Coming soon to ArcGIS 9.3 as a subscription based service that will allow you to add the Microsoft Virtual Earth imagery and base maps. The real benefit of using this service is that it removes the responsibility of finding and sometimes purchasing the latest base mapping files. Also, it frees you to map beyond your normal “home territory”, expanding your mapping abilities. No word yet on pricing, stay tuned! For now, investigate the beta program ESRI already offers for free as a GIS Server layer (http:/services.arcgisonline.com/v92) for imagery, topos, shaded relief maps, etc. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Google follows suite if not just to show up Microsoft 
Weather Underground has a map that shows the output of thousands of weather stations around the world. As well as NEXRAD radar of current precipitation! The weather stations report temperature, wind speed and direction. This site is a wonderful mashup of mapping all things weather. You can even track current hurricanes by clicking on the tabs at the top of the map. Each hurricane displayed shows its progression from tropical storm, to depression through the category stages, and even the projected path. Very Cool!
The countdown has begun…In less than 1 week I will be in Sunny (hopefully) San Diego, California for the 2008 ESRI Users Conference. I shall do my best to document the entire ordeal for those that cannot be there. I plan to include as many pictures as I can to completely capture the enormity of this event. If there is anything specific that you would like me to check out or blog about, let me know in the comments! This is going to be my first ESRI Users Conference, and according to ESRI I won’t be alone; 40% of attendees will be first timers… Anyone that has been before, feel free to leave me some pointers in the comments as well!
USGS has a new trick up its sleeve. Almost realtime satellite imagery from LandSat 5 & 7! Landsat 5 was launched in 1984 as a backup for Landsat 4 and scans the earth once every 16 days. Landsat 7 was launched in 1999 and circles the Earth at an altitude of 438 miles. These two satellites stream imagery continuously to the earth, specifically to the USGS where that data is compiled and analyzed and then hosted for public view on the EarthNow! site: http://earthnow.usgs.gov/ There you can view the latest pass of either Landsat 5 or 7 with a countdown till the next pass over the US. Each pixel of the images displayed is about 250 square meters, so I would worry about your personal privacy just yet (not to say other government agencies aren’t watching…don don don).
You can also link to http://glovis.usgs.gov from the EarthNow! page where you can download 20% or less cloud cover images of the US.
If you have not yet installed ArcGIS 9.3, then Service Pack 6 has been released for your ArcGIS 9.2 installation. I am assuming this will be the last Service Pack for 9.2 since the release came after ArcGIS 9.3 started shipping last month. Click Here to go straight to the download page.
For those of you who have installed ArcGIS 9.3 we would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment and let us know of any great new features, shortcuts, tips, bugs, etc. I am sure the community would like to know a little more before upgrading.
If you’ve ever been stuck under a tree canopy or tried to capture a point which would require you to lose satellite reception, the LaserTech TruPulse 360B is a great solution for creating real-time offsets directly in your Trimble handheld. In our testing environment, we hooked up the 360B to a new GeoXH 2008 series handheld using bluetooth. Prior to the first offset, the unit was easily calibrated using the simple process outlined in the manual. Then it was ready to go. The GeoXH was running TerraSync. As we began collecting a point, we simply focused the 360B’s cross-hair on the target within the eyepiece (which also displays common settings – see image), clicked the trigger, and the offset was transferred to the unit, automatically adjusting the point to the actual offset position. Once the offset is registered, those points can be navigated to in TerraSync and post processed like normal. The unit provide easy readings of distance, bearing, inclination, and other basic settings and can be used as a stand-alone system for these basic measurements.
Forget capturing distance and bearing by hand on a notepad and then working your calculus back at the office. Let the new TruPulse 360B do the job for you automatically. GEO-Jobe is an authorized LaserTech distributor and we use this in our data collection projects too. Give us a call if you’d like to learn more or for a demo. 615-883-0085.
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www.BatchGeocode.com provides a nifty little app online that will convert 500 addresses at one time. All free. Plus they have some pretty neat add-ons to convert to KML and the like. It’s fast and so far works like a charm. Thanks to one of my friends in the Health Dept at Jackson, TN who shared this resource.
After upgrading to ArcMap 9.3 and exploring its many new features, one is worth noting; 9.3 has enhanced the options when exporting a map to PDF. In order to utilize this new function go to File > Export (Alt + FE) and in the Save as type: select PDF. If it isn’t expanded by default click on the options button on the bottom left of the dialog box and you’ll find a new to 9.3 Advanced tab where you can choose:
1. Not to export the map layers
2. To export only the map layers
3. To export the map layers and the feature attributes.
Opting to export the layers and attributes comes with a warning: “Exporting attributes to PDF can lead to performance problems while viewing the file in Adobe Acrobat® or Reader®. If possible, limit exported fields to one layer per map. To suppress field export, turn off field visibility in the Layer Properties dialog.”
I created a test PDF using the state of New Jersey’s Municipality Layer. Once you have a PDF exported from ArcMap (you must export directly from ArcMap, the attributes/layers will not be generated if you print the map using a pdf printer) open the file in Adobe Acrobat® 8 or later, did not work with Acrobat® Pro 6, and add the “Object Data” Tool then click on a feature of the map. It was very difficult to click just one object. It seemed to select all then on the second click it was easier to select just one. The object data shows up in the left pane as a “Model Tree”. I don’t yet know if you can edit the object data. I would make sense for that to be an option with Acrobat® Standard or Pro.
This option is a much needed addition to enhance map production and the free distribution of mapping information.
Here is a sample PDF of Well Head Protection Areas with some attribute information attached: sample_93 (for best results download and open, viewing in a browser may not work).
We don’t usually do political stuff here. But if you’re like me, you are probably as tired as I am of this current political campaign season? Are you ready to get a really good candidate in office? I think you’ll agree that we all know the perfect candidate. Click the video below to see my pick.
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