ArcWatch: GIS News, Views, and Insights
July 2012
GIS Powers Tollway Trip Calculator
Thousands of drivers on the Illinois Tollway are using a new online mapping application created with geospatial technology from Esri. The Illinois Tollway's Trip Calculator at www.illinoistollway.com helps people plan their routes and calculates the tolls they will pay before they leave on their trips, saving them time and money. The Trip Calculator has proved popular with people who travel on the 286-mile tollway system in northern Illinois.
The application's interactive mapping component also helps drivers who accidentally missed paying a toll to view the route they traveled, calculate the toll, and connect to a section of the website where they can pay the charges online and avoid fines. "The Trip Calculator is the easiest way for our customers to get clear, accurate information about the toll rates on our system," said Illinois Tollway executive director Kristi Lafleur. "It allows customers to customize their travels on the tollway and access the information they need with a few simple mouse clicks." Read the article to see how this unique application works and find out what Esri technology was used to develop it.
You can figure out your toll charges in a few easy steps using the Trip Calculator, which includes an interactive mapping component.
Tip of the Month
Create Customized Mapping Applications Using ArcGIS Online Resources
Learn how to create customized mapping applications using Esri's web map and application templates in ArcGIS Online. Read the tip, which uses the Montgomery Botanical Center Champion Trees application as an example.
Connect with ArcWatch
ArcWatch is published monthly by Esri and contains GIS news, practical advice, and updates about the company's software and events. To submit article ideas, e-mail editor Carla Wheeler at arcwatch_editor@esri.com.
Join the Conversation
Subscribe to ArcGIS Online
Sharing maps, applications, and other geographic information just became much easier with Esri's release of ArcGIS Online for organizations. This cloud-based, collaborative content management system was launched in June 2012 and is available on a subscription basis. You can use ArcGIS Online to create interactive maps and custom applications quickly and then publish and share them in Esri's secure cloud. Want to keep the geographic information private or make it public? It's up to you. Read the article.Cutting Edge GIS for Forestry
Esri's ArcGIS technology went into the woods during the Esri Forestry GIS Conference in California. The forest navigation and field mapping lab near Big Bear Lake gave foresters the opportunity to use mobile GIS, laser technology, GPS, and rugged tablets for measuring, collecting, and mapping forestry data. Read the article about the conference.Bringing the Power of Where to the World
Coming to the Esri International User Conference (Esri UC) from outside the United States? Stop by the booth for the International UCs, located on the upper level of the San Diego Convention Center, and get energized about the "power of where" message at the events coming to your area later this year. Whether you are from the Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, or Latin America, there is a user conference for you. Learn more and drop by the booth!
GIS Day @ UC: Share Your Passion
Join the GIS Day movement! This year's GIS Day will be November 14, 2012, but it's never too early to start planning your program. If you'll be at the Esri UC, stop by the GIS Day booth, located on the upper level of the San Diego Convention Center. Consult with Esri experts, who can help you with ideas for your GIS Day event. You will get to "pin" your registered event on a large map and learn about the new resources available on the GIS Day website.
Navigating London's Olympics
ArcGIS powers the maps in the new e-book London Olympics Visitors Survival Guide. The guide, available for the Kindle Fire and iPad, provides a highly visual look at London's world-class attractions. And by installing the free Magic Carpet Hotel Finder application on your device, the links in the book will take you to maps of Olympic venues, walking tours, major attractions, hotels, and more.
Esri Releases ArcGIS 10.1
ArcGIS 10.1 simplifies the sharing of geographic information, putting mapping and geospatial analytics into the hands of more people. Read the article.
City of Las Vegas Manages Assets with ParkPAD
Park maintenance crews in Las Vegas use the Park Asset Data Collection and Data Conversion Program (ParkPAD), based on Esri's ArcPad software, to collect data and manage park assets. It's a quick and easy process to get data into and out of the new system. Updates can be performed in near real time. Read the article.
Podcast: Crime Mapping on the iPhone
Listen to an interview with Milan Mueller from the Omega Group as he talks about using ArcGIS as the mapping platform for the iPhone application CrimeMapping.com.
Map Story: Battlefields of the Civil War
See where the US Civil War battles occurred, including the battle of Glorieta Pass in what's now New Mexico, the Battle of Albemarle Sound off the coast of North Carolina, and the Battle of Pleasant Hill near Pleasant Hill, Louisiana. View the mapping application.
Esri Maps for Office 1.0 Public Beta Available
Learn about New Geospatial Transportation Solutions at Esri UC
Putting Geodesign to Work
Learn the key concepts, history, and methodology of geodesign in the new book, A Framework for Geodesign: Changing Geography by Design, written by Carl Steinitz. Also check out Shannon McElvaney's new book, Geodesign: Case Studies in Regional and Urban Planning, which features case studies in geodesign, a concept in which designers use geospatial tools to evaluate design alternatives. Esri Press published both books.GIS Spurs Student Interest
High school science teacher Dominique Evans-Bye explains how students who learn GIS and apply it in their academic studies leave school with marketable career skills. To date, students at Clark Magnet High School in California, where she teaches, have won more than $145,000 in grants and scholarships by entering GIS projects in environmental science competitions. Evans-Bye will speak this weekend at the Esri Education GIS Conference. Read the article.Esri Guide to GIS Modeling
The Esri Guide to GIS Analysis, Volume 3: Modeling Suitability, Movement, and Interaction, new from Esri Press, describes GIS modeling, a process that can be used to explore different scenarios and plans before implementation. You will find best practices and several sample applications to help you answer questions related to interaction, site selection, and routing and scheduling. Buy the book.
Newsroom
The Ocean Basemap, Updated
The Ocean Basemap map service was recently updated in honor of World Hydrography Day. New and more detailed bathymetric data was added for many areas in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, including the Mariana Trench, Bowers Ridge, Necker Ridge, and the Gulf of Alaska. That data was contributed by the University of New Hampshire Center for Coast and Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center. High-resolution bathymetry for the seafloor surrounding American Samoa came from Davey Jones' Locker Seafloor Mapping/Marine GIS Lab at Oregon State University. Read the blog.And the Study Says
Esri fared well in the Vendor Accuracy Study, ranking number one for data accuracy. Read this article to learn more details about the findings in this independent, blind study.
Get a Quick Overview of ArcGIS Online Subscriptions
Watch this four-minute video to see what you can do with an ArcGIS Online subscription from Esri. For example, you can create interactive maps and custom applications and then publish and share them via Esri's secure cloud.
Create a Great Home Page for Your Organization
Learn how to create an interesting and attractive home page using easy-to-configure settings in ArcGIS Online. Here's an example of a smart-looking page for the Montana Department of Commerce, which uses an ArcGIS Online subscription.
Using a Binning Technique to Overcome Overlapping Symbology
Presenting point-based data on a web map is challenging because the symbology can overlap, particularly as you zoom out of the map to view data at smaller scales. Read this tip to solve the problem.
Modeling the Terrain Below
Jennifer Carrell, a GIS and graphics specialist for the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), has developed GIS tools for visualizing subsurface geology. Read the article.
Download the Latest Esri White Papers
Twitter Map for Silverlight
Puzzle Map for Silverlight
Spatial Roundtable
This week, Bill Meehan, director of utility solutions for Esri, continues his discussion about whether geospatial technology can be used to determine just how much a power outage actually costs a community in spoiled food and lost business and opportunities. Next week, Thomas Baker from the Esri education team outlines the five characteristics of a university or other institution of higher learning committed to spatial literacy, spatial thinking, and geospatial technologies. Join the discussion at the Spatial Roundtable.
Ask Certification QuestionsDo you have questions about the Esri Technical Certification program? If you will be at the Esri UC, stop by the Training and Certification Island at the Esri Showcase and ask us. Have you earned a certification pin? Remember to bring it with you to the conference to highlight your achievement. It's a great conversation starter, too, so please share your certification experience with other attendees. Didn't get your pin yet? You can pick it up at the island.
Where Are the Wildfires?
This wildfires map from Esri keeps track of the latest wildfires, along with current wind conditions, precipitation, wildfire perimeters, and other information. A social media component displays fire-related Tweets, photos on Flickr, and YouTube videos. You can also see global fire/burn areas, wildfire potential, and other information.New to GIS? Take Getting Started with GIS (for ArcGIS 10.1)
If you are curious about what the acronym "GIS" stands for and what a GIS actually is, this web course is for you.
Who Is GIS?
You, of course. And your story deserves to be told on a trading card. To get yours made, just stop by the Who is GIS? booth in the Grand Lobby of the San Diego Convention Center during next week's Esri UC. Trade them, stack them, put them between the spokes of your 10-speed. Or just hold on to them, because some might soon be collectors' items.
Need Instructor-Led ArcGIS 10.1 Training?
Reserve a spot in one of our instructor-led courses to get up and running with ArcGIS 10.1. These courses start in July, with more still to come.
Win an Exam Voucher
Going to the Esri UC next week? Stop by the Training and Certification Island in the Esri Showcase for your chance to win a voucher for a free Esri Technical Certification exam.
Training Seminars Archived for You
Did you miss attending some of the Esri live training seminars? Recordings are now available for Working with Lidar Data in ArcGIS 10.1 and ArcGIS Online Subscriptions: Mapping and GIS for Organizations. Visit the complete archive.
Mapping the Runners
The 5K Fun Run/Walk returns to the Esri UC. For the second year, Esri partner Oculus will analyze run data from the participants through its RunTime project. Read all about it.
Hardware Offers
Technical Talk
Web Resources and More
US customers can take advantage of special discounted pricing on all Juniper Mesa Geo Rugged Notepad offers through the end of December 2012. The Mesa Geo Rugged Notepad features advantages of both a Tablet PC and a rugged handheld computer and includes an integrated digital 3.2-megapixel color camera. These rugged devices come packaged with ArcPad [PDF] or are intended for use with ArcGIS for Windows Mobile for ArcGIS for Desktop [PDF] or ArcGIS for Windows Mobile for ArcGIS 10 for Server [PDF].
Visit the Esri Store to find more software and extensions, upgrades, data, books, and hardware bundles.
