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OS Mastermap meets Google Earth – Part 2

Port Talbot of course

Not to be outdone by the team from Southampton, Martin Daly “the Alpha Geek” at Cadcorp sent this screenshot to illustrate the point, that they are also able to parse Mastermap GML and produce KML data. It’s great to see the companies who have supported the standards in the past really been able to exploit the advantages of open formats.

Still working on some 3-D data…

5 replies on “OS Mastermap meets Google Earth – Part 2”

Google Earth & MSN Virtual a help or hinderance to the GI Industry?: More Questions than Answers!!

Dont get me wrong but I like Google Earth but its a bit depressing seeing all this media coverage and interest from a variety of parties about something that is poor quality. The outdated imagery and its grainy resolution are wowful for anyone who has seen higher resolution.

Also should the first view of Geographic Information seen in the ‘mainstream’ be just “eye candy”? Its visually impresive flying from Sydney Hardbour to New York but is it useful for the GIS industry?

It has been shown that you can include a variety of datasets but has any development be done that you can run spatial analysis within its environment? Is this the worry for ESRI causing them to jump onboard with Microsoft and their Virtual Earth?

OK, so Google Earth uses ‘older’ sat imagery.. Big deal….the bottom line is it uses (older) REAL imagery associated with today’s data (i.e. pub phone number etc…).

Many folks (myself included) don’t ‘do’ maps, however, we can readily logon to Sat-photos with conventional map-overlays (now that’s groovey!)

A phone number is enough for me…a restaurant may specialise in Thai food today, but a new Manager next month will change that, Realistically I couldn’t expect a GIS database to keep up with my wishlist UNLESS I’d be prepared to pay for it (which in business I am, but personally I suspect not).

For a few Euros more I could buy more recent imagery… but hey. do I really need it?

Relocating my office or factory? ABSOLUTELTY!!!!

But…..locating a Chinese restaurant or cash card machine? errr. in this instance I could live with possible inaccuracuries…

Bottom line. being a boring old IT Fossil like what I am GIS is at last starting to become a powerful tool!

OK, so Google Earth uses ‘older’ sat imagery.. Big deal….the bottom line is it uses (older) REAL imagery associated with today’s data (i.e. pub phone number etc…).

Many folks (myself included) don’t ‘do’ maps, however, we can readily logon to Sat-photos with conventional map-overlays (now that’s groovey!)

A phone number is enough for me…a restaurant may specialise in Thai food today, but a new Manager next month will change that, Realistically I couldn’t expect a GIS database to keep up with my wishlist UNLESS I’d be prepared to pay for it (which in business I am, but personally I suspect not).

For a few Euros more I could buy more recent imagery… but hey. do I really need it?

Relocating my office or factory? ABSOLUTELTY!!!!

But…..locating a Chinese restaurant or cash card machine? errr. in this instance I could live with possible inaccuracuries…

Bottom line. being a boring old IT Fossil like what I am GIS is at last starting to become a powerful tool!

I don’t believe that the age of the data matters to Joe Public.

Most people are using all kinds of resources to get the information they need, and with a strap line like: “Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful” Google’s aim is to get as much information to as many people as possible and are achieving this.

People want to get information for free, hence the success of companies like Google and the internet in general.

Imagine the interest generated in school children or none GI geeks, these people may take these ideas with them and as they “grow up” or go back to their none GI companies and generate new ideas that lead to the possibility of new developments that will indeed benefit the GI industry.

I don’t believe that the General Public wants the data 100% accurate with things like Google Earth, fair enough for wayfinding, but as the point above states not for finding the details the local pizza restaurant.

Google Earth and all the rest are not GIS tools, and this is not the route Google have taken, they want something that is fun and appealing to all people. Not something that takes a degree or a hefty course to master.

Eye candy is good for the industry because of the “wow” factor generated, if it gets people like the BBC taking about GI is that such a bad thing?

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