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Watertight vector maps from raster images

mzucker.github.io

11–20 of 23 posts

Re: Watertight vector maps from raster images

#11
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Check out https://kepler.gl by Uber. Allows you to some basic GIS map based data exploration. Their deck.gl library is pretty nice if you need to add GIS data to your web app.

The lead of kepler.gl and several contributors to deck.gl left Uber last year to start Unfolded [0], a web-based geospatial platform. [0]: https://www.unfolded.ai/studio (Disclaimer: I work at Unfolded)

Thats AWESOME.

This Map is DOPE

https://studio.unfolded.ai/public/0c825631-2000-4ea7-a43f-a5...

https://i.imgur.com/5E6ancZ.png

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However - it would be a lot better when you add another layer, that for, say an ARC layer, you should be able to click on the Source HEX, and then the Dest HEX - or Paste the HEX ID into the field, currently it demands LAT-LON for source and destination.... IT looks like it tries - But I cant seem to correctly apply it?

https://i.imgur.com/j8ttNfS.png

Re: Watertight vector maps from raster images

#12
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Check out https://kepler.gl by Uber. Allows you to some basic GIS map based data exploration. Their deck.gl library is pretty nice if you need to add GIS data to your web app.

The lead of kepler.gl and several contributors to deck.gl left Uber last year to start Unfolded [0], a web-based geospatial platform. [0]: https://www.unfolded.ai/studio (Disclaimer: I work at Unfolded)

This is brilliant.

I build Web GIS software for managing worldwide fleets of thousands of robots in real time. I'm super into this stuff. Can't wait to see more from Unfolded.

Re: Watertight vector maps from raster images

#13

Given the power of Openlayers + JSTS I'm a bit surprised nobody has built a general purpose WebGIS app. QGIS is often too heavy or inaccessible. And I believe that GIS is something everyone can do. You don't need a fancy degree and training to explore spatial data and build maps. I tried once but quickly realised it was beyond the scope of a part time project.

I think it's coming, qua WASM.

Re: Watertight vector maps from raster images

#14

Given the power of Openlayers + JSTS I'm a bit surprised nobody has built a general purpose WebGIS app. QGIS is often too heavy or inaccessible. And I believe that GIS is something everyone can do. You don't need a fancy degree and training to explore spatial data and build maps. I tried once but quickly realised it was beyond the scope of a part time project.

> general purpose WebGIS app

> QGIS is often too heavy or inaccessible

The reasoning is the contradiction here. While most GIS work is conceptually simple, there's so many things people want to do - any new GIS program will either feel incomplete or end up getting incredibly bloated and complex (per QGIS). Try dealing with raster+vector, different file formats, different databases, projection systems, different web service standards, tiling formats, 2d+3d+temporal visualisation, proprietary libraries for particular analysis, etc. etc.

Not to say QGIS can't be improved or a better webGIS wouldn't be helpful, but its a tough task to do so many things even if it all seems conceptually simple.

Lets not forget QGIS itself was basically a clean-slate approach which started much less able than previous open source GIS (Grass).

Re: Watertight vector maps from raster images

#17

Given the power of Openlayers + JSTS I'm a bit surprised nobody has built a general purpose WebGIS app. QGIS is often too heavy or inaccessible. And I believe that GIS is something everyone can do. You don't need a fancy degree and training to explore spatial data and build maps. I tried once but quickly realised it was beyond the scope of a part time project.

> general purpose WebGIS app > QGIS is often too heavy or inaccessible The reasoning is the contradiction here. While most GIS work is conceptually simple, there's so many things people want to do - any new GIS program will either feel incomplete or end up getting incredibly bloated and complex (per QGIS). Try dealing with raster+vector, different file formats, different databases, projection systems, different web s…

I hear you. Based on my experience with what my peers poke me for help with, a considerable amount can be done with just support for the most common features:

GeoTIFF, GeoJSON, CRS/projection support (OpenLayers handles this quite well already), tabular and spatial joins, filters, buffer/intersect.

A concern I think we share is that you'll always need that one, less common feature to get to the finish line. This may be. But I haven't found it to be the case as often as I worried. A lot of questions are really just about "how does X relate to Y?" where the linkage is space, time, or some other attribute.

Re: Watertight vector maps from raster images

#18
Autotrace does have a tracing option "-centerline" which creates a single line on shape boudaries. I think it uses a fine thinning algorithm referenced in the scientific literature, but in the autotrace Todo list there is this item: "- Better thinning algorithm like CAT (Chordal Axis Transformation) " . http://autotrace.sourceforge.net/ https://github.com/autotrace/autotrace

Re: Watertight vector maps from raster images

#19

Autotrace does have a tracing option "-centerline" which creates a single line on shape boudaries. I think it uses a fine thinning algorithm referenced in the scientific literature, but in the autotrace Todo list there is this item: "- Better thinning algorithm like CAT (Chordal Axis Transformation) " . http://autotrace.sourceforge.net/ https://github.com/autotrace/autotrace

For now it uses the thinning algorithm from the article "Efficient Binary Image Thinning using Neighborhood Maps". https://github.com/autotrace/autotrace/blob/master/src/thin-...
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