Geography 292: Geospatial Analysis with Web GIS

For Chapter 7, I explored how to create and configure web apps using Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS. The chapter covered how to use themes, widgets, and map services to build interactive and functional applications that are user-friendly and highly customizable. I found it interesting how much flexibility the app builder gives users without requiring any coding knowledge.

One concept I found especially helpful was how different widgets can enhance user interaction. For example, the Layer List and Legend widgets provide clarity, while tools like the Query or Filter widgets make the app more dynamic for exploring specific patterns in the data. I also learned how to publish a map from ArcGIS Online and integrate it seamlessly into a Web App.

Application Idea

Using the Delaware Data from Geog 291, one idea I have is to create a Crime Density and Services Map. It would visualize locations of recent crime reports in relation to public services like police stations, hospitals, and schools. The goal would be to examine whether areas with higher crime incidents are underserved by key services. I’d use point data for incidents and facility locations, with buffers and density mapping to highlight spatial relationships.

 

Chapter 7 focused on web scenes, beginning with an introduction to 3D maps and how web scenes work. It explained how to navigate within them and how to symbolize features effectively. The first tutorial was all about getting comfortable with the scene viewer and learning to move around within a web scene. In the second tutorial, I learned how to build a thematic web scene by creating a local scene and adding layers from ArcGIS Online. I also explored how to change the visualized attributes and experimented with different symbolization styles, using both 2D and 3D options. Adjusting the color scheme and the histogram range allowed me to tailor the layer’s appearance to match the purpose of the scene.

The third tutorial involved adding two separate layers and symbolizing all the points. I ran into some technical issues at first—nothing was displaying until I switched to a different browser—but once that was resolved, the rest of the tutorial went smoothly. In section 7.4, I learned how to add new features that could be positioned along the Z-axis, allowing me to place objects like helicopters in the air and buildings on the ground. Section 7.5 focused on editing these features; I added cars, adjusted their size, and changed the direction they faced. The final tutorial showed how to perform basic analysis using a web scene, like adding shadows that change depending on the date and time, which made the scene feel much more dynamic.

If I were to complete a project based on this chapter, I’d make a web scene of OWU. I would add features to represent different areas for example, placing cars in the parking lots. I think it would be fun to build a scene based on somewhere I know well, because I could make it very realistic and maybe even turn it into a sort of interactive campus directory.

Chapter 6:

This chapter was interesting, and I enjoyed creating the Redlands Emergency Dashboard. It focused on spatiotemporal data and real-time GIS, two things I had not heard of before. The introduction was a great way to move into the tutorials and made everything easier to understand. It was interesting to see how you can get real time data, such as emergency calls and highway camera pictures. I can see how something like this system could be very beneficial for communities to track crime and see which areas could be underserved. I had a few problems with tutorials 6.4 and 6.6 because some of the buttons were hard to find. Overall, I enjoyed this chapter and learned more important aspects of the dashboard feature.

An application from this chapter on other data could be used for weather. Temperature gauges around the city of Delaware could relay the most up-to-date temperatures to the dashboard. This would allow people to dress or prepare accordingly to a more accurate temperature than their phone.

Chapter 1-4 Final: Survey

Chapter 5-7 Final: Animation WebApp 

Chapter 7 was all about understanding the basic terminology of web scenes they give us opportunity to create web scenes using the same viewer. It was understanding the value and configuring 3-D maps. The two types of 3-D scenes we learned about were photorealistic and cartographic. The photo realistic were used to create features and cartographic used to do thematic mapping to display features. I learned as there is a lot of ways to represent 3-D images and data.

I think i will be creating a app off of the information from chapter 7 for my second app.

Chapter 6, demonstrates how screens can be used in real time. Chapter 6 divided spatiotemporal data Into four main types: change, stationary fixed, and moving each give you the ability to view different patterns and trends. I thought it was very interesting and will be extremely useful for the real-time data to be broadcasted to agencies like emergency response or environmentals or just companies that need real time feedback

 

 

 

Chapter 7 was about web scenes.  It first introduced the basics of 3d maps and web scenes and then explained how to navigate them and symbolize them properly. The first tutorial was just about navigating web scenes using the scene viewer. The second tutorial taught me how to create a thematic web scene. I created a local scene and then added layers from ArcGIS Online. I then learned how to change what attribute to visualize and that there are different ways to symbolize those attributes (both 2d and 3d). I then could change the color and range of the histogram. There were many different ways to style the layer to make it fit what this scene was meant to be used for. The third tutorial had me add two different layers and symbolize all of the different points. I had trouble with this tutorial at first; nothing was showing up until I opened it on a different browser but after that it was quite easy.  7.4 was about adding new features that could be moved along the z axis (above or below ground). I was able to put helicopters in the sky and also add buildings to the scene. 7.5 was about editing features in the web scene. I was able to add cars to the scene and learn how to change the size and direction they were facing. In the last tutorial I learned how to do basic analysis in a web scene. I was able to add shadows based on the day and time and watch the shadows change as the day progressed.

If I were to do an assignment from this chapter, I would create a web scene of campus and add different features to represent different areas of campus, e.g., cars for parking lots. I think it could be cool to create a web scene based on a place I have been because I could make it realistic and almost like a campus directory.

Getting to Know Web GIS (2022, 5th edition)

Chapter 7

Photorealistic (recreates reality using photos to texture features) and cartographic (moves 2D thematic mapping techniques into 3D) are the two main types of scenes, or 3D web maps. 

The 4 main elements of scenes are surfaces, features, textures, and atmospheric effects. 

The Main Types of Scene Layers (3D Layers):
3D Object Scene Layers – Used to represent and visualize 3D objects.
Building Scene Layers – Allow the user to visualize complex digital models of buildings and interact with all the components of a building.
Integrated Mesh Scene Layers – Constructed using Drone2Map, which is a desktop app that turns raw, still imagery from drones into valuable information products.
Point Cloud Scene Layers – Provide a fast display of large volumes of symbolized point cloud data.
Point Scene Layers – Used to display large amounts of point data not possible with a point feature layer.
Voxel Scene Layers – Represents multidimensional spatial and temporal information in a 3D volumetric visualization.

The General Steps to Creating Web Scenes:
1. Choose a global or local scene
2. Choose a basemap
3. Add layers
4. Configure layers (layer styles, labels, pop-ups)
5. Capture slides (if needed)
6. Save and share 

VR uses headsets or multiprojected environments to generate 3D views, sounds, and other sensations that simulate a user’s physical presence in a virtual environment. XR refers to all real-and-virtual combined environments and human-machine interactions (AR, VR, and MR). A metaverse is a network of 3D visual worlds focused on social connection.

ArcGIS Urban applies GIS technology to urban planning to streamline plan creation, analyze the impact of plans, visualize current projects, and facilitate public engagement. 

Chapter 7 – Web Scene Using Feature Layers and 3D Object Symbols (Carpocalypse)

 

Application based on ideas from Chapter 7

I could create a 3D web scene that shows where light pollution might be highest in Delaware County, helping identify areas where wildlife or human health could be impacted. Using land use and building footprint data, I would upload these layers to ArcGIS Online and build the scene in Scene Viewer. I would then extrude the buildings to visualize densely built-up areas and use smart mapping to color-code land use types, highlighting commercial and industrial zones that typically contribute more to light pollution. I would also add a layer for parks or open spaces to show which natural areas are most affected by nearby development.

Chapter 7

The flow chart on page 230 was very helpful in understanding which platforms do what for which types of jobs that need to be done. I learned about the two main types of web scenes, which are photorealistic (which aim to recreate photos and textures); this type of web scene would be used to recreate surroundings. I also learned about cartographic web scenes (which are used to take 2D data and make it 3D  by extruding values). VR was not something that I really thought of before when thinking about GIS and applications, however, it makes a lot of sense. The Venn diagram on page 241 was helpful in understanding where VR, MR, and AR lie as an XR and their scale between presence and immersive. The indoor GIS was also very cool to think about in terms of VR and other game-based applications. A potential application from this chapter would be using Delaware data to create a cartographic web scene of land ownership within the county to show which areas have the most ownership for potential tax reasons.

I really like learning how to make applications and websites. It is actually really helpful for my classes because it brings in this new idea that I can make a website or GIS application for a class project. It’s really cool that we get to learn how to create a web experience with all these add-ons you would think are really difficult when in reality it’s super easy with just a click of a button. Experience Builder is a really nice website because it gives you an already made layout which you can use, and just add your own information or data to make a web experience. In chapter 4 we learned about mobile ArcGIS and how easy it is to use these complicated sounding apps on your mobile device. These apps were really interesting to learn about because of its use of VR, and its ability to locate things inside and its rapid data collection. In this application we could compare 2D and 3D areas of Delaware, you could compare the Tax districts and zip codes, and see the connections.