The U.S. EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) plans to generate and manage large quantities of data. These data need to be accessed, analyzed, and manipulated by a wide audience. The EMAP GIS Interface (EGI) is a tool being developed by the U.S. EPA to accomplish this task. The EGI is a mouse-driven graphical user interface developed to work within the ArcInfo GIS environment. It allows the user to access, display, and analyze data without having detailed knowledge of the ArcInfo software package. The user makes choices for graphical display and analysis by pointing and clicking on menus with a mouse. The EGI then carries out the requested task through the use of the ArcInfo ARC Macro Language (AML). The EGI also allows advanced users to apply ArcInfo commands interactively. Functions available to the user include display of data using default or user-chosen symbology; windowing including zoom and pan and layer-based windowing; spatial- or attribute-based reselections; interactive query of data layers or any INFO or ORACLE database; access to database documentation; import and export capability; production of hard-copy plots (both black and white PostScript and color) in a variety of sizes; measurement of locations, distances, or areas; and spatial analysis routines such as buffering and overlays. Context-sensitive on-line help is available throughout the EGI. An installation routine and other routines within the EGI allow the user to add and delete their own data to the EGI as necessary. Data access is accommodated by user-activated ports to ORACLE and Internet. The ORACLE connection allows for full relate capability compatible with SQL. The Internet connection is accommodated by using Mosaic on Internet. Preliminary testing has shown the ability to pass ARC coverages via Internet to the EGI. We have also demonstrated the ability to control an EGI session from Mosaic.
Mason J. Hewitt, III
U.S. EPA
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory
P.O. Box 93478
Las Vegas, NV 89193-3478
Telephone: 702-798-2377
Fax: 702-798-2692
Email: hewitt.mason@epamail.epa.gov
Robert Puterski
Donald Block
Gary S. Carpenter
David L. Totman