ArcReaderControl

Recently i have begun program a GIS viewer utilizing the arcreadercontrol. i wanted the viewer to have as much flexibility as possible. Some of the feature i am attempting to to include are:

• Saved program settings
• Saved map settings
  • zoom level
  • layer status(on/off)
• Custom searches
• Geocoding

currently, i have all functionality i desired working with the exception of text mark up. in the following posts i will attempt to detail how each item of functionality was accomplished.

Saved Program Settings

There are several reasons to save program settings.  In the case of the people I work with I find it easier to store the path to GIS data and projects within my programs.  I also, as stated earlier, want to be able to to build some custom searches.  The layer I want to be able to search is a parcel layer.  The parcel data I plan to search is from several different counties.  Unfortunately, due to naming conventions used in each county the field names are not always the same.  Therefore i need to save the field names as settings.

Saved Map Settings

On of the biggest frustrations, I have with ArcReader is the inability to save map settings.  For example, if I am working with a PMF files with many different layers, I would like the ability to save layers visibility based on the last setup I used.  With the standalone ArcReader application this is impossible.  I will work around this limitation in the custom viewer.

Custom Searches

The GIS users I work with tend to heavily utilize the available parcel layers.  To help facilitate their work I plan to create some customized searches to supplement the built in “Find” commands.  Alt hough the “Find” command is suitable for searching a single field, it does not handle searching multiple criteria.

Geocoding

The Geocoding functionailty availbe in ArcReader is limited to the ArcWeb Services Locators.  ArcReader and ArcReadercontrol can not utilize file based address locators.  I will attempt to see if there is a work around to allow file based geocoding.

STEPL – Spreadsheet Tool for Estimating Pollutant Loads

Recently, I have worked on a Watershed Management Plan.  As part of a management plan, estimations have to be made for pollutant loads  and possible reductions by BMP implementation.  A tool that was highly recommend was STEPL:

Spreadsheet Tool for Estimating Pollutant Load( STEPL) employs simple algorithms to calculate nutrient and sediment loads from different land uses and the load reductions that would result from the implementation of various best management practices BMPs.STEPL provides a user-friendly Visual Basic VB interface to create a customized spreadsheet-based model in Microsoft MS Excel. It computes watershed surface runoff; nutrient loads, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and 5-day biological oxygen demand BOD5; and sediment delivery based on various land uses and management practices. For each watershed, the annual nutrient loading is calculated based on the runoff volume and the pollutant concentrations in the runoff water as influenced by factors such as the land use distribution and management practices. The annual sediment load sheet and rill erosion only is calculated based on the Universal Soil Loss Equation USLE and the sediment delivery ratio. The sediment and pollutant load reductions that result from the implementation of BMPs are computed using the known BMP efficiencies.

via EPA – STEPL – Spreadsheet Tool for Estimating Pollutant Loads.

STEPL (pronounced Step – L) was easy to use and was flexible for entering different BMP configurations.  My only issue with STEPL was compatibility with Office 2007.  If you plan on using STEPL and Office 2007 be ready for possible issues.

VirtualBox

I have been testing VirtualBox both at home and at work.  From the VirtualBox Website:

VirtualBox is a family of powerful x86 virtualization products for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License GPL. See “About VirtualBox” for an introduction.

via VirtualBox

For running Linux, specifically Ubuntu, it has run pretty well.  At the office my experience has been a little more problematic.  I wanted to run VirtualBox in order to run different versions of GIS software.  Initially the software worked wonderfully, but problems arose with peripherals.  Many of our users are novice computer users and use USB drives and devices.  I thought I could configure VirtualBox to handle  a generic USB device and initail test seemed to confirm this.  Unfortunately, as my ussers started to conect various devices VirtualBox did not always recognize the USB connections.  With novice users it created a burden with support calls.

I have not given up using VirtaulBox, but I will need to do some additional research or find a better way to deploy it with my users.