SPATIAL AWARENESS

All Points Blog:

As I read the news, especially that from small towns implementing or upgrading GIS systems I’ve seen a shift in the definition offered for GIS. At one time everyone used ESRI’s very broad definition; in fact when I find GIS misdefined I send reporters to GIS.com to that very definition:

It’s curious that CAD is invoked; is that something everyone has seen and knows about? I would suggest Google’s maps are more well-known though I’m not sure why they are virtual. I do appreciate that this definition distinguishes GIS from CAD and Google Maps; that helps.

…another “definition” i really like is:

” A picture is only worth a thousand words. A map may be worth a thousand numbers. But a GIS is worth a thousand tables “

( see subtitle of Jeff Hobbs’ blog )

Jeff Hobbs quote: “In hopes of adding to the Intergraph user’s community, I’ve started what I believe to be the first Intergraph/GeoMedia-centric blog. If you know of others, please forward….I’ve been trying to update it Monday through Friday (but have missed a few days here and there).”

Jeff Hobbs’ Intergraph and GIS Technology Blog

Thanks for this initiative Jeff.

“This is a bug fix release and fixes many issues with the 0.8.1 release”
nice. thanks QGIS !

apropos QGIS: there is a very nice “Flash Video of QGIS being used to make an OpenLayer website in 5 min” - done by Christopher Schmidt …. well done and cool imo

Back from Intergraph2007 in Nashville here some notes, quotes and links about……

Keynotespeaker Neil Amstrong

Armstrong doesn’t do much public speaking and was thought to be somewhat reclusive in years following the first manned adventure to the lunar surface. But the man was nothing but humble and generous with his thoughts on going back to the Moon and perhaps to Mars as well.
Armstrong reflected on the day he set foot in the Sea of Tranquility and gazed up to see “a turquoise pendant perched against a black velvet sky.” He said that one of the reasons for returning to the Moon is to solve the earth’s energy needs. There is much Helium3 in the soil of the moon that could be mined and used in fusion reactors in the US. The only problem is that a viable commercial fusion reactor has not been constructed. He said that the obstacles and unknowns in going to Mars are far fewer than those he faced in going to the Moon and that it is certainly doable.
Armstrong’s talk was inspiring and nostalgic to those of us who grew up as kids during the early days of the space race and I wondered if there are any visionaries and risk-takers left like him. Armstrong left the stage to a standing ovation…..
(allpointsblog)
Quote of the Day: “My job was to install the mirror” - Neil Armstrong (allpointsblog)

Keynotespeaker Halsey Wise: “Hard Fusion between Security and Geospatial Technology” (allpointsblog)

Geomedia/GeomediaPro/Geomedia WebMap 6.1 series
GeoMedia is a full suite of powerful analysis tools, including attribute and spatial query, buffer zones, spatial overlays, and thematics. GeoMedia WebMap provides real-time web access to those same capabilities.
GeoMedia WebMap 6.1 will allow administrators to use WebMap Publisher to easily create a web site that, in real time, combines their data and queries with either the Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth map data. End users can then easily view and interact with any of their data or spatial queries geographically overlaid on the Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth background using the Google and Microsoft controls and interface.
This solution lets you do anything you can do with GeoMedia WebMap in terms of sophisticated visualization and server-based geospatial analysis, and overlay that in Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth.
i saw the presentations about this features - and to be honest: i nearly cant wait to to get the betaversion (hopefully next week) to play with it……
GeoMedia to Utilize Google and Microsoft APIs (allpointsblog)

The Presentations
Conference presentations will be available for participating attendees starting May 30th…….

Personal Conclusion
perfect organized event for around 2000 attendees from 68 different countries, interesting keynotes, interesting technical visions and ideas presented and dicussed for expected and future Releases (i only can talk about SG&I….thats the field i am focused on), nice contacts and acquaintances with people from all over the world……… delicious catering organized by Intergraph which really helped me to avoid the “Burger&Fast Food Craziness” …..

beside the organized Intergraph 2007 there was this great night at Nashville’s B.B.Kings Club where Stacy Mitchhart played a concert i never ever will forget … thanks for this funky good time!

“NASA’s Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the sun.”

Really cool 3-D anaglyphs… especially if you have some 3-D glasses handy

NASA Stereo Mission Page

“A few of the new 2.1 release features include level subsetting for grids, improved KML/KMZ support, a plugin creator for customization, and performance enhancements.”

Since i came in touch with analysing netCDF datasets i found this really amazing piece of free Software. It’s really worth to play with it…….

“Flash Mapping”:

Related to “Flash Mapping” two links, i dont wanna loose….
FlashEarth - a nice FlashMapping Example
Modest Maps- BSD-licensed display and interaction library

Over 100 enhancements and bug fixes have been made to Global Mapper since the v8.01 release, making v8.02 the biggest point release in our history!
The most significant changes:

** Added the ability to load layers (like graphic images) to be displayed at a fixed location on the screen rather than tied to earth coordinates. This allows you to add things like headers and watermarks very easily. There is a new File menu command called “Open Data File at Fixed Screen Location” that allows this.

** Added ability to export any loaded data to tiled images for use in NASA’s World Wind application. The new World Wind export option under the File->Export Raster and Elevation Data menu will correctly break your data up into tiles at various zoom levels and also create the necessary XML file to view your data in World Wind.

** Added the ability to copy features selected with the Digitizer Tool to the clipboard and then paste that copied data into any running instance of Global Mapper by using the new Edit menu options.

** Added ability for users to add support for additional raster and elevation export formats through a DLL-plugin architecture.

Global Mapper Homepage