Data Acquisition using Mashup and 3-D Technology Matt Rahr College of Agriculture and Life Sciences University of Arizona

Let’s Do It!  A “hybrid” website or web application  Content from multiple sources  Creates a completely new service What is a Mashup? + Your Data

Characteristics of Mashups  Open source  Multipurpose  Can be used by communities to share or collect information  Can be interactive = “pin-maps” e.g. Katrina  They are not GIS, but could become so…

& Independent Site HousingMaps.com Craigslist db Mash Data Together Mashup Example

Components of a Mashup  Data – you normally supply some of this  The API is published by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo – you tie your data to their maps/aerials  Web browser is the client interface

Using the API

Building a Mashup - using the API

Getting a key  Obtained at  Terms of use… Unlimited hits 50k geocode requests Google reserves the right to include advertising. Must be freely accessible to end-user.  Must have a Google Account  Must provide domain name…

Google Conditions (others do not have these, or these may change)

You get a key randomly generated for this domain – all your pages with maps must be at this file level.

API Steps Create ’s = empty boxes where the content will go, e.g. a map or data Use Javascript functions to “fill” the div function load() { var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map")); map.setCenter(new GLatLng( , ), 13); }

API Steps (cont.) Previous code will create this:

API Steps (cont.)  Add additional commands (“methods”, “properties” and “events”) to enable or constrain the map environment e.g. zoom, scroll, get xy center of map, add pins, etc.  Explore other ways to enhance your site

Data Acquisition Existing Spatial Data into the Mashup  Write Javascript via the API var oldMainXY = new GLatLng( , ); var oldMainMarker = new GMarker(oldMainXY); map.addOverlay(oldMainMarker);  Using free webtools…  Convert existing spatial data to KML

What is KML?  Keyhole Markup Language  Its simple-text… readable!  Its XML based… organized, parsable  It can be easily edited… text editor

KML under the hood… GeoWeb 2007 Conference held in Vancouver, BC , , 0

KML Other cool things…  KML can be searchable via Google  KML can be viewed across different clients… On the web via Google MapsGoogle Maps In 3-Dimension within Google EarthGoogle Earth In a mobile environment via Google Maps for Mobile  KML can be “network-linked” Auto-refreshes when new data is added to the KML layer.

Converting to KML  Plenty of Tools ArcGIS 9.2 tool in Arc Toolbox ArcScripts for 9.1 and below Arc2Earth for Enterprise level…

Data Acquisition Creating New Data within a Mashup  Microsoft Virtual Earth “Collections” Microsoft Virtual Earth Web-Based Sharable via menu…  Send in  Copy to clipboard  Blog it  Link to it Geometric Measurements built-in Relief data just added Oblique imagery 3D-Built in

Data Acquisition Creating New Data within a Mashup  Google Maps “My Maps” Google Maps Web-Based Sharable via menu…  Send in  Link to it…  Save as KML* Embed HTML in your tag Extra content can be added to your mashup

3 rd Party Mashup Sites    Built on top of an existing mapping API, such as Google or Virtual Earth  A good selection, each with their pro’s and cons.

Community Walk

Community Walk (cont.)

Using Mashup Providers  Pro’s No programming required Quick startup time  Con’s The data you enter stays within the 3 rd Party’s database. Difficult to extract data for use in a GIS. Requires users to be registered to yet another site. Map’s are shared, but only allows visiting users to view data, not edit.

Katrina Info Map

Data Acquisition Writing your own Mashup Writing your own Mashup  Write a custom interface for your users Programmatically input data using the API.  Benefits: Get to collect multiple Attribute Fields Store the data how you want to…  XML, KML, CSV, plain-text file  Database – MySQL, Oracle, SQLServer  Spatial Database – SDE, Oracle Spatial, PostGIS

Data stored on backend  AJAX passes javascript requests to the server…  Server code then does your… ODBC – JDBC – ADO Connection Spatial Database API  ArcObjects, PostGIS API Web Service  ArcGIS Server Geoprocessing Service

Mobile Data Acquisition  Data can be acquired in the field with a smartphone, a cellular data plan, and a GPS.  GPS sends X,Y locations to the smartphone via Bluetooth or serial cable.  The phone initiates an IP connection to your database via its cellular data protocol (EVDO, EDGE, HSPDA). Requires mobile software…  The web-mashup reads data out of database in real-time.

Mobile Data Acquisition Solutions  Use 3 rd Party Apps  Or roll out your own. same pro’s and con’s

Using 3D Technologies in Data Acquisition  Helps with visualizing an application.  Potential for orientation in the field but there are issues… Resolution Bandwidth How to integrate with open source mapping like Google Earth? How to add GIS capability?

3-Dimension in Google Earth  Google Earth reads KML…  Points, Lines, Polygons Simple attributes  Real-time data can be added on-the-fly with KML’s “Network Link” attribute.  Real-time data can also be aggregated from a GeoRSS feed.  Raster Data can also be converted to KML… Draped over terrain.

Insert DRG

Close up of fly through

Non-geographical uses You can make your z-value some other parameter, like populations statistics e.g. states of Mexico

Example – states of Mexico

Example (cont.)

3D in Microsoft Virtual Earth  Built as a web-plugin.  Sits on the “webtop”, not a separate program.  Similar to Google Earth, but Data cannot be exported/imported on a standard such as KML* Oblique photography automates 3D objects. Google Earth relies on users to graphically create 3D objects and add to the collection.

Data Acquisition Mashups - summary  Powerful, easy-to-use and cheap.  Data integrates nicely into 3D  Data can move to the field for data collection and collaboration.  Custom mashups allow users to store data in spatial databases for GIS analysis

Thanks!  Any questions an be directed to me at  This presentation can be downloaded at