Integrating geospatial services with distributed multimedia resources Maurits van der Vlugt Webmapping Team Manager Social Change Online

World Leaders in WebMapping Services2 Or, for the short attention span Open GIS is cool

World Leaders in WebMapping Services3 Overview The vision Why standards based? How does it work? Some examples –MapOrganizer –WebMap Composer

World Leaders in WebMapping Services4 The vision: To share, integrate and publish spatial and non-spatial information over the Internet –Vendor and format independent –Utilising web-services –Creating rich information Enabling, rather than creating, the links

World Leaders in WebMapping Services5 Tracking a terrorist network Parse intelligence reports & news channels Locate sightings on a map Analyse, create links Save & share

World Leaders in WebMapping Services6 Create your own view on the world Configure an online application viewer Link in Map Services from all over the world Customise your own view Publish the result as a URL Link from your own website All in 30 minutes

World Leaders in WebMapping Services7 Value of the network –Serve once, use many –Use third party Web Services –Value grows exponentially with number of nodes Avoid the need to centralise: –Security –Quality Control –Custodianship –Maintenance Why open standards?

World Leaders in WebMapping Services8 How does it work? The OpenGIS Architecture OpenGIS Webmapping Specifications

World Leaders in WebMapping Services9 The OpenGIS Architecture From systems to services ACORN Services (network addressable components) –Applications, Catalogs, Operators, Repositories, Network Agreements (“standards”) –Protocols (HTML, XML, GML) –Component interfaces (OGC: WMS, WFS, Catalogs)

World Leaders in WebMapping Services10 Map Broker A pplications: “WebMap Composer” C atalog: exploring OpenGIS standard O perators: broker, renderer, reprojection N etwork OpenGIS services architecture Data R epositories: WFS, WMS

World Leaders in WebMapping Services11 How does it work? The ‘buzzwords’ (TLA’s) –OGC (Open GIS Consortium) –WMS (Web Map Server) –WFS (Web Feature Server) –G3 (Geoparser, Gazetteer, Geocoder) –LOF (Location Organising Folder) –XML (Extensible Markup Language) –GML (Geographic Markup Language) –SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)

World Leaders in WebMapping Services12 OGC Specifications (1) WebMap Specifications released (XML, CGI) (see: Catalog Services Web Map Server (WMS) Geographic Markup Language (GML) Other (non-webmap: CORBA, SQL, etc.) –Simple Features –Grid Coverages –Coordinate Transformation Services

World Leaders in WebMapping Services13 Two examples MapOrganizer –Client tool for Geospatial Fusion Services WebMap Composer –Create and publish your own OpenGIS online application

World Leaders in WebMapping Services14 The MapOrganizer Scenario: tracking a terrorist network –Parse intelligence reports & news channels –Locate sightings on a map –Analyse, create links

World Leaders in WebMapping Services15 Task General assignment is to review activities of potential concern –Protests –Police/civilian clashes –Assassinations –Bombings –Rallies Photo by Robi Kastro ISRAEL OUT (AP) Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh (AP) Photo by AP

World Leaders in WebMapping Services16 Analyst’s Activities Analysts have been following the various events to ascertain patterns of activity Review daily intelligence traffic & plot events where they occur Plot locations of other relevant features –road blocks –military installations –government facilities –historic locations Data may come from GIS data layers already created for other projects. Save and Share

World Leaders in WebMapping Services17 What functionality is needed? Scan text for placenames Relate placenames to geographic features Display relevant maps from various sources and formats Integrated storage of spatial and non-spatial objects Create links between objects Share the results

Application Architecture

World Leaders in WebMapping Services19 Search for features (person, event, etc) in the Folder Scroll down to control the map layers Click on map feature to get more information This is the heart of the Map Organizer. This window gives access to all features of the Folder Select any option for a detailed pop-up of Folder contents to appear Return To Start

World Leaders in WebMapping Services20 Adding text sources –Selecting text source –Geoparsing –Reviewing –Adding coordinates –Adding Features to Folder

World Leaders in WebMapping Services21 Analyst parses cable

World Leaders in WebMapping Services22 Get Results

World Leaders in WebMapping Services23 Option to add parsed text features to the folder, and/or to make them into Areas of Interest The new Folder contents displayed... Return To Start The locations found in the text are displayed

World Leaders in WebMapping Services24 What Services are used? Scan text for placenames –GEOPARSER; Polexis, San Diego USA Relate placenames to geographic features – GAZETTEER; NIMA, USA Display relevant maps from various sources –Web Map Servers (WMS); NIMA/NASA/ESRI, USA Integrated storage of spatial and non-spatial objects –Location Organiser Folder (LOF); SCO, Sydney Share the results –LOF manager; Ionic, Belgium

World Leaders in WebMapping Services25 WebMap Composer “Wizard” approach to Publishing Templates and Views as Web applications Create your own view of the world Using any OGC compliant Web Services Publish the result as a URL Link from your own website All in 30 minutes

World Leaders in WebMapping Services26 Features Support for OGC Web Map Servers, Feature Servers, Catalogs Web interface to configure views Publish/load configurations as XML documents - re-usable in other applications

World Leaders in WebMapping Services27

World Leaders in WebMapping Services28 Data Configuration

World Leaders in WebMapping Services29 Find new Map Layers

World Leaders in WebMapping Services30 Query WMS directly

World Leaders in WebMapping Services31 Add to Legend

World Leaders in WebMapping Services32 Use selected layers

World Leaders in WebMapping Services33 Layout configuration

World Leaders in WebMapping Services34 Widget Configuration

World Leaders in WebMapping Services35 Name Application

World Leaders in WebMapping Services36 Now available at URL...

World Leaders in WebMapping Services37 Published Application

World Leaders in WebMapping Services38 Any endangered species in my backyard? Fauna Taxonomy database (Australian Museum) Species sightings (NPWS) National Parks (NPWS) Topographic Map (Auslig) Integrated online, using direct, standardized access to original databases.

World Leaders in WebMapping Services39 “PlanConnect”: What planning instruments pertain to this area? State Planning maps (DUAP-ESRI) Local Council Maps (Served locally) Online Documents Spatial Metadata registration

World Leaders in WebMapping Services40 Conclusion Interoperable services are the way to go –“Serve once, use many” –Save $$$$$ by eliminating duplication of data and services OpenGIS standards available and emerging Applications are happening SCO leading in standards development and providing solutions “Enabling the links”

World Leaders in WebMapping Services41 Please visit for more information and examples. Or contact us at Thank you, any questions?