Accessibility and Interactivity are keywords of information today and that is equally important in science as anywhere else. When scientists share information it benefits if it is intuitive, informative and simple and does not demand expert skills in complicated formats. This master thesis has the aim to investigate open source software tools to design a web map application that can be used by any institute or NGO to distribute their data over internet. The Java platform to be implemented is the open source OpenLayers which allow users to view and potentially manipulate GIS map data through a web map application. Whatever GIS data made available on the Geoserver (the host site for the application) can be shared to users worldwide. The user can then: add from a list of available data layers, choose background (e.g. Google Earth, Open Street Map, etc.), zoom in and out, pan, change symbols and colors, add their own data on top and start animation (if applicable). The data distributed from the Geoserver can also be viewed and accessed from smartphones whichopens the possibility to make the public part of the larger data gathering task of specific scientific inventories like observations of migrating birds, or whatever indicator a specific scientist is interested in. Data is uploaded to the Geoserver and can then be analyzed and the result is distributed to the public.

Google announced Google Maps Service on June 2005, and they developed and used many technologies to solve performance balance issue that long existing in client-server GIS system, including Ajax, map data pre-processing, and browser's cookies system. OGC defined this mechanism as WMS-C. However, Ajax is a technology based on HTML and javascript, when processing mass spatial data, it could be the bottleneck of performace. Therefore, using browser plugin to improve performance on data processing is necessary. This paper discuss on WebGIS related technologies, including CGI, Java Applet, Ajax, Flash, and compare their weakness and strength, then we focus on analyzing Java Applet, Ajax, Flash. Flash provides better graphics processing abilities, smooth interactive operation, fast display performance, make it suitable to be a WebGIS platform. Flash also support multi-platform and multi-browser, and it can be deployed with the same programming code. So this study chooses Flash and it's language Action Script to develop WebGIS client, backend with Mapserver to publish map data. We also use TileCache to pre-process aerial images of National Sun Yat-sen University into image tiles. Also it is overlaid with Kaohsung district map as vector data. The actionscript in the WebGIS core library include classes like Map, View, Layer, TMSLayer, FeatureLayer. It is fully implemented as a Flash based WebGIS system. Lastly, we compare the Flash-based MapServer system with MapServer only regarding to there performance and interactivity. On loading vector data, flash performance is nearly equal to Mapserver. When vector panned, flash performs better because flash uses pre-loading image tiles, but Mapserver renders repeatly after every move. On interactivity, flash can directly zoom the map with mouse wheel, and it can shorten user¡¦s operating time. And flash can also dispaly animations like fade in, out, etc. After removing one single layer, the map still preserve the other layers, so users can handle the map information more precisely, and can reduce the loading of servers.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T15:58:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo3241_1.pdf: 9393847 bytes, checksum: e5bc9db1f5524adb5b2392e6cbfe1e9e (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Um sistema para consultas espaciais visuais a Bancos de Dados Geográficos (BDG) é caracterizado pela utilização de representações gráficas que visam abstrair a sintaxe da linguagem de consulta do BDG. Web Mapping é um serviço disponibilizado na Web que permite a criação e visualização de mapas e rotas a partir de um Web site. Neste contexto, apesar da popularidade dos serviços de Web Mapping (e.g., Google Maps, Yahoo Maps e Bing Maps), estes não foram concebidos para realizar consultas espaciais (e.g. topológicas, métricas e direcionais) sobre BDG. Visando propor uma alternativa a esta limitação, esta dissertação especifica e implementa o sistema Visual Spatial Query (ViSQ) para, a partir de um serviço de Web Mapping, realizar consultas espaciais visuais sobre um BDG. O ViSQ faz uso de tecnologias abertas, extensíveis e de acordo com padrões consolidados, como Java, XML e SQL. Como avaliação do conceito, é realizado um estudo de caso com dados sobre o setor elétrico que mostra a viabilidade do sistema ViSQ

Foi estruturado um modelo de servidor de mapas, na plataforma MapGuide, capaz de disseminar eletrônicamente os dados geoespaciais gerados pela Prefeitura de Taboão da Serra SP. O projeto de servidor visou duas finalidades principais: implementar este tipo de tecnologia ao analista responsável pelo projeto, no âmbito da Prefeitura, e; tornar a dissertação um guia teóricometodológico introdutório a profissionais da Cartografia e Geociências, não especializados com este ramo das geotecnologias. O serviço de disseminação foi configurado para servir dados geoespaciais diretamente a navegadores de rede, servidores FTP e Sistemas de Informação Geográfica (SIG). Para estes últimos, foram utilizados recursos de acesso a dados localizados em servidores de mapas remotos, por meio dos serviços de Web Mapping Service (WMS) e Web Feature Service (WFS). Enquanto a disseminação em navegador de rede pode alcançar usuários não especializados com este campo das geotecnologias, a utilização de servidores FTP, serviços WMS e WFS remotos, favorece usuários técnicos das Geociências e Cartografia. Comparou-se as funcionalidades do MapGuide, a SIG de primeira e segunda geração, com funções topológicas completas. Concluiu-se que o servidor de mapas não possuía a mesma capacidade de análise espacial dos SIG topológicos. / A Web Mapping application built on MapGuide was designed to digitally serve the municipal government of Taboão da Serra SP geospatial data. There were two aims related to the application project: to implement the technology to the analyst responsible for the project, and; to develop the project content as an introdutory theoretical-methodological guide to geoscientists and cartographers not specialized in the internet mapping field. The geospatial data dissemination services were configured to web browsers, FTP servers and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). For these lasts, data access resources to remote spatial servers were used, via Web Mapping Services (WMS) and Web Feature Services (WFS). While the web browser data dissemination is suitable for non-technicians, the FTP server, WMS and WFS resources, are best suitable for GIS analysts. A comparison between MapGuide functionalities with other first and second generation topological GIS softwares was performed. The conclusion revealed the web mapping application didn\'t have the same spatial analysis capabilities as the topological GIS.

Foi estruturado um modelo de servidor de mapas, na plataforma MapGuide, capaz de disseminar eletrônicamente os dados geoespaciais gerados pela Prefeitura de Taboão da Serra SP. O projeto de servidor visou duas finalidades principais: implementar este tipo de tecnologia ao analista responsável pelo projeto, no âmbito da Prefeitura, e; tornar a dissertação um guia teóricometodológico introdutório a profissionais da Cartografia e Geociências, não especializados com este ramo das geotecnologias. O serviço de disseminação foi configurado para servir dados geoespaciais diretamente a navegadores de rede, servidores FTP e Sistemas de Informação Geográfica (SIG). Para estes últimos, foram utilizados recursos de acesso a dados localizados em servidores de mapas remotos, por meio dos serviços de Web Mapping Service (WMS) e Web Feature Service (WFS). Enquanto a disseminação em navegador de rede pode alcançar usuários não especializados com este campo das geotecnologias, a utilização de servidores FTP, serviços WMS e WFS remotos, favorece usuários técnicos das Geociências e Cartografia. Comparou-se as funcionalidades do MapGuide, a SIG de primeira e segunda geração, com funções topológicas completas. Concluiu-se que o servidor de mapas não possuía a mesma capacidade de análise espacial dos SIG topológicos. / A Web Mapping application built on MapGuide was designed to digitally serve the municipal government of Taboão da Serra SP geospatial data. There were two aims related to the application project: to implement the technology to the analyst responsible for the project, and; to develop the project content as an introdutory theoretical-methodological guide to geoscientists and cartographers not specialized in the internet mapping field. The geospatial data dissemination services were configured to web browsers, FTP servers and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). For these lasts, data access resources to remote spatial servers were used, via Web Mapping Services (WMS) and Web Feature Services (WFS). While the web browser data dissemination is suitable for non-technicians, the FTP server, WMS and WFS resources, are best suitable for GIS analysts. A comparison between MapGuide functionalities with other first and second generation topological GIS softwares was performed. The conclusion revealed the web mapping application didn\'t have the same spatial analysis capabilities as the topological GIS.

The growing necessity for meaningful climate change response has encouraged the development of global warming mitigation and adaptation initiatives. Urban solar energy generation is one opportunity that has been investigated by numerous cities through various solar potential Web-applications. However, as solar feasibility can vary considerably across a small geographic area due to variations in local topography and feature shading, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to be implemented. This thesis investigates how a Web-based spatial decision support system (SDSS) can enable non-experts to explore urban solar feasibility and, to a lesser extent, issues related to urban heat. First, a conceptual framework is developed that investigates the linkages between SDSS, Web technologies, public participation, volunteered geographic information, and existing green energy initiatives. This framework identifies the relevance between these fields of study as well as a number of opportunities for improving on past work and taking advantage of new technical capabilities. Second, in order to test the opportunities identified, SunSpot was developed. This Web-SDSS investigates rooftop solar feasibility as well as land cover and surface temperature dynamics relating to the urban heat-island effect in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A number of solar resource datasets were developed in order to facilitate the decision making capabilities of SunSpot. This was done using a combination of different topographical data sources, atmospheric data, and a raster-based irradiance model called Solar Analyst. Third, a number of in-person workshops were conducted to obtain feedback on SunSpot’s usability and ability for users to understand the visual layers and results. Finally, this feedback was analyzed to identify the successes and challenges of SunSpot’s capabilities and design. This revealed a number of recommendations for further development of SunSpot, as well as opportunities for future research relating to the development of local scale solar resource data and the development of similar Web-SDSS applications.

The growing necessity for meaningful climate change response has encouraged the development of global warming mitigation and adaptation initiatives. Urban solar energy generation is one opportunity that has been investigated by numerous cities through various solar potential Web-applications. However, as solar feasibility can vary considerably across a small geographic area due to variations in local topography and feature shading, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to be implemented. This thesis investigates how a Web-based spatial decision support system (SDSS) can enable non-experts to explore urban solar feasibility and, to a lesser extent, issues related to urban heat. First, a conceptual framework is developed that investigates the linkages between SDSS, Web technologies, public participation, volunteered geographic information, and existing green energy initiatives. This framework identifies the relevance between these fields of study as well as a number of opportunities for improving on past work and taking advantage of new technical capabilities. Second, in order to test the opportunities identified, SunSpot was developed. This Web-SDSS investigates rooftop solar feasibility as well as land cover and surface temperature dynamics relating to the urban heat-island effect in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A number of solar resource datasets were developed in order to facilitate the decision making capabilities of SunSpot. This was done using a combination of different topographical data sources, atmospheric data, and a raster-based irradiance model called Solar Analyst. Third, a number of in-person workshops were conducted to obtain feedback on SunSpot’s usability and ability for users to understand the visual layers and results. Finally, this feedback was analyzed to identify the successes and challenges of SunSpot’s capabilities and design. This revealed a number of recommendations for further development of SunSpot, as well as opportunities for future research relating to the development of local scale solar resource data and the development of similar Web-SDSS applications.

The purpose of this exploratory collective case study is to discover how geospatial education can meet the geospatial workforce needs of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the emerging intelligent web mapping era. Geospatial education uses geographic information systems (GIS) to enable student learning by increasing in-depth spatial analysis and meaning using geotechnology tools (Baker & White, 2003). Bandura’s (1977) self-efficacy theory and geography concept of spatial thinking form an integrated theoretical framework of spatial cognition for this study. Data collection included in-depth interviews of twelve geospatial stakeholders, documentation collection, and supporting Q methodology to determine the viewpoints of a total of 41 geospatial stakeholders. Q methodology is a type of data collection that when used as a qualitative method utilizes sorting by the participant to determine their preferences. Data analysis strategies included cross-case synthesis, direct interpretation, generalizations, and a correlation matrix to show similarities in participants' preferences. The results revealed four collaborative perceptions of the stakeholders, forming four themes of social education, technology early adoption, data collaboration, and urban fundamentals. Four strategies were identified for higher education to prepare students for the emerging geospatial workforce trends. These strategies are to teach fundamentals, develop agile faculty and curriculum, use an interdisciplinary approach, and collaborate. These strategies reflect the perceptions of stakeholders in this study on how higher education can meet the emerging drivers and trends of the geospatial workforce. / Published version / Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Design and Technology

No description available.

The agents of animal diseases harm the human population in several ways, provoking diseases called zoonosis, in other words, the diseases that they are transmitted from the vertebrate animals to the man. The animal sanitary control is an activity of extreme importance for our society concerning the health and economy. The high number of establishments that they need to be fiscalized and the enormous amount of collected data, requests a lot of organization and they should allow managers of the fiscalization agencies to have fast access to updated information. Many zoonosis demand fast actions and, for this, the avaliable spatial information is of fundamental importance to avoid higher economical-social damages. However, the government agencies lack of specialized computer tools for the treatment of these data, mainly due to the costs of software licensing and hardware demands, hindering the work of sanitary administration. Now, with the development of the geotechnologies it is available a great variety of tools in free software, allowing fast and efficient access of these information. Among them WebGIS are inserted. They are the technologies, politics and necessary people to promote the publication of geospatial data (group of integrated data) in Internet, making possible the user's interaction in the construction of maps and in the access to non spatial information. In this context, as a result of this work it was obtained a WebGIS, integrating several solutions in free software to systematize the data of animal sanitary control of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, allowing the spatial visualization of the establishments, giving support to the managers to take decision and with reduced technological costs. / Os agentes de doenças animais prejudicam a população humana de diversas formas, provocando doenças que são as chamadas zoonoses, ou seja, as doenças que se transmitem dos animais vertebrados ao homem. O controle sanitário animal é uma atividade de extrema importância para a nossa sociedade no que diz respeito à saúde e economia. O grande número de estabelecimentos que precisam ser fiscalizados e a enorme quantidade de dados coletados requerem muita organização e devem permitir que gestores dos órgãos de fiscalização tenham acesso rápido a informações atualizadas. São muitas as zoonoses que exigem ações rápidas e, para isto, a informação disponibilizada de forma espacial é de fundamental importância para evitar maiores prejuízos econômico-sociais. No entanto, os órgãos governamentais carecem de ferramentas computacionais especializadas para o tratamento destes dados, principalmente devido aos custos de licenciamento de software e exigências de hardware, dificultando o trabalho de gestão sanitária. Atualmente, com o desenvolvimento das geotecnologias, está disponível uma grande variedade de ferramentas computacionais em software livre que permitem o acesso rápido e eficiente a estas informações. Entre elas, estão inseridos os WebGIS, que são as tecnologias, políticas e pessoas necessárias para promover a disponibilização de dados geoespaciais (conjunto de dados integrados) na Internet, possibilitando a interação do usuário na construção de mapas e no acesso às informações não espaciais. Neste contexto, como resultado deste trabalho obteve-se um WebGIS, integrando diversas soluções em software livre para sistematizar os dados de controle sanitário animal do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, que permitem a visualização espacial dos estabelecimentos, e dão suporte aos gestores para tomadas de decisão, com custos tecnológicos reduzidos.