Developing a Web-based
GIS Viewer using
MapObjects Java to
Reduce Operating Costs
Cheryl Spencer – Marion County ISA
Lola Akinmade – Woolpert
Outline






Introduction
Why the need?
Alternatives
Our Solution
Challenges
Application Functionality
Introduction



ISA serves 16 Agencies, 5 Departments
Over 500 ArcView 3.x licenses deployed
A large majority are casual users who:
•
•
•
•
•

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View data
Add local data
Print
Find addresses
Save projects
Upgraded to 175 ArcView 8.x licenses
Further refined to 31 single use and 48
floating licenses as IDV was developed
Why the Need?



License maintenance costs
For a majority of our users, ArcView was too
robust.
What are the alternatives to ArcView (2003)?
Cost – Licensing
ArcGIS
Engine 9
ArcGIS
Server 9
ArcExplorer
Java 4.0.1
ArcIMS
Java Viewer
4.0.1
(??) +
License
(??)
Additional
license (??)
Deployment
MO Java (?)
(++)
Alternatives
ArcGIS
Engine 9
ArcGIS
Server 9
ArcExplorer
Java 4.0.1
ArcIMS Java
Viewer 4.0.1
Beta (-)
Beta (-)
(+)
(++)
Existing
Programming Skills
VB,.NET,
(++)
VB,.NET, ++
Java (-)
ASP, JSP,
(+)
Long range viability
.NET (++)
.NET (++)
(+)
(+)
Stability
(--)
(--)
(+)
(+)
Delivery Date for
Apps
(--)
(--)
(+)
(+)
Existing
Code/Sample
(-)
(-)
AEJ Base
Code? (+)
Former
vendor (+)
Existing
Competence
Alternatives continued…
ArcGIS
Engine 9
ArcGIS
Server 9
ArcExplorer
Java 4.0.1
ArcIMS Java
Viewer
4.0.1
Ultimate
functionality
(+)
(+)
(-)
(-)
Access Local Data
(++)
(-)
(++)
(+)?
Access Network
Data
(+)
(+)
(++)
(++)
Rendering
(++)
(++)
(+)
(+)
Ease of installation
(+)
(++)
(+)
(++)
Ease of upgrades
(++)
(++)
(-?)
(++)
How easy to
program
functionality
(++)
(++)
(-)
(+)
How easy to
program GUI
(++)
(++)
(+/-)
(+/-)
Our Initial Solution
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
Initial solution was to use ArcIMS Java
Custom Viewer
Limitations encountered during
development
•
•
•
•
•
•
Very limited object model
Not very flexible
Is based on MapObjects Java 1.0
Limitations in selection capabilities.
Couldn’t view attribute table
No printing capabilities
Our Second Try
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
Discovered that ArcIMS Custom Java
Viewer applets were built on
MapObjects Java…therefore we
decided to build our own applets on
MapObjects Java
Switched to MapObjects Java 2.0+
• Access to more base objects
• Much more flexibility
Challenges
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
Silent installation – 3 different
vendors to work with (ESRI, Sun,
Microsoft)
Rewriting/reinventing the wheel
Encountering intrinsic bugs due to
the scale of this project
Benefits
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
Reduce license costs!!!
No desktop installations
All installations are silent behind the
scenes over the Intranet
All ArcIMS Java Custom Viewer
limitations were overcome
The wheel is now our own wheel to
fix and extend
Interface
Key IDV functionality

Adding Data
• Favorites folder
• Geography
Network
• Preview data
More Functionality

Attributes Dialog
Functionality…
Summarize Attributes
Functionality…
Single geocoding
Batch geocoding:
Functionality…

Manual
Label/Annotation
Functionality…
Custom Printing
Functionality…
View Metadata
Functionality
Context Sensitive Help
Tutorials
FAQ
Known Bugs List
Questions?
Presentation and paper on-line
This presentation and the paper that
accompanies it are available on-line
on the IndyGIS web site at:
http://www.indygov.org/eGov/County/
ISA/Services/GIS/About/Papers/