New Virtual Earth Features

I can’t bring myself to say Live Local so I’m sticking with Virtual Earth. Anyway I was talking to Brian Flood today about using Arc2Earth to export KML and share those KMLs using Google Maps. My only disappointment was in Google Maps support of KML at this point (though I’m sure it will get there eventually). The problem for us using KML has been our clients not being able to install Google Earth because of the license issues. $400 a pop just won’t cut it. Anyway taking a look at the new Virtual Earth features such as the ability to draw polygons on maps and collaborate with other users via the web seems like a killer feature to me for those who want to share their GIS layers with others. Google Earth is a great tool, but ever computer has a web browser on it. Beyond exporting to PDF, that is the only sure way I can share mapping with clients and have them able to read the maps.

So this begs the question, when can I see Arc2VirtualEarth? There seems to be no import/export tool for these polygons, polylines and points but I can’t imagine that would be very hard to enable such a tool.

Also the Virtual Earth Interactive SDK has been updated with the new VE features.

vepoly.jpgvepoly.jpg

September 12, 2006 Thoughts






Update on ArcGIS Explorer Release Candidate

ArcGIS ExplorerArcGIS Explorer

Looks like it might get out this week, so patience.

The UC release is very nice, but if there is a show stopper, best get it right especially since this is the release candidate.

September 11, 2006 Thoughts






ArcGIS Explorer Release Candidate Release

ArcGIS ExplorerArcGIS Explorer

For those who keep bugging me about when it will show up, I know nothing. I heard it will be available as a download by the end of this week so maybe we’ll see it really soon. Beyond that I still don’t know when it will be available to the public. The last I heard was the general public would have to wait until ArcGIS 9.2 goes public. Until then you can read up on new changes.

September 8, 2006 Thoughts






The Dangermond/Lewis Land Swap”

jerrylewis.jpgjerrylewis.jpg

I’ll be honest, I really haven’t been following this at all. I actually got contacted by a couple of reporters for the inside take” and I had to do a quick Google News search to see what the heck they were talking about. Growing up in Orange Country California, I only knew Redlands as gas stations and truck stops (last place to get cheap gas before getting to Big Bear). It is best to try and protect space while they still have it, no matter who lives next to it.

September 7, 2006 Thoughts






Microsoft Releases IronPython - Python for .NET

IronPython LogoIronPython Logo

I know you’ve all really been waiting for this news, but IronPython has been officially released. Python is a beautiful programming language (Planet Geospatial runs on it) and I’m so happy that ArcGIS uses it for geoprocessing and now I can integrate Python right inside my existing .NET framework and interact with .NET objects.

September 7, 2006 Thoughts






The United States Mapped by Flickr

It looks like people are able to do wonderful things with the Flickr API and a four color United States map.

statesmap.jpgstatesmap.jpg

Click over to the blog post link above for a better view of this map

I’d love to see this mashed up with the Earth at Night image and see what happens.

September 6, 2006 Thoughts