Geography 292: Geospatial Analysis with Web GIS

The first application that I made was a story map comparing the U.S. population census with forest loss. To do this, I created two web maps that I then inserted onto my story map. On this application, you can use a swipe block to compare the population density of the U.S. with forest loss across the U.S.. I also embedded a link to a website for further information on the topic.

https://arcg.is/1PezK9

The second application I made was a hosted feature layer that I configured for field data collection. This field collection was to pinpoint all of the benches located on the academic side of campus. I configured the specific marker that I wanted to be used for data collection and then I walked around campus marking the location of benches using the Field Maps app.

https://arcg.is/1n5jy80

Walz – Week 5

Chapter 7:

Chapter 7 went over 3D webscenes in ArcGIS. A webscene is basically a 3D version of a web map, with there being different types of 3D scenes like global scenes (round earth) and local scenes (flat earth), and the chapter explaining how 3D is useful for more realistic views of data, like for modeling or visualizing buildings and landscapes.

• Scene layers are special 3D layers for large datasets; several types like point cloud layers, 3D object layers, or even integrated mesh layers which seem to be like a drone 3D model thing
• Surfaces like elevation, textures, shadows and lighting can be shown on 3D scenes along with things above and below the ground. Some tools also mentioned like ArcGIS, AR viewers can support this 3D workflow
• VR is virtual reality whereas AR is augmented reality and XR is all real and virtual combined environments
• Indoor GIS is a thing, which is useful for mapping things indoor as opposed to the typical outdoor mapping that GIS programs do
• ArcGIS urban is made for urban planning
• Tutorial 7 had me create different web scenes. One of them used cyclone data where height showed wind speed, and colors showed wind pressure. Another section had me build a fun park using 3D object symbols. I added layers from GTKWebGIS and adjusted the symbols baked on attributes like Object type,size, and rotation. Each point type had a specific 3D symbol (trees, benches, rocks) and rotation/size affected how they appeared in the 3D viewer. I also changed the lake to a blue polygon and messed with shadows. I then tried to use the Web Appbuilder to make a 3D web app for my fun park but I couldn’t quite find all the buttons.

 

One application idea is creating a 3D web scene that can let users explore a local park’s landscape design in 3D. I would have a basemap of the park, add point layers for things like trees or benches, create a few slides for important areas like ponds or a walking path. Then I would add polygons for grass areas and try to make it look decent.

Chapter 7 of Getting to Know Web GIS focuses on ArcGIS Survey123, a form-centric tool that connects real-world data collection with GIS mapping. It explains how surveys can be built to collect structured, location-based information from users in the field or online, making it easy to turn observations into interactive geographic data. The chapter highlights features like logic-based questions, image attachments, and GPS-enabled responses that can feed directly into web maps and dashboards. It also covers how Survey 123 integrates with ArcGIS Online and Enterprise, letting users analyze field-collected data in real time, visualize patterns, and share updates instantly. What stood out most is how this approach bridges the gap between data collection and visualization, empowering anyone-not just GIS professionals to contribute to a living, evolving map.

Application idea: Using my own data, I could create a Survey123 project that tracks park and trail conditions in my area. Each form entry could record details like litter levels, wildlife sightings, and trail accessibility, automatically mapping responses by GPS location. Over time, this would create a dynamic map showing trends in environmental quality and maintenance needs. This connects back to earlier chapters by combining cloud-based publishing, real-time mapping, and app development into one integrated workflow.

Chapter 5: The main part of this chapter is all about on premises and Hybrid GIS systems. I had absolutely no idea what it meant by hybrid GIS systems but this chapter explained it in a way that was very clear. It explains it as a multitude of of deployment models, combining desktop, web, and cloud GIS and taking the best parts of each to create what is known as the Hybrid GIS. Another thing this chapter explains is raster and vector tiles, with rastor tiles being a way of sending the maps to people in segments that all can be put back together after the transport. Vector tiles on the other hand are delivers files as many grouped vector files. and are usually put into a protocolbuffer Binary Format or PBF for short. I would be interested in learned what all goes into the 4 caching techniques mentioned in the chapter.

Chapter 6: This chapter is all about the explanation of spatiotemporal data and real-time GIS. Spatiotemporal data comes from many sources those source include but are not limited to manual data, to data collected from observational sensors and generated models.  Additionally, real-time happens during the duration of a period, either a point in time, or duration of time. Spatiotemporal data can be categorized into four groups, which include moving, discrete, stationary, and change. Another thing that this chapter deals with is IoT, which is described as the network of physical objects or things embedded with sensors and network connections  that collect data and exchange it as well. Things like taxis, bicycles, lights, refrigerators, sprinklers, biochips, security cameras and other random and miscellaneous  technological devices. Currently IoT consists of billions of sensors today and the market has reached trillions of dollars.

Potential Application:  A potential application for these chapters would be to compile an entire census for Gallia County. over the span of a couple years.

Chapter 7-

• In this chapter, I created a thematic web scene using ArcGIS Online.
• I added a layer of the US states to a new local scene and then added features and characteristics to that layer, including a 3D extrusion.
• It took me a while to figure out how to configure the attributes in the style pane because some of the attributes I was supposed to be editing were not actually on the style pane like the tutorial said they were. Because of this, I could not get the 3D extrusions to match the right population density at first and they were all the same, but I did finally figure it out.
• The tutorial then had me add a dark gray canvas from the basemaps that I did not like at first, but I understand that it made the extrusions easier to see.
• Next, I created a web scene using feature layers and 3D object symbols.
• I added two new feature layers to a separate web scene that I created. The layers were FunPark_Points and FunPark_Polygon. The points layer added points to the scene, such as trees, bushes, park benches, and tables. For all of the points listed on the layer, I went through and changed the marker for it. For example, instead of an arrow pointing to the location of a bush, I changed the marker symbol to a bush. The polygon layer was frustrating because after following the instructions on the tutorial, I could not get the polygons to actually show and protrude on the scene. I tried several different times and could not get it to work.
• I then configured elevations so that I could pan the map around and see things from above and below ground, which was actually kind of cool.
• I was not able to optimize 3D graphics for quality because there was no settings button available on the right side bar of the layer like the tutorial was showing. However, it did not make a difference because the graphic still seemed pretty clear.
• I liked that I was able to add my own features to the scene such as parked cars.

Possible application for Chapter 7- A possible application for the things I learned in this chapter is a thematic web scene that depicts land cover change and deforestation. I think that this application is extremely relevant, especially in today’s society, where we are constantly manipulating land and are now running out of space and resources for the growing human population.

 

Chapter 5 talks about the advantages of hybrid and on-premises Web GIS deployments as alternatives instead of using fully arranged ArcGIS online. On-premises deployments allow companies and organizations to keep control of their setup which is very useful when valuable data must stay secure or when reliable interest access is not a guarantee. Hybrid deployments take the flexibility of cloud services with the security of on-site setup which offers the best of both options. ArcGIS enterprise can be accessed on local servers or cloud platforms like AWS or Microsoft Azure and also includes portal, server, web adapters and the data store to manage the take care of GIS content. 

A very important benefit of on-premises GIS is the ability to have special datasets like feature layers, complex geoprocessing services and imagery services. Departments within a company can talk together in groups and share content which helps improve efficient workflow while also keep the data secure. Catching tile layers is another critical aspect of improving performance  that is discuessed in this chapter. 

Chapter 6 talks about the use of spatiotemporal data in GIS which includes both time and location dimensions to track patterns and changes. Some examples are weather events, disease outbreaks, urban growth and traffic congestion. The internet of things plays a pretty important role in spatiotemporal GIS by providing networks of sensors and connected devices that are constantly collecting data. Collecting this data allows companies, organizations, reseachers and cities to track conditions as they happen and respond quickly to certain events. 

The ArcGIS GeoEvent Server is a very important and crucial tool for getting and processing spatiotemporal data. It can analyze, filter and distribute live data to maps, feature layers and dashboards while also getting historical data for future analysis. ArcGIS online has dashboards and layers that enable people to visiualize trends over space and time, monitor complicated operations and animate temporal patterns. Having these tools are valuable for decision making in public health, emergency management, transportation planning and many other fields in the world.  

An application idea I could make using concepts from chapter 5 and 6 is a city wide environmental monitoring dashboard. 

Chapter 5:

On a practical note this chapter might be difficult with my commuting status… do we have to do this on the GIS lab computers or is there a cloud we can access? Addendum: No haha

The data analysis and deep learning mention makes me wonder if I could apply that to my project, making identifying invasive plants easier? I want to do something with that in this tutorial and I feel a little let down now.

Most of the pre-tutorial seems more important to OWU than us. Unless my practical concern is a concern. Also it’s all so much technical jargon that it’s hard to keep up.

I remember sharing maps from ArcGISPro in 291 so I understood the first parts of the tutorial pretty well. One thing I noticed was that the file sizes for the cached layers were a lot lower than the tutorial said, maybe it was another update or I skipped something, but I tried to go back and there weren’t any errors. It will be interesting to see how the same layers compare as different types. I guess using the web maps provided means I won’t find out if I made a mistake with the detail level sliders provided.

Making the story with the provided web maps and app was pretty easy. I struggle a little to format the stories and make them look nice still though. I’m pretty sure the map on the left in the app is the raster tile layer, because I don’t have to zoom as far in for the features to disappear. I can definitely see how vector layers are more useful for general cartography, while raster tile layers would be more for specific requests.

Chapter 6

The concept of smart cities and smart homes is a little frightening to me… but I see how important GIS is to those things and the IoT. Without those connections between everything GIS could not exist, and the connections themselves rely on GIS.

Geofences seem like the real time version of the buffers we did in ArcGISPro.

Is there a dashboard for making one mega franken-app

Some dating apps also use missions I think?

The tutorial starts by having us look at emergency dispatch maps that constantly refresh, then add live highway views. I think I see stuff like these for trail cams sometimes.

To put the map, gauge and list together I just kind of dragged them and didn’t need to resize the map. There is an extra list in my dashboard because I didn’t do all the steps on the first one and then couldn’t figure out how to delete it!

As I added more elements, things got kind of squished and the pie chart became tiny. Can a dashboard have multiple pages? Adjusting the map helped slightly to make things more proportional, though.

I couldn’t see the text color change but maybe none of the presumably fake people were having a heart attack? I tried messing with other colors in other parts of the code and making sure both highlighted parts were in there but to no avail. There were 3’s on the list so I did do something wrong -_- I couldn’t get any of the arcade parts to work so I’m skipping that because honestly!!! I’m doing this late and going kind of insane.

Here is my dash board, good luck knowing if someone’s having a heart attack.

https://arcg.is/1myTCK2

I noticed the option to set the time zone was in map viewer, not when I uploaded the layer.

The time slider settings option was nonexistent ok.

Here is the app!

https://arcg.is/0u809H1

Chapter 7:

• 3D scenes are an important part of GIS, since they allow for another dimension of data visualization, and thus ArcGIS Online allows you to make 3D web scenes.
• 3D scenes can be grouped into 2 categories, Photorealistic, and Cartographic, and depending on scope can also be separated into global and local categories.
• 3D GIS is helpful for displaying conditions like topographic height, visibility, or for giving additional insight that a 2D map would be unable to provide
• There are many ways to display 3D layers, such a rasters or point cloud images, or even using 3D objects, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages
• VR and AR can also be used in conjunction with 3D GIS, allowing for users to view data as if they were within the scene.
• Indoor 3D GIS has important applications in warehouse management, where it can be used to effectively map and manage resources within a building.

One application that could be created using a 3D scene would be a topographic map of Delaware county with the rail lines overlaid on top of it, in order to give a better understanding of the various track grades present throughout the county.

Chapter 5:

• On premises and hybrid web GIS are two alternative forms of ArcGIS, where the infrastructure used to host ArcGIS Online and its capabilities is owned by the organization using it, rather than Esri’s own hosting
• This has a variety of uses, including for organizations with unreliable internet access, or in the case where enterprise ArcGIS is needed, to access additional functionalities such as geoprocessing and image services, or for sensitive or secure data.
• ArcGIS Enterprise can be deployed either on local or cloud infrastructure, and is designed to integrate with cloud hosts such as AWS or Microsoft Azure
• There are many components to ArcGIS Enterprise, such as the server that hosts it, Portal, Web Explore and Data Store
• Enterprise can host a variety of data types, including specialized feature layers, and allows for interdepartmental operability through use of groups
• By first joining an Enterprise portal, and then sharing layers, you can add data to an ArcGIS enterprise group.

Chapter 6:

• Spatial-temporal data is GIS data collected where both time and location are important factors.
• This includes data like current traffic conditions, changing temperatures, weather or even things such as urban growth or road development
• IoT is the Internet of Things, which is a term describing the distribution of internet connected technologies with sensors, or other data collection means that allow them to interact with the world around them.
• Smart cities are cities that utilize IoT devices to constantly monitor and react to changing conditions, in order to function more efficiently
• ArcGIS GeoEvent Server is used to collect, ingest and process spatial-temporal data for GIS uses, allowing for real time monitoring of events and changes in the world.
• Additionally, GeoEvent server allows you to archive data for future reference or investigation, and allows for real time data delivery
• ArcGIS Online allows you to create maps with real time data layers, and operations dashboards for monitoring data and conditions in real time.
• Actions can also be used to trigger certain in case of certain events, or to active tools such as  filtering or graph generation

 

One possible application of real time maps would be for a shipping company to use it to monitor traffic patterns and accidents, so they could efficiently reroute their drivers to ensure packages arrive on time.

Chapter 3: ArcGIS Experience Builder

Chapter 3 is about ArcGIS experience builder and how you can use this to have more functions than an individually configurable app and be able to remix functions of multiple apps. Experience Builder has pre-made widgets that provide functions like mapping, table view, querying, charting, and reporting. You can then select, mix, and configure these widgets to enhance your apps. To create Web experiences using Experience Builder the user must pick a premade template or start from scratch, select a theme, add source data, add and configure widgets, refine layouts for all devices, save, preview, publish, and then share. There are two main types of widgets, basic and layout. Basic widgets include map, legend, layers, query, filter, edit, chart, elevation profile, and survey while layout widgets include section, column, row, fixed panel, and sidebar. This chapter talks about the three versions of Experience builder and how they are similar and different to each other. The tutorial for chapter three went over how to create a 2D and 3D integrated web experience, configure map message actions, configure dynamic content, configure the table widget, configure the filter and chart widgets, and create and navigate multiple pages. 

 

Chapter 4: Mobile GIS

Chapter four goes over the functionality and purpose of mobile GIS. Mobile GIS has several advantages over desktop GIS including mobility, location awareness, ease of data collection, near-real-time information, large amounts of users, and versatile means of communication. This chapter discusses how mobility has a big advantage overall but can be limited by a device’s CPU speed, memory, etc. People can use mobile GIS for a large array of things like finding somewhere to eat, learning how to get somewhere, field surveys, and parcel delivery. The chapter then talks about feature layers, and feature layer views which allow users to view different sets of information. A feature layer may also contain a feature template which defines the type of data items that users can add to a layer. There are several notable approaches to mobile app development. These include browser-based, native based, and hybrid based. ArcGIS field maps is a newer program that supports planning, tracking, understanding, and data capture phases of field workflow. ArcGIS indoors is a mapping system that understands the location and activities within an indoor setting. It can help users feel more connected to a workplace or campus and is seen to boost productivity and collaboration. This chapter also provides details on several other mobile GIS applications that users find helpful. The tutorial includes exercises that go over Survey123, Field Maps, Quick capture, and AuGeo. 

 

One interesting application would be an app that people could report moose sightings in NH for population survey purposes. Moose populations in NH are threatened and I think it could be helpful to ecologists to have a database of moose sightings to help get a better understanding of species abundance in a given area.