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Tuesday, February 7. 2006
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Define: Geographic Exploration Systems
Geographic Exploration System (GES) is a new buzzword, in case you hadn't noticed. The term, in its recent incarnation, seems to date back to ESRI announcing ArcGIS Explorer last summer in San Diego and last fall in Warsaw. More recently GeoWorld editor Matt Ball tackles the topic in a feature called, "Digital Reality: Comparing Geographic Exploration Systems." In it, he distinguishes this class of products as offering "the ability to visualize the globe in three dimensions."
Ball includes a series of products in his comparison: Skyline's Terra Suite, GeoFusion's GeoPlayer and GeoMatix Toolkit, NASA's World Wind, GeoTango's GlobeView (recently acquired by Microsoft), Carbon Tools Gaia, and ESRI's ArcGIS Explorer. Google Earth, of course, fits in this group, too.
The interesting thing to remember here is that these are all client/server solutions, true systems. Ideally, you download an app and run it on your local machine and tap into data served up by one or more providers (via open or proprietary standards, or a mix) on the Internet. So, while these are all 3D viewers, the ability to visualize the entire globe is really up to those providing the data. And, of course, if you are planning to be offline, you'd better download the data you'll need when disconnected.
Google Earth is giving everyone the idea that all viewers must "come with" oodles and oodles of high resolution data when in fact, some come with basically none and send you out to find it. When comparing Google Local/Earth and Live Local many reviews go into great depth about the data available, as they should. Some geographic data still costs money and we as well as the consumer level user need to know that. ESRI wants users to know that; that's how it hopes to leverage ArcWeb Services, which of course, includes data and services.
One historical note. If I recall correctly, in about 1992 ArcView (good old desktop ArcView 1, I think) was described as a Geographic Exploration System. It was 2D and accessed existing ESRI formatted data from its sample CDs, your existing GIS implementation or from data you purchased (including Directions Magazine founder Scott Elliott's 15 CD Wessex data). Times have changed…
Interestingly, ESRI's website does not appear to include the term "Geographic Exploration System." In fact, "geographic exploration" is only found on K-12 and library pages, where I should add, it most certainly belongs.
Posted by Adena Schutzberg
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Yes! The term 'Exploration System' was used in San Diego and I definitely heard it from the front row in Warsaw when it was announced last fall.
Thus, I am not too surprised to hear it because, from what I have seen and how I look at this, it is an exploration system. It fits.
While none of us have the final product, the distinction I made at the time, was that it 'accepted' data into the 'system' for more 'exploration'.
I think people got hung up on Google Earth and have missed the essence of ArcWeb Services and ArcGIS explorer. If one misses the connection - the conduit - then they miss the purpose and direction and fall back to lumping the ESRI product 'against' Google Maps, Yahoo and Earth and so on.
That is a big mistake... because...Google is a centralised processor system. ArcWeb services are dependent upon 'users' creating stuff with tools - then - sticking it into the system. The accent is on GIS tools - the rest of the Explorer is exactly that -Exploring someone else's creation.
I did a review of ArcGIS 9.0 some time ago - it was published - I forget which magazine. In that review I mentioned one of the issues about these new products pertains to the naming conventions used.
Maybe that is intended, maybe not
Maybe its still all exploratory?
Jeff
Ok, I went to read the note you mentioned.
Actually, to me, it is quite straightforward. My thought is as follows.
Google Earth is an exceptionally good product (for Americans, Canadians and those in some big cities) around the world for showing some spatial data. It is very good for raising awareness because it is easy to operate. My mother who is 82 loves it - even.
A GIS is designed and optimised to collect, manage, analyse and visualise/represent data. GIS are empty until something is put into them. They become smarter and brighter as one analyzes, models and represents data - 2D, 3D and 4D.
Google Earth is focused on USE. Users may not necessarily care about accuracy, and that is ok. GIS gives me a headache sometimes anyhow. The point to remember is that not everyone needs to see and use spatial data the same way - and that must be understood at the outset. Even Google acknowledges this point and I think ESRI does too.
If you want to analyse data for Google, you need to do that outside the system. Whether you run it back through ESRI or AutoCAD or STAR GIS - it takes a GIS to perform the operation of analysis. More definitely to model. Then the data has to go back into Google Earth as points, polygons or whatever.
Fact of the matter is, one could store all their data in ORACLE and using their spatial operators, accomplish the same task - then export back to Google Earth. Google Earth is a DISPLAY. And a very good one.
The heart of a GIS involves collection, management, analysis and visualisation as I said before. Thus, the operations can be performed close (inside architecture) of the GIS, any GIS, and displayed.
This is why GIS and Google Earth are very different. I prefer to think of them as supporting each other instead.
This is why Google Earth is 'thin'. And, why some people would say a GIS is 'thick'.
When you want power, need to hook into large enterprise systems with real-time data - that takes scaleability and performance. GIS are designed for that. Some folks like ORACLE since it performs and scales for this reason, linking in for access and routine analysis largely through database query.
I understand what Jack Dangermond is talking about. I understand what Stefan means and is aiming for.
If one hooks Google Earth to ORACLE Spatial then you really have a GIS in essence (adding display to ORACLE).
The current state of GIS is to support terrabytes of data, in real-time with exceptionally performing toolsets through web services. There is no reason why Geomedia Professional could not have done this nor MapInfo, Star GIS or Autocad Map 3D. Cadcorp has a good product I just reviewed.
Maybe this is why I shyed away from the hype wagon when it all came out. I am a traditional type!
I want power and performance. Interoperability I can get anywhere and display is easy enough to do.
Give me a solid GIS every time.
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