Seeing Data with GIS: From Paper Maps to Immersive Visualizations Matt Gregory Forest Ecosystems and Society GIS Day 2008

Who am I?  GIS Analyst  Programmer  Total map geek

In the old days … (before 1996)  Paper maps were the best way to ‘see’ data  Paper maps continue to be important as one way to display and archive information  BUT, with the web comes new possibilities …

 Google Maps launched (web based mapping that can be used on your own website)  Google Earth launched  Microsoft Virtual Earth launched  OpenStreetMap (users around the world create roads with handheld GPSs) Your lifespan in GIS web mapping  MapQuest launched for driving directions 1998  First online GIS web mapping and analysis programs  Terraserver (images and topo maps) 1999  National Atlas of Canada available online 2002  NASA Worldwind launched (first 3D world viewer)  Many users customize these programs as ‘mash-ups'

Web mapping: pros and cons  Deliver up-to- date data  User can often ‘personalize’ map  Can be less expensive than paper maps for users ProsCons  Need the internet  Limited screen space  Can be expensive to produce and maintain for developers

Examples  City of Corvallis web mapping  Mashup example: Geocaching.com  OpenStreetMap  Google Earth  GNNViz

On to some examples!

Future of GeoData Visualization?  Some guesses …  3-D visualizations will get faster and imagery will get more detailed  Handheld devices and phones will not only be able to display but also collect data  Communication in web mapping sites (chat, avatars) not far off

Thanks for your attention! Any questions?