Kay's Blog

ArcGIS 10

2010-04-22T03:38:00.000-07:00

I have just noticed that ESRI has put the WebHelp page for ArcGIS 10.
As i have to use that application almost on daily basis at work, i decided to check it out.
I must say i was impressed with the improvement they made, even though i personally feel that government should use FOSS where possible (It is just a matter of reducing cost for the taxpayer and creating a more transparent decision making process ).
What interested me the most of course is the gp-framework, that was always one ESRI's best component's. It just a fast and organized way to process data, no fiddling with endless menubar's en Cool , but unclear toolstrips, ... (that also the reason why i prefer SAGA-gis over GRASS, in the open source world, even with SAGA's horribly lacking documentation)
Also i liked how you can add additional functionality with models or scripts.
But their python-API used to be rather crappy (Using string's for to boolean value's ???). This was alway's a bit of a turnoff for a Pythonista like me (it was still a lot better having to use stupic VBA-document embedded shit) . But that's clearly greatly improved, they have even added an API for Mapping and integrated spatial analyst map algebra into the python api. You can load rasters into numpy-array's or numpy-array's into rasters.
They have also added a embedded python interpreter into arcMap (très cool).
Anyway lets hope they improved stability as well, because my current 9.2 does crash from time to time.

Ipad == Icrap ?

2010-04-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

A lot of people these day's are bashing the Ipad.
The technology of the Ipad is surely a bunch of crap. It is just a way to large Iphone with no phone (and with no multitasking or webcam).
The lack of any form of openness (even with a opensource kernel and browser back-end ) and the complete control over the all applications, you can run on their device, bugs the hell us out of Linux-hippies.

But why the hell should we care?

The average apple-Yuppie just wants a bug-free device that looks pretty (but not flashy :)) and they can use to consume content with (== spend their large paycheck on). That's their right.

Their are a lot of mobile devices out there, a lot of them are quite open: WebOS , Andriod and Symbian are all at least partial FOSS, support Linux as a development platform and foremost allow you to install app's outside their (uncensored) app-store. And of course maemo / meego is just all about developing as a community, hand in hand, singing cumbaya, getting paid with a lot of hugs and kisses (or huQt's and KDEisses ?).

So we really can't complain. Just let Yup's have their Istuff, Bussyness People their BussynessBerry's, regular Joe's and teenagers their NOKIA's, LG, Samsung music-expresso's (or whatever).
We nerd'z and hippie's have a lot to mess arround with, open stuff to make real app's for and closed stuff to hack(berry) or jailbreak.

As long as their is choice their is happiness (and Bussyness) for everyone. I just hope that, unlike on the desktop computers, there will never arise a dominating Operating System.

FOSS-gis for everything ?

2010-04-03T02:52:00.000-07:00

Can all desktop GIS, for the Flemish maritime agency be replaced by FOSS-GIS? We already use geoserver-openlayers for webmaps and i use gdal's commanline tools and python interface all the time to translate data between formats.

If where up to me what tools i could use for my work, i would only use FOSS gis. But employers and their IT-contracter decide this for me and they don’t trust FOSS in general.
And my coworkers should agree too and they don’t like to change their methodology.

The only possible FOSS replacement for Sonar-processing mb-system, not exacly user friendly (cli-based, have to compile yourself). I don't think our IT-people or hydrographers could even imagine supporting/using something like this. Replacing QINSY seems out of the question.

Analytical open source gis like SAGA or ilwis are already more functional then Spatial analyst. Stupid thing like filling holes in grid's i had to program in python myself. I'm unsure on their performance on very large hydrographical datasets however.
Also a good looking UI does not seem to be a primary concern of the makers of these applications. First impressions do count (a lot even) if you try to convince people to switch to FOSS-software.

For the print Map composition of Quantum GIS is getting there fast and gvsig’s mapcomposer is already quite impressive. With some touching up SVG-maps using inkscape, krita, Xara or Scribus, a lot can be achieved too. Scribus or Xara can even modify existing pdf. No real need for ArcView for doing that anymore, i believe.

ENC production, no real FOSS tools for that, although most FOSS-software can read it thanks to OGR. ArcGIS requires ARC/INFO workstation for this, so FOSS can still help with the conversion back to regular vectors.

A hybrid environment is the best I can achieve, where i use foss tools to do less routine stuff that otherwise would require buying additional software, like compressing and warping large imagery, converting database xy-tables and ENC's to shapefiles, making webmaps, …

First Post

2010-04-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Hello, i'm Kay a GIS-tech from Belgium. In this blog i'm try to tell you about my experiences with GIS and other FOSS software on Ubuntu.

Obviously the first thing i did is install Ubuntu on my Sony Vaio Laptop.

Feeling a bit adventurous i got the first Beta version of their newest release Lucid Lynx.

After burning the ISO to a CD, i restarted my PC, booting from the CD, I could test the OS right away without installing anything, pretty cool.

Anyway i went trough install wizard, made a separate partition for my windows and ubuntu and less then a 15 minutes later it was done, i was running linux .

The first thing i did was to update my system, because the beta was out for some time there was already quite list of patches. I also enabled all the software sources, so i wouldn't miss out on anything.

I also added the medibuntu software repository so could get Google earth and some restricted media codecs.

That's all for now, goodbye.