Mapping

Visualize Your Road Ratings Data in GIS

Visualize Your Road Ratings Data in GIS

Every odd year, Wisconsin municipalities are required to conduct road ratings and submit their findings to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). Learn how AssetAlly can help your team visualize your ratings and the evolving state of your community’s roads, making it easier to prioritize road maintenance and adjust your budget accordingly.


California - Fires and Flooding

California - Fires and Flooding

At least 13 lives have been lost in a tragic mudflow that swept across Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties in California earlier this week. Heavy rains have made Southern California susceptible to flooding and debris flows, particularly following the recent wildfires which stripped the steep terrain of vegetation. Vegetation is a crucial component involved in holding the land together during periods of precipitation. The fires transformed the physical properties of the soil, making it less absorbent. Thus, the soil becomes much more vulnerable to erosion.

Mapping the Winter Solstice

Mapping the Winter Solstice

Well, it is officially winter! The time and date of the solstice change ever so slightly by year, but this year’s solstice occurs at 11:28 a.m. Eastern Time. The winter solstice marks the shortest period of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere. However, today is not the day of the latest sunrise or earliest sunset. Rather, most areas within mid-latitudes witness the earliest sunset two weeks prior to the solstice, while the latest sunrise does not occur until the beginning of January!

Mapping Pearl Harbor

Mapping Pearl Harbor

December 7th is recognized as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in the United States, which took place 76 years ago on this date. If you click on the image below you will be linked to an in depth and engaging story map (via Esri). The story map utilizes pictures, videos, and maps in order to retell the complex events that took place at Pearl Harbor.

Mapping Beer!

Mapping Beer!

Today is recognized as National Refreshment Day! Seeing as beer has been a rich part of Wisconsin culture and history, why not explore a creative approach that has been taken in the mapping of beer! First, here is an interesting read by Andrew Shears, Local to National and Back Again: Beer, Wisconsin, and Scale, a chapter in his book "The Geography of Beer."

GIS and Lightning

GIS and Lightning

Did you know that globally there are approximately 40-50 lightning flashes per second?! Maps that provide us with the distribution of lightning across the world are utilized for environmental, economic, and safety purposes. Lightning is a danger to humans, wildlife, and livestock. It also causes BILLIONS of dollars in damage to buildings, communication systems, power lines, and electrical equipment.

Sign Support Tool

Sign Support Tool

Nothing says spring cleaning like completing an inventory on the conditions of your street signs. Let us help you spruce up your town by starting or continuing to build on your inventory with our Street Sign Support tool! Our street sign tool is quick and easy to use. The tool provides a preloaded dashboard that gives users the ability to input information on new or existing signage with just a few short clicks.

As-built Upload Tool

As-built Upload Tool

Uploading your record drawings as points using your Document Upload Tool is all well and good, but what if you want your asbuilts tied directly to your assets? Look no farther than the Asbuilt Upload Tool. If you have the tool in your site, you will see it under one of your tabs with this icon:

Table View vs. List View

Table View vs. List View

When identifying features, you have the ability to view your data in a tabular Excel-like format without leaving your map. In this article we'll identify some sanitary structures and then demonstrate how to switch between the List and Table views available for displaying results. We'll first turn on the targeted layer--in this case, our sanitary layer--and use the rectangular identify tool to select a group of sanitary features to observe in our results window.

GIS & GISCorps

GIS & GISCorps

GISCorps is a group of GIS professionals that volunteer their time and skills in order to create a better world. Started in 2003, GISCorps' goals revolve around helping to improve quality of life through supporting humanitarian relief, enhancing environmental analysis, encouraging and fostering economic development, supporting community planning and development, strengthening local capacity by adopting and using information technology, and supporting health and education related activities.

GIS & Local Insights

GIS & Local Insights

Utilizing GIS for its mapping capabilities is a no-brainer. Answering questions like "what's the fastest route to work" or "where is that manhole located" are all great uses of GIS. But, using GIS for local insights can help individuals, businesses, communities, virtually anyone to make better, smarter choices.

Markup Tools

Markup Tools

Many of us find the need to mark our maps, draw in areas, and annotate decisions. We all have a preferred method depending on our needs. Tim prefers map printouts annotated with red pen. I mark up maps more digitally by using sharpie on my computer monitor (not really, IT would hate me). Below we'll show you how to mark up your GIS map (without resorting to ink-based marking devices). Within the Markup tab, you'll see your drawing options by clicking the triangle next to the drawing button.

GIS & Ocean Ecosystems

GIS & Ocean Ecosystems

With this new 3D map, oceanographers, scientists, conservationists, and more can track ecosystems in unprecedented detail. This tool, which can divide the water masses of oceans into precise, detailed categories can help conservation efforts, as it maps data that shows why marine animals live where they do. This can help track which parts of the ocean will be most habitable for marine life - and thus more necessary to protect.