[GRASS-dev] check out GIS on iOS

[Thomas.Adams at noaa.gov]

Michael,

That's pretty nice looking -- might be THE compelling reason (as if there weren't enough already) to breakdown and finally get an iPad.

Thanks!
Tom

----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Barton <michael.barton at asu.edu>
Date: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 8:02 pm
Subject: [GRASS-dev] check out GIS on iOS
To: GRASS developers list <grass-dev at lists.osgeo.org>
Cc: Helena Mitasova <hmitaso at ncsu.edu>, Markus Neteler <markus.neteler at iasma.it>


> A bit over a year ago, if anyone remembers, I was inspired by a 
> symposium that Helena and I attended at the AAG meetings to offer some 
> thoughts on the future of GIS interfaces. One of the things I 
> mentioned is that the iOS interface (iPad and iPhone) was especially 
> conducive to tactile manipulation of geospatial data. 
> 
> Recently, a group has produced a new GIS app that runs in this 
> environment. The app is called iGIS, and is produced by <>in 
> Australia. It is still a bit buggy but already allows for the import 
> of vector (as shapefile) and raster (produced by MapTiler) data via 
> USB or wifi connections, overlay of vectors and a raster basemap (when 
> online, you also have access to Google basemaps), the ability to 
> change vector appearances, basic querying and thematic mapping, 
> editing of vector data tables, and rudimentary digitizing. Map layers 
> can be rearranged and turned on/off. It also can access and use the 
> GPS functions built into iOS devices. It uses the full range of EPSG 
> projections and seems to do reprojection on the fly. That's actually a 
> pretty good start. Currently, it is free of charge. I don't think it 
> is open source, although it seems to use some open source tools.
> 
> ESRI also has some iOS GIS apps out, also free. But these seem closely 
> tied to ESRI geodatabases and ESRI server online data. 
> 
> This is potentially exciting environment for geospatial tools, 
> combining GPS, portability, and much more functionality than older 
> hand-held units. I don't know what it would take to make GRASS data 
> and raster tools available this way, but someone from the GRASS or 
> QGIS communities might be interested in looking into it.
> 
> You can see a screen shot at <>. This shows archaeological sites as 
> vector points and a vector streams layer over a Google satellite base 
> map of central Arizona.
> 
> Michael
> ______________________________
> C. Michael Barton 
> Director, Center for Social Dynamics & Complexity
> Professor of Anthropology, School of Human Evolution & Social Change
> Arizona State University
> Tempe, AZ  85287-2402
> USA
> 
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