Geography 292: Geospatial Analysis with Web GIS

(Disclaimer: I still cannot get instant apps or any apps to work no matter what I try, it just ends up loading forever and ever on repeat. Waited three hours and gave up, so I just decided to redo everything in map and scene views. I can’t access any of the other apps or surveys from other classmates either, all of them either don’t load or say I don’t have permission access. I’ve been at this for hours and I yield. Dr. Krygier, you’re more than welcome to dock points for these not being true apps but at this point I’m at my wits end with this tech and its not worth the literal headache this is giving me. Hopefully this is still sufficient and gets my ideas across)

>>(‘Apps’ are linked in text)<<

App 1: 2D/3D Map

My main problem for selecting an idea from Chapters 1-4 is that this data just… wasn’t available or didn’t exist. For example, using a data layer which showed algal bloom or pollution predictive data in a certain area such as Alum Creek Lake. Said datasets did not exist. So I had to look at the web experience… and most of the data I wanted didn’t exist there either, so I had to improvise and go back to the introduction for an idea. Instead, I would try making a 2D/3D view of air traffic across the continental US… that dataset does exist but I don’t have access to it and need to install some kind of different program for ArcGIS Online to get it which I’m not doing. I could’ve done boat traffic but that data didn’t work, and there’s no way to convert a web scene into a web map so I was kinda screwed. So I had to stray from the path even more, finding two data sets which… sort of work together? Not sure what practicality it has for an ENVS setting or anything but it is in my interests. I managed to find a layer showing aircraft disasters in the 21st century and given recent events with Boeing, I thought it was fitting. Those kinds of things are also something I’m highly interested in, so this was really more for me than any of you… so sorry to disappoint on that front… assuming classmates are even reading this. I also couldn’t get the two maps to sync and transition between each other so I just ended up with a 2D and 3D map side by side, the 2D map showing a view of global air travel routes (the description doesn’t say how recent but it does say it was updated in 2023 and there’s really not any other data sets to go with that. The 3D map is semi interactive, showing the locations of aviation disasters that have occurred since 2000, the aircraft type, fatality count, etc. Yah this one just… didn’t work out how I wanted. I mean if you’re morbidly curious about horrible disasters, this one is for you?

App 2: Live Data

So I originally wanted to make a 3D view of Cleveland and use a topographical map and label some of my favorite fishing spots around the area and the stuff I’ve caught… but there’s no 3D data for Cleveland AND you can’t add labels or popups in the scene viewer which was just infuriating so I had to scrap that idea (much to my disappointment. Would’ve been a fun going away gift… maybe… I doubt any of you are going to be doing any fishing in the Cleveland area anytime soon.) Anyways, I went back to the live/real time data and had some more luck. Granted, I wanted to do air traffic but I don’t have access to those layers/files for some reason so… yah. So I went with the next best thing. My recent hyperfixation has been ships, specifically ocean liners. Unfortunately those haven’t existed since the 60s so the only data you can receive is from cargo and cruise ships. There I was thinking I could make a live data ‘app’ of ship traffic on the Great Lakes. How completely and utterly wrong I was… because that dataset doesn’t exist either. I found one dataset for real time vessel positioning since that showed up when hovering over the Great Lakes, but all the vessels displayed are in the Ohio River or in Chicago. The dataset didn’t have much of a description other than ‘real time vessel positioning in the surrounding area’. There’s a second dataset which shows the real time position of various large ships in different oceans… Yah this was a disaster.

Week 6

notes para chapter 7:

• Page 248 number 7 chose the layer USA States Generalized Boundaries
• Page 248 number 11 chose population density instead of pop. per sq. mi. since that was not an available field
• Same for the text as well

https://owugis.maps.arcgis.com/home/webscene/viewer.html?webscene=29ad4c671bc64dc599a71ade1b9994e6

• Designing the 3d objects and watching them sprout up from 2d ones was very satisfying
• I was blown away at the extensive 3d shapefiles that i was able to choose from, really allows for decent amounts of freedom and customization

https://owugis.maps.arcgis.com/home/webscene/viewer.html?webscene=0d46cf98aa2e4424ab1f58e5728916e4

Silly helicopter version

https://owugis.maps.arcgis.com/home/webscene/viewer.html?webscene=8871e440bc054329aff17731fc5ca08a

• Added more silly large helicopters and cars that definitely do not have impervious surfaces left in the park to park at haha
• Page 263 number 6 the analyze toolbar is the scene tool button
• The slice tool option is very interesting, wonder what uses it could have besides like for aesthetic purposes of things clipping through other objects

it seems they havent cleaned up the public layer in a while

 

a biological application that could be used by 3d renditions of 2d map layers, especially by adding 3d objects into the layer is through making a visual map explanation of an experimental methods approach. this immediately reminds me of the chimney swift project that was proposed in 2018, a chimney shape file could have been used to put the idealized locations of said chimneys to give a very detailed explanation of where exactly they were to be constructed. this of course could be done with endless other project ideas, one that came to mind being placing 3d net shapes at locations where there would be the best chances to mist net and potentially band a song bird species of interest.

Chapter Three: Getting to know the experience builder. In the experience builder you can essentially code without coding. This is so interesting because I am able to add data from a public database and make it engaging without having to necessarily pay a fortune. Widgets are also so interesting because it allows the map to be interactive. Tutorial Three: 3.1 was fairly easy until I got to add a picture. I do not possess that ability because I am working with the sketchy online version of the textbook. I moved on to 3.2 once I realized I was stuck. The rest of the tutorial was easy. I could get through it. The only difference is that the aesthetics were slightly off because of the lack of picture. It was really cool to be able to add all of the information about hurricanes and earthquakes.

Chapter Four: Mobile GIS is a very cool way to create a simple application and how to do it on the go. Like the tutorial said, we live in a post PC world. Getting to make editable layers and design projects is such a unique skill that I will have once I am done with this class. Tutorial Four: The start of chapter 4 tutorial was really fun and intuitive. Once we got deeper into the tutorial it got more confusing. I had a hard time following it to be honest. It did stick with me just how easy it was to collect that survey data. I wish it didn’t make me download the app. I think that is one downside is that if it’s on mobile there might have to be an app. Less people are likely to fill that out when against say a google form.

For the final project, I decided to create a survey using ArcGIS Survey123 and create a 3D scene.

Survey: I wanted to make a survey that could be useful for OWU, so I decided on making questions that would ultimately result in creating a map of study locations, along with factors that might influence where students do their work. I included questions on year, major/minors, on or off campus activities, how many hours a week the respondent spends on school work, where the respondent does most of their school work and if there is any place they don’t like to go to, how would they rate the study/work spots on and near campus, and what time of day during the week they typically do schoolwork. I believe that the results could show students and OWU staff similarities between characteristics and where they end up studying. Students can see where others involved in or studying similar things recommend studying, and faculty can see which study spaces aren’t used or liked by students.

https://arcg.is/0vfyaK0

3D Scene: I wanted to make a 3D scene mapping natural disasters. I found it hard to figure out the format of Scenes, and finding data sets that correlated with what I ended up focusing on (ex. data for specific area). I ended up focusing on California, since there was a lot of data on the state and natural disasters are common there. I first added a layer on earthquake epicenters, with taller 3d columns correlating to a stronger magnitude. Then, fires, as California is also known for those. I found a data set that included burn areas, prescribed burns, and other burns as well. I also found a data set on flooding and a damage score on buildings, but I made it a dot instead of 3D because multiple 3D sets looked very similar. Lastly, I found a data set on landslides and the reports made on them, and had to make it a 2D hashed line so it would be seen amongst everything else. Overall, I think this scene gives a good look at common natural disasters in the state, even if it was really hard to make.

https://arcg.is/0S0b9q

Week 6

 

     The return of 3D in GIS was not a huge shock. I like what it has to offer since it shows what the land/environment/topography actually looks like instead of just a flat map with labels. You can actually insert buildings and build a city with the 3D applications. I also find it interesting how 3D GIS is used for building cities in some movies. I can see how it helps the CGI artists with location accuracy.

 

     This 3D application was a little different from the 3D applications we used in 291. You can add whatever you want, and if too much is added it lags a bit (at least for me). If you really want to use the 3D feature, I’d imagine you need a lot of storage space so that you can use it at its full potential. If it gets too crowded it’s hard to tell what’s going on. 

 

     As for an idea on how to use 3D in cities, it could be used to map out peregrine falcon nests since they like to nest on tall buildings. Biologists could utilize this to figure out how high up the birds tend to nest and the locations in the city they choose. Using the realistic 3D engine would make observations easier, as well as making it easier to find the nesting sites in the real world.

 

For the final project I decided to make a survey that would be populated into a data map and then create a 3D map with an existing data set.

Survey: I decided to do a survey that would then hypothetically be created into a map with various data points. This survey will be looking at how many pets (dog, cat, or other) people have on campus and what type (ESA, Service, or Other) and where they live. This will then be populated into a map that shows the different residential halls and how many pets live in those areas. 

Link: https://arcg.is/qCr5z1 

3D Map: I wanted to explore the mountain ranges around the world. This is because I am from Colorado and find it really interesting to see the different mountain ranges around the world. The 3D Map illustrates different mountain ranges and elevation high in a 3D view. The link is provided below.

Link: https://arcg.is/1XLCm40 

 

Chapter 7 presents the idea of 3D web scenes and looks at their basic parts, such as their surfaces, features, textures, and atmospheric effects. This chapter talks about the different kinds of scene layers, like 3D object scene layers, building scene layers, and point cloud scene layers. Each type of scene layer is useful for different things when visualizing space. Users can make immersive 3D worlds with tools like the scene viewer if they know the terms and technologies behind web scenes. This part also talks about how useful 3D visualization can be in some different situations, including VR, indoor GIS, and architecture, engineering, and construction . 3D web scenes can be used in real life to see natural features in places like Delaware, especially in parks and other open areas where the finer aspects of the terrain and plants can be shown clearly.

Chapter 6 looks at how screens and stream layers can be used to show real-time GIS data in a dynamic way. It divides spatiotemporal data into four main types: moving, fixed, stationary, and change. Each type gives you a different view of spatial patterns and temporal trends. Because of this, a useful tool called a school crime reporting map has been created, which lets students report crimes and see them happen in real-time using simple icons. This project encourages safety on campus and in the neighborhood. The chapter’s focus on dynamic data visualization and the use of time sliders improve spatial analysis by giving users strong tools to see how things change over time and make smart choices. Overall, Chapter 6 shows how real-time GIS data can be used to solve many problems and take advantage of many possibilities.

In Chapters 3 and 4, we cover sophisticated Web GIS features and uses. These increase spatial data analysis and visualization skills. Chapter 3 covers the ArcGIS Experience Builder, its features, and how to use them. It was difficult to combine and analyze the data at first, but the class taught me how to construct dynamic and interactive maps. Storytelling with 2D and 3D maps and animations adds depth and simplifies spatial information sharing. Mastering these techniques can be complex, but it allows you many choices for developing unique and useful spatial apps. Chapter 4 discusses mobile apps and AR integration and how they might improve the user experience. The course explains how easy it is to add data-collection functionality to the app by creating a survey. However, certain parts of the training were hard to navigate, possibly due to a broken software interface or a lack of directions. Despite these issues, designing mobile apps and integrating AR can help us make geographical information more accessible. Delaware Data inventory can teach us about school areas, condominium polygons, and more. This hands-on lesson teaches us about geographical data layers and their practical applications. Making a Columbus region map of car accident hotspots for the end-of-semester assignment allows us to apply what we’ve studied. We may create a robust road safety tool by integrating dynamic mapping and mobile app development from Chapters 3 and 4. To conclude, Chapters 3 and 4 explain Web GIS’s advanced capabilities and usage, which enable dynamic and interactive spatial experiences. Despite challenges, real-life research and experimentation lead to new ideas and crucial geographical data analysis and visualization initiatives.

As someone new to Web GIS, I have found the first few lessons and tutorials to be both helpful and difficult. Beginning with Chapter 1, this book explains what Web GIS is and how it can be used in many different situations. It’s interesting to learn that Web GIS is available to people all over the world and makes it easy for people from different backgrounds to work together and share location information. Even though there were some technical problems, the tutorial that went with this part let you make a basic web map. Even though there were some problems at first, it was clear that the software was easy to use, which made the learning process fun. In Chapter Two, we’ll look at different mapping styles and learn about the different kinds of stored layers in the Esri geospatial cloud. The tutorial that goes with this part goes into more detail about how to upload feature layer data and set up layer styles using smart mapping. Some ideas, like arcade expressions, may seem hard to understand at first, but the lesson slowly breaks them down, making them easier to understand. The focus on making Web GIS easy to use and accessible stands out in all of the chapters and lessons. Web GIS is made to work for people with a wide range of levels of experience, from complete beginners to seasoned pros. Even though there are some problems, the lessons are still helpful because they give you real-world experience and help you remember what you’ve learned in the chapters. Looking back at it so far, it’s clear that Web GIS has the power to completely change how we work with spatial data. I’m excited to find new ways to use Web GIS in my schoolwork and beyond as I continue to do research and learn. With each lesson and tutorial, I feel more confident in my ability to use Web GIS. I can’t wait to find out all of its full potential and use it in future projects that matter.