Programming Tools for Visualization of GIS Data

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Programming Tools for Visualization of GIS Data

• Garret Suen
• Wednesday, March 5, 2003
• CPSC601.82 Advanced Algorithms in GIS and
  Scientific Applications

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Outline

• Introduction Visualization in GIS
• Application Areas
• Specific Problems in Application Areas
• Survey of Programs and Programming Tools
• Future of Visualization in GIS
• Conclusion and Summary

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Introduction

• Visualization in GIS deals with displaying
  information regarding geographical data
• Challenges include accuracy, integrity, and
  visibility
• Commercial and Specialty software and programming
  tools exist that focus on visualizing
  geographical information in specific areas of GIS

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General Challenges in GIS Visualization

• Moving from photos/data to digital images
• Displaying such information in a way that makes
  sense
• Manipulating data easily
• Creating databases of GIS information that are
  useful
• Level of detail (coarse vs. fine-grain)

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Application Areas

• The area of GIS focuses on specific areas that
  require specialized visualization needs.
• The areas we will focus on today include
• Geological Information (Oil, Gas, Mining)
• Climate Information (Weather Prediction)
• Residential Information (Maps)

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Geological Information

• This area specializes in visualization geological
  information.
• This includes minerals, precious metals, oil and
  gas deposits.
• Courtesy of http//www.nrcan.gc.ca/gsc/calgary/l
  abs/geologic1_e.html

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Challenges in Geo Visualization

• Geological Visualization attempts to abstract
  information regarding the earths strata from
  surface information
• Problems in Visualization deal with
• Volume representation (e.g. mountains)
• Layer representation (boundaries)
• Accuracy (from picture to digital images)

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Geological Visualization Programs

• Many companies make use of their own in-house
  software.
• However, there are many commercial software
  packages that are used as well.
• The most common package is the ArcView group of
  programs

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ArcView and Geology
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Programming Tools

• ArcView is an interactive product that allows for
  customization.
• It provides a host of built-in tools for
  geological information visualization.
• It allows for the creation of application
  specific scripts and macros
• It also allows for the creation and linking of
  spatial databases to information visualization.

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Climate Information

• Used extensively by weather forecasters, these
  systems attempt to model climate patterns.
• This includes air current, precipitation,
  temperature, and dew point information.
• Courtesy of http//www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/prism_
  new.html

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Challenges in Climate Visualization

• Dynamic updates from databases
• Representation of many aspects of climate over
  the same area
• Extrapolation of weather conditions over time
• Tracking weather changes over time

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Climate Visualization Programs

• For the most part, climate visualization deal
  with static maps that attempt to convey climate
  information.
• Numerous companies exist that provide climate and
  weather maps for regions and areas.
• We will consider one such commercial product
  popular with weather forecasters Digital
  Atmosphere 2000.

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Digital Atmosphere 2000
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Digital Atmosphere 2000 Features

• This program allows you to import almost any map
  in a format accepted by the World Meteorological
  Organization
• It allows you to create scripts and run
  simulations over time of weather patterns
• Allows hook-up to digital satellite photos so you
  can see the weather as it is happening.
• Provides ways to view all types of climate
  information.

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DA2000 Digital Satellite Photos
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Residential Information

• This focuses on visualizing man-made structures
  such as roads.
• Used in a variety of areas such as urban
  development, residential planning, and GPS
  Navigation.
• Courtesy of http//ca.maps.yahoo.com/

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Challenges in Residential Visualization

• Focus (coarse vs. fine grain)
• Information Representation
• Intelligent Navigation (GPS)
• Intelligent Search (Databases)
• Simulation (e.g. Traffic Planning)

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Residential Visualization Programs

• Most commercial applications in this area simply
  provide maps for residential development.
• One of the leading companies that deals with
  residential information is Autodesk.
• The Autodesk Map software package is run on an
  AutoCAD base.
• The main advantage of AutoDesk Map is its ability
  to incorporate satellite photos and directly
  manipulate them.

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AutoDesk Map 2002
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AutoDesk Map 2002 Features

• Easy creation of spatial databases.
• Direct manipulation of maps, aerial, and
  satellite photos.
• Automatic coordinate geometry information
  extracted from maps.
• Ability to add spatial information (polygons) and
  convert polygons/polylines into polyobjects for
  export into spatial databases.
• Basic Algorithms shortest-path, network
  tracing, and polygon overlay.

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Future of GIS Visualization

• The future of GIS Visualization will ultimately
  be based on new paradigms of visualization.
• Current traditional models work on bringing the
  3D to the 2D.
• Future visualization will work on allowing
  information to be visualized on the 3D level
  (CAVE!).

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Working Towards the Future

• Terrain model a CAVE Perspective _at_ the
  University of Illinois Urbana, Champagne

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Summary

• GIS Visualization is specific to the application
  area that is being applied to.
• Each area faces different challenges in
  understanding their own types of information.
• We have looked at the problems involved in 3
  different GIS Areas Geological, Climate, and
  Residential.

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Summary (cont.)

• Various commercial software solutions are
  available for the GIS practitioner.
• Each software solution provides a wide array of
  functions and tools for manipulating and
  displaying information.
• As our understanding of GIS information
  increases, software will move towards providing
  the tools necessary.
• Programming tools are generally in the form of
  scripting tools that allow for specific
  manipulation of data.

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References

• ArcView
• http//www.esri.com/software/arcgis/features/index
  .html
• AutoDesk Map 2002
• http//usa.autodesk.com/adsk/section/0,,2260583-12
  3112,00.html
• Digital Atmosphere 2000
• http//www.weathergraphics.com/da/
• CAVE
• http//www.gis.uiuc.edu/research/hpgis/cave.htm

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• Questions? Comments?