Carlos Femmer's Blog

Top 9 Picks in ArcGis 9.4

carlos — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:35:00 -0700

During the ESRI UC plenary session, in front of an image of beautiful Yosemite National Park, ESRI’s John Calkins previewed his countdown list of his 9 favorite innovations in the upcoming release of ArcGIS 9.4.

Number 9 on the countdown is an upgraded look that includes dockable windows, which automatically hide, leaving more real estate on the screen for your maps. As windows come and go, the map does not need to redraw every time. In addition, a catalog window is embedded in ArcMap, making it easier to browse to a location, review the metadata and description, and add layer content to the map. This ArcGIS 9.4 enhancement will improve the ArcMap user’s productivity.

Number 8 is table enhancements. Tables can be shown in dockable window, toolbars with commonly used tasks, and a tab for opening multiple tables at the same time. The presenter showed two tables open side by side. When no longer needed, tables were hidden to free up viewing space.

Number 7 is a new search capability, an improvement over the Add Data dialog. To show this, the presenter told a story of how rock climbers in the park need to be aware of falling rock areas. To access this data layer, the presenter opened the new Search tool and typed in “hazard Yosemite Valley”, located this data in less than a second, and made a selection from the search results. For a more specific search, such as hazard data for Yosemite Valley, the search word can be appended with additional keywords. Searches can also be made for a particular feature class or layer. The presenter selected a search result and added it to the map to view hazardous areas.The same search interface can also be used to locate geoprocessing tools. For example, you can search for hydrology tools and see results for toolboxes and tools that have this name or keyword. Search represents new capability for quick access to the data and tools you need.

Number 6 is an improved reporting capability. You can select from options for grouping, sorting, and page layout. Options are also available for template styles. Furthermore, you can edit the report design, save it, and reuse it later with a different selected set of data.

Number 5 is enhancements to geoprocessing and Model Builder. The new version will contain tool tips that show inputs, outputs, and parameters without having to open up each tool. Undo and Redo buttons help you undo errors, such as accidently hitting auto-layout. Simply undo the action. If you delete a tool, and want it back, just hit undo. ArcGIS 9.4 allows you to customize toolbars by adding any geoprocessing tool you want. In the demo, the presenter added a buffer tool and a custom search and rescue model to make it easier to execute the tools that a park ranger might commonly use. Geoprocessing tools can now be run in the background so that you can still interact with ArcMap while the tool is processing. This is a great productivity enhancement.

Number 4 is a layers tab in the table of contents that shows you only those symbols for the features in the current map view. If you pan and a feature goes out of the map view, the symbol in the legend. Pan back so that the feature is in the map and the symbol reappears in the legend. Use the layer tab to turn on and off imagery and choose layers. The new layers tab complements the traditional table of contents.

Number 3 is the ability to search for symbols. Instead of browsing for more than 20,000 symbols in ArcGIS you can search for just the symbol you need. In the example, a park ranger needs to know where the helicopter landing zones are located within the valley. He turns on the layer, sees landing zones symbolized by green circles, types “helicopter” into the search tool, instantly finds options, applies his favorite, and it is added to the layer. Search saves a lot of time when you’re trying to find the perfect symbol.

Number 2 is that ArcGIS 9.4 makes it easier to make temporal maps. In the properties for each layer is a new tab for time. ArcMap includes a clock that allows you to set the time for all temporal layers. In the demo story, a ranger has forest fire burn history data for the last 20 years. Using map tips, with the new ability to display complex expressions, she runs the pointer over fire polygons on the map to reveal the date of the fire. She wants to see the fires for a one-year period only. By using the time slider bar, she is able to display fire data for a specific year.

Number 1 on the ArcGIS 9.4 favorites countdown is fast base maps. In previous versions, users panning a complex map experience big white areas and delays while the display updates and sequentially draws the layer. The presenter took an alternative route with ArcGIS 9.4 in which he created a new basemap by selecting the layers that comprise his base map data and dragging them into the new basemap layer. He then panned the map to show off continuous drawing with no delay. He started the roam function and elegantly glided through the layer uninterrupted. These are fast basemaps.

Normally a countdown is from 10, but Calkins’ countdown from 9 left open the opportunity for his colleagues to demonstrate other ArcGIS 9.4 enhancements such as editing, map automation, and 3-D enhancements.

Microsoft Virtual Earth is getting a new name!

carlos — Fri, 29 May 2009 06:32:00 -0700

Microsoft announced the launch of an exciting new search product called Bing ™. The new site will begin rolling out on June 1st and will be available to the world on June 3rd at http://www.bing.com/. Location information, mapping, and imagery are important investment areas for online search.

On June 1, Microsoft's mapping platform brand will change from Microsoft Virtual Earth to Bing maps for enterprise. Bing maps for enterprise is the mapping platform that underpins the Bing maps service (Bing.com/maps) and serves you and the thousands of organizations that use Microsoft mapping technology on their Web sites and in their applications.

FAQ

Q. How will this affect my organization’s solution?
A. If you are using our mapping APIs, you will see the Bing watermark on content starting on June 1. This is a logo change only. This update will not introduce changes in performance or functionality of your application. The contract for your mapping service does not change in terms or duration. There is no action that you need to take.
Q. Do the API calls change?
A. No, the API calls will not change. They will still refer to Virtual Earth and MapPoint to help make sure that your implementation does not break and you do not need to make changes.
Q. Will the API Terms of Use change?
A. The API Terms of Use will be updated to replace the Microsoft Virtual Earth name with Bing Maps for Enterprise, but there is no other change to the terms.
Q. What if I have implemented the logo myself?
A. If you are not implementing the logo through the Virtual Earth, MapPoint Web Service, or Multimap APIs, please update your application to use the new Bing logo by September 1, 2009, at the latest. Logos may be obtained from your Microsoft contact for use with the mapping content in your application.
Q. My organization is featured in a Virtual Earth case study or press release. Will you be updating it with the new brand?
A. All new case studies and press releases after May 28, 2009, should feature the new brand. We will be updating some case studies to reflect the new brand and will contact you if necessary. We will not be updating press releases that predate the change.
Q. What if I refer to the Microsoft Virtual Earth brand on my Web site?
A. If you refer to Microsoft Virtual Earth on your Web site, we would like you to change your implementation to use the new name as soon as possible. If you would like to use the Bing logo or brand treatments on your Web site, please contact your Microsoft contact for approval and permission.

Mobile Alabama .NET User Group - Virtual Earth Presentation

carlos — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:53:00 -0700

Thanks for inviting me to speak at the Mobile Alabama .NET User Group. I enjoyed meeting everyone and I hope the presentation was informative. Here are the Slides / Demo from the presentation. Click the links below to download.

Slides

Demos

Microsoft Reveals New Windows Phones with Marketplace and My Phone Services

carlos — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:03:00 -0700

Feb. 16, 2009 — Today at Mobile World Congress 2009, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer along with key mobile partners, HTC, LG and Orange, unveiled new Windows® phones featuring new user-friendly software and services. The next generation of Windows® phones will be based on Windows Mobile 6.5 and feature a new user interface and a richer browsing experience. In addition, Windows® phones will feature two new services: My Phone, to sync text messages, photos, video, contacts and more to the Web; and Windows® Marketplace for Mobile, a new marketplace that will provide direct-to-phone mobile applications and can be accessed from both the phone and the Web.

“Windows® phones bring together the best of the Web, the PC and the phone so you can connect instantly to the experiences you care about, no matter where you are,” Ballmer said. “We’re working with partners across the industry to deliver a new generation of Windows® phones that break down the barriers between people, information and applications and provide great end-to-end experiences that span your entire life, at work and at home.”

Windows Mobile 6.5 Delivers New User Experience

The new Windows Mobile 6.5 home screen keeps people up-to-date on important information by providing a dashboard-like experience to items such as new e-mails, texts, missed calls and calendar appointments. It also includes an improved touch-screen interface, making it easy to take action with a finger, and an updated version of the latest Internet Explorer Mobile browser, which in a third-party research study sponsored by Microsoft supported execution of up to 48 percent more assigned tasks than the other browsers and phones studied.

My Phone Service Connects the Phone to the Web

The free My Phone service will enable people to access, manage and back up their personal information on their device to a password-protected Web-based service, making it easier to upgrade phones without the worry of losing important information. With automatic syncing and backup, users can count on their contacts, appointments, text messages and other information being kept up to date and easily restored should they lose or upgrade their phone. Consumers also will be able to automatically upload photos and video from their Windows® phone directly to the My Phone service, making it simple to preserve content that, in the past, would have lived and died on the phone. The My Phone service is currently available in a limited invitation-only beta.

Rich and Integrated Marketplace Service Will Offer Easy Access to Mobile Applications

The new operating system features Windows® Marketplace for Mobile, a rich and integrated marketplace for searching, browsing and purchasing mobile applications from Windows® phones or from a PC by simply using a Windows Live ID. The new marketplace will be included with all Windows phones based on Windows Mobile 6.5, which will help consumers to easily find, install and experience those applications that fit their needs and make the phone truly personal. Developers, who have already built over 20,000 applications for Windows® phones, will be able to offer applications to customers through the marketplace via a simple security and compatibility check from Microsoft.

How to add Silverlight Toolkit Controls to Visual Studio 2008 and Blend ToolBox

carlos — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:56:00 -0700

I have noticed several questions regarding how to add the SL toolkit to Visual Studio 2008 or Expression Blend 2. There are a lot of posts out there that show how to do one or another but sometimes we work in both applications and need to add it to both. Here it goes:

You first have to download the Silverlight Toolkit.

Download the latest release of the Silverlight Toolkit -- December 2008
Unzip the file and extract to a location on your OS (e.g. D:\Projects\Silverlight\Source\Silverlight Toolkit\December 2008

How to add the Silverlight Toolkit to Visual Studio 2008 Toolbox

Note: You can add the controls anywhere in the Toolbox. I will create a new tab (Silverlight Toolkit) for this example.

Right click in the Toolbox and select Add Tab then name it Silverlight Toolkit.
Right click in the empty space of the Silverlight Toolkit Tab and select choose items.
Select the Silverlight Components tab.
Click Browse then browse to \Binaries folder and add Microsoft.Windows.Controls.Input and Microsoft.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization
The controls will now appear in your Toolbox.

Adding the Silverlight Control Toolkit to Expression Blend Asset Library

It is now easier to add to Blend, even though you have to repeat this process for every project. When you make controls available in Blend you need to add references to your project, which increases your download size.

In the Project Pane -- right click on References then select Add Reference.
Add references to Microsoft.Windows.Controls, Microsoft.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization, Microsoft.Windows.Controls.Input.
The controls will now appear in the Custom Controls section of the asset library.

This is a list of what is in each assembly:

Microsoft.Windows.Controls

AutoCompleteBox
DockPanel
Expander
HeaderedContentControl
HeaderedItemsControls
Label
TreeView
TreeViewItem
Viewbox
WrapPanel

Microsoft.Windows.Controls.Input

ButtonSpinner
NumericUpDown

Microsoft.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization

Charting (with associated Axis, DataPoint and Series

You can find good support for the Silverlight Toolkit on the forums for Silverlight.Net.

Silverlight 2 Controls - Source Code - Published

carlos — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:54:00 -0700

The source code for the Silverlight 2 controls was published. This is the source code for the controls as shipped in the runtime and SDK. Here is a snapshot of the project:

The source code for the Silverlight 2 controls includes implementations for the following controls:

ButtonBase
Button
HyperlinkButton
CheckBox
RadioButton
CheckBox
ToogleButton
RepeatButton
RangeBase
Slider
ScrollBar
ProgressBar
Calendar
DataGrid
DatePicker
GridSplitter
TabControl

Unit tests for the SDK controls have also been included as well! Very cool!

You can download it from here: Source code for Silverlight 2 Controls

Chart Controls for .NET Framework 3.5 Released

carlos — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:52:00 -0700

Microsoft has released a stand-alone ASP.NET and Windows Forms Chart controls for the .NET Framework 3.5 and VS 2008. This is similar to what previously existed as built-in chart functionality in SQL Reporting Services 2008 (Very Cool).

You can use them in any of your existing applications (Web or Win) to produce a professional set of charts. Here is a snapshot of available chart types available in this release:

Here are the download links:

You can find samples on MSDN to help get you started (http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/mschart).

Slides and Demos from the Acadiana .NET Virtual Earth Presentation

carlos — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 05:25:00 -0700

Here are the Slides / Demo from the presentation. Click the links below to download.

Slides

Demos

Silverlight Toolkit Released

carlos — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:50:00 -0700

Microsoft has recently released the Silverlight Toolkit.

What is the Silverlight Toolkit?

The Silverlight Toolkit is a collection of Silverlight controls, components and utilities made available outside the normal Silverlight release cycle. It adds new functionality quickly for designers and developers, and provides the community an efficient way to help shape product development by contributing ideas and bug reports. This first release includes full source code, unit tests, samples and documentation for 12 new controls covering charting, styling, layout, and user input.

You can download this set HERE.

Will be presenting at the Acadiana .NET User Group tomorrow night

carlos — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:44:00 -0700

I will be presenting on Virtual Earth tomorrow night in Lafayette, Louisiana. Hope to see you there.

Topic: Microsoft Virtual Earth, and what can it do for you

Come by and see the latest version of the Microsoft Virtual Earth platform, which can now deliver the Virtual Earth mapping experience on the desktop, on mobile devices, and via broadcast. The new release features mobile support, expanded international mapping, richer imagery, a broader range of data, and improved functionality. Organizations using Virtual Earth can see more and do more than ever, with enhancements that allow users to find, discover, and visualize data in new and innovative ways. Attend this presentation to learn about the rich capabilities of Microsoft Virtual Earth. We will show some "eye candy demos" and code will also be provided after the presentation.

Location LEDA
211 E Devalcourt St. Lafayette, LA 70506 Date^{October 29th, Wednesday}

Agenda

5:30 pm - 6:00pm:	General Introduction/Food and Drinks
6:00 pm – 7:45 pm:	Presentation: Virtual Earth Presentation and demos
7:45 pm - 8:	Open forum for questions, Giveaway prizes, etc.

Raffle and Giveaways
Microsoft Vista Ultimate Service Pack 1

JetBrains Resharper 4.1 License Key

Halo 3 Xbox 360 Game

Visual C# 2008 in 24 Hours

WSS and MOSS 3.5 Sharepoint Development Training DVD

Learn It First 25% Coupons

Silverlight 2 has been released

carlos — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:20:00 -0700

Silverlight 2 has now been RTM'd. Here is a quick overview of whats new in Silverlight 2.

Text Rendering - a lot of improvements went into overall text rendering. This is an area that we will continue to improve and focus efforts. The Portable User Interface font (default font if no FontFamily value is provided) looks a heck of a lot better in my opinion.
Controls - Read Shawn's post about the new controls
Networking - The ability to call secure (SSL) services from a non-secure hosted Silverlight XAP. The only caveat is the new service endpoint must specify a policy via clientaccesspolicy.xml at the root of the endpoint domain. Once this is in place (at the root of the endpoint domain), your XAP hosted in a non-secure SSL HTTP instance can call an HTTPS-based service.
ADO.NET Services - Finally made it in!

Some links to download:

Host of other good information about the release - Recommend reading the official release here.

Microsoft Style Cop released

carlos — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:14:00 -0700

Microsoft has released Source Analysis / StyleCop recently. Where FxCop allows you to perform analysis on compiled binaries, StyleCop analyzes your source code directly. There seems to be a focus on the partial design, layout and documentation. A good bit of the information is taken away after the compile and cannot be analyzed by FxCop.

This will help to produce more readable, consistent code and will help some development groups standardize / enforce coding guidelines. It appears some of the rules are not configurable and might take some time to get used to.

You can download the code from the following path:

http;//code.msdn.microsoft.com/sourceanalysis

Hurricane Gustav Track T-8 Hours

carlos — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 07:28:00 -0700

I made a mistake by thinking I know better than the hurricane center. I input the forecast data and draped on top of my data a couple of days ago. Yesterday it forecast moving from west to east so I assumed that the hurricane would continue to the east and miss our house. Here we are now with T-8 hours and the track of the eye is now directly over my house. We should have left yesterday but now it is too late. Anyway, we have plan B in effect and have to ride out this storm. Tough lesson to learn but I am putting away my forecast capabilities and leaving it to the experts. Click below to view the track of Hurricane Gustav. The yellow line is the track, the blue dots are the times when the hurrican will be in that location and the red vertical line at the end is my house with the vertical exagerated to view it from space.

Gustav Hurrican Track

Not cool !!!

Ajax (ASP.NET) Roadmap Published

carlos — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:00:00 -0700

The ASP.NET team recently released the ASP.NET Roadmap document on the codeplex site. I love their goal of making ASP.NET Ajax the first-class choice for all Web 2.o developers ( Show us the love!!!). They are planning on enhancing the DOM API's and planning to enable great mobile Ajax applications.

Some of the other goals are to make client-centric Ajax development and UI experiences easy by providing or enhancing the following:

Client Data and UI Templates
Client Data Sources
Client Data and Server Data
Accessibility
Animation
Drag and Drop
Client-side Controls and Behavior
Interoperability

They also plan on providing great tools experiences for AJax development:

Reduced update lag for Javascript Intellisense
Javascript Intellisense support for a broader range of coding styles
Recognizing XML Metadata Comments in the Active Document
Recognizing OpenAjax-compliant Metadata Files
JavaScript Navigation Tools
JavaScript Build Tools
etc...

Looking forward to these new enhancements. You can download the document here.

Microsoft announces Live Mesh

carlos — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:13:00 -0700

I attended the Mix conference this year and was astounded by some of the new technology Microsoft is coming out with. It was a good networking opportunity to meet PMs from different groups and get some insight to where Microsoft sees the future of the web. Silverlight stole the show this year and I heard about a new product "Live Mesh" that was coming out soon. I took a look at Mesh a couple of weeks ago and at first glance it seems to be a synced storage drive. After diving into the technology a little more, it became apparent to me how impressive this technology really is. This is a real platform that contains open web standards like REST, RSS, ATOM, JSON and more. It is a platform to build Software and Services. It has the capability to wrap existing web applications and take them offline (i.e. It contains a "Mesh Operation Environment - Tiny HTTP Server" that allows offline functionality). There is always this pressing concern in the IT world as to which technology to use. This is an exciting time to be a developer!