CIPA 2003 XIX th International Symposium, 30 September - 04 October, 2003, Antalya, Turkey
input modul for
application only
georeferenced
nonspatial data
for request
raster data
(Visual Basic)
(Java)
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Spatial
DataBase
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ArcCatalog
Engine
(ESRI)
(ESRI)
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Oracle
georeferenced
database system
vector data
Figure 5. Architecture of GIS prototype for cultural heritage
The access to the georeferenced data and to the SDE model
takes place by means of a MapObjects library from ESRI.
A large advantage of the MapObject library is the abstraction of
the developed GIS application of (usually ESRI specific) data
sources, because the application programmer does not need to
know the internal details of the used raster or vector data
structures. These kinds of abstraction levels belong to the most
important advantages, when GIS applications are developed
with the help of prefabricated components.
The most important data sources (supported of MapObjects and
used in the developed software) are: vector files in the shape
format, georeferenced raster files in tiff world format and the
SDE.
4.2 Features
The request application enables the user to select a geographical
subarea as well as to select a historical point or period of time
and gives back an appropriate result set of objects.
The selection can be combined with further (optional) selection
criteria (e.g. keywords and restrictions on certain object areas).
Afterwards detailed information to the result set can be
requested e.g. photos or describing texts (Figure 6)
Figure 6. Request modul of GIS for cultural heritage
In addition it is possible to visualise the requested objects
(and/or individual objects of the received selection set) in the
map with their geometrical forming - thereby the respective
map sector with raster and vector data is accordingly changed
on scale.
Another possibility of the request application is the spatial
identification function of objects, which can then be shown
with detailed information. There is also the possibility of
accomplishing object selections by point or area-related
selection tools and of computing intersections.
Visualisation of georeferenced raster and vector data, which can
independently be faded in or out in superimposed levels, takes
place in the map window of the GIS application.
The overlay and/or the opacity of each single level can be
application specifically determined on the basis of different
priorities.
Further "zoom”, "un-zoom" and "pan"-functions are available in
the respective map section.
Beside the inquiry and output of information concerning single
objects of cultural heritage also surface changes can be
analysed, for example the development of historical settlement
and culture landscapes.
5. STATUS
Within the research project the feasibility of acquisition and
documentation of valuable historical and current geo
information in a large-scaled GIS could be revealed. This geo
information is based on official geo basis data (e.g. primal land
register map in scale of 1:1000, topographical maps and
orthophotos), on further official geo data (e.g. data on
monuments and historical culture landscape elements) and on
private collections of residents. The architecture of the
prototype has been chosen modular and platform independent
especially to use further object-oriented possibilities, which are
not yet available in conventional GIS.
From evaluation of possible user groups it arised that the
tourism at this point of implementation drops out. As the
prototype comprises a possibility for presentation of historic
information in user defined time steps, utilisation is particularly
interesting for local and regional planers as well as interested
citizens and municipalities. In the projects for rural
development (e.g. village redevelopment) a well founded rating
of the grown structures of landscape and settlement is partially
accomplished. Thereby a selective evaluation and
documentation of the cultural heritage in a GIS can give
municipalities a basis for further measures of future based
planing and sustainable development of the rural region.
Usage in tourism demands a further work up of the information
depending on the special requirements of the tourism industry
that goes beyond the possibilities of the prototype. This could
come along with the possible integration into tourism online
portals in the column “ object of interest “ and “ history of the
vacation region” connected with mapping and routing
functions.
As a historic database lives on the data variety with emphasis
on local peculiarities, an extensive data acquisition and
evaluation has to be achieved by single persons for which a
standard program has not yet been accomplished.
The design of the prototype is in a way that an expansion of
data sources is possible. To allow a transfer to other areas
beyond the prototype, the several data structure given by the
authorities can be adapted.
