GeOxygene OGC / ISO Open Framework for Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

GeOxygene aims at providing an open framework which implements OGC/ISO specifications for the development and deployment of geographic (GIS) applications. It is a open source contribution of the COGIT laboratory at the IGN (Institut Géographique National), the French National Mapping Agency. It is released under the terms of the LGPL (GNU Lesser General Public License) license.

GeOxygene is based on Java and open source technologies and provides users with an extensible object data model (geographic features, geometry, topology and metadata) which implements OGC specifications and ISO standards in the geographic information domain. The support of the Java interfaces developped by the open source GeoAPI project is planned.

Data are stored in a relational DBMS (RDBMS) to ensure a rapid and reliable access to the system but users do not have to worry about any SQL statements: they model their applications in UML and code in Java. Mapping between object and relational environments is performed with open source software. At present, OJB is supported and the mapping files for the storage of geographic information in Oracle or PostGIS are provided to users.

Learn More & Download GEOxygene.

I Hope this proves to be useful for you. If you are new to GIS, check out the Learn2Map GIS Tutorial and Atlas. We have more free GIS software available and there is plenty of free data and shapefiles that will work with these programs. More to come!

GEODAS (GEOphysical DAta System) Software for Windows, Xwindows and Macintosh OS-X

National Geophysical Data Center's GEODAS (GEOphysical DAta System) data management system can be run in Microsoft Windows, UNIX Xwindows and Macintosh OS-X environments. GEODAS software accesses all GEODAS Databases, including Marine Trackline Geophysics, NOS Hydrographic Surveys, Coastal Relief Model, ETOPO2 Gridded Elevations and Great Lakes Bathymetry DVD sets.

MS Windows

MS Windows users will find GEODAS access software on all the GEODAS DVD sets as well as data downloaded from GEODAS On-line datbases. Click to obtain or update the GEODAS Software for On-line Downloads Ver 5.0.13 or the latest GEODAS 5.0 DVD Software Version 5.0.13. See readme.txt for install instructions.

You can download stand-alone (MS Windows) programs from the GEODAS suite. At this time these include GEODAS Coastline Extractor and GEODAS ReFormat.

A version of National Ocean Service's NADCON software, which transfers back and forth from NAD27/Old to NAD83 Horizontal Datums is also available. This program nadcon2.zip will work with the GEODAS ASCII HYD93 and Binary HYD93 Formats.

UNIX Xwindows

UNIX Xwindows users will find a version of the Xwindows GEODAS Software which covers GEODAS CD/DVD sets and/or GEODAS On-line Data Downloads in one installation, The XWindows software uses the Tcl/Tk User Interface. Users will need to have Tcl/Tk installed (most Xwindows systems already have it). Pre-built binaries for 32 bit Linux systems are included. All other system will need to build from source. If your system can run MS Windows, it is suggested that you use the MS Windows version of GEODAS (above). Download the latest GEODAS XWindows Software Version 5.0 for On-line Downloads and/or for Version 5.0 DVD sets. See readme.txt for install instructions.

Macintosh OS-X

Macintosh users with OS-X can run the GEODAS User Access Software for DVDs and for On-line downloaded data. Download the GEODAS for Macintosh OS-X Version 5.0.07 Software. (These binaries will not work with Intel processor machines. You will have to build from the included source.) If your system can run MS Windows, it is suggested that you use the MS Windows version of GEODAS (above). See readme.txt for install instructions.
GEODAS Coastlines

Learn More & Download GEODAS.

I Hope this proves to be useful for you. If you are new to GIS, check out the Learn2Map GIS Tutorial and Atlas. We have more free GIS software available and there is plenty of free data and shapefiles that will work with these programs. More to come!

geGIS Manage Geodata in Standard Internet Browser

geGIS is an open source platform that allows you to manage your Geo Data using a standard browser.

How does geGIS work?

The geGIS architecture is obviously perfectly in keeping with the vision reflected in the geGIS concept, which may be summed up as follows:

• Creating an ecosystem of servers for exchanging authentic source data over the Internet on an open and standard basis
  
• Using this ecosystem as a medium for a new generation of geowindows based on high-performance Web 2.0 technology
  

geGIS first and foremost involves the management and exchange of authentic source data between equal servers. geGIS operates on the basis of the fact that myriad organisations are now compelled to entrust the actual administration of their data with so-called GIS "specialists". Our basic philosophy is that every IT organisation should be able to manage and exchange its own geodata. This calls for an architecture that differs drastically from Google Maps, for example, for which solely one central data manager is available. The exchange of geodata on equal terms is possible solely via a process of standardisation, thanks to the open GIS standards of the Open Geospatial Consortium. As well as putting these standards into practice geGIS forges further ahead: the layers developed may be deployed straightaway in a public geowindow.

Learn More and Download geGIS.

I Hope this proves to be useful for you. If you are new to GIS, check out the Learn2Map GIS Tutorial and Atlas. We have more free GIS software available and there is plenty of free data and shapefiles that will work with these programs. More to come!

BuddySpace Instant Messenger with Maps

BuddySpace is an instant messenger with four novel twists: (1) it allows optional maps for geographical & office-plan visualizations in addition to standard 'buddy lists'; (2) it is built on open source Jabber, which makes it interoperable with ICQ, MSN, Yahoo and others; (3) it is implemented in Java, so it is cross-platform; (4) it is built by a UK research lab, so it is 100% free with full sources readiily available. But BuddySpace is about more than just 'messaging', as we explain below.

One of the key factors that led to the widespread popularity of Instant Messaging applications from 1997 onwards (including ICQ, AOL, Yahoo!, MSN, Odigo, and Jabber messengers) was the concept of pushed presence: the automatic notification of the appearance of friends and colleagues online. However, Instant Messaging (IM) is just one of many possible presence-related and presence-dependent applications.

Learn More and Download BuddySpace.

I Hope this proves to be useful for you. If you are new to GIS, check out the Learn2Map GIS Tutorial and Atlas. We have more free GIS software available and there is plenty of free data and shapefiles that will work with these programs. More to come!

Free Download Batik Java Based Toolkit for Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)

Batik is a Java-based toolkit for applications or applets that want to use images in the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format for various purposes, such as display, generation or manipulation.

The project's ambition is to give developers a set of core modules that can be used together or individually to support specific SVG solutions. Examples of modules are the SVG Parser, the SVG Generator and the SVG DOM. Another ambition for the Batik project is to make it highly extensible - for example, Batik allows the developer to handle custom SVG elements. Even though the goal of the project is to provide a set of core modules, one of the deliverables is a full fledged SVG browser implementation which validates the various modules and their inter-operability.

What Batik can be used for

Batik use cases With Batik, you can manipulate SVG documents anywhere Java is available. You can also use the various Batik modules to generate, manipulate and transcode SVG images in your applications or applets.

Learn More and Download Batik

I Hope this proves to be useful for you. If you are new to GIS, check out the Learn2Map GIS Tutorial and Atlas. We have more free GIS software available and there is plenty of free data and shapefiles that will work with these programs. More to come!

KML2Shapefile - Convert Google Earth KML to ArcGIS Shapefile for GIS

KML2Shapefile is a plugin to MapWindow GIS that converts Google Earth KML and KMZ files into shapefiles for use in a GIS.

KML2Shapefile will split each KML geometry type into a separate shapefile. It supports complex geometries, and is able to present much of the KML as attribute data.

To use KML2Shapefile, download and install MapWindow GIS, and then KML2Shapefile. Activate it through the MapWindow GIS 'Plug-ins' tab.

Visit the KML2Shapefile website

More Free Google Earth Tools and Resource

KML Color Converter, Picker, Mixer for Goodle Earth

KML COLOR CONVERTER - Color mixer, Color picker. Convert color's code to: RGB Hexa. Long VB, HTML, CMY, CMYK, HSL and Google Earth KML.

This freeware presents some unusual tools to help in the design of forms, web pages, presentations and other visual materials. The main form is a Tool Bar, presented above, that you can position in a corner of the screen for easy use of the tools. The Tool Bar can be placed as an Icon in the system tray (13K) and, as all the other tools, can be moved freely around the screen and minimized to the task bar.

From the Tool bar you can open the Rule, to measure horizontal and vertical distances in 7 different units (pixels, twips, inches, centimeters, himetrics, characters and points); the Magnifier to enlarge, up to 30 times, any image or text in the screen (you can make precise measurement and color pick with this tool ); the Angle Measurement Tool, to measures angles formed by lines in the screen, in degrees and radians; the Color Mixer/Picker to mix and pick colors and get the respective codes in 6 systems (RGB, VB, HTM, CMY, CMYK and HSL) and a small Calculator with some useful features.

Visit the KML COLOR CONVERTER website

More Free Google Earth Tools and Resource

Climate change and environmental data with Google Earth and Google Maps

Kings College London - Climate change and environmental data with Google Earth and Google Maps. The datasets are developed by members of the EMM Research Group acting as project lead or collaborator. These databases serve static or dynamically updated downloadable datasets for use in a variety of geo-spatial applications.

Much of the spatial data is visualised and downloadable through a Google Earth or Google Maps interface. Region-based network links are used so zoom in to your area of interest to visualise the data. Links are also provided for downloading the raw data in simple formats for use in GIS or remote sensing systems.

These are public domain environmental data aimed at improving the information (raw and visualised) available to the scientific and conservation communities. The data are freely accessible to all for non-commercial use.

Visit the Kings College London website

More Free Google Earth Tools and Resource

Maps of the World CIA Factbook

Exceptionally nice collection of high quality map images from the CIA World Factbook. Below are some low resolution sample images. Click on the links below to access the high resolution maps in jpg and pdf format.

Here's a low resolution sample of the Middle-East map with a zoomed in portion below it that was captured from the PDF format map.

+



Here are a few more zoomed in views. Click the links below for access to the high resolution maps.





Download Links:

Africa	Antarctic
Arctic	Asia
Central America	Europe
Middle East	North America
Oceania	Physical World
Political World	South America
Southeast Asia	Time Zones
United States

Health Insurance on our minds. Here are some relevant maps and data

The health insurance vote in congress will happen soon. Here are some relevant map resources that should be of interest:

Census Health Insurance Percent Uninsured Maps - The Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) program was created to develop model-based estimates of health insurance coverage for counties and states. This developmental program builds on the work of the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) program. Data on health insurance coverage for all counties are not currently available elsewhere. In the fall of 2009, the American Community Survey will release health insurance estimates for areas with a total population size of 65,000 or more.

View the Health Percent Uninsured Maps

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States - The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that real median household income in the United States fell 3.6 percent between 2007 and 2008, from $52,163 to $50,303. This breaks a string of three years of annual income increases and coincides with the recession that started in December 2007.

The nation's official poverty rate in 2008 was 13.2 percent, up from 12.5 percent in 2007. There were 39.8 million people in poverty in 2008, up from 37.3 million in 2007.

View the Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage Maps