Integrating geospatial services with distributed multimedia resources

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Integrating geospatial services with distributed
multimedia resources

• Maurits van der Vlugt
• Webmapping Team Manager
• Social Change Online
• http//webmap.socialchange.net.au
• Maurits_at_socialchange.net.au

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Or, for the short attention span

• Open GIS is cool

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Overview

• The vision
• Why standards based?
• How does it work?
• Some examples
• MapOrganizer
• WebMap Composer

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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

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Tracking a terrorist network

• Parse intelligence reports news channels
• Locate sightings on a map
• Analyse, create links
• Save share

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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

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Why open standards?

• 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

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How does it work?

• The OpenGIS Architecture
• OpenGIS Webmapping Specifications
• www.opengis.org

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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)

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OpenGIS services architecture

Network
Applications WebMap Composer
Operators broker, renderer, reprojection
Catalog exploring OpenGIS standard
Data Repositories WFS, WMS
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How does it work?

• The buzzwords (TLAs)
• 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)

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OGC Specifications (1)

• WebMap Specifications released (XML, CGI)
• (see http//www.opengis.org/techno/specs.htm)
• Catalog Services
• Web Map Server (WMS)
• Geographic Markup Language (GML)
• Other (non-webmap CORBA, SQL, etc.)
• Simple Features
• Grid Coverages
• Coordinate Transformation Services

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Two examples

• MapOrganizer
• Client tool for Geospatial Fusion Services
• WebMap Composer
• Create and publish your own OpenGIS online
  application

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The MapOrganizer

• Scenario tracking a terrorist network
• Parse intelligence reports news channels
• Locate sightings on a map
• Analyse, create links

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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
Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh (AP)
Photo by AP
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Analysts 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

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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

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Application Architecture
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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
Click on map feature to get more information
Search for features (person, event, etc) in the
Folder
Scroll down to control the map layers
Return To Start
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Adding text sources

• Selecting text source
• Geoparsing
• Reviewing
• Adding coordinates
• Adding Features to Folder

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Analyst parses cable
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Get Results
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The new Folder contents displayed ...
The locations found in the text are displayed
Option to add parsed text features to the folder,
and/or to make them into Areas of Interest
Return To Start
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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

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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

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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

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Data Configuration
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Find new Map Layers
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Query WMS directly
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Add to Legend
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Use selected layers
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Layout configuration
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Widget Configuration
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Name Application
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Now available at URL...
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Published Application
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Any endangered species in my backyard?
http//wildlifeatlas.socialchange.net.au

• Fauna Taxonomy database (Australian Museum)
• Species sightings (NPWS)
• National Parks (NPWS)
• Topographic Map (Auslig)
• Integrated online, using direct, standardized
  access to original databases.

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PlanConnect What planning instruments pertain
to this area?

• State Planning maps (DUAP-ESRI)
• Local Council Maps (Served locally)
• Online Documents
• Spatial Metadata registration

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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

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Thank you, any questions?

• Please visit http//webmap.socialchange.net.au
• for more information and examples.
• Or contact us at
• webmap_at_socialchange.net.au