Slashgeo Log In
France's Geoportail Releases 3D Globe
posted by lxnyce
on Wednesday August 01, @07:18AM
Permalink
Trackback URI
Slashdotthis
Diggthis
Del.icio.us
from the what-do-you-win-by-adding-a-dimension? dept.
Permalink
Trackback URI
Slashdotthis
Diggthis
Del.icio.us
from the what-do-you-win-by-adding-a-dimension? dept.
Ogle Earth reports "Last summer, amid much fanfare and little server capacity, the France's National Geographic Institute (IGN) released Géoportail, a 2D web mapping application that was (inaccurately) self-described as France's answer to Google Earth. A 3D version was promised for 2007. It has now arrived." Update: 08/01 13:24 GMT by S : We also got an anonymous user submission on the subject: "Géoportail is an initiative of the French National Geographical Institute (IGN). In spite of it's difficult beginnings, Géoportail is now the reference portal for access to all French state and private sector geographical data. The only thing which it missed compared to its competitors such as Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth was the absence of 3D. This lack is now filled. The visualization of the 3D maps charts is done through a TerraExplorer plugin developed by Skyline Software. Actualy TerraExplorer is only available on Windows, although a version Mac OS and Linux are underway. Official announcement in French." See also previous related stories.
Related Stories
France Unveils Google Earth Rival 1 comment
[+]
Anything Geospatial links to the very short CNN announcement of GeoPortail.fr (geoportail.fr is very slow right now). See our previous coverage with screenshots. From CNN: "But President Jacques Chirac stressed the need for France to have such a site, which will allow Internet users to view aerial photos and maps, saying the state had to be at the cutting edge of modern technology." Unless I'm mistaken, the title is misleading: unlike Google Earth, you don't have to download any application, so it's closer to Windows Live Local or Google Maps in 3D.
Video of Geoportail.fr Features
[+]
VerySpatial links to a video interview with Patrick LeBoeuf, of the French National Geographic Institute. From the blog: "The video is about 11 minutes long and the conversation is in French [...], but it does show the current 3D functionality, including imagery overlaid on terrain, and also topographic maps overlaid as well."
Geoportail.fr Online and Review 1 comment
[+]
After some time inaccessible, we can now navigate on geoportail.fr. The Ogle Earth blog links to a UK Times review and provides corrections to the article. From the article: "The site, www.geoportail.fr, has been a runaway success, with its base of 400,000 aerial photographs covering the non-sensitive parts of the country, showing everything down to the size of a manhole cover. France’s overseas territories in the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific are also included."
Industry: NASA World Wind Plugin for French's GeoPortail Data
[+]
World Wind Central let us know a plugin has been developped to view the French GeoPortail data in NASA World Wind. From the post: "It imports the data of the IGN Géoportail into WorldWind, so one can make use of the high resolution imagery on the whole French territory. It is the first version so there are still quite a few problems."
France Selects SkylineGlobe for their 3D Geoportail 1 comment
[+]
This press release indicates the French government chose SkylineGlobe for its 3D national geospatial web portal. From the PR: "It will be the first and only 3D globe that includes high resolution imagery covering entire France and will include the ability to interactively fly over highly realistic 3D terrain and urban environments. [...] The web site development as well as database management is being handled by I.G.O. a Vinci company using SkylineGlobe as a multiplatform web based application (Windows, Mac and Linux). [...] ‘After a long review process of available 3D solutions, IGN came to a conclusion that SkylineGlobe with its extensive API is the only solution that would let them create the scaleable customized web-based application that they wanted’ he continued.
“France will be the first country to create their own web based public 3D Earth portal”"
See also related stories below.
Multiple Parallel Virtual Globes are a Good Thing?
[+]
Vector One offers an interesting entry on the benefits of having multiple parallel virtual globes. From the entry: "Are We Destined to Have Parallel Digital Earth’s?
The alternative to parallel digital worlds is one digital world - no thanks. I don’t want Google, Microsoft, WorldWind, TITAN or any other single world becoming the dominate, stand alone, source for digital spatial content. In fact, I think each of these do their best work and will reach their highest potential through competition and interaction. [...] The primary difference between digital worlds and all other mediums for communication will simply be that they are digital and characterized by what one can do with digital data." From my point of view, interoperability is the key component for the users. Update: 09/28 15:29 GMT by S : Spatial Sustain's Matt Ball also shares his thoughts on the subject: "There’s currently ample opportunity for niche players in this space, but the gap between the leaders and others is rapidly expanding to the point that it will be a chasm where vast amounts of investment will be required to catch up."
Géoportail Gets 3D Buildings 1 comment
[+]
Ogle Earth is reporting about this development. From their page, here is snippet of the summary : "And while Géoportail is indeed the first portal made by Europeans for 3D mapping (albeit by licensing American technology), it is not the first portal to show Europe in 3D. In fact, it still doesn’t. (Google Earth, NASA World Wind and Microsoft Virtual Earth came before and do all of Europe. Géoportail shows nothing beyond France’s borders.)
Géoportail certainly is much more impressive that the UK Ordnance Survey’s “outreach” effort, but both are just as closed in a time when everything online is moving towards open, interoperable, mashable standards. KML is now an OGC standard, most recently embraced by Microsoft. Where is the support By IGN and OS? Why can’t I export anything to mash up? Where are the APIs? The USGS, on the other hand, gets it." Head on over there to get full details an links to the real story. See also previous stories about GeoPortail below.
Géoportail certainly is much more impressive that the UK Ordnance Survey’s “outreach” effort, but both are just as closed in a time when everything online is moving towards open, interoperable, mashable standards. KML is now an OGC standard, most recently embraced by Microsoft. Where is the support By IGN and OS? Why can’t I export anything to mash up? Where are the APIs? The USGS, on the other hand, gets it." Head on over there to get full details an links to the real story. See also previous stories about GeoPortail below.
France's GeoPortail Announces API
[+]
France's GeoPortail, which added 3D buildings last December and licenses its data to Microsoft just announced an API in beta, based on OpenLayers. Both OE and BM informed me of the Geoportail API: "The Geoportail API, based on OpenLayers Technology allows to display the Geoportail visualisation in your own web site." There's some documentation already available: "The 2D API allows you to create a map in few lines of HTML into your web site.
Designed and developped in Javascript on top of the OpenLayers library (open source software under BSD license), it acts as an overlay by adding new functionalities and widgets.
All of these functionnalities are directly simply accessible through the Geoportal.Map interface. The latter provides few methods to do the job.
Developers can also use OpenLayers API while using the Geoportal API.
The following schema shows the overall architecture of the 2D API."
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
