The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Ask The Forester => Topic started by: SwampDonkey on April 13, 2005, 06:21:04 PM

Title: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: SwampDonkey on April 13, 2005, 06:21:04 PM
http://www.digitalgrove.net/fgis.htm

QuotefGIS functions well as a stand-alone mapping utility or can be used as a relatively simple, user friendly option in a tiered GIS work environment. Foresters at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are building fGIS as a complement to enterprise data managed with more sophisticated ArcGIS® software. Although fGIS is not meant to replace comprehensive programs needed by GIS specialists, operational field personnel may find fGIS entirely adequate for their needs.
(source: Digital Grove)

enjoy

Title: Re: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: Tillaway on April 13, 2005, 09:52:12 PM
Thanks Swampster, I haven't been to digital grove in quite a while.  Great site.
Title: Re: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: Wudman on April 13, 2005, 11:24:20 PM
The Virginia Department of Forestry has a good GIS tool available to the public as well.  Their product "ForestRim" is available at no charge from the DOF website. (www.vdof.org) 

Wudman
Title: Re: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: SwampDonkey on April 01, 2011, 03:50:08 PM
This software (fGIS) has now moved to:

http://www.forestpal.com/fgis.html

For the V1.0 of the software, it is not the latest version because it has gone commercial.

The link in the last post has nothing to do with Virginia Dept of Forestry, it's some website on Furs, called Now Fashion.


However this link form the Virginia Dept of Forestry mentions ForestRIM, but no direct link to get to it that I can see.

http://www.dof.virginia.gov/mgt/index.htm
Title: Re: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: John Mc on April 01, 2011, 08:50:35 PM
From the Virginia DOF website:
     "The Virginia Forest Resource Information Mapper (ForestRIM) was discontinued on July 31, 2009. We recommend using Google Maps to create maps."

Title: Re: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: SwampDonkey on June 21, 2011, 01:51:13 PM
Google Maps doesn't give you the freedom to create a map on your own does it? I think you can only load what is presented as aerial views and road maps. No way to work with your own data, so for some a very limited application. More like: I found my place, looks cool, but what can I do with it? ;)
Title: Re: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: John Mc on June 21, 2011, 02:11:39 PM
Google Earth lets you add data. I've added my property boundaries, and the trail system. It's pretty easy to import data from a GPS or Garmin's MapSource program. I don't have any high-end mapping products like ArcGIS, but I've heard importing that info can be done as well.

John Mc
Title: Re: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: SwampDonkey on June 21, 2011, 03:58:10 PM
Ah, so is it web based like ESRI's IMS server, where you have to have a fast connection to retrieve all the layers from hyperlinks? Or is it a download to the desktop where you can work offline? When I was thinking Google Earth I was thinking the web browser based website where you can only see their aerials and roads overlays.
Title: Re: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: John Mc on June 21, 2011, 06:03:15 PM
You were probably thinking of Google Maps, which just lets you look at the roads and satellite view, see where you are, and ask for the best way from here to there.

Google Earth lets you do a good bit more. You download the free application at http://earth.google.com/ (http://earth.google.com/). A lot of it is intended to be done on-line. However, I can still call up my maps and import data while off-line, or show my friends what I've been working on, even if I don't hav an internet connection. I have not tried doing a lot of off-line work, but I think most of it is do-able, once you have the base map on your computer.

I've got a "medium band" internet connection (WildBlue satellite - it beats dial-up, but not as good as DSL or Cable internet). I find using Google Earth tolerable on this connection. I don't know that I'd want to try dial up, though maybe it would be OK if I could load what I needed and then work off-line.

I have added a topo map layer which requires that you be online to see the topo lines. There may be other topo add-ons which do not require this.
Title: Re: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: SwampDonkey on June 22, 2011, 05:35:45 AM
Yeah, for topographic I download the 3D positions from our government website and generate my own in Maptitude. All the aerials are free online to. The latest ones that you can buy from DNR, you can zoom right in and see what tree is growing there in your plantation or woods real clear. ;D I don't know why more folks don't use Maptitude, it can even work with shapefiles like they are native, no conversion required. There's nothing special about ArcMap. ;)
Title: Re: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: John Mc on June 22, 2011, 01:35:18 PM
Free online aerial photos in my area are not as detailed as what you describe. If I go about 20 miles north, the detail gets close to what you describe.
Title: Re: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: woodtroll on June 27, 2011, 09:43:20 PM
The main thing special about ArcMap is the high price and confusing licensing.
Title: Re: Forestry GIS (fGIS) from Wisconsin DNR
Post by: SwampDonkey on June 28, 2011, 05:13:52 AM
They have a great scheme to make money on it to. Sell a very basic GIS and then charge through the roof for third party add-ons to get the functionality you actually need. When I first used the old Arcview 3.1 I considered it a database editor and they never had the projections required for most of Canada. We used to get data from DNR for silviculture purposes and the folks we dealt with didn't have a clue how to export data from it or which files were needed to open a shapefile. For years it was worthless data and we never could get it ironed out. We paid $2000  a year from our silviculture budget and got nothing for it.  ::) I've been using Maptitude for years and it had all I needed from the start for $500 and they also provide training if desired.