GIS Co-op

Meeting Minutes - 12/19/2006

1. Introductions.

Attendees: Steve Whitney - PC DOT, Dave Koss - COT DOT Real Estate, Linda Coon - PC DSD, Andreas Molin - Town of Oro Valley, Bryn Enright - COT Water, Manny Rosas - PAG, Autumn Figueroa - TPD, Daniel Casey - TPD, Roxanne Linsley - Bourn Partners, Kristin Wisneski - UofA, Brenda Bonanno - Bourn Partners.

2. GIS toys for the holidays - A review of some new geospatial technologies.

Items that were presented included:

ArcGIS Tips and Shortcuts: Published by ESRI, this includes keyboard shortcuts and tips and time-savers. This document can be found at http://www.esri.com/library/brochures/pdfs/arcgis- desktop-tips.pdf

Best Practices - Be More Productive with ArcGIS: ArcMap: Published by ESRI, this includes tips and tricks for solving common editing tasks and strategies to enhance workflows. This document can be found at http://www.esri.com/library/bestpractices/be-more-productive.pdf

ArcGIS layer files: Layer files save everything about the layer, such as the symbolization and labeling. When you add a layer file to another map, it will draw exactly as it was saved. Others can drop those layers onto their maps without having to know how to access the database or classify the data. More information on layer files can be found at http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.2/index.cfm?TopicName=Saving_a_layer_to_disk

New MapGuide tools: We reviewed a couple of new tools that have been added to Pima County's main MapGuide site. The first tool is "- Map Tools & Map Info. -", located along to top of the map frame and is a drop down list of tools for performing tasks such as providing feedback, parcel searching, drawing points, lines, and polygons, adding text, calculating areas, determining Lat/Lon coordinates, zooming to Lat/Lon coordinates, and accessing information on data layers and orthophoto imagery. It was demonstrated that you can use these tools to add a point to the map, then subsequently derive the Lat/Lon coordinate for that point.

LiDAR: Information was provided on some of the latest advances in filtering LiDAR data to produce bare-earth points (points that are actually ground-based, as opposed to above ground in cases such as building roofs, vegetation canopies, bridges, etc.)

ER Mapper Image Web Server: A demonstration of Pima county's Image Web Server was given, in which it was shown how to display PAG orthophotos from different project years within the dual plane display, how to link the to window panes using the two methods provided, and how to display different vintages of the imagery within the same window pane and interactively fade from one vintage to the other. See www.dot.pima.gov/gis/maps/iws, and choose "Seamless mosaic orthophotography".

Satellite imagery: Information was provided on new advances in satellite imagery, specifically the GeoEye-1 satellite that is scheduled to be launched in early 2007. The spatial resolution for imagery from this satellite will be 0.41 meters in the panchromatic band, and 1.64 meters in the multispectral bands.

ArcGIS Online: ArcGIS Online provides a series of ready-to-use online map services, globe services, and other GIS services for use with ArcGIS. These include both 2D maps and 3D digital worlds (globes) that you can use directly in ArcGIS Explorer, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server. See http://arcgisonline.esri.com

ArcGIS Explorer: A lightweight desktop client for ArcGIS Server. It can be used to access, integrate, and utilize GIS services, geographic content, and other Web services. ArcGIS Explorer can also be used with a variety of other GIS services such as those published using ArcIMS, ArcWeb Services, Web Map Services (WMS), and other Web services. In addition, ArcGIS Explorer can use local data such as shapefiles, file geodatabases, KML, JPEG 2000, GeoTIFF, MrSID, IMG, and other image formats. See http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/explorer

NORAD tracks Santa: Once again the crew in Colorado Springs is preparing the NORAD radar system to track Santa's trek on Christmas eve. Monitoring the system closely, the NORAD team will share images, video and radar sighting updates with the World via this fabulous website known as NORAD Santa. See http://www.noradsanta.org

3. Commercial GIS data sales - A review of Pima County's GIS data licensing program, and plans for the future.

Pima County's GIS data commercial licensing framework was presented. The parcel boundary layer and the street network layer have fixed annual licensing fees of $5,000 and $1,500 respectively. All other layers are priced based on the size of their shapefiles:

Licensees are assigned a user name and password to Pima County's FTP site, and they can download updated versions of licensed layers at will over the one-year licensing period. There is also an option to license the data by PLSS Section at the rate of $10 per Section per layer, with a 5 Section minimum per layer. After the one-year period expires, licensees have the option to continue to use the data as is, or re-license it for another year.

Currently the County only licenses layers that are directly maintained or value added by PC DOT. For the future, PC DOT would like to explore the possibility of licensing GIS Library layers that are maintained by other organizations as well. Ideally we would have a one-stop shop for licensing GIS layers for commercial use. A meeting between GIS data stewards will be scheduled to begin discussions in this direction. If you are interested in participating, please contact Steve Whitney (steve.whitney@dot.pima.gov).

4. Web portal subcommittee report.

A case-study on the benefits to commercial firms for using the Co-op Web Portal for transferring digital development/subdivision plans to government and utility organizations is still in progress.

5. Geodatabase subcommittee report.

The Geodatabase subcommittee has developed goals and objectives for the street network data model:

Develop and implement a street network Geodatabase model that will be utilized as a standard by GIS professionals within Pima County. Provide the capability for distributed editing of street network geometry and attributes. For example, other jurisdictions could update street network features within their jurisdiction, and/or utilize the attribute framework for jurisdictional-specific modeling. Maintain both a single-line representation (centerline) and carriageway representation of the street network. Implement one or more Linear Referencing Systems (LRS) for modeling external attributes. Document workflows for editing the street network. Provide full metadata. Develop a feedback loop.

The following conclusions have been reached:

The base geometry will consist of street segments that are defined by intersections or street name changes. Implement a set of core attribute fields that will be directly associated with the street network's base geometry. These will include fields for unique IDs, address ranges, and street names. Non-core attribute fields will be modeled and implemented using an LRS. Break out centerline and carriageway representations into separate features classes. The carriageway representation will focus on routing uses, while the centerline representation will provide the base for traditional uses. ArcGIS Server will be used to manage distributed editing via checked out versions of the street network. Each "editor" will need to take responsibility/ownership. Workflows will include QC steps, at least in the beginning. Street name annotation that is used to produce the Pima County Roadway System Map atlas is an example of additional work for the editors.

The subcommittee will begin to pilot distributed editing functions, while continuing to develop the data model as well as maintenance routines.

6. Open floor.

Excel files (.xls) are now supported directly in ArcGIS as read-only tables. Excel files are shown in ArcCatalog and you can expand them to see the individual worksheets and named ranges they contain.

It was reported that in order to use Cartographic Representations (a new way to symbolize features), you need to be at the ArcInfo licensing level within the ArcGIS software hierarchy. Upon further investigation, ESRI's documents state that representations can be created and edited with an ArcEditor or ArcInfo license.