Geography 292: Geospatial Analysis with Web GIS

Chapter 1

• This chapter introduces basic concepts and workflows of web gis and the esri geospatial cloud. Beginning with an overview of web gis and lists the technical evolutions in web gis and explains its content types, hosted feature layers, app types, and user types in web gis. Then going onto demonstrate the workflow to build web gis apps using the attachment viewer instant app template.
• Starting with publishing a hosted feature layer from a csv file and adding attachmetns; to adding a field to the layer and editting the attributes; then creating a web map; and finishing with creating an instant web app using a template.

Chapter 2

• web layers are important because they are the building blocks of web apps which are important because they are the faces of web gis. Stories being more popular. Continuing the discussion of feature layers and web apps particularly arc gis webmaps. This chapter introduces feature layers and the various ways you may style them using smart mapping and discussing living atlas of the world. as well as further exploring storytelling using gis.
• Tutorial- starting with creating a feature layer using geocoding, then configuring layer style using smart mapping, proceeding to configure layer popups using gis arcade, then adding images and charts to layer popups, finishing up with creating a story and working with swipe blocks and express maps.

Chapter 7:

Chapter 7 focusses heavily on 3D mapping and web scenes. Some of the main takeaways include gaining a general understanding of what web scenes are and the terminology associated with them, learning about different scene layers ad the features used to build them, and creating web scenes with tools like Scene Viewer. The chapter Aldo covers concepts such as 3D visualization, the metaverse, AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction), and the broader value of GIS, as well as how to create and use feature layer that contain z-values. Overall, these topics provide a solid foundation for understanding how 3D maps work, which is more complex than creating standard 2D maps.

My application for this is making a map of mosquito West Nile virus cases in Ohio by county, but having the counties rise up (z plane) base on the amount of cases.

Chapter 5:

This chapter focuses on the Hybrid GIS system, a hybrid GIS system combines multiple deployment models; desktop, web, and cloud GIS, and integrates the strongest features of each. The chapter also covers raster and vector tiles. Raster tiles divide a map into image segments that’s can be reassembled after being transmitted, while vector tiles package geographic features into grouped vector data files, often delivered in the Protocol buffer Binary Format (PBF).

Chapter 6:

This chapter explains spatiotemporal data and real-time GIS. Spatiotemporal data comes from many sources, ranging from manually collected data to information gathered from sensors or generated by models. Real-time GIS involves data that is captured and processed either at a single moment or continuously over a period of time. Spatiotemporal data falls into 4 categories: moving, discrete, stationary, and change-based. The chapter also introduces the internet of things (IoT), describing it as a network of everyday physical objects equipped with sensors and connectivity that allow them to collect and exchange data. Examples include taxis, bicycles, refrigerators, biochips, and security cameras. Today, IoT consists of billions of sensors, and its overall market value is much more than we can estimate it to be.

My potential application of these concepts would be a GIS baes Census for all of Pennsylvania to track Elk Populations as they start to move back into Pennsylvania.

Chapter 7 introduced me to 3D visualization and how it can transform spatial data into immersive and interactive environments. I was very interested in how scene viewer allows users to convert basic 2D GIS data into 3D scenes with points, many types of polygons, in the sky and undergound features. Chapter 7 made it very clear to me that 3D GIS doesn’t only just make maps look more appealing but it also helps people explain spatial relationships such as underground utilites, building heights, sunlight and shadow changes throughout the day. 

One of the most interesting parts of the reading to me was when it talked about VR, XR and also MR technologies how these overlap in the theory of the metaverse. The idea that GIS data can help construct real looking 3D worlds whether it’s for gaming, urban planning or emergency training this shows how geography and virtual design are becoming more secure than ever. I also thought the ArcGIS indoors and ArcGIS urban was very cool. Having these tools to use for 3D mapping can help us go beyond just outdoor areas and shift into interior spaces and city planning. 

Application: Using the information from chapter 7 I could create a 3D web scene of the Ohio Wesleyan University campus. I tried to make my map look good but this was the best I could do unfortunately. My map isn’t good at all compared to others but I added different types of  trees to the campus of OWU.

CHAP 7: 3D WEB SCENES
3D is easier to navigate than 2D bc the real world is 3D (woah never wouldve guessed)
3D can be photorealistic or cartographic
Divided into surfaces (elevation), features (things on the elevation), and atmosphere
Feature layers can show different objects such as benches
Building scene layer: allows for scenes of buildings
Discipline and Category exist but I don’t entirely understand what they are
Filters allow you to view only specific parts of the scene
Integrated Mesh layers use drone data to make a mesh of the scene
Pointed maps are like those LIDAR scans (which my only experience with LIDAR is with horror games so. bleh.)
Voxel scenes add temperature into the mix of 3D scenes
For city planning ArcGIS CityEngine is used to build cities and has been used in movies
3D scenes can be used in VR and AR
3D GIS can be used in indoor planning or in urban planning


Application: i imagine it’s more efficient to model a city in ArcGIS than in blender, so you could make a city, or if you aren’t going to do that, a building or a room

Chapter 7

This chapter focuses on the concept and application of 3D web scenes, positioning them as an advanced and highly beneficial evolution of traditional 2D mapping, offering major advantages in data visualization, analysis, and communication by making it quicker and easier to understand the size and relative positions of objects in fields like urban planning, architectural design, defense simulation, and filmmaking. The chapter identifies two main scene types: Photorealistic, which uses imagery to re-create visible reality, and Cartographic, which applies 2D mapping techniques in 3D. notes that scenes can be displayed in two view modes: Local mode or Global mode. Key elements comprising a 3D web scene include Surfaces; DTM and DSM, Features; operational layers, Textures, and Atmospheric effects, while layers such as integrated mesh and intriguing point cloud layers are used for detailed data representation and visualization. The structure of complex scenes like building scene layers is detailed by components such as category and discipline layers, and critical to this advanced mapping is handling vertical space using z-values and Z layers to address challenges like mapping multi-floor buildings. This chapter highlights the collaboration between GIS data and immersive technologies like VR, XR, and the Metaverse, which allows users to interact with maps and gain a first-person perspective, with the overall process involving a six-step workflow from choosing the mode and base map to adding, configuring, and saving the layers.

Chapter 7 –

Chapter 7 was really focused on 3D mapping and web scenes. The few key objectives learned from this chapter were learning a general understanding of web scenes and the different terminology that one would need to know, learning about different scene layers and features that can help you create them, create the web scenes by using tools like Scene Viewer, understanding things like 3D, metaverse, AEC, and overall GIS values, and also creating/using different feature layers enabled with z-values. Those are just some of the key things learned in chapter 7 that would be useful in understanding 3D maps as a whole. Creating 3D maps is definitely more advanced than just a typical regular map so it covers everything you need to know about these web scenes. 

An simple example of an application that could be possible with the information we learned in chapter 7 would be mapping a neighborhood or city and being able to turn it into a 3D map to see all of the buildings. This can be useful for a number of reasons including real estate development, city planning for building, and even for prospective students wanting a 3D virtual tour of a campus. 

Chapter 7: This chapter showed how 3D web scenes can be applied to certain areas. Something that the chapter mentioned that I thought was very intriguing was the use of point cloud layers to map. Through creating this layer and then changing the colors to be more accurate to the actual land, a picture is made that helps the viewer visualize the land without having an exact image of it. Something else that the chapter mentioned was the use of phone tracing apps to monitor where people are. This is super cool, but I would not have thought about the issues that I could run into with buildings that have multiple floors. Through the 3d Mapping in this chapter, I learned how to combat that. Because certain objects are on different Z layers that control their height. This chapter was very interesting because I essentially got to build my own map and customize it with 3D images and symbols. Additionally, I learned how to create a map displaying varying populations across a large area. It was also very intriguing to see how mapping works underground, and how so many different features can be displayed within one map.

An application of the skills I learned in this chapter would be creating a 3D map displaying my house, the trees around it, our patio furniture, and my old playset.

Chapter 7-

This chapter overviews 3D web scenes. There are two main types of them which are Photorealistic and Cartographic. Photorealistic use imagery and shows visible things like cities. Cartographic is used with the 2D mapping techniques but in 3D. You could do these scenes in local or global mode. There are four types of elements; surfaces, features, textures and atmospheric effects. Surfaces are continuous measurements and are either DTM ( Digital Terrain Model, bare ground surface without objects) or DSM (Digital Surface Model, ground surface with objects). Features are the operational layers, they are on, above or below the surface layers. Textures are exterior or interior covers of the features. Atmospheric effects are things like lighting or fog. The structure for creating a building scene layer includes the overview (optional) which allows you to see the building as a single layer, discipline which combines category layers into disciplines like plumbing or electrical, category layer is the individual categories like windows, and lastly filter which allows you to see details in complex buildings. There are also integrated mesh scene layers which are made using large sets of overlapping imagery, and point cloud scene layers which symbolize point cloud data. Point scene layers display large amount of point data and are thinned to improve visibility. To create a web scene you have 6 steps. First choose global or local, then a base map, then you add layers, configure the layers, capture slides if necessary, and finally save and share your scene. You could also use GIS in VR which I think is really interesting and cool.

Chapter 7

• • 3D maps have advantages with data visualization, analysis, and communication
  • 3D maps often more preferred for users
  • Scenes in 3D maps can be divided into two main types:

• Photorealistic- recreate reality using photos to texture features

• Cartographic- take 2D thematic mappings and convert them into 3D

• • Four types of elements in scenes:

• Surfaces- continuous measurements with one value for a given x,y location

• • • • Digital elevation model (DEM)
      • Digital terrain model (DTM)
      • Digital surface model (DSM)

• Features- operational layers of 3D map

• Textures- exterior or interior covers for 3D surfaces

• Atmospheric Effects- ex: lighting or fog

• 3D Object Scene Layers- used to represent and visualize 3D objects

• Building Scene Layers- visualize complex models of buildings and interact with all the components of the building

• • 3D Building Scene Layer structure:

• Overview

• Discipline

• Category Layer

• Filter

• Integrated Mesh Scene Layers- constructed from large sets of overlapping imagery

• Point Cloud Scene Layers- fast display of large volumes of symbolized point cloud data

• Point Scene Layers- used to display large amount of point data not possible with a point feature layer

• Voxel Scene Layers- multidimensional spatial and temporal information in a 3D volumetric visualization

• Scene Viewer, ArcGIS Pro, and CityEngine are the primary tools for creating web scenes

• XR- real and virtual combined environments and human-machine interactions

• Metaverse- network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection

• • ArcGIS has been expanding into indoor 3D mapping

• ArcGIS Urban– applies GIS technology to urban planning to streamline plan creation

• • Plans, projects, indicators, ideas
• ArcGIS GeoBIM
  • ETL: requires ongoing maintenance as business needs and file formats change
  • BIM as 3D Graphics: quick, effective technique for producing good-quality visualizations for presentations and stakeholder review, but eliminates BIM attribution, metadata, and georeferencing information
• I could use the information I learned during this chapter to create a scene for a park in my hometown. Coe Lake Park is in Berea, Ohio and I think a map of it could be very fun and interactive.