Extrude image to 2D vector, 2.5D and 3D layers on the map

In OpenWebGIS a new function has been created to manipulate images.

With the help of this function, you can calculate and get the height (height and altitude) of each pixel of your image. The calculation is performed based on the luminance (brightness) of the pixel. These estimates are used for the creation of:

1. Vector layer (consisting of squares the number of which is equal or less than a number of pixels - it all depends on the settings you specify);
2. Layer that consists of 2.5D columns based on "OSM Buildings" technology. For more information about "OSM Buildings" read here: "Integration of OpenWebGIS with OSM Buildings JavaScript library";
3. The three-dimensional (3D) layer-based technology Cesium. For more information about "Cesium" read here:"3D maps, new version of Cesium JavaScript library and OpenWebGIS".

Spatial and temporal distribution of earthquakes in the USA and adjacent areas (1950-2015)

The article is written to demonstrate the new capability of creating animated maps in OpenWebGIS using 2.5D columns. Before reading this article I recommend to read another one: Spatial and temporal distribution of earthquakes in Chile and adjacent areas (1960-2015).

French interface of OpenWebGIS - Test version/L'interface française de OpenWebGIS - La version de test

OpenWebGIS with French interface is available here.
 

More than a month ago, I asked for help in translating OpenWebGIS interface into other languages. It was described for all users how and what to do in this article: "Help to create a free online OpenWebGIS interface in your own language". At the moment, few people have responded to this call for help to make free and open source software available to more people.
But since I can not wait and want to experiment as soon as possible with the interface in other languages, I translated the interface from English into French with the help of automatic translation (https://translate.google.com). Once again I draw your attention: the translation has been done automatically, so it certainly is full of errors and inaccuracies, but since this is an experiment, I ask not to judge strictly and help me with this translation.

Spatial and temporal distribution of earthquakes in Chile and adjacent areas (1960-2015)

Initial data on earthquakes was selected from the database of "Earthquake Archive Search" with the help of menu item in OpenWebGIS: "GeoDataBase-> Earthquakes Database".
For the analysis we choose a rectangle with coordinates:
lower left longitude: -80.131640; lower left latitude: -56.006573; upper right longitude: -65.805468; upper right latitude: -16.608122. Magnitude range: from 5 to 10. Date & Time(UTC): from 1960-01-01T00:00 to 2015-09-21T09:48.

Results from these selecting options from the database shown in Figure 1. Places of earthquakes are marked with orange points.

200 million years of the dinosaurs life (sauropods) in a few seconds on the map

Free online geographic information system (GIS) called OpenWebGIS provides an opportunity to sample data from the Paleobiology Database (Paleontological database). This was described in detail in the article "The information tools(data base and GIS) to help paleontologists in their scientific researches". You can make your selections and apply them automatically on the map using the menu item of OpenWebGIS "GeoDataBase-> Paleobiology database".

OpenWebGIS has various functions to analyze these and other data. For example, users can create animated maps based on attribute with the date/time values. This is described in detail in this article: "Embedding animated maps of OpenWebGIS in your sites". Until the last moment, all the articles on OpenWebGIS stated that: "Dates/times in the field with date must be in format ISO8601: yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss (for example:'2015-09-17T18:00:00'). It is necessary for animation in OpenWebGIS. "

It is well understandable. But how to animate your data if you do not have detailed information about the months, days, minutes, and, for example, there is only a list of years (1996, 1997, 1998 ... 2015)? Let`s assume it can be solved by adding to the data field with the years the following string ('-01-01T00: 00: 00'). But thus how to animate processes that lasted millions of years?

3D maps, new version of Cesium JavaScript library and OpenWebGIS

Recently, the release of the new version (v. 1.13) of Cesium JavaScript library has been announced. Cesium is an open source JavaScript library for creating 3D globes and 2D maps in a web browser without a plugin. It uses WebGL for hardware-accelerated graphics, and is cross-platform, cross-browser, and tuned for dynamic-data visualization.

Cesium is used in OpenWebGIS primarily to create 3D View of the maps. Until recently OpenWebGIS has used the version 1.3 of Cesium. But at last it has begun to use the most recent version of Cesium at the moment. It will give a new impetus to the development of a 3D map in the scope of OpenWebGIS project. For example, users have already had a new opportunity to work with 3D maps: you can now get an url link on your 3D map (previously it was only possible for 2D maps). In addition to the contents of the map in the link, the position and area size of 3D map, is saved. In order to make a link, create your 3D map, and click the button ("Get link ...") at the top right corner of the map as it is shown in Figure 1. After that the pop-up window will appear with options for creating the link. 

Figure 1

For example take a look at this link to the map with a heatmap of a number of population in cities.

The spatial distribution of Great earthquakes from 1905 to 2014 all around the world

Look at the interesting map of the most destructive earthquakes (with magnitude of 8 to 10 values) from 1905 to 2014. The data for this map was taken from USGS. USGS is a science bureau within the United States Department of the Interior. It can be available with menu item of OpenWebGIS: "GeoDataBase-> Earthquakes Database".