intelligence across third-party apps, content services and plugins for enterprise applications.

  • Esri UC: How Esri 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.

  • 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.

  • Leica Cyclone REGISTER 360, cloud services offered for digital reality-capture market

    Lieca-Cyclone-WHexagon announced today its new Leica Cyclone REGISTER 360 laser scanning software for simpler, automated registration, and its Cyclone Cloud Services platform for secure global collaboration through an on-demand software-as-a-service model.

    Together, the new products offer users smarter ways to register, visualize and collaborate around digital reality projects, delivering solutions into the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), plant, survey and public safety markets through the connected Leica Cyclone family.

    “Digital realities are enabling professionals and newcomers to laser scanning to shape the world around us. Whether it’s on a construction site for building documentation or in a plant environment for life cycle updates, efficiencies and productivity gains are realised with the ability to merge reality and digital data quicker and with more accuracy,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “These new developments in laser scanning registration with our Cyclone software improve the user experience and overall workflow of point cloud processing.”

    Lieca-Cyclone-W2Cyclone REGISTER 360 is the a professional-grade registration software that combines automation, high performance and ease of use into one powerful package available to novices and experts alike. Simplifying and automating the entire production process, Cyclone REGISTER 360 enables users to automatically process, validate and deliver point clouds according to rigorous quality control and reporting standards.

    Cyclone Cloud offers professionals a new way to consume and deliver digital reality data through a highly scalable, intuitive and web-based platform. TruView Cloud Services is the only cloud-based digital reality visualization and collaboration platform that enables quick setup of private user communities, connecting with and making the data available anywhere in the world.

    Users can publish digital reality content in Cyclone from handheld devices and terrestrial, mobile and unmanned aerial vehicles. With open application programming interfacing, the data can be delivered in any device and operating system with connectivity for building information modeling, geographic information systems and computed-aided drafting.

  • Utility post-processing software delivers CAD drawings

    Leica-DXutility-WLeica Geosystems has released its new DX Office Vision utility post processing software for mapping ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data from the field into a CAD drawing.

    DX Office Vision allows even non-experienced users to obtain professional 3D CAD drawings and visualize the detected underground utilities in a simple way, according to Leica. The intuitive interface enables users to filter, select, identify and make annotations of the located targets. With DX Office Vision, post-processing for all ground-penetrating data requires no add-on or third party software.

    “Following the demo of the new DX Office Vision I have to say I am impressed. The user interface is very intuitive with key processing views easily manipulated for fast interpretation of ground penetration radar data. I was particularly impressed with the DX Office Vision feature that allowed me to clean up the scan and highlight certain areas to give a clearer view of hyperbolae,” said Alex Rampton, surveyor at Plowman Craven.

    DX Office Vision was developed by utility surveyors who know what is needed from a post processing software. The software was created to reduce the post processing time and eliminate all unnecessary steps to convert data or chose parameters. The software guides the user to create a reliable 3D map of the underground detected utilities with minimal training.

    “DX Office Vision aims to make interpretation of GPR data easy to master for constructors and surveyors who are not familiar with how to interpret it,” said Tughan Telatar, product manager, Construction Tools for Leica Geosystems. “DX Office Vision is so simple to learn that anyone from the crew can take over data processing into professional CAD drawings in five steps and 50 per cent faster than traditional methods.”

  • Boundless Suite 4.10 streamlines mapping with open GIS

    Boundless has released Boundless Suite 4.10, designed to streamline the creation of maps and applications using open GIS.

    The company also released a new Boundless software development kit (SDK) and contributions to the community release of GeoServer 2.11.

    The company also entered a strategic partnership with geospatial intelligence firm Spatial Networks Inc. to bring software and data solutions to government and defense customers worldwide. SNI and Boundless are delivering the capability to quickly support users locked into proprietary software architectures with limited abilities to connect to third-party data sources.

    The SNI and Boundless teams will be at the GEOINT Symposium (Booths 731 and 961) June 3-6 to highlight this partnership.

    Boundless Suite 4.10 includes enhancements designed to make working with open GIS easier. Users now have all the necessary installation files, tools, extensions and premium support options needed to ensure a successful deployment of open GIS.

    Unlike proprietary solutions, Boundless Suite 4.10 offers flexibility and scalability, without complicated and costly licensing models, enabling organizations to scale up or out freely without being penalized.

    Features of the new release

    • Support on the CentOS 7 operating system, giving users outside of the Windows ecosystem access to the most comprehensive open GIS solution.
    • Leverage modern symbology styles with Mapbox Styles, a modern way to style data that is designed to work across the entire Boundless product platform. This update lets users style applications quickly and consistently across desktop, web and mobile.
    • Designed to work in modern IT architectures, including virtual machines, elastic DevOps architectures and the cloud, allowing customers to maximize their GIS investment and lower total ownership costs.

    “Boundless Suite 4.10 represents our continued commitment to releasing quality geospatial software on a regular basis,” said Anthony Calamito, VP of product at Boundless. “The new capabilities in Suite 4.10 make publishing spatial data easier, make it accessible on more operating systems and enable the simplified styling of data across the Boundless ecosystem.”

    Boundless SDK. Boundless’ new SDK ships with Boundless Suite 4.10. It enables users to easily create web mapping applications that leverage the OpenLayers 3 library, using the React framework.

    The SDK additionally powers the web application builder in Boundless Desktop, which allows users to quickly create quality applications without writing any code.

    GeoServer 2.11. Boundless Suite 4.10 ships with GeoServer 2.11, which has been updated to include improved loading and OGC request times for large installations, making it possible to manage tens of thousands of layers in GeoServer with minimum load times.

    GeoServer 2.11 comes with increased EPSG support and improved identification and handling of obscure .prj files and directories of shapefiles. These new updates greatly decrease the load time for shapefiles, and allow GeoServer to better support data from ArcGIS.

    The Boundless open GIS platform includes Connect, Desktop, Exchange and Suite.

  • Fugro partners with Skyline on oblique imagery, 3D modeling

    Fugro is enhancing its mapping services with the introduction of an integrated software package that creates realistic, yet spatially accurate, high-resolution 3D building models using oblique imagery.

    The product will benefit emergency responders during critical infrastructure planning, as well as those involved in infrastructure development, utilities and property management.

    Fugro, partnering with Skyline Software Systems, Inc., provides infrastructure management professionals with robust new capabilities in oblique mapping, including detailed 3D models and view shed studies for advanced visualization and analysis.
    Fugro, partnering with Skyline Software Systems, provides infrastructure management professionals with robust new capabilities in oblique mapping, including detailed 3D models and view shed studies for advanced visualization and analysis.

    Announcing a strategic partnership with Skyline Software Systems Inc., Mike Wernau, Fugro’s Oblique program manager explained, “We are now able to take a 2D oblique product and deliver a realistic 3D environment with enhanced viewing, query, analysis and reporting options. The value that users are going to discover as a result of this software fusion is something the market has really never seen before.”

    The new partnership offers clients an integrated oblique viewing and 3D modeling software. The integration of TerraExplorer and PX Mapper transforms the application of 3D environments by using 2D oblique imagery to create high-resolution building models that are both realistic and spatially accurate.

    Fugro’s oblique mapping solution includes high-resolution 360-degree oblique imagery and the PX Mapper visualization and analysis software. The Fugro/Skyline alliance allows oblique customers to experience Skyline’s automated modeling technology along with TerraExplorer’s optimized analytics capabilities including terrain analysis for flooding, contours, slope and volume metrics, lines of sight and view shed queries and shadow analysis.

    “By combining oblique imagery with our high-quality 3D modeling tool and integrating those models with the unlimited capabilities of TerraExplorer Pro, we’ve created the optimal environment for GIS infrastructure,” said Eatay Ben Shechter, director of production at Skyline. “This versatile product supports countless real-world applications, where time-critical decision making is required, from urban planning to real-estate management, and multiple different emergency response scenarios.”

    A flagship project employing this integrated 3D environment is already underway with completion in Summer 2017.

  • Boundless partners with Planet to expand image access

    Boundless, an open GIS company, has announced a strategic partnership with Planet, the integrated aerospace and data-analytics company that operates history’s largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites. The partnership enables Boundless customers to access the massive library of high-quality Planet imagery and fast-loading imagery basemaps within Boundless Connect.

    Starting today, Boundless Desktop users can access this content through the Boundless Connect plugin. Planet content is also accessible through Boundless Suite and Exchange subscriptions.

    “This partnership significantly advances the content available through Boundless Connect, and expands our ability to provide high-quality imagery to Boundless users,” said Anthony Calamito, vice president of product for Boundless. “This represents a major step forward in providing our growing user base with valuable insights through Planet’s content. We are excited about this partnership and all the capabilities that will be delivered to our users, now and in the future.”

    A Planet image of Bingham Canyon Mine, Salt Lake County, Utah, taken March 10, 2013.
    A Planet image of Bingham Canyon Mine, Salt Lake County, Utah, taken March 10, 2013.

    The partnership with Planet will provide access to:

    • Basemaps – Automated basemaps optimized for clear seasonal coverage, completeness and visual quality, perfect for map backdrops. In addition, quarterly or monthly timelapse basemaps gives users access to the latest imagery.
    • Image Tiles from PlanetScope – 4-band (RGB and NIR) imagery for visual or analytic use.
    • Image Tiles from RapidEye – 5-band (RGB, NIR, and Red Edge) imagery for visual and analytic use.

    “This partnership is a huge step forward in delivering the most extensive and up-to-date satellite imagery catalog and basemaps to the broader geospatial community,” said Alex Bakir, vice president of product marketing for Planet. “Boundless’ open, flexible platform pairs perfectly with Planet’s data and platform services, and gives Boundless users the tools and content needed to integrate seamlessly into their workflows. We are very excited to be working with Boundless and look forward to what is to come.”

    Boundless-Planet-3-W

    Boundless offers an open GIS ecosystem through a combination of technology, products and experts that gives enterprises deeper intelligence and insights using location-based data.

    The Boundless platform is built upon open source technology and open APIs that generate actionable location intelligence across third-party apps, content services and plugins for enterprise applications.

    In November 2016, the company extended its proven GIS platform with Boundless Connect, a subscription service to the most comprehensive repository of GIS resources, and Boundless Desktop, a full-featured, professional desktop GIS, bringing a powerful ecosystem of geospatial knowledge, tools and resources to the enterprise.

  • Esri releases mobile app for understanding the oceans

    The app provides a new way to measure marine environments on a 3D interactive map for more cost-effective fishery planning and informed conservation.

    Esri has released an Ecological Marine Units (EMU) app for mobile devices. The app is a resource for scientists, educators, governments and industries seeking accessible information and imagery about the ocean’s long-term physical and nutrient properties.

    The EMU app puts data such as temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen from 52 million locations throughout the world’s oceans at any user’s fingertips. This data informs how livable marine environments are for ocean-dwelling species as well as the overall health of the ecosystem.

    Esri-EMU-oceans-appOrganizations involved in fishery planning, for instance, can use the EMU mobile app to review proposed boundaries with a better understanding of which habitats will likely harbor certain species and manage fisheries more cost-effectively.

    By using the EMU mobile app, industries that depend on fishing yields can spend less time and money on areas that are less profitable. Conservation groups that need easy access to information on the environments of marine protected areas (MPA) to more effectively regulate them now also have a mobile tool for understanding the chemical makeup of these areas.

    “The EMU mobile app will serve as a fresh, widely available resource for professionals who benefit from a deeper understanding of the ocean’s structure — its salinity, temperature, oxygen levels and nutrients,” said Dawn Wright, Esri chief scientist. “Scientists and nonscientists alike who must study and understand the ocean now have the freedom of a convenient mobile interface with this vast wealth of environmental data.”

    The primary data source for the EMU mobile app is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) authoritative World Ocean Atlas, with marine chemistry information from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and topographic data from GRID-Arendal.

    The app provides access to this globally comprehensive, data-driven 2D and 3D data and serves as an educational tool for easily understanding marine environments and how they are affected by climate change.

    The EMU mobile app is free from the App Store and Google Play.

  • Icaros releases version 5.0 of OneButton drone image-processing software

    IcarosOneButtonExample-WIcaros Inc., a provider of aerial imaging software, has released version 5.0 of OneButton Standard and Professional image-processing software for unmanned aerial systems. The 5.0 release contains a significant number of major new features and hundreds of other improvements, including a new 2D and 3D map and model viewer.

    Icaros developed the OneButton family for geospatial end users to easily and automatically generate precise, fully orthorectified 2D maps and 3D models from frame-based aerial imaging systems. Originally engineered for manned aircraft sensors, the OneButton software has been modified to accommodate the unique collection conditions of unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

    OneButton is application platform and sensor agnostic, and processes raster image data from small-, medium- and large-format frame sensors capable of capturing visible RBG, multispectral, near-infrared and thermal infrared data.

    New features and capabilities in version 5.0:

    • Provides both traditional and true orthomosaics
      • Maintain original pixel values for multi-spectral and thermal analysis(traditional)
      • Creates composite imagery for urban areas and tall structures(true)
    • Provides new viewer capabilities:
      • View 2D and 3D outputs such as orthomosaics, point clouds, and photo meshes
      • Create fly-through videos
      • Generate contour lines from GeoTiff terrain models
      • Label features and control the appearance of you maps and models
      • Add other georeferenced data as layers for reference
    • Scalable
      • No restrictions on image size and project size
      • Checkpoint restart
      • High performance / processing speed
    • Other additional improvements include:
      • Support for all the major sensors (multispectral, thermal),
      • All industry standard output formats (e.g., big TIFF)
      • Higher levels of ASPRS accuracy
      • Higher quality of feature extraction

    In release 5.0, the Professional Edition is now much easier to use. Professional Edition extends the Standard Edition with quality enhancement tools for more refined, professional results. It includes an innovative and easy-to-use photogrammetric dashboard giving you fine tuning control over the photogrammetric process. Other tools in the Professional Edition let users enhance output results.

    “We have worked with many UAS image processing products, and OneButton sets a high standard. The Professional Edition is easy to use and provides many of the advanced photogrammetric options essential for producing the high-quality, accurate results that customers expect from AeroVironment,” said Seth Merickel, Senior Software Engineer at AeroVironment.

    Current users of OneButton Standard and Professional editions can download and install the latest version. New OneButton software clients qualify for a free 30-day trial available at the following links:

    Standard edition

    Professional edition

    OneButton creates a complete image processing workflow for aerial image data and can front-end both GIS and analytics workflows to enable customers to solve challenging problems related to everything from agriculture and forestry to utilities and city planning. It is highly customizable to meet the needs of specific vertical market applications.

    OneButton automatically processes raw raster imagery with onboard GPS/IMU data to stitch the individual scenes together into seamless, color-balanced orthomosaics meeting photogrammetric precision and quality standards. Outputs include digital elevation models (DEMs), true color 3D point clouds, and multispectral mosaics — all ready for ingestion directly into GIS and analytics software environments.