Hands-On Mapping: The Story of a Blind Cartographer

Posted on April 16, 2021 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

The talk will take place Friday, April 23, 2021 on Zoom.

On the event of the fifth anniversary of the David Rumsey Map Center at Stanford University, please join us for an online talk by special guest Dr. Joshua Miele who will talk about his story as a blind cartographer.

Joshua will use the creation of TMAP – Tactile Maps Automated Production – to frame the broader landscape of how tactile maps and graphics can be used by blind people to understand many kinds of spatial information. He will discuss the power of touch as a spatial percept, as well as the design constraints on tactile representations that are surprising and challenging to most visual designers. Key topics include historical techniques for creating tactile maps, examples and counterexamples of tactile map use cases, and promising technologies for expanding the availability of accessible maps in the future.

Please register here: https://events.stanford.edu/events/908/90805/

ArcGIS Earth New Release

Posted on April 14, 2021 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

There is a new release of ArcGIS Earth. This is a major release for ArcGIS Earth on desktop, bringing users more capabilities for sharing data as well as configuration settings–from mobile, to desktop, to the organization portal. Mobile users will also get a new release of the ArcGIS Earth app later this month. Click below to read more.

You can download ArcGIS Earth here.

NAIP 2020 Now Available

Posted on April 8, 2021 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

The USDA National Aerial Imagery Program (NAIP) has 2020 California aerial imagery services available. Also provided are services for earlier NAIP years and links to source data downloads and related files containing specific imagery dates. Click below for more info and links to the image services.

Color Palette Generator

Posted on March 30, 2021 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

This color palette generator is a handy online tool that quickly creates a set of colors especially designed to make any data visualization, such as pie charts, bar charts, and maps, more effective. Check it out!

LARIAC6 Data Projection

Posted on March 23, 2021 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

Burbank just got their LARIAC6 imagery. The projection that was used is a little different. It did catch me by surprise when I was comparing it to LARIAC5 imagery.

LARIAC5 – NAD_1983_StatePlane_California_V_FIPS_0405_Feet
LARIAC6 – NAD_1983_2011_StatePlane_California_V_FIPS_0405_Ft_US

Just enough to make ArcGIS Desktop complain!

NAD 83 (2011) is a new NAD 83 “realization”. It does not use a new datum. It is a refinement of the NAD 83 datum using data from a network of very accurate GPS receivers at Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS). From the point of view of GIS use, the difference is very slight and it will not be an issue when overlaying your older NAD 83 data.

ArcGIS Online Landsat Changes

Posted on March 22, 2021 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

Landsat image services in ArcGIS Online will be updated this spring with Landsat Collection 2 imagery, recently released by the US Geological Survey (USGS). Landsat Collection 1 imagery will be retired. Click below to read more about it.

Pay Down Your Technical Debt

Posted on March 17, 2021 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

Ok, this is a new one for me! Never heard of “technical debt”. I think it is more of a marketing ploy, but you be the judge. Click below to read the article.

The National Map Corps

Posted on March 12, 2021 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

The National Maps Corps is an online crowdsourcing mapping project with volunteers successfully editing structures in all 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Structures include schools, hospitals, post offices, police stations, cemeteries, and other important public buildings. By updating and verifying structures data, volunteers are making significant contributions to USGS National Structures Database, The National Map, and ultimately US Topo Maps.

If you have some time, why not do a little data editing? Click below and check it out.