The main screen for a stand-alone CD-ROM interface
David C. Inglin, Drew A. Carey, and Scott E. McDowell
During the past 15 years of collecting marine environmental data to support environmental managers, SAIC has produced a large number of hard-copy reports. We have recently begun focusing on supplying our customers with data and tools to use that data, rather than only producing the tradition reports. We have developed four approaches to providing these data with varying levels of complexity, hardware, and software requirements.
The first approach is to provide CD-ROMs with a stand-alone custom interface. The second approach, used in the TWA Flight 800 search and recovery effort, is to provide data CD-ROM using Esri's Data Publisher software. This approach also provides a stand-alone product, but does not require custom programming. The third approach is to supply data to be used in ArcView by a manager who already owns and is familiar with ArcView. The fourth approach is to create an ArcView application with custom screens using Visual Basic.
The choice of an approach depends on the clients needs, technical abilities, financial resources, and computer resources. SAIC is continuing to develop new and more effective ways to deliver the data that our customers require to make their decisions. We do not try to tackle the large-scale data management needs for an entire organization. SAIC aims to meet the specific needs of the environmental managers with whom we work.
Decision makers in environmental agencies use a variety of data
to make informed decisions concerning the resources under their
jurisdiction. At the same time, they are pressured from all sides
to make quick decisions. This puts a lot of pressure on managers
to assimilate a large amount of information quickly. Even in
cases where managers have more time, the data that was collected
by their contractors is generally supplied to them in paper reports.
Paper reports are good for summarizing data in a concise manner,
but comparison of data from one study to another is difficult
if not impossible. Even within the same study, the data are typically
presented to address only specific questions. Sometimes those
data must be viewed in different ways to provide a new perspective
from which to make technically sound management decisions.
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)
has over fifteen years of experience in developing data products to
assist resource managers in decision-making. We have come to
understand that resource managers are generally limited in their
decision making capabilities by their access to data. In the
past, we have provided numerous reports in the traditional hard-copy
format to our clients. Recently our efforts have concentrated
on developing PC-based GIS and CD-ROM technology to deliver flexible,
interactive information systems and data products for marine environmental
assessment. We still provide hard-copy reports, but we are striving
to give our clients data and tools to view that data in ways that
we cannot anticipate.
The majority of the work that we do is marine environmental monitoring.
There are some unique aspects of this type of data, but the general
approach to data delivery described below can be applied to any
environmental resource or extended beyond the environmental sciences,
as illustrated by the TWA example below. We are constantly looking
for new ways to apply the experience we have gained in data management
to new types of data.
Our experience has shown that resource managers have widely varying
access to technology and a range of willingness to adapt to new
tools. Large complex databases that rely on expert technical
interfaces are often less useful than synthesized information
tools that have intuitive interfaces. If a manager is faced with
the choice between making a decision based on limited available
information or waiting for a complex, expensive, or time consuming
process for better information (i.e., reading dense reports, directing
GIS experts to develop a map, running a model) they will usually
make the decision on the basis of what they know or have at hand.
Their instincts tell them the wait and expense will not add that
much to their knowledge.
We have developed a series of approaches designed to deliver information
to managers in a form that meets their needs and is readily accessible.
Common to all of these approaches is the use of data collection
techniques that deliver rapid return of precision, reconnaissance
data (bathymetric maps, REMOTS®
sediment profile photographs, acoustic, video and laser line scan
seafloor imagery), and tiered monitoring and assessment protocols.
These techniques ensure that managers receive the data they require
in a form that is customized to the decision matrix they must
use.
All of these data collection techniques rely on precision navigation
and lend themselves to GIS display and analysis. We have used
four distinct approaches to deliver data, maps and images to managers:
1) CD-ROMs with a simple stand-alone
interface, 2) CD-ROMs with ArcView Data Publisher™,
3) ArcView
project with some custom tools and shapefiles for a client who
already has ArcView, and 4) Fully customized
ArcView application with integrated Visual Basic forms.
The following paragraphs describe each of these approaches to
delivering data. We also try to provide some recommendations
on where they can be used, and indicate the level of computer
resources required.
The first method is to create simple viewing software for maps
and point data. The main window of the interface from one of
these CD-ROMs is shown in Figure 1. The primary data that we
have shown in this type of interface is photographic data.
We collect two types of photographs of the seafloor on a regular basis: 1) REMOTS® sediment profile images, and 2) Planview images (photographs taken from about 1 m above the seafloor looking down). These photographs are then analyzed for a variety of environmental parameters such as the presence of certain fauna, or the apparent depth to which oxygen has penetrated the sediments. These measurements aid in understanding the "health" and recovery of the seafloor ecosystem following a disturbance such as the disposal of dredged material. In the past, because of cost considerations and limitations in the quality of reproduction, we were only able to provide the client with a few examples of these images along with summary statistics. With this CD-ROM interface, we can fit from hundreds to even thousands of images on a single CD-ROM along with a simple user interface.
The main screen for a stand-alone CD-ROM interface
The user is able to see a map with one parameter symbolized. When the user clicks on a point, the photograph and the associated data sheet is shown. This is only one type of data to which this approach can be applied. We have also included sediment grain size data in one of these products. The types of data that can be presented are limited only by the programmer's abilities and the amount of money that can be spent on the interface.
Example of a REMOTS® sediment profile image and its accompanying data sheet
A benefit of this approach and the other approaches described
is that the data are truly tied to a geographic location. The
user can easily pick a point and view the photograph and all associated
data. In hard-copy reports, the images would be presented on
one page of the report and a station location map on another.
This does not have the same impact as having the data "pop-up"
when the station is clicked.
This technique is particularly suited to resource managers with
limited computer resources and can be used to deliver data to
the public. We were able to develop the product based on a target
platform with a standard VGA monitor (640 X 480) and Windows 3.1.
Memory requirements are small, and any computer capable of running
Windows 3.1 can easily use these CD-ROMs.
In July of 1996, TWA flight 800 crashed off Long Island, NY. SAIC was asked to assist with the effort to recover pieces of the airplane using our Laser Line Scan System (LLSS). This technology allows us to provide video quality images of large areas of the seafloor much more rapidly than standard underwater video techniques.
Laser Line Scan image of 3 seats from the TWA Search and Recovery operation
We also provided data management assistance to the Navy Supervisor
of Salvage through another firm that was contracted by the Navy
to coordinate all salvage data. This data management involved
tracking the status of targets on the seafloor identified by a
variety of systems, including the LLSS
and sidescan sonar. These targets would be visited by divers
and any items found would be recovered. The generation of maps
for this purpose was occurring several times per day, using AutoCAD.
When SAIC was tasked with data management, we realized how appropriate an ArcView application would be, but no one at the field site had experience with ArcView. Because of this we realized that creation of a CD-ROM with the target data and a run-time version of ArcView would be ideal. We made arrangements with the Boston, MA office of Esri to obtain a loaned copy of ArcView Data Publisher™ for this project. This allowed us to create CD-ROMs with the ArcView software and a customized interface. The customization included limiting the interface to make it less confusing to those unfamiliar with ArcView and creation of tools for the specific task of hot-linking images and data to their geographic positions.
Screen capture of main screen used for TWA application
This approach allowed us to provide several government agencies
with access to the data without requiring them to obtain a copy
of ArcView. They simply installed the runtime version from the
CD-ROM and read the data off the CD-ROM. We could update the
data as often as was required by creating new CD-ROMs and distributing
them through the same mechanisms that were used for the hard-copy
maps used by the divers.
In addition to supporting the diving operations, these CD-ROMs proved helpful for those investigating the cause of the crash. We were able to show the spatial distribution of debris, identify which object had been recovered from specific points, and then view the original image (either LLSS image or sidescan sonar image) of the object as it sat on the seafloor.
Image of a piece of the aircrafts outer skin
ArcView Data Publisher™ is a good choice for distributing
data to those who need access to geographic data, but do not already
have ArcView. In the case of the TWA Search and Recovery, this
approach allowed the rapid dissemination of data to interested
parties. The Data Publisher™ was initially designed for
distributing large numbers of CD-ROMs by data publishing companies,
but it worked well on this project for providing a small number
of copies of important data to those involved in the recovery
effort. The next two approaches are better suited to providing
ArcView data to a limited number of clients.
The third approach we have used is to transfer data from a variety
of sources into shapefiles and provide these data and an ArcView
project to someone who already owns ArcView. Using this approach,
a variety of data and some specialized tools are delivered to
allow easy access to the data. In general, the project will include
at least one view of each type of data that is delivered along
with some customization of the interface with tools that are specific
to the data. The data are all stored as shapefiles so the client
can copy data that is of interest to him and combine it with data
from another set of data. This provides the resource manager
with the ability to synthesize and compare data in ways that were
previously unavailable to him or her.
One of the pre-made views included in an ArcView project.
A large component of this approach is the conversion of data from
an original storage format and one datum and coordinate type (e.g.,
Geographic vs. State Plane coordinates) to a common format and
coordinate system. This can be costly if the desired data are
not available in an electronic form. The majority of data that
we collect or create during analysis are stored on disk in a number
of different formats. To expedite this process, we have developed
methods for converting these data to shapefiles with various levels
of automation.
Using this approach, the quantity of data determines the media
to be used. In general, we have tried to use CD-ROMs because
they are read-only, providing a level of confidence that the data
have not been altered from what was originally delivered. It
would also be possible to deliver new data to the manager using
the Internet via e-mail or ftp for those situations when time
is of the essence.
The final approach is the most complex and involves development of a fully customized application that runs within ArcView. SAIC has recently developed the Disposal Analysis Network for the New York District (DAN-NY) for the New York District Corps of Engineers (COE). The system is intended to automate access to over 10 years of monitoring data from the New York Mud Dump Site (MDS) dredged material disposal site. This PC-based system runs within ArcView and makes extensive use of the Spatial Analyst Extension to handle bathymetric maps and calculation of volume changes on the seafloor. The system also uses Visual Basic forms to enhance ArcView's interface and provide fully automated features that allow repetitive tasks to be done at the touch of a button. We have also fully integrated the MDFATE model of dredged material disposal and transport developed by the COE Waterways Experiment Station (WES) into DAN-NY.
DAN-NY main menu window and an example of a Visual Basic Screen
In addition to the development of the application itself, this
project involved a great deal of data conversion, development
of database structures, and establishment of data handling and
QC procedures to provide for continued expansion of the data set.
It is expected that all future data related to the MDS and other
dredged material disposal sites in the New York Bight will be
populated within the DAN-NY system.
This type of system provides a framework for data management that
can continue to be built upon. It provides standard methods of
submitting and storing data. We have built into the system the
ability for new data to be easily added as it is collected. We
have also kept in mind the need for quality assurance. The system
is designed to read the data from CD-ROMs which ensures that the
data has not been altered by other users of the system. SAIC
has developed guidelines for inclusion of data from other contractors
into the DAN-NY system and will continue to maintain and add to
the system as the users needs change.
The hardware requirements for this system are not unreasonable.
Any high-end PC would be capable of running the system. SAIC
has run the system on a 100 MHz Pentium PC with 32 Mb of RAM under
the Windows 95 operating system with reasonable performance.
The system is being developed on a Pentium 166 MHz with 32 Mb
of RAM and a 21" monitor running under Windows NT.
Outlined above are some methods we have used to deliver more than
reports to the environmental managers with whom we work. This
list is not exhaustive, and we are continuing to investigate new
approaches, and new tools are constantly being developed. Each
approach has a different level of complexity, hardware or software
requirements, and cost. In order to effectively apply the correct
approach, the target user group must be defined, and their needs
and capabilities must first be understood.
Sometimes a project calls for a one-time solution and does not
need to consider the larger, long-term data management needs of
the manager. In these cases, Approach 1
would be ideal. The data can be delivered quickly with some very
simple tools. The data format can be documented so that, if the
need arises, the data can be combined with other similar data
products for analysis of multiparameter results.
In the case of the TWA tragedy, the need was to deliver a very
specific data set to a limited number of individuals in a very
short time. There was no time to make sure that interested parties
had the necessary software to view the data. In this case, a
stand-alone system (Approach 2) was
essential, and the Data Publisher™ provided the necessary
capability without the time required to build a custom interface
as used in the first approach.
In most cases, the management style that the resource manager
brings to his or her program also plays a key role. In the case
of DAN-NY, the resource manager was
interested in creating an application in one effort. In another
case, the resource manager was interested in taking a more step-by-step
approach building one module of the system at a time. This can
also be an effective way of building the tools that the manager
needs. We are accomplishing this through Approach 3,
by delivering a series of CD-ROMs which build on each other with
a long-term goal of creating a complete system like DAN-NY.
In either case, a conceptual design phase is important. This
design phase should carefully evaluate the needs of the target
audience. This evaluation should include: 1) an evaluation of
computer resources available to the client, 2) a description of
what tools will be included, and 3) an evaluation of the data
to be included. Evaluation of the user's computer resources will
ensure that the system will have acceptable performance when delivered
and a concise statement of what the system will look like and
what data will be included will keep the development of the system
on track.
Our goal is not to manage all data that are used within the resource
manager's office. We try to meet the specific needs of the resource
manages by providing tools and data that allow them to make more
effective decisions. We work hard to ensure that the products
we deliver do not duplicate or interfere with the plans of the
larger information management organizations associated with our
clients. Those organizations realize that we are not trying to
take over their turf, but rather to augment the services that
the provide, and we are interested in cooperating as much as possible.
SAIC is very interested in applying these approaches to other environmental management projects in marine, aquatic, and land-based locales.
