GeoData09

Well, today was GeoData 2009, all in all quite an interersting event, although at times it assumed slightly more about my ability with GIS than I do. It presented a good broad sample of the GIS sector in the UK, and I just thought I'd note the bits that caught my eye. I'm not saying the others weren't well presented or interesting, they're just not my thing.

Cadcorp did a presentation on the importance of standards. While I'm quite aware of these, they still made a good case. I was also quiet impressed at what light work their SIS product made of the range of different file types (perhaps underminds the standards argument a little, but then they do have to face the real world as well as the idyllic one).

The GeoInformation Group chose not to show off their up and coming UKMap product directly (although it was on a display stand), but gave a good talk on some of the issues with alternative systems including legacy collection and maintance methods and licensing by the totem unnamed 3rd party of UK GIS, OS.

STAR-APIC came to prove themselves the pedants of digital cartography, focusing exclusively on making text work. By that I mean they've developed software to deal with almost every overlap, cut short or boundary crossing by scaling, rotating, distoring or just plain moving out the way the labeling text. Someones got to do it, here's to clearer maps I suppose.

Perhaps the most enlightening talk was by the AGI. "A short practical overview of INSPIRE" was exactly what it said on the metaphorical tin. While INSPIRE doesn't directly effect my life, it's an itch I've been wanting to scratch for a while.

The BGS came to convince us their data is useful. I never really had doubts, but they did manage to suggest a wide range of uses than I'd origionally considered.

Met GeoInfo came with the title "Protect the invertment made acquiring your 3D digital city with effective data management". I suppose I'm just out of the loop as usual, as I haven't got mine yet. Title mockery aside it was an interesting presntation. Their offering is a full blown, gis/cad model of an entire city, intended as a long term invest ment for city authorities, under the name CityGRID. The range of applications is virtually limitless, with examples including planning, environmental analysis, virtual tourism, emergancy planing etc. One big model for everyone. It's an interesting idea, and with fully fledged version control as standard, it keeps a historical record too, although I don't think it would render fast enough to slip through time with a slider.

I talked to some interesting people, had a good lunch and even got brought an ice cream for turning up. Good day :)