Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

What is a Code-Sprint?
A code sprint is something typically „open source“. The aim is to physically gather developers from all over the world in one location so that in the course of an intensive  workshop the software is pushed ahead. The result of an OpenLayers workshop that took place last year were mobile operating functions which now benefit all users.

GeoExt
GeoExt enables building desktop-like GIS applications on the internet. The framework combines GIS functionality of the web mapping component OpenLayers with the elegant user interface of the javascript library ExtJS provided by the company Sencha. GeoExt is Free Software available under the BSD-license.

ExtJS 4
The new version ExtJS 4 has been available for some time. ExtJS 4 offers many new and attractive functions like for example the possibility to draw diagrams and an API to Sencha Touch to create mobile applications. A so called Model-View-Controller architekture (MVC) was integrated, the API was enhanced, new classes were added and the documentation was completely reworked.

GeoExt Codesprint 2012
GeoExt currently works with ExtJS 3. The API of ExtJS 4 however is quite different to its predecessor. To make the new ExtJS-functions available to GeoExt users GeoExt has to be adapted. That is the reason why in the Spring of 2012 a codesprint will take place with the target of developing GeoExt 2.0 on the basis of ExtJS 4. Participants are scheduled to come from the companies

• Camptocamp
• OpenGeo
• terrestris
• Mapgears

These companies provide core developers of GeoExt 1.x or have experience as service providers buildung applications with ExtJS 4, as for example the recently by terrestris developed GeoExt mobile library „GXM“ shows. For a gathering of 8 developers for 5 days an estimated budget of 40.000 € (52,000 US $) is needed. This will cover the costs of travel, accommodation and part of the costs for the developers. The rest of the costs will be borne by the participating companies.

Sponsor search
We are looking for sponsors for the above mentioned budget. Sponsors are welcome to input their priorities with regard to desired functionality in GeoExt 2.0. The developers will keep these priorities in mind but it can’t be guaranteed that these functions will be finally implemented since there might be dependencies with other parts of the software that might require more work. Directly after the codesprint all results will be provided online for download. It goes without saying that all sponsors will be named.

Call for sponsorship
We would like to invite all organisations and users utilizing GeoExt to sponsor the codesprint. Become a sponsor and benefit from the new functions that will be implemented. If you have questions or interest in sponsoring the codesprint with any amount please do not hesitate to contact us at info@terrestris.de

At the beginning of December 3 people from terrestris went to Mongolia to conduct a geodata management workshop in the context of the project “Integrated Water Ressources Management in Central Asia: Model Region Mongolia (MoMo)“. The initial article can be read in our news section. Now we would like to report on our activities and experiences during the 2 week trip and also share some photos with you.

When someone from Europe travels to Mongolia in December then one topic is predominant: The cold. Yes, it is very cold but to our surprise it was quite easy to endure -20°C and even -35°C, the minimum we experienced, with regular hats, jackets, mittens and long underwear. It is important not to stand around but to keep moving.

The first day in Ulan Bator was spent shopping because we needed a local mobile phone card, some batteries as well as a plastic box for our data transmitting technology we were set to test in the Sognegor Valley. Shopping always takes quite some time which may also be due to the language barrier.

On the second day our driver Natsga took us in his all terrain vehicle to Darkhan, the second largest Mongolian city located approximately 250 km to the north of Ulan Bator. The computer room designated for the workshop was prepared by the terrestris-team by installing the necessary software programs QGIS and JOSM. The workshop was opened by the MoMo project-coordinator, the german ambassador to Mongolia and the director of the Technical University of Darkhan. See also our first report on the trip to Mongolia.

On the first day of the workshop there was a general introduction to geodata and geographical information systems (GIS) while the second day was designated to practical excercises using the free desktop GIS Quantum GIS. During the following three days practical mapping excercises took place the results of which were uploaded to the OpenStreetMap (OSM) platform.

OSM map of Darkhan before our workshop

OSM map of Darkhan after our workshop

Roundabout in Darkhan before our workshop

Roundabout in Darkhan after our workshop

OSM is a free wiki world map that is being compiled by volunteers all over the world using GPS devices amongst other technologies. The workshop is deemed a success. Up to the workshop all participants were unfamiliar with the OpenStreetMap project and during the 5 days a fundamental understanding for geodata management could be generated as well as filling the map of Darkhan with information. The corresponding before/after images speak for themselves. In addition a number of lecturers from the Agricultural and the Technical University of Darkhan participated in the workshop who intend to offer courses of their own with some of the content presented in our workshop. For this kind of endeavour the OpenStreetMap platform is perfectly suited since it is available to interested people at all times.

The last two days of the trip to Mongolia the terrestris-team spent in the Sognegor Valley where a number of MoMo sub projects are working. Besides exploring the valley we tested some modern data transmission technology. In this case it was special wireless LAN (WLAN) hardware operating at 5 GHz that allows high data throughput while using comparatively little energy. The test entailed the transmission of webcam photos from a mountain to a yurt over a distance of approximately 2 km. At -30°C the batteries lasted just under 4 hours and a total of 14 MB was transmitted. This test is also deemed a success and the team was especially impressed with the robustness and ease of use of the technology that has a phenomenal value for money ratio. At this point we would like to thank Prof. Dr. Christof Huebner from the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences as well as Mr. Bernd Strehhuber from the company plan b. solutions GmbH, who provided us with the technology.

Usual traffic chaos in Ulan Bator.

The highway to Darkhan.

Grazing camels to the north of Darkhan.

These camels are not timid.

A snow covered salt lake to the north of Darkhan.

Goat herd with herdsman - a typical picture in Mongolia.

An especially impressive Ovo close to Sukhbataar near the Russian border. It is a shamanistic sanctuary.

A MoMo sub project has developed a new type of toilet that allows the collection of faeces which are then used to generate energy. This also protects the soil and groundwater.

Panorama view of Darkhan.

View of a district of Darkhan.

A water kiosk - since none of the houses or yurts has running water all supplies have to be brought in by jerrycans.

Lots of traffic at a water kiosk.

Jerrycans being filled at a water kiosk.

Workshop participants working at their computers.

Workshop participants mapping.

Mapping of latrines.

Group photo of course participants.

Our accomodation near the Sognegor Valley. Note the antenna that we could easily mount.

Mongolian newly weds enjoyed a joint photo.

Working in the yurt.

The entrance to the yurt from the inside. To the right of the door is the wash basin. The receptacle above the basin can be filled with water. The waste water flows into a bucket underneath the basin.

The yurt is elaborately decorated on the inside.

Rivers are frozen in such a way that you can easily drive an all terrain vehicle across the ice.

View of the valley and meanders of the Kharaa river.

Good packaging helps you endure the temperatures.

View from the mountain to our yurt camp.

The antenna of the data transmission unit has been fastened to a stick in an Ovo. The webcam is located in the box.

The antenna was aligned with the antenna on the yurt.

View in the Sognegor Valley.

A village in the Sognegor Valley.

A frozen river at the end of the valley from where one can only continue on foot.

The company terrestris is involved in the project “Integrated Water Resources Management in Central Asia: Model Region Mongolia (MoMo)” which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In this project terrestris is responsible for the geodata management. In this context Capacity Development is set to take place meaning the transfer of knowledge from german to mongolian project partners.

In this capacity a team from terrestris travelled to Mongolia where it is conducting a geodata management workshop at the Technical University in Darkhan (MUST). On the occasion of the opening of the workshop by the scientific coordinator of the MoMo project, Dr. Daniel Karthe, the German Ambassador to Mongolia, Dr. h.c. Peter Schaller greeted the participants. In his address he emphasized amongst other aspects the importance of knowledge and skills for a national economy and was pleased about the german-mongolian cooperation. The director of the Technical University, Prof. Dr. Dorligsuren Lkhanag, also addressed the participants and mentioned that such a geodata management workshop was a first at MUST.

In the allotted 5 days fundamental concepts of geographical data handling and manipulation will be dealt with on a theoretical basis. There is also the chance to put this newly gained knowledge into practice by working with the free and open source desktop GIS Quantum GIS. The practical side of the workshop is being augmented by mapping excersises with GPS devices on 2 of the 5 days.

f.l.t.r Dr. h.c. Peter Schaller, Prof. Dr. Lkhanag Dorligsuren, Hinrich Paulsen, Dr. Daniel Karthe

The results will be published on the OpenStreetMap platform and will thus be available to the public. Approximately 80% of the course participants are lecturers at the Agricultural- and Technical Universities so there is justified hope for a multiplier effect.

As every year terrestris also held a retreat this year. Why we do this is quickly told: We take some time aside from our normal business with ringing telephones and pressing appointments and talk about the things that go well and those that don’t. From this we derive future actions and try and improve all aspects. Because we work in a very dynamic environment and constellations are subject to change we try and slow down at regular intervals so that we can readjust.

This year our retreat took place under special circumstances. We chartered a 13 meter catamaran on the island of Mallorca, Spain and sailed it to the island of Cabrera and back. For almost everybody from terrestris it was a new experience to spend a few days on a sailboat. Result: Nobody fell overboard, nobody was sea sick and we all came home with new and pleasant impressions. We would like to share some pictures with you and thank our on-board photographer Dennis Hellmich for these!

Little wind and lots of sun

Cala Portals on Mallorca

Sunrise in Cala Portals

terrestris on board

Close to the wind

Careful flying on-board photographers!

Land in sight yet?

Parts of terrestris exploring

Dolphins at Cabrera Island

Isla Cabrera in the wake

terrestris convention in action

Group photo at the castle ruin of Cabrera

"Frida" waiting patiently at her bouy

The net in between the hulls doubles as a great hammock

You can also let the ship drag you

Isla Cabrera after sundown

View of the bay of Cabrera

Yep, land is still there

View from Marcs bunk

All are busy

Marina S'Arenal at night

Setting sail

Day 4 of the terrestris code sprint in Mallorca was dominated once again by the Bits and Bytes of Geographical Space.

There were strong advances in the migration of GeoExt to ExtJS 4: During the course of our code sprint we have currently managed to adapt 12 classes of GeoExt 1.0 to ExtJS 4. Amongst them are the LegendPanel including WmsLegend and UrlLegend, as well as the GeoExt-Action-Class so that OpenLayers-Controls can be used in the UIs.

The Sensor Observation Service that used to run with some test data was switched over to some real stuff. A parser now supplies the SOS with up-to-date data from a Geo-RSS-Feed. Due to the new interface that generates a WMS for the respective SOS the data can easily be published on an interactive map.

The OL-Builder used to generate Custom-OpenLayers-Builds got a new face: A comfortable ExtJS 4 GUI now enables the selection of the necessary classes including the automatic detection of dependant classes.

At the WMS front several approaches for the generation, rendering and performance enhancement were tested and evaluated. Amongst others an interface to Mapnik was created so that QGIS projects can be tagged as ‘to be rendered’ and as ‘TMS’.

All in all the terrestris codesprint is being viewed favourably. Many things were approached and although there were only a few days an impressive amount was accomplished. Once we are back home we plan to improve on some of the things started and hope to present the odd goodie to the public as for example an OWS-test-site.

Lively discussion

Prototype

Working at night

Turquoise coloured cushions with workstations

Demo-Time

Non-verbal

Mallorca at night

What a fantastic day this 3rd day of the terrestris code sprint!
Not only does the summer seem to be returning outside but from indoors numerous successes can also be reported.

NRW-WMS a bit different For example an intricately styled WMS for the whole of North-Rhine Westfalia was created using OpenStreetMap data which was then accelerated using the MapProxy-Software.

GeoExt goes ExtJS 4 During the migration of GeoExt some more classes were transferred to the new ExtJS 4 framework as well as adapting the GeoExt testsuite to the new conditions so that currently no tests of GeoExt 1.0 fail with the migrated classes.

OGC Web Services interaction Using the GeoServer REST-Api we managed to automatically visualise our sensors in a WMS-layer although they are modelled with a Sensor Observation Service (SOS). This circumvents the problem of too many vector features in a WebGIS client so that now large sensor networks can be visualised on the web using a WMS.

Fans of OpenLayers take note Our time-honoured OpenLayers builder that generates a custom build of OpenLayers on-the-fly has been updated to the currently stable version 2.11. This is where you can generate a custom version of OpenLayers using a Web-GUI (incl. minimising the code).

Secondary areas of activity We continued the development of WebGIS applications based on Symfony2 and OpenLayers/ExtJS 4. A demo version is set to go online here shortly.
The database for the country geocoder was optimised for english and german search items. A respective service (WFS) will be implemented here shortly.

On the last day of our codesprint we will do everything to prepare ourselves for future challenges and to provide our customers with customary high quality using Open Source technologies. We will summarise our last day here as well.

Hidden talents of the chef de cuisine Till Adams

The second day of the terrestris code sprint in Palma de Mallorca, Spain had numerous valuable insights and results concerning open source geotechnologies as an outcome.

To initialise an OWS test site (OWS stands for OpenGIS Web Service) which will be made available to the public after the code sprint, three identical Web Map Services based on different implementations (GeoServer, UMN Mapserver and QGIS Server) were set up including acceleration through tiling. Because many will know the question: “I need a free OWS for testing. Where can I get one?” Since we are often confronted with this same question have we decided to make such services permanently available for testing purposes. A Sensor Observation Service (SOS) based on the 52north implementation has also been initialised and will be filled with real-world data in the next couple of days.

First positive results regarding the migration of GeoExt to ExtJS 4 can be noted for the second day. Two base classes were migrated and a number of functions tested with the new possibilities of ExtJS 4.

Interaction of "competence-team geodata"

After a hearty breakfast day 1 of the codesprint began early in the morning. First the terrestris electronic data processing center (EDPC) was set up here in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

terrestris EDPC Palma de Mallorca, Spain

After fixing some WLAN problems with the new Ubuntu distribution we started our work.

"Team Red" coding

After wild rounds of installation (some finished faster than others), the developers immersed themselves in a diversity of topics and projects (selection):

• ExtJS 4 with GeoExt
• map rendering with Mapnik
• map acceleration with different software
• Symfony 2 in connection with ExtJS
• QGIS Server
• TinyOWS
• Java-based sensor data with SOS
• GeoServer Rest-API
• version control with git

Additionally a first OpenLayers commit was accomplished as well as moving the mobile mapping framework GXM to github .

compensation for a hard day of work

During the next days we will present further detailed results here.

At the end of the day Till Adams pampered the team with a self cooked dinner. The rest of the evening was spent socialising.

still life

The terrestris codesprint preceeding the annual retreat, this year taking place in Mallorca, Spain started yesterday with the flight to the island. Unfortunately we needed two attempts to arrive at the airport of Palma de Mallorca. Our first flight had to return to Cologne due to technical problems. So we arrived on the island with several hours delay.
After acclimatization and moving into the flat we enjoyed the evening with a cold drink and a good meal.
Here first expert talks were held in order to get the code sprint underway. During the next few days the developers of terrestris will test new technologies and continue to advance several projects further. We will update you at this site daily.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

FOSS4G Denver 2011

This year the FOSS4G took place in Denver, Colorado from September 12 – 16, 2011. With approximately 900 registrations it was the largest FOSS4G-conference to date. Besides workshops and tutorials 150 high-quality presentations informed about the development, status and use of Open Source Software (OSS).

In comparison to past conferences more presentations were decidedly technology oriented. Besides presentations regarding new projects primarily concerning WebMapping Framework developments like „MapQuery“, „JQuery Geo“  or also „GeoMap“, there were also talks about the “tried & trusted” projects.

Collaboration of projects

A new trend can be seen: As projects become more mature one can make out attempts where diverse projects are united in so called ’stacks’ with the objective of covering a wide range of requirements.

Maybe the most prominent example of such a stack is the OpenGeo-Suite, which mainly consists of the components PostGIS, GeoServer, GeoWebCache, OpenLayers and GeoExt. The argument often voiced by proprietary vendors that nobody is behind open source projects in ernest is being muted by the OpenGeo Suite: It is available as a community- as well as an enterprise edition with support, training and bugfix-guarantees. As the exclusive partner of OpenGeo for Germany and Austria you can get information regarding the OpenGeo Suite from terrestris or directly from OpenGeo.

Also in other projects attempts at collaboration can be seen. A prime example is the Mapserver Stack. It is planned to unite projects like TinyOWS, MapCache and MapServer under one roof. With the same configuration MapServer will be enhanced by the WFS-T (TinyOWS) and Tile-Caching interface (MapCache). First steps in this directions have been undertaken and a first version can be expected at the beginning of 2012.

QGIS Server

QGIS server can be viewed as a new star in the WMS-server sky. Pirmin Kalberer from our partner company SourcePole introduced some new functionality and the new QGIS extension „QGIS-Cloud“, which allows easy publication of geodata through QGIS server via a Cloud-Server. The seamless interoperability between the widely recognised and functionally excellent Desktop-GIS QGIS as a configuration interface and QGIS-server has to be mentioned. A project created in QGIS including a print layout interactively compiled by the QGIS-Print-Composer can be directly published through the QGIS-Server as an ‘enhanced’ WMS. One can call it enhanced because the print composer can be reached through an HTTP-interface („GetPrint“). The creation of print templates through programming or the editing of configuration files is no longer necessary. QGIS server thus offers a stable map server with a focus on ease of use.

OpenSource goes mobile

One focus of the Open Source Community this year was on mobile clients. Besides desktop GIS like gvSIG Mobile, usable on mobile devices there was an emphasis on the development of WebGIS-Clients that utilise the browsers of mobile devices. Through the implementation of touch-functionality in OpenLayers during a code-sprint in Lausanne, Switzerland in February of this year the foundation for further development was laid. Projects that need mention in this context are the development by camptocamp for the University of Lausanne and the client for the Swiss Confederation based on GeoExt realised by terrestris. The source code for the latter project will be contained in one of the next GeoExt releases.

PostGIS 2.0

With some excitement the new version of PostGIS 2.0 is being expected. During this years FOSS4G Leo Shu and Regina Obe presented functionality that will be new in PostGIS 2.0. The focus of this version will be on the following 3 points:

1. Increased user-friendlyness: In the future PostGIS will be installed in the database through a simple function call. The well known metadata table „geometry_columns“ will be turned into a view, which the database will create itself. Errors through omitted or wrong data are thus excluded.
2. PostGIS goes 3D: For this new datatypes and an abundance of new functions were created. One of the bigger problems concerning 3D will be the clients able to visualise this data.
3. Maybe the largest leap in PostGIS 2.0 will be raster processing. Simple import/export tools, functionality to convert raster to vector and vice versa, functionality for map algebra and functions to alter the resolution of for example aerial images all look to be very promising. Further development will show if large amounts of raster data can be effectively stored in a database. At least the management of this data will be made a lot easier.

WMS Shootout

A highlight of the conference was once again the WMS-Shootout, in which 6 projects participated this year. The objective is to test the performance of WMS servers under identical conditions. Winners are the projects and the communities since all knowledge related to increased performance will be made public with the next code releases. An added bonus was the collaboration amongst the projects which shared ideas and configuration SLDs despite the ‘competition’. The ‘real’ winners this year were Mapnik and Mapserver. Besides the WMS-Shootout there was as a first this year also a „WPS Shootout“ which took place in a very american way that from my point of view obscured the initial objective.

Outlook

The observed ‘maturing’ of a number of projects over the course of the past years can be seen as consolidating even further through cross-project collaboration, according to Till Adams. It can also be stated that open source software in the area of desktop GIS like QGIS, gvSIG and OSSIM have caught up and currently constitute a real alternative. Also the presence of proprietary companies document the increasing perception and appreciation of OSS. Besides this one can note that the OpenStreetMap- and the FOSS4G-community are growing together. The international OpenStreetMap-conference „SotM“ (State of the Map) took place also in Denver, directly ahead of the FOSS4G, with representatives of both communities participating in the respective events documenting this trend.

I hope that all trends discernible this year will manifest themselves during next years FOSS4G, which will take place in Beijing, China.

A good preparation will certainly save you some headaches. This morning at 07:45 hours our movers arrived and 1 hour and 30 minutes later our offices in the Irmintrudisstr. 17 were empty.

Our new office space in the Pützchens Chaussee 56, 53227 Bonn was filled almost as fast so that the move as such took just over half a day.

Currently at 17:00 hours even our internet and phones are working again. We will need a few more days until everything has found a new location but our work can continue.

Bern/Bonn, September 07, 2011 – The geoportal of the Swiss Confederation is popular: Up to 10.000 users per day access the map viewer at map.geo.admin.ch. This is where citizens can view, print and order geodata. Since the beginning of September 2011 this high quality data can also be used on mobile devices (smartphones). The web based solution „mobile.map.geo.admin“ runs on Android-devices as well as iPhones and iPads.

Uncomplicated, simple access
The Swiss Confederation worked together with cantons, cities, universities and private organisations to decide on the fundamentals of mobile.map.geo.admin.ch, the geodata offering for mobile devices. The company terrestris GmbH & Co. KG from Bonn, Germany was contracted to implement the web map client based on OpenLayers and SenchaTouch, that is made available as open source software. Users of mobile.map.geo.admin.ch do not need to download additional software nor do they require a login or password. Through supplying this client the Swiss Confederation fulfills the task to make geodata available to the public in general as mandated by the Swiss Geodata Accessibility Law. http://mobile.map.geo.admin.ch is available with immediate effect: Entering the URL in a mobile device  will automatically take you to the mobile version of the map viewer.

Practical information on the spot
Geodata of the Swiss Confederation usually have official character and are of high quality documented by the seal of approval „confederation“. Historical maps are also available so that users can find out on the spot whether they are utilising an historical route or whether an historical building is within sight. One can also search for communities, towns, bodies of water or mountains („Which mountain is this?“). Furthermore you can get information about danger zones („Am I within a danger zone?“), conservation areas („Is this a spawning area for amphibiens?“) as well as town- and settlement development („What did it look like here 100 years ago?“).

Additional functionality comprises:

• Address search (current addresses as well as buildings under construction)
• Search for locality- and field-names
• Feedback functionality, trough which data corrections can be reported (i.e. hiking trails that differ from the route portrayed or erroneous addresses including the correct one.)

Ad-free and longterm available
The geoportal of the Swiss Confederation including the mobile map viewer is being operated by the Federal Office of Topography swisstopo under the strategic direction and management of the coordinating agency for Federal geographical information, GCG. Third parties are not granted access to user data and the longterm availability is also assured for the future. The offering is free of advertisement and only accessible online: Data cannot be saved locally because in this case costs would be applicable due to licence restrictions. The usage of mobile.map.geo.admin is free of charge (except for the cost of internet access). At the same time there is a free application programming interface (API), i.e. For developers or companies that wish to use the data for own applications.

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About swisstopo
The Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo) is the centre of competence for the Swiss Confederation responsible for geographical reference data, for instance the description, representation and archiving of geographic spatial data (such as national maps, elevation and landscape models, satellite images, orthophotos).

swisstopo provides measurements of Switzerland, ascertains and documents changes in the landscape (geological, geodesic and topographical) and produces maps of Switzerland. Topographic maps (paper and digital) are updated and published regularly at various scales. Thanks to their quality and accuracy they are highly regarded in Switzerland and worldwide.
In co-operation with federal government, cantons, local communities and the private sector swisstopo makes geodata available for widespread use. The Geographic information act (GeoIG) is also a statutory foundation. As a responsible official body swisstopo looks after all the interests of official surveying and public-private ownership restrictions (Federal Directorate of Cadastral Surveying).

swisstopo was founded in 1838 and today forms part of the armasuisse group in the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS). The modern production organisation has 320 employees and is located in Wabern near Bern.

About terrestris
terrestris is a geoinformatics business from Bonn, Germany and originally a spin-off from the University of Bonn. Since 2002, terrestris has been active in the conceptualisation, implementation and maintenance of spatial data infrastructures using open source software like PostGIS, OpenLayers and GeoServer. One focus is on geodata acquisition in real-time using wireless sensor networks for environmental monitoring and displaying resulting data in a WebGIS environment.

Customers of terrestris include the German states Lower-Saxony, Brandenburg and Baden-Württemberg, TUV Rhineland Group, University of Copenhagen, the Forschungszentrum Jülich research institution, and diverse municipalities, amongst others. terrestris has successfully completed projects in the Middle East (Qatar), Africa (Benin), Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Denmark) and is currently active in a hydrological research project in Asia (Mongolia).
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Media contact
Dipl.-Geogr. Hinrich Paulsen
terrestris GmbH & Co. KG
Irmintrudisstr. 17
53111 Bonn, Germany
+49 228 – 962 899 51
info@terrestris.de
www.terrestris.de

The City of Soest has been working for years with a modern WebGIS based on free software. terrestris was involved in the implementation of the geoportal. The newspaper Westfalenpost published an article about the possibilities of the geoportal on August 16th 2011. (sorry, the article is only available in german and can not be shown for copyright reasons.)

September is approaching fast and terrestris would like to inform you about some imminent activities. Amongst these are:

• Participation in FOSS4G in Denver, Colorado, USA

Mr. Adams and Mr. Jansen will travel to the USA to actively participate in this years FOSS4G. They will give two talks (1) (2) and apart from that will interact with the GIS specialists from various projects. As in the previous years they will return with an abundance of impressions, ideas and information regarding current trends. This will influence our work and benefit our customers. It is in the nature of things that these two people will not be available for projects from September 12^th to 24^th.

• terrestris will move and has recruited reinforcements!

The new rental contract has been signed and we are busy preparing to move our business activities to Pützchens Chaussee 56, 53227 Bonn.

We will move on Friday, September 16^th, 2011, when we will not be reachable. We are trying to continue our business without interruption on September 19^th from the new location. The new premises are big enough to accomodate two more staff who will commence their work with terrestris starting October 1^st and November 1^st respecitively.

• InterGEO in Nuremberg

This year the InterGEO will take place from September 27^th to 29^th 2011 in Nuremberg and like last year terrestris will have a stand in the OSGeo-Park. If you are attending InterGEO please come and meet us at our booth.

• terrestris code-sprint and retreat

The terrestris developers will meet in a remote place to be undisturbed while dedicating themselves to the advancement of various projects from October 10^th – 14^th, 2011. The ensuing weekend plus the following Monday, October 17^th all terrestris staff will meet in conclave. This means that we will be working but won’t be reachable in the usual fashion. So, from October 10^th to 17^th there will also be service restrictions.

As can easily be seen September and October are already busy months and the terrestris summer-holiday period is set to end in September too. We are making an effort to advance all projects to the satisfaction of our customers but ask for your understanding in the case that not all work can be accomplished in the usual quick manner.

For terrestris the FOSS4G is one of the most important conferences which we don’t want to and should not miss. This year, as every year without interruption since 2005 , terrestris will participate in numerous ways in FOSS4G.

terrestris, as last year, is Bronze-Sponsor of the conference and will give two talks:

• Till Adams: “Comparing GeoExt, MapQuery and Legato from a technical and collaborative point of view“, September 16, 2011, 10:30 h

• Marc Jansen: “Common pitfalls for users of OpenLayers“, September 14, 2011, 13:00 h

Besides these talks we are looking forward to the exchange with recognised experts concerning current trends and software from the geo-sector.

Another highlight for us will be the OpenGeo partner meeting which is set to take place a day in advance of the FOSS4G. As official OpenGeo partner for D/A/CH (Germany/Austria/Switzerland) it goes without saying that we will attend.

We would like to meet you at FOSS4G and chat with you about the colourful world of Free and Open Source GIS as well as free geodata. Should you be attending FOSS4G then please contact us in advance so that we can agree to meet at a specified time.

For the first time in her company history terrestris is offering an apprenticeship as a qualified IT specialist. This degree is recognised throughout Germany and more information is available under About us/Vacancies

terrestris’ line of business are interactive maps on the internet. Rather special therefore was the contract awarded to us by the ADAC Nordrhein e.V. to build a cash registry system for the 39th ADAC Zurich 24h-Race 2011 which took place on the Nürburgring from June 23rd to 26th, 2011.

Naturally the teams need fuel to be able to race. Due to the duration of the event there are numerous refuelling stops. Now a racer cannot pull up to the fuel station like a normal car driver, refuel, pay and then continue but this whole process has to be organised differently. In the current case helpers are in action who note the amount of fuel on a fuelling receipt and take this document to the cash registry where it is entered by hand into the account of the team which prior to starting the race has paid a fuelling deposit. The system implemented by terrestris takes care of the accounting and produces a final invoice at the end of the race. This helps the race organisers to run a smooth race.

Even though this kind of application does not belong to the core activities of terrestris the system stood up well during the race. Some terrestris staff participated as spectators which was also something very special for us.

A few weeks before the holiday season in Northrhine-Westfalia is due to start the tourism portal regiofreizeit.de for the northern Ruhrgebiet was relaunched with a new look and feel. terrestris was instrumental in implementing this portal right from the beginning and is very happy with the people in charge who modernised the site in such an elegant way. The press release (sorry, only in german) from the County of Recklinghausen has been linked.

For the FOSS4G conference in Denver, USA in September terrestris suggested some presentations and we are happy to announce that the following talk has been accepted:

• Comparing GeoExt, MapQuery and Legato from a technical and collaborative point of view

If you are in Denver at the time please do come and listen to the talk.

terrestris is now member of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) as of the beginning of May 2011. The OGC is the standardising body when it comes to geodata and geodata services. After some deliberation it was a logical step for us, since the projects that terrestris is doing increasingly take place in an international and collaborative environment. As a member terrestris now has the opportunity to partake in the discussion processes and find out first-hand what direction new standards are taking. This will enrich our daily work and ultimately benefit our customers.

The conference for Free and Open Source Software for Geographic Information Systems – FOSSGIS (conference language is german) will take place in Heidelberg next week from Tuesday to Thursday (05 – 07.04.2011). We would like to invite all interested persons to attend this conference since an abundance of information concerning open source and GIS will be presented there. terrestris will share a stand with its partner OpenGeo and will contribute to the programme with a number of talks and workshops. The office in Bonn will be staffed but most of our developers will attend the conference in Heidelberg.

The book “Integrative Landslide Early Warning Systems” (sorry, only in German) co-written by terrestris and funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is available at no charge as we already mentioned here on November 05, 2010. As long as stocks last books can be obtained from

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Pohl
Geographisches Institut
Universität Bonn
Meckenheimer Allee 166
53115 Bonn

In the meantime the book has also been made available in a digital form and can be downloaded here. (File size approx. 80 MB)

Following the OpenLayers Mobile Codesprint that took place from February 21st to 25th in Lausanne Marc Jansen obtained commit rights to the OpenLayers code after a vote. This means that Marc Jansen can now upload new code to the SVN repository where it will be reviewed by his peers. After this quality check it will become official part of the OpenLayers-project.

A week of hard work pays off: From February 21st to 25th the OpenSource JavaScript library OpenLayers was modified to support mobile devices. Now the full potential of web based map applications is accessible for users of so called Smartphones.

The Mobile Code Sprint was initiated and organised by Cedric Moullet (Swisstopo) and Claude Phillipona (camptocamp), who, thanks to the numerous Sponsors (amongst them terrestris) were able to invite a group of in total 15 JavaScript-developers to the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale (EPFL) in Lausanne. From terrestris, I, Marc Jansen, was the lucky one getting to go to Switzerland.

The participants and organisers of the code sprint

The objectives defined by the core developers Christopher Schmidt, Tim Schaub, Andreas Hocevar, Eric Lemoine, Pierre Giraud, Frédéric Junod and Bart van den Eijnden were ambitious:

• Manipulation of maps in OpenLayers with fingertips. The OpenLayers map should feel like a native Smartphone application (a so called App).
• Exemplary GUI design related to the visual representation of native apps through the use of the widely used JavaScript-libraries Sencha Touch and jQuery Mobile
• Optimisation of loading times for OpenLayers map applications
• Performance enhancements in internal programming blocks to ensure smooth operation
• Evaluation and maybe use of new technologies like Geolocation API, Web Storage, CSS-Transformationen, etc.
• Support for older Smartphones without multitouch surfaces, that are used in some iPhones and some Android machines
• Update and new development of examples that show the use of OpenLayers

OpenLayers on the iPhone

The targets mentioned above were generally met so that now OpenLayers can be used for the development of mobile web applications. The easiest way to demonstrate the new or modified functionality is through examples:

• Mobile Navigation (Pinch, Pan, DoubleTap, TapToPan)
• complex GUIs with Sencha Touch and Mobile jQuery
• Geolocation
• more mobile examples listed in mobile device adapted fashion

To reduce initial loading time for OpenLayers the JavaScript-compressor and optimiser Google Closure will be used in the future. Besides this the tools csstidy and pngcrush were integrated to improve on external CSS-stylesheets and the icons  used.

To quantify the optimisation with regard to internal processes concerning map panning the shear unbelievable value of 75% can be noted. The panning feels very natural and is a pleasant user experience. All OpenLayers maps not primarily requested by Smartphones will also profit from this improvement.

All changes that were developed, quality tested and documented are currently not yet available but will be in a new OpenLayers 2.11 release. Expect a new release shortly.

As a co-sprinter I would like to thank the organisers, sponsors and fellow participants for a rewarding experience. The technical conditions at EPFL, the sense of family and the tireless effort of participants have helped to improve OpenLayers and to put it on track for the mobile future.

2011-03-01: Added Pierre Giraud and Frédéric Junod, fixed typos

Internet content is increasingly accessible trough mobile devices. Part of this content is geodata in the form of maps that pose a technical challenge with regard to display size, data volume amongst others. One of the most popular map viewers is OpenLayers, whose mobile device capabilities will be worked on during the 5 day codesprint in Lausanne. The codesprint is being organised by swisstopo and camptocamp and terrestris is helping by sending its senior developer Marc Jansen, who co-wrote the book “OpenLayers – Webentwicklung mit dynamischen Karten und Geodaten” (only available in german).

Have you ever had the need for a tool that is able to obtain an estimated optimal maximum BoundingBox for a given SRID or a list of appropriate SRIDs for a given Lon/Lat coordinate pair?

Well, we had — That’s why terrestris built the online service to help in the described circumstances.

The service “Projection Utility” has the following functionalities:

1. Obtain an optimal bounding box for a projection (EPSG code)
2. Obtain projections for a given geographic position (longitude/latitude)

The implementation is in PHP and the interfaces JSON und JSONP are offered.

Examples:

The service is available at http://www.webmapcenter.de/projection-utility and can be configured with URL parameters.

Example 1 – Open the manual

http://www.webmapcenter.de/projection-utility/index.php?mode=manpage

Example 2 – Request a bounding box for the coordinate system EPSG:31467

http://www.webmapcenter.de/projection-utility/index.php?mode=getbbox&srs_num=31467

Example 3 – Request a list of appropriate coordinate systems for the city of Bonn

http://www.webmapcenter.de/projection-utility/index.php?mode=getsrids&lon=7.09699630737305&lat=50.7342624664307

Thanks to http://spatialreference.org for building the base data of the service.

The trip to Mongolia for the MoMo-Project created innumerable impressions.  To share these impressions with you terrestris developed an interactive web application showing GPS-tracs and georeferenced pictures.

At http://www.webmapcenter.de/momo_mongolei you can start your virtual travel through Mongolia.

The data is updated within the project runtime in irregular intervals. Further visits will be worthwile.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

The authors Marc Jansen and Till Adams wrote the book “OpenLayers – web development using dynamic maps and geodata” (sorry, in german only), which is being published in April by Open Source Press. Who would be more suited to introduce interested people to the subject of OpenLayers than the two authors. The company terrestris is very happy that the Open Source School has included this training course in its’ agenda. There is more information on contents, requirements, costs, etc. (sorry, also in german only) here.

The annual FOSSGIS (Free and OpenSource Software for Geographical Information Systems) conference is a highlight of the year for terrestris.

The conference took place from March 2nd to 5th 2010 in Osnabrück on the campus of the University and College. This year one more day was added to accomodate the first german speaking OpenStreetMap-conference. Besides free software as a natural focus of the conference a second emphasis was on free geodata provided by the OpenStreetMap-project. We deem this development to be very positive.

What was the conference about? The whole OSGEO-software-stack concerning PostgreSQL/PostGIS, UMN Mapserver, Geoserver, OpenLayers, Mapbender, Mapfish (and others like GeoExt) was represented through high quality talks regarding applications and future potentials. From our point of view the program was balanced regarding the components used as well as the target audience. Attendance of the conference was surprisingly international: Of course there were lots of participants from german speaking countries like Austria, Switzerland and Germany but you could also meet people from the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

Besides the conference itself traditionally a number of user- and developer-meetings take place. As an example we can mention the Mapbender-Development-Sprint on March 05th where Marc Jansen represented terrestris. For a first time this year a “Birds of a Feather”-session (a presentation type known from the international mother conference FOSS4G) regarding “GeoJQuery” took place. Interested developers met here to discuss a new open source project that aims to combine the easy to use JavaScript-library jQuery with the geographical competence of OpenLayers.

We were delighted as every year to meet customers and colleagues and discuss with them the developments of the GIS business. Besides maintaining old contacts a significant number of new contacts were made. We look forward to the work involved in following up on the ideas developed during the conference. In addition to this we often received congratulations for having written a book on “OpenLayers – web development with dynamic maps and geodata (sorry in german only)“.

Conclusion: We would like to thank the organisers of the conference for a wonderful event (cue: catering). A demanding but very successful conference came to an end and we already look forward to the next FOSSGIS. When and where FOSSGIS 2011 will take place is as yet unknown but you can help find a location by joining the discussion on FOSSGIS e.V..

The company terrestris at the FOSSGIS (sorry, all talks in german):

• Lightning Talk “WebGIS and the honey-marmelade sandwich“, Till Adams
• Keynote “HTML 5, ECMAScript 5 and the cloud“, Marc Jansen
• Talk “Are there alternatives to OpenLayers?“, Till Adams
• Talk “WYTIWYS (What You Type Is What You See)“, Marc Jansen
• Workshop “Practical introduction to OpenLayers“, Marc Jansen and Ingo Weinzierl, Intevation
• Workshop “Raster data processing using GDAL“, Till Adams and Andreas Fischer, County Unna
• Workshop “Extended WMS-functions with OpenLayers – An insight“, Marc Jansen and Stephan Holl, Intevation
• Workshop “Practical introduction to MapFish“, Till Adams and Cédric Moullet, camptocamp
• BOF (Birds of a Feather) “GeoJQuery“, initiated by Till Adams

We are glad to announce that our search for a new colleague was successful. Starting on March 01, 2010 Mr. Christian Mayer will complement our team initially on 2.5 days per week since he still has a contract with the University of Bonn until June 30, 2010. After this date he will work full-time for terrestris.

Christian Mayer studied geodesy and geoinformatics at the University of Mainz in the working group of Prof. Alexander Zipf. terrestris extends a warm welcome to Christian and looks forward to the collaboration!

We are hiring again. Are you interested to get involved in our team?

Please read the German job posting for details.

terrestris was offered another time slot for a presentation during the FOSS4G in Sydney, Australia, which we gladly accept. On Wednesday, October 21 from 13:30 to 14:00 hours we’ll be presenting results from work we did for the Forschungszentrum Jülich (a renowned german research institution) in conjunction with the project Terrestrial Environmental Observatories (TERENO). The talk will be about the visualisation and interpolation of environmental data in an open source WebGIS.

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