Vector Geographic Data Visualization

1
Vector Geographic Data Visualization

• Plotting Geographic Data Using Open Source
  Technologies

2
Current Plotting Methods

• Currently, the organization generates all of its
  plots in raster format.

3
Raster Plots

• Raster plots are grids of cells each with
  individual values (colors) representing discrete
  data points.

4
Data Presentation to the Customer

• The raster plots are produced in the form of
  graphics files (gif, png, jpg.) and are presented
  to users primarily through web pages.

5
The Limitations of Raster

• They are not interactive. What you see is what
  you geta picture.
• Real data is not part of the rich Document Object
  Model (DOM). Real data is converted to dumb
  data.
• Users cannot obtain precise measurement values
  from the graphic. Other forms such as tabular
  displays must be employed to convey that level of
  detail.
• http//www.swpc.noaa.gov/dregion/index.html

6
The Vector Approach

• Vector data presented as part of the DOM allow
  the user to interact with actual data presented
  in a graphic format very similar in appearance to
  their raster counterparts.

7
The Benefits of Vector

• Real data (not graphic approximations) are
  available to the client
• Data is part of the DOM and is accessible to
  client-side scripting technologies greatly
  enhancing usability
• The basic functionality is reusable regardless of
  the nature of the geographic data