Sophia Parafina — Open Source Mapping in Windows

February 3, 2012 4 Comments

The real game changer is the release of TileMill for Windows.

She’s right, lots of great new options for Windows users.  As Brian Timoney says:

Those are universal skills no matter if you are on Windows, Mac OS X or Linux.  Cross platform apps gives you the ability to use your skills everywhere, rather than scripting VBA Microsoft Access “databases”.

 

 

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2011 Was the Year of Python

January 4, 2012 5 Comments

So last year I said this:

Remember AML fondly if you must, but today with Python you have tools that run circles around what AML gave you. I find myself opening up a command window and running python commands to manipulate data over starting up ArcCatalog these days and I love it.

No more excuses to not use Python.

‘Twas a very good year for Python.  Seems like we’ve finally gotten out of proprietary scripting languages and picked a winner in Python.  Personally, WeoGeo couldn’t do what we do on our back end without Python and I know many other companies can say the same thing.  I’ll go out on a limb and say 2012 will also be a very good year for Python.  *cough*

There are snakes on this GIS!

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Getting Paid by the Hour to Watch GIS Software Start Up

January 3, 2012 28 Comments

I’ve had it, I’m done waiting for old, slow, bloated GIS packages load while I do nothing. My new resolution this year is to focus on GIS products that start up quickly and let me start working immediately.

Seriously, what’s up with the bloated code? Features have trumped usability in GIS for far too long. This isn’t rocket science.

GIS Day is a celebration of slow moving software.

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Geospatial Data and Content Management for School Projects

August 19, 2011 Leave a Comment

It has been a long time since I was matriculating at my [alma mater](http://www.asu.edu) but clearly I can tell that school is starting up for a lot of people. My inbox is full of emails from students asking where they can find data for their projects[ref]I like students who are proactive and not reactive to their school work[/ref].

[WeoGeo](http://www.weogeo.com) has over 8 terabytes of free and inexpensive data available in the [WeoGeo Market](http://market.weogeo.com/#/regional_navigation) for inclusion in your analysis. Just this week we uploaded some great data from the State of Hawaii on [Hawaiian Natural Areas](http://blog.weogeo.com/2011/08/17/data-blog-hawaiian-natural-areas/) and data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on [U.S. Diabetes and Risk Factor Prevalence](http://blog.weogeo.com/2011/08/10/data-blog-us-diabetes-and-risk-factor-prevalence/).

![Hawaiian Natural Areas](http://images.spatiallyadjusted.com/HawaiianNaturalAreas-WeoGeo.png “Hawaiian Natural Areas”)

We’ve also have the complete [USGS National Hydragraphy Dataset](http://blog.weogeo.com/2011/04/04/data-blog-usgs-national-hydrography-dataset/) and [USGS Earthquake, Fault and Seismic Hazard](http://blog.weogeo.com/2011/07/11/data-blog-earthquakes-faults-and-seismic-hazard-us/) data [available for customization](http://wiki.weogeo.com/index.php/Order_data_on_WeoGeo_Market#Customize). Bonus points for using the [WeoGeo Tools for ArcGIS](http://www.zekiah.com/index.php?q=weogeo) to import these datasets into your ArcMap projects.

Another great option for students is our [WeoGeo Library](http://www.weogeo.com/library_info). Generally after the end of the school year, students need to archive off their projects to some personal stoarge device. Students using WeoGeo Library know their projects are available semester after semester no matter where they are. Since WeoGeo Library is a system of record, you’ll always have them at hand. My masters thesis was stored on a Brother Word Processor which meant that the minute I lost access to that hardware device, I lost all my hard work[ref]At least I remember it as hard work, ’twas a long time ago[/ref]. That’s why a real geospatial content management system like WeoGeo is the best way to manage your school work. Plus you can [get started today](http://www.weogeo.com/signup), for free.

![Browsing WeoGeo](http://images.spatiallyadjusted.com/WeoGeo-BrowseMarket.jpg “Browsing WeoGeo Market”)

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My Hometown County Has a Case of the Stupids

June 7, 2011 Leave a Comment

Bruce Joffe puts it plainly:

Many GIS professionals, users of public agency GIS databases, and advocates for transparency in government through accessible data records are concerned that this decision, if it stands, would enable many more counties to charge restrictive prices for their GIS databases.

This is my warning to all those who think they are smarter than they really are. The tides, they be a changing how people are using data, eventually you’ll drown if you don’t ride with them. That is all…

If I worked for Orange County, I’d kill myself…

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Sweden, Sweco, and Falling into a River – All Good Times

May 11, 2011 Leave a Comment

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited by Sweco to give a talk in Sweden at one of their developer retreats.  I’ve never been to Sweden before so I boned up on my Swedish by visiting Ikea and having some meatballs[ref]Didn’t work[/ref].  Let me first say that Sweden is awesome.  It is sort of like the coast of Oregon or maybe upstate New York (the good part, not Utica).

I was also able to spend the day at GIS-Vast where is saw some interesting talks by Microsoft, Google, MapInfo and Sweco.  Dinner was at the Stock Exchange in Gothenburg which was completely amazing.  Plus the Swedes know how to make coffee.  Nice, dark and rich.  It was bad when I landed in Philadelphia and grabbed a watered down Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.

The Sweco conference was up at Baldersnäs which yet again blew me away.  The hotel was beautiful as well and yes there was more great coffee.  Getting out of town and into the country was a great way to get focused on location intelligence and development.  I talked a bit about trends in our space (location/geo) as well as where I saw technology going in the next couple years.  Ted Neward was also there talking about developers and managers as well as architects.  Very good stuff!  Dinner was great and we played a little table hockey (set up for Finland vs Sweden) but alas I didn’t represent very well for Sweden and got rocked by the Finns.

The last day I was there the Sweco team went to an adventure camp where we did all kinds of outdoor sports.   Being from the desert, I wanted to stay on the water[ref]to be fair, I do have a swimming pool[/ref].  Kayaking was fun but I did fall in the water[ref]Swedish water is as cold as you’d think[/ref].  Canoeing was much safer and I got to see one of the large lakes in the area.

Looking dry after falling into the river in my Sweco jacket!

I’d like to thank everyone at Sweco for showing me a great time.  I learned quite a bit about how western Sweden is using geospatial technology to solve problems similar to what we have in the states as well.  Hopefully I’ll get a chance to show some great WeoGeo hospitality to Sweco really soon.  Thanks so much for the great time guys!

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GRASS GIS 6.4.1 Goes Native on Windows

April 14, 2011 Leave a Comment

GRASS GIS 6.4.1 released

GRASS 6.4 brings a number of exciting enhancements to the GIS. Our new wxPython graphical user interface (wxGUI) is debuted, Python is now a fully supported scripting language, and for the first time since its inception with a port from the VAX 11/780 in 1983, GRASS runs natively also on a non-UNIX based platform: MS-Windows.

I know right, you thought the same thing I did.  If only you had known in 1983 that there was a VAX port think of where you’d be today.

Cue the dramatic prairie dog!

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More Command Line GIS Goodness

April 1, 2011 1 Comment

I’ve been talking quite a bit about using ArcPy and Python as a means to go back to using the command line for GIS analysis. You get such a better understanding as to what you are doing with the geospatial analysis functions when you type them in manually rather than using a wizard.

There are other ways to do this though. Darren Cope has a short blog post on using OGR for clipping GIS data files. Simple and sweet!

It’s just that easy, and best of all it just works when all other methods fail!

That’s just it though, command line usually works when GUI’s fail.  The logical outcome is stop using the darn GUI!

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QGIS 1.5 is now out

August 2, 2010 7 Comments

Good news for those using open source GIS desktop clients.  QGIS 1.5 has hit the servers and users can now download it and start using it.  These is a great “visual change log” that gives the details.  For me the Spatialite and symbology improvements are going to make QGIS much more usable as a desktop GIS application.

Hello – is that open source desktop GIS that I’m looking for?

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Geographic Information Systems Q&A at Stack Exchange Continues to Move Forward

June 14, 2010 5 Comments

Got some good news via email tonight:

Hey there!

A Q&A site proposal which you are following, Geographic Information Systems, is now moving into the commitment phase. If you plan to participate in this site, please indicate your support by committing:

Commit to Geographic Information Systems

A good Q&A site needs critical mass to get off the ground, so if the site doesn’t receive enough commitment, we won’t create it. Don’t forget to invite your friends and colleagues to help build support and momentum. Click here to refer your friends:

Refer your friends

Thank you!

Z@rpqf
Head Alien in Charge
Area 51
http://area51.stackexchange.com

I’m glad to see this effort continue to gain traction.  I suggest everyone go over and “commit” to making the GIS Stack Exchange website work.  If you are unfamiliar with Stack Exchange, you should read up on it (or see Stack Overflow).  Once enough people commit, the site moves on to closed beta and only those who committed can participate at that stage.

So take a minute and commit to making the GIS Stack Exchange work.  Don’t forget to pass it on.

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