GIS demo

> I am putting together a demo of bringing a bunch of data from different sources into a GIS.
What software are you using to create the demo?

ESRI ArcGIS. There are a lot of free programs and open source stuff but I'm familiar with ArcGIS, smaller learning curve to learn, ESRI has about 80% of the market, and they provide a way to purchase the software for $100/year as long as you don't use it for commercial use. Besides, purpose is more about showing how the pieces come together.

Teresa,

2 and/or 3, especially if the data can be used in QGIS. No money in the budget right now for ArcGIS.

Dave

Those are all great choices that cover about 90% of what I use GIS for zoning and community planning. In addition, if you add tax parcel lines to choice 1 you could create a quick and easy map to show prospective clients when going after survey work.

I'm looking forward to seeing what others have to say.

Gregg

It really depends on your audience since GIS uses are so diverse. One organization may value data integration while another may value heads up digitizing, and still another may value the ability to query the database and generate reports.

Which audience are you targeting? Land planning? Architects? Civil engineers? Biologists? Foresters?

> I am putting together a demo of bringing a bunch of data from different sources into a GIS. I am trying to decide what people would like to see and have so many choices; so thought I would get the opinion from those who might be interested (as if this group has any opinions 😉
> Choices:
>
>

• >
• ... something similar to a map I did for class that pulled country and provincial boundaries from online, brought in a 3D surface model, added agricultural data along with mine fields and dropped in cities (easiest and quickest)
  >
• ...something more practical like a CAD plan view parsed by CAD layer into shapefiles or features, add a raster image, import Excel data, and link the Excel data to the CAD linework (probably the best choice)
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• ...create a reference map for control data by importing CSV data and maybe some NGS points, find imagery online and add that, bring in some road or other land use vector data (practical and very quick and easy)
  >
• ...something else that anyone else might think is cool to learn to do?
  >

>
> so what do you guys/gals think?

actually it's a class for surveyors and the demo is just a quick recap at the end to reinforce what the process looks like and to give a better idea of what you can do with it. I am trying to combine theory, development steps, hands on exercise, and this demo as a recap. It has to be something I can throw together in 15 minutes so I will simulate going to retrieve the online data and have it on my harddrive in advance. So the demo itself is not the class; the subject matter just needs to be something that is interesting and fun to watch develop, and surveyros can relate to. Thence my question to this motley group:-)

Maybe a quick workflow example that could be easily applied to many surveyor's practice.

Pull in aerial data, quad sheet, contour line work from state data, fema data for the subject area.

Demonstrate keying in deeds by selecting a visible point on the aerial photo then rotate the deed calls to match another visible point. Export to CAD for some coordinates to upload into the data collector as search points.

Working in the same data, show how to use the aerial and quad as a means of developing a preliminary division plan.

Discuss how all of the above can be a significant aid in estimating time for a project.

Then follow-up with creating the fields that allow for tracking the job - job #, billing, location, client, time on project, etc...

Show how having that data in a GIS allows for ease in seeing what work can be tied together and aid future projects, seeing what areas of a county might need to be priced higher due to records, profitability of particular types of jobs or locations.

Jon, those are some great suggestions. Thanks! I came here because I have been out of private surveying for so long my knowledge base is becoming irrelevant. This really helps:-)

That would make a really good seminar that I think a lot of state surveying societies might be interesting in having someone (you) present.

I agree with Mr. Shepp.

You should go on the state surveying conference tour with a seminar or two. Work flows and where to find available geo-data to put together a quick geo-database of an area. That's my 0.04' anyway.

Hi Dig, yes I would love to do that. Sharing new methods and technologies that can keep our profession relevant is something important to me, but there are some logistical hurdles, including the 9,000 mile commute from where I am. But this job won't last forever and I want to get more involved once I am stateside again. So don't forget about me when I pop up again 🙂