The GIS Lens 
Sanjay Gangal
Sanjay Gangal is the President of IBSystems, the parent company of AECCafe.com, MCADCafe, EDACafe.Com, GISCafe.Com, and ShareCG.Com. Sierra Club v Orange County case has its Day in CourtMay 10th, 2013 by Sanjay Gangal
Article source: Bruce Joffe, GISP
Impressions of the Hearing before the California Supreme Court
On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, 14 months after all the written briefs were filed, and 20 months since the California Supreme Court agreed to hear this case, lawyers for both sides summarized their arguments and answered questions before the seven presiding Supreme Court Justices. Attorney Sabrina Venskus represented the Sierra Club which is suing Orange County for access to its GIS-compatible digital parcel basemap database under terms of the California Public Records Act (CPRA) that include paying no more than the direct cost of duplication. Attorney Mark Servino represented Orange County which has been requiring users of its “OC Landbase” to pay $475,000, plus sign a license that restricts sharing or redistribution of its database.Although Orange County abruptly reduced its price late in December, 2011, the case stems from the Sierra Club’s public records act request for data made in March, 2009. Orange County won SC’s lawsuit in Superior Court in April, 2010, affirming its right to exempt its GIS-compatible database from the CPRA. Sierra Club appealed the decision, but Orange County again prevailed in the Court of Appeal in June, 2011. The California Supreme Court hearing is the final appeal; its decision will be the final judicial determination of this issue. At stake is whether the public has unfettered access to the GIS-compatible data that its government agencies use to conduct “the public’s business,” in the same geodatabase format that the agencies themselves use, or whether the government can license, restrict and charge high prices for such access. As more and more governmental decisions and actions are based on GIS analysis, the issue is central to governmental transparency and accountability to us, the citizens of our democracy. Read the rest of Sierra Club v Orange County case has its Day in Court Phoenix landscaping company conducts plant density study to optimize water consumption, tries mobile mapping to collect ‘Big Data’ quicklyMay 7th, 2013 by Don Talend
By Don Talend When the public thinks about landscaping, high tech doesn’t immediately come to mind. After all, this is work involving dirt, manual labor and plants. Mechanical engineering is represented in the form of a backhoe loader, for example, but that’s about as “technological” as the industry gets. Right?
Actually, anyone inside the industry would tell a different story. This is a field characterized by large inventories and a wide range of variables affecting product and service quality, starting with weather and soil. The convergence of these variables creates the need for a great deal of monitoring of growth. As a result, any landscaping company that seeks to be profitable over the long haul without relying on data for botanic maintenance decision-making probably should. Miami of Ohio engineering students build a lawn mowing, snowplowing robot, navigate it with GNSS in national competitionsMay 7th, 2013 by Don Talend
By Don Talend Anyone who has gone to college is probably familiar with the idea of a capstone course. A final hurdle to clear in receiving a degree, students take such a course to demonstrate their practical knowledge by pulling together all of the main concepts taught throughout the program of study.
URISA 2012 – Closing Keynote by Jack Dangermond (Part 2 of 2)March 12th, 2013 by Matthew Langan
Last week, we featured the URISA 2012 closing keynote by Esri founder Jack Dangermond, where he highlighted how the GIS sector is poised for massive growth, and how collaboration will be a main driver for adoption and innovation. Mr. Dangermond also discussed how new technologies are going to further extend GIS into the field, which will enable better and faster decision-making. As a result organizations will be smarter with geospatial technologies serving as the underpinning for strategic growth. In the second half of his keynote address, Mr. Dangermond dives deeper into how new cloud-based platforms will change how we collaborate and share data, which will also truly become “real time.” And the near ubiquity of mobile devices and applications will drive more people to become more spatially aware. The days of cumbersome GIS systems, which could only be used by a handful of trained professionals, are going by the wayside. A big driver of change in the geospatial sector is advanced data analytics, which will re-imagine the whole premise of GIS. We will have the software tools and analytics that will allow for pervasive geographic information to be used and accessed at all times. Be sure to check out part two of Mr. Dangermond’s keynote address at URISA 2012 below. URISA 2012 – Closing Keynote by Jack Dangermond (Part 1 of 2)March 7th, 2013 by Matthew Langan
Last year, Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) held its GIS-Pro 2012 symposium, which featured a closing keynote by one of the most iconic leaders in the geospatial sector: Esri founder Jack Dangermond. Mr. Dangermond’s leadership and vision have stimulated the ongoing innovation of GIS technologies that have shaped our sector in profound ways. In his URISA 2012 closing keynote address, Mr. Dangermond highlighted how the GIS sector is poised for massive growth with a more than a few million GIS professionals around the world. Things will be changing dramatically over the next couple of years. Driving this radical change is the core premise that GIS can create a better world by enhancing communication and collaboration. New technologies are going to further extend GIS into the field, which will enable better and faster decision-making. Organizations will be smarter with geospatial technologies serving as the underpinning for strategic growth. Be sure to check out part one of Mr. Dangermond’s keynote address at URISA 2012. GIS Student Video: Washington College GIS Program Provides Hands-On Training for StudentsMarch 5th, 2013 by Matthew Langan
College students are the foundation for the next generation of geospatial leaders. Fortunately, academic programs provided by colleges and universities like Washington College provide an opportunity for students to get real, hands-on GIS experience that will help them transition into fruitful careers in our sector. While we often showcase videos from industry on this blog, we wanted to highlight a specific student video that compiles all of the great work done by Caitlyn Riehl, a senior in who serves as the Photoshop Team Leader at Washington College GIS. One of the more interesting projects that Ms. Riehl worked on was restoring historic map of Chestertown, Maryland. She spent many hours not only completing the restoring of the map to its original quality, but also coloring the map to give it a realistic touch. Washington College is a small liberal arts college in a historic town that fosters a strong community and passion amongst its alumni. In full disclosure, I am a 1993 graduate of Washington College. Unfortunately, the college did not have a GIS program at the time, which further reinforces how much the geospatial sector has grown over the past 20 years. Here is Ms. Riehl’s video. A GIS Laboratory, IndeedFebruary 28th, 2013 by Don Talend
Arizona State’s GIS master’s program thrusts students onto the leading edge of the field—and geospatial technologies A good place to get a sense of where the geographic information system (GIS) field is headed is Lattie F. Coor Hall at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. That’s the home of the 30-credit-hour Masters of Advanced Study in GIS (MAS-GIS) Program within ASU’s School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning. Here, students are exposed to not only the latest GIS concepts but also ever-evolving technologies. ASU’s School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning offers additional options for GIS studies, including an undergraduate certificate and an undergraduate degree program that is in development. Like all master’s programs, though, the MAS-GIS is designed to convey the most advanced concepts in its field. The program was developed from 2002–2003 and launched in 2004 by Dr. Robert C. Balling, Jr., who had overseen ASU’s Office of Climatology for 18 years. Balling—the associate program director—and several faculty associates—including Nik Smilovsky, MS, GISP, product specialist for Topcon Positioning Systems dealer RDO Integrated Controls in Phoenix—part of RDO Equipment Co.—teach a total of 10 courses in the program, which also includes an internship and capstone GIS project in the final semester. Typically, students start in the fall semester and complete their studies in 12 months.  Dr. Robert C. Balling, Jr., associate director of the Masters of Advanced Study in GIS (MAS-GIS) Program at Arizona State University, developed the curriculum for a program that has provided advanced training for more than 250 students since 2004. The Story Behind Intergraph’s Geospatial 2013 OfferingFebruary 26th, 2013 by Matthew Langan
Earlier this year, Intergraph launched its Intergraph Geospatial 2013 product portfolio, which is the first and only comprehensive solution that connects all geospatial genres by integrating photogrammetry, remote sensing, and GIS into a streamlined system, seamlessly delivering geographic information from the desktop to the server through the web and to the world. What makes this offering unique is that Intergraph is now a complete, one-stop shop, allowing users to exploit the wealth of information contained in data from any source, share it rapidly (and securely), and deliver it on-demand as reliable and actionable information to drive smarter decisions. Intergraph Geospatial 2013 aims to provide all the tools necessary to complete projects on time and on budget. The united and highly comprehensive portfolio includes new releases of GeoMedia, ERDAS IMAGINE, LPS, ImageStation, ERDAS APOLLO, GeoMedia Smart Client, GeoMedia WebMap, Geospatial Portal and Geospatial SDI. Be sure to check out this video, which showcases the story behind Intergraph’s Geospatial 2013 portfolio. Using ENVI Software to Georegister Historic Aerial PhotographyFebruary 21st, 2013 by Matthew Langan
Historical images that do not contain any geospatial coordinates — while nice to look at — are of limited value. Thankfully, new geospatial data processing innovations can help breathe new life into this archival information. With the ENVI software solution from Exelis VIS, it is possibly to process and analyze this imagery in a more modern fashion. ENVI combines spectral image processing and image analysis technology with a modern, user-friendly interface that allows users to easily extract meaningful information from imagery. Regardless of the image format, ENVI has the latest image processing and analysis tools aim to help users extract meaningful information from imagery. If your organization has a deep archive of historic imagery that needs to updated to today’s geospatial standards, we recommend checking out this video below. It provides a full tutorial on how to use ENVI to meet this objective. Read the rest of Using ENVI Software to Georegister Historic Aerial Photography Zebra Imaging: Print a 3D Hologram Using Autodesk 123D Family of AppsFebruary 19th, 2013 by Matthew Langan
Last month, Zebra Imaging launched a new Web GL integration service that will be available on the Autodesk 123Dapp.com website. The new integration will allow 123D users to seamlessly print a 3D holographic display from a 3D model. Through the agreement, the partnership aims to further strengthens both Zebra Imaging’s and Autodesk’s ability to provide 3D design and fabrication tools to organizations across the globe. This partnership extends holographic prints as a new medium for 3D modelers to share their designs. The Autodesk 123D family of apps provides users with the ability to capture, design and make their ideas in 3D, and connect with others for support and inspiration. Zebra Imaging will now be part of that inspiration as a featured Fabrication Partner, offering users the ability to print their creations in a true 3D hologram, also known as a ZScape® 3D Holographic Print. “With our technology and 3D print services, 3D data can be brought out of the computer and into the consumer 3D display market at an affordable price. The partnership is about inspiring creativity and new approaches for visualizing in 3D,” said Brian Hill, GM Zebra Imaging Print Division, in a recent press release. Following is a video from Zebra Imaging that shows users how to prepare a hologram for printing once they have made their model or selected a model from the Autodesk 123D Gallery. Read the rest of Zebra Imaging: Print a 3D Hologram Using Autodesk 123D Family of Apps |
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