-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Systems Design Options for Linking GIS, Modeling and Visualization:

Application to Forest Management

Hong Tang Ian D. Bishop P. M. YatesCenter for Geographic Information System and

ModelingThe University of Melbourne

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Geographic Information System in Forest Management

• spatial data capture• data storage• data manipulation• display• report• ...

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Forest Decision Support System

GIS + Additional tools = SDSSsuch as:

resource & environmental modeling

realistic visualization, ...

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

The Ideal Forest Decision Support System

The objective:• present current condition of forest• forecast forest succession• predict impacts of management decisions• make better decision

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

The Ideal Forest Decision Support System

The available tools:

• GIS : ArcView, ArcInfo...

• Modeling: forest growth & yield

models

• Visualization: OpenGL, IRIX Performer toolkits

GIS

ModelingVisualization

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Integration - the purposes

• minimizes the development effort

• maximize the functionality of each module

• promise the rapid application design

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Integration - the methodologies

• stand alone applications - no integration

GIS

VIS. Modeling

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Integration - the methodologies

• data exchange - loose integration

File exchange File exchange

Modeling GIS visualization

USER

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Integration - the methodologies

• closer linkages -

tight integration full integration

2 interfaces 1 interface

many others: merged, enhanced, customised, embedded...

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Client/server integration

Client RPCs/DDE/ Server AppleEvents, etc

Client-Server Paradigm

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Messages Passing Processes

Visualization GIS RPC RPC

RPC RPCVisualization GIS

queue queue

Message passing system

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

The purpose of developing system

• closely links GIS, modeling and visualizations

• provides full set of function for forest management

• provides different form of visualization which is accessible to different users

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Data sets and formats supported

• Arc/Info coverages: forest stands, road, creeks, DEM

• ArcView shape files:• Images data:

satellite images, aerial photos, sampled textures

• Object file:stores the geometry and other properties (textures, etc)

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Implementation of integration methodologies

Visualization RPCs GIS(ArcView)

(PFV) Modeling Message passing system

Forest Decision Support System

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Communication protocols

• Highlight PID• Grow Years• Harvest PID• …• ...

Agreements

GIS PFV

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

File conversionsGIS ---> Visualization• Pid 2 Obj - convert polygon coverage to .obj

file, use PID as common identifier between GIS and PFV

• Arc 2 Obj - convert user drawn polygon to object file

Visualization ---> GIS• view position• polygon identification

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

System architecture

ArcView Highlight PIDGrow years

Modeling Harvest PID….. Visualization Queue

PFVHighlight location

PID2OBJ Display attribute…..…..

ARC2OBJ ArcView queue implemented links

Queue Manager proposedlinks

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Overview of the system

• ArcView (Model integrated), Visualization (PFV)

• Shell window• 2 way communications• interactive, real-time decision support• image realism• Friendly interface, easy control

-------------------- Hong Tang Center for GIS and Modeling The University of Melbourne Australia ----

Overview of the system