ToolKit Functions:
Embedded GIS Tools

The GIS functionality supported by the ACA ToolKit includes:

display of overlays (points, lines, polygons, cell grids, rasters, DEM, spatial model results) from a (hierarchical) list of available overlays; overlays are selected or deselected by clicking them from the list of available overlays; toggling on/off of features within an overlay; a specific overaly editor allows to select or deselect individual elements (legend entries); restacking of overlays displayed; in the selector of active overlays, an overlay entry can simply by draged and dropped with the mouse pointer; display of satellite imagery or scanned maps as a background to the map overlays; where available, sub-selectors offer alternative sets of setallite imagery or aerial photography; arbitrary zooming (arbitrary selection of location and size of the zooming window); zooming uses a sclable window that the user can move, shrink and enlarge, maintaining aspect ratio; multiple resolutions with transparent switching between resolution within a map set; support for tiling of large maps for increased performance; highlighting and color editing of map (legend) features; switching from one to a four window mode, with four synchronized map windows; query and read-back function for map attributes; for classified (color coded) overalys representing continuous variables, the actual raw data will be read back; cross hair cursor with selectedable line color and thickness read back current position in the application's world coordinateds; synchronized in the four parallel windows; 3D display of digital terrain models (or other numerical data such as model results or spatially interpolated measurement data) in arbitrary zooming states: overlays including satellite imagery may be draped over the DEM; 3D display of elevation data over a 2D map background with Gouraud shading; positin and vertical scaling of the 3D display is interactively selected by the user; arbitrary interactive 3D rotation of the display window (roll, pitch, yaw); vertical stretching and positioning of the 3D display; interactive selection of 3D overlays; satellite imagery display in 3D (draping); control of lighting source location and intensity for the shading; animation of time series of maps (cell grids, lines/polygons, attribute time series); the animation features include both continuous and step-by-step animation; extensive data import and export facilities linking to all major standard GIS, image processing and CAD systems; dynamic linkage to the (optionally) embedded public-domain GRASS GIS for special data capture and analysis functions such as digitizing, map conversion and geo-correction, etc. hardcopy output (HP-GL, PostScript); support of WWW clients and Internet access (Netscape, Java); hypertext (multimedia in HTML format) on-line user manual, help functions, and metadata display; access to spatially referenced object data such as observation time series, compound objects (eg., emission sources, industries, water bodies, settlement, parks and nature reserves, etc.); objects in turn provide linkages to (optional) environmental simulation models and a rule-based expert system for environmental assessment and data interpretation. spatial analysis functions such as interpolation of spatial observations (station data); special support for network data, including an interactive network editor (transportation networks, water resources (rivers and canals) networks, utility networks (sewers, pipelines, electricity, etc.) linked to a range of editing and display functions for network 9arc) attributes, as well as network analysis (routing, shortest path, etc. functionality; Map sets in the GIS can be hierarchically structured, ie., a regional GIS data set can contain several local, more detailed case study sub-regions, each with their individual map sets.