Replace((Right([ID],3)), "_", "") in ArcGIS Field Calculator

It seems like for the longest time I've used multiple temp fields for parsing values out of non-standard length text or integer unique ID values. For example, in a text field, unique (shown here in a python list format for no reason in particular other than I am learning python) ID's like;

list = [12345_N1, 12345_B25, 6789_N1, 6789_B25, 6789_B50]

Normally, I would create a temp field and say;

Right([list], 3)

create a temp2 field and select the '_N1' values and calculate that separately with;

Right([list], 2)

and then combine the two things together into one field in a haphazardly but workable way.

Granted, the more complex a statement is, the more chances for error, but once the syntax is set and ingrained in your vocabulary its amazing how much work you'll save in the future. So a more elegant solution to the problem stated above with just one field and one calculation is;

Replace((Right([ID],3)), "_", "") *

So what we are doing here is using the Replace function, which is like;

replace([FIELD_name],"",""

So instead of using [FIELD_name] I'm saying remove these stupid underscores from our selection of the 3 characters from the right side of the field and replace them with "" or nothing.

*Replace (see http://resources.arcgis.com/content/kbase?fa=articleShow&d=20119)

According to Neocartography, the Replace function "kicks ass" (see http://neocartography.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/kicking-ass-with-the-replace-function-in-arcmap-field-calculator/).

Census releases: 2005-2009 American Community Survey Data and in 6 days State-level 2010 Census Data

Census releases: 2005-2009 American Community Survey Data (ACS) and in 6 days State-level 2010 Census Data

Check out the NY Times interactive Mapping of 2005-2009 ACS Data http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/explorer?hp

From Streetsblog: NYC Agencies Take Home EPA’s Top Honors For Smart Growth

From Streetsblog:
NYC DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden were down in D.C. yesterday to accept the Environmental Protection Agency’s annual “Overall Excellence in Smart Growth” award. The EPA highlighted four PlaNYC-related initiatives for recognition: NYC DOT’s Street Design Manual, the city’s Active Design Guidelines, City Planning’s Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program, and the zoning amendment that passed in 2009 requiring new apartments and offices to include bike parking.

MORE...

ModelBuilder-Advanced Technologies ESRI UC Video

http://video.esri.com/watch/91/modelbuilder-advanced-technologies

Here is a great video from the ESRI User Conference 2010 on Advanced Modelbuilder capabilities. It covers iterations which is awesome for me because its something I'd really like to leverage in my models.

Shopping's Black Friday Twitter Brand Analysis

Black Friday Twitter Brand Analysis - from OFF THE MAP - Sean Gorman

Border Dispute: Nicaragua and Costa Rica

The Wall Street Journal is reporting on a mapped border dispute between Nicaragua and Costa Rica

http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2010/11/05/google-maps-caught-in-border-dispute/

Bing Maps drops 3D

Bing Maps is dropping their 3D services in favor of their oblique imagery services. Check it out here:

http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2010/11/bing_maps_is_dropping_their_3d_vers.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+GoogleEarthBlog+(Google+Earth+Blog)

Gridded Population of the World

Here at Columbia, SEDAC (http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/) part of CIESIN (http://ciesin.columbia.edu/) created a gridded population of the world dataset (http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/gpw/). It is great for finding population for places around the world that you might not easily find data for.

Python code: Get count of features in feature class

Working on the Python command line in ArcGIS 10 I decided to try out some of the code examples:

>>> result = arcpy.GetCount_management("feature_class_name")

>>> print result.getOutput(0)

54 (or # of features in a feature class)

So this worked pretty well. However, and this seems to be a big however, but maybe not as it is likely beneficial at some point, but the number of features is resultant upon the selection of the features in the feature class. So if you have a certain number of features selected in that feature class then that will be the returned output not the total number of features. If nothing is selected then you will get the total number of features in that feature class. So perhaps the lesson is that what is in the "quotes" is not the feature class as we know it, but as the feature layer, as in what is defined in the map document.

NYC Composting Guide

I've been looking into setting up an outdoor compost bin and The Lower East Side Ecology Center (http://www.lesecologycenter.org) has a great composting guide.

See the PDF here: http://www.lesecologycenter.org/images/LESEC/pdfs/outdoorcompost.pdf

Mt. St. Helens reforestation in GE

From Google Earth Blog:

Each year since the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens, NASA has captured imagery of the area using one of their Landsat satellites. Over the course of those 30 years, you can watch how the earth slowly reclaims the land that was destroyed in the eruption.

If you want to see the imagery inside of Google Earth, you can use this KMZ file(27MB), or watch the video below which shows all of the images from 1979 through today.

Wikileaks Report Activity in Afghanistan Viz

I saw this visualization of wikileak report activity in Afghanistan a while back but recently was talking about it - so I thought I'd share it. Very cool.

Visualisation of Activity in Afghanistan using the Wikileaks data from Mike Dewar on Vimeo.

Typographic Maps

Axis Maps LLC brings us some very cool typographic maps of Boston, MA and Chicago, IL.

Check them out here: http://www.axismaps.com/typographic.php

DIY Cartography: Map Pins

Here's an interesting post on old-school map pins from DIY Cartography: (http://makingmaps.net/2010/09/27/a-discourse-on-map-pins-and-pinnage/)

Data.gov launches Geo Viewer

Data.gov launches Geo Viewer (http://www.data.gov/whatsnew/geoviewer)

NPR WNYC Brian Lehrer Show Interview and Penn State's Geospatial Revolution Project

Penn State, along with their online masters program, has a great new video on the Geospatial Revolution, which in direct opposition to Gil Scott Heron, will be televised or at least on youtube.


Here's the link (http://beta.wnyc.org/shows/bl/2010/sep/09/map-your-moves-data-visualization-challenge/) to the segment I was on and below is the audio.

Brian Lehrer Show tomorrow

Tomorrow I'll be on a segment for the Brian Lehrer Show on a graphic visualization of moves of New Yorkers surveyed online.

http://beta.wnyc.org/shows/bl/blogs/scrapbook/2010/aug/18/map-your-moves-data-visualization-challenge-submissions/

Arcade Fire - Google Maps - Geocoding Music Video

The Arcade Fire: 'We Used to Wait'

The Arcade Fire and Chris Milk have created an interactive music video that requires you to input your home address and creates a custom music video showing aerial photography and streetview.

Solar Power Plane Flies 26 Hours

“When you took off it was another era,” The Associated Press quoted Mr. Piccard as saying. “You land in a new era where people understand that with renewable energy you can do impossible things.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/world/europe/09plane.html

NYC MTA Delay Notification System

"On the morning of June 29, 2010 there were multiple disruptions in service including a fire and smoke conditions, track circuit failure, brakes in emergency, and sick customers at various locations, which caused massive service delays..."

If you're like me and find that the MTA's Subway service is increasingly bad and if you ever need verification about your lateness isn't your fault but because of mismanaged and under-financed public transit then check out the New York City Transit Delay Verification System.

Also, report your questions to @NYCTSubwayScoop on Twitter

Check out my delay below;
REF. NUM: ----
ENTER DATE: 6/29/2010 10:46:27 AM
SERVICE DATE: 6/29/2010

SUBWAY SERVICE DELAY

Station Entrance Information:
LINE: C Line
BEGIN TRAVEL (STATION): Clinton - Washington Avenues	TIME DEPARTED : 8:00 AM
Transfer 1
LINE: 2 Line
BEGIN TRAVEL (STATION): Fulton Street
ENDED TRAVEL (STATION): 96 Street
Transfer 2
LINE: 1 Line
BEGIN TRAVEL (STATION): 96 Street
ENDED TRAVEL (STATION): 116 Street - Columbia University
Station Exit Information:
ENDED TRAVEL (STATION): 116 Street - Columbia University	TIME ARRIVED: 9:45 AM
LENGTH OF DELAY: 125 minutes

RIDER COMMENTS: F trains were running on the A, C line.

TRANSIT COMMENTS: On the morning of June 29, 2010 there were multiple disruptions in service including a fire and smoke conditions, track circuit failure, brakes in emergency, and sick customers at various locations, which caused massive service delays, reroutes and our trains to be discharged on the A B C D E F G J M N Q R. As a result, any one delay lasted up to 120 minutes on one or on any combination of the aforementioned subway lines.


WE HOPE THIS INFORMATION IS HELPFUL

NYC TRANSIT
CUSTOMER SERVICES

Pianos around NYC & Gulf Spill and Spatial Law

An organization called Play Me I'm Yours has put publicly available pianos all around NYC. And they even have maps of where the pianos are. awesome.

BP, the Gulf Oil Spill and Spatial Law

...Third, and perhaps most important, is the role spatial data will play in the litigation that will inevitably follow. Lawyers have been slow to introduce spatial technology in the court room. However, I predict that spatial data will play a critical role in Gulf oil spill litigation. One reason is simply that the nature of many of the claims and defenses will have a strong temporal-spatial component....

This Just In: Excel Is the World’s Most Used “Database”

Hilarious James Fee Post:This Just In: Excel Is the World’s Most Used “Database”

New LIDAR mission NYC

The NY Times ran a piece about a new LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) flyover to help create a more accurate, up-to-date 3D LIDAR image of New York City.

The aircraft, with a pilot and laser sensor operator for its crew, scanned the urban canyons of the city at about 3,500 feet in nine six-hour, post-midnight flights from April 14 to April 30, said a spokesman for Sanborn, the Colorado-based mapping firm hired for the task.

The focus was on how the roofs can be mapped to find the solar potential for rooftops in NYC but I can imagine a lot more things that can be done with it. I hope its accessible through NYC Data Mine.

Josh Ritter's new album & RIP Walter Sear

So I've been straying away from music and nyc-happenings postings but I can't not post on this.
Josh Ritter's new album So Runs the World Away is phenomenal. Buy it, download it, rip it, just check it out. The lyrics are great the playing is great.

Also, some sad news, Walter Sear from Sear Sound has passed away. The NY Times has an article here.

Parallel of the Month: The 49th Parallel - US/Canada border

Looking at a project Study Area I came across the 49th Parallel and how it forms the US/Canada border from Washington State to Minnesota. Read more on wikipedia about the 49th Parallel.

Using ArcMap in ArcGIS Desktop 10 - Seminar

Using ArcMap in ArcGIS Desktop 10

see What's Coming in ArcGIS 10...

The upcoming ArcGIS 10 release brings many enhancements to ArcMap that will help you produce and share better maps faster. In this seminar, you will learn about key new features that are designed to reduce the time spent on common mapping tasks and improve the quality of your map products. The presenter will show how you can take advantage of the new features to enhance your day-to-day workflows.

Seminar Description | Software requirements | Request a reminder

Thursday, April 29, 2010 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., & 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (US & Canada) 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., & 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada) 4:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., & 10:00 p.m. UTC/GMT

SQL Statement for Selecting Characters, sequential meaning coded value

So I received a spreadsheet where the number of asterisks meant the rating of a particular record. It wasn't hard to figure out this SQL statement but I thought it would be valuable to post as remembering something like this may come in handy one day. So I'll include an example using asterisks but this could be used for any type of situation where you need to include a single character but omit when that character comes up twice in sequence.

"Field_Name" LIKE '%*%' AND "Field_Name' NOT LIKE '%**%'

* = the ASCII character we are looking at

Selecting Features by a character without selecting the sequential iterations of it. Maybe a good application would be for like selecting singe 'L's in Spanish language databases w/out selecting the doube 'LL's.

ArcGIS 10 Resources Center

http://resources.arcgis.com/

I'm really excited about the level of Python integration and support at the ArcGIS 10 level. I just feel as if Geoprocessing is taking a front seat and this new version of ArcGIS is going to bring GIS to the out of the early 2000's.

ArcPy is a site-package that builds on (and is a successor to) the successful arcgisscripting module. Its goal is to create the cornerstone for a useful and productive way to perform geographic data analysis, data conversion, data management, and map automation with Python.

This package provides a rich and native Python experience offering code completion (type a keyword and a dot to get a pop-up list of properties and methods supported by that keyword; select one to insert it) and reference documentation for each function, module, and class.

The additional power of using ArcPy within Python is the fact that Python is a general purpose programming language. It is interpreted and dynamically typed and is suited for interactive work and quick prototyping of one-off programs known as scripts while being powerful enough to write large applications in. ArcGIS applications written with ArcPy benefit from the development of additional modules in numerous niches of Python by GIS professionals and programmers from many different disciplines.

Cool NYC video: 'The Sandpit'

The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

Wakey! Wakey! cover Yeasayer acoustic yet awesome

Cobra Den Invitational: Wakey!Wakey! - Ambling Alp (Yeasayer) from Goddamn Cobras Collective on Vimeo.

My Way - humorous take on Google Maps

My Way - a humorous artistic take on Google Maps

NY Times Winter Olympics Venue 3D map & 2010 FedUC

NY Times Winter Olympics Venue 3D map

and James Fee's 'Reflections on the 2010 ESRI FedUC'

Most importantly from the FedUC, ESRI is partnering with Amazon web services.

Olympic Medal Count

My grad alma mata Univ. Buffalo's GIS/Remote Sensing work in Haiti

My grad advisor Dr. Renschler and his student's work:

Brooklyn Boondoggle Film about Atlantic Yards

Brooklyn Boondoggle from meerkatmedia.org on Vimeo.

NYC BigApps

NYC's opening up of municipal data for application developers is totally awesome.

I want to use the term 'crowdsourcing' for this but it may not be totally appropriate. But it really supports the idea that open government is good and that perhaps the greatest ideas for municipal (or municipal-like) applications do not come from above, as in government bureaucracy, but from the public; applications by people using public data for other people, outside of the normal government's political freak-show.

From NY Times Bits:

The winners of the first NYC BigApps competition, which invited the public to develop applications using raw sets of municipal data, were announced at an event in New York on Thursday evening.

The competition, which the city’s Economic Development Corporation kicked off in June, gave software developers access to more than 170 sets of data from 30 city agencies, including weekly traffic updates, schedules of citywide events, property sales, results of restaurant inspections and mappable data around school and voting districts.

A panel of judges, which included John Borthwick, chief executive of Betaworks, and Fred Wilson, a partner at Union Square Ventures, selected 10 winners from a pool of more than 100 entries. Cash prizes totaling $20,000 will be shared among the winning teams, and they will also be invited to a dinner with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

The top three winners were:

WayFinder NYC: An application designed for smartphones powered by Google’s Android operating system allows users to find the closest subway entrance. It uses an approach known as augmented reality, overlaying subway line symbols on a live view through the phone’s camera.

Taxihack: Like Yelp for cabs, this Web tool allows people to post comments on individual taxis and their drivers via e-mail or Twitter.

Big Apple Ed: This Web-based guide offers detailed profiles, reviews and information about the city’s network of public schools.

An iPhone application called NYC Way that offers a range of information for city residents and visitors, took home the “Popular Choice” award, determined by an online vote.

As my colleague Claire Cain Miller reported earlier, New York isn’t the only city hoping to tap into local talent and encourage city-specific app development. San Francisco and Washington are also trying to figure out how to use the Internet and smartphones to make government data more accessible.

Brooklyn Graffiti Tour

Brooklyn Graffiti Tour Part 2
(by offManhattan.com)

Go to http://offmanhattan.com/2010/01/25/nyc-graffiti-bushwick-east-williamsburg/
for full article and photos by Arturo Conde.

View Brooklyn Graffiti Tour Part 2 (by offManhattan.com) in a larger map

NY Times internet fee/new Apple device integration...

The New York Times is starting a fee-based system for avid internet readers. And now it has been reported that NY Times workers have been working with Apple. It's clear what's going on here. The new Apple product will feature a new mobile device to perhaps replace the newspaper. But, does it fit in your pocket? You can't leave it on the subway or in a trash can (unless you have hundreds of dollars to throw away).

Is this 'the most important thing' Steve Jobs has ever worked on?

Retro GEOINT or new GPS technology

From GotGeoINT-
Our friends at DoD Buzz recently came out with a story that highlights how the U.S. Air Force — In the face of threats from jamming and attacks on satellites — needs to lessen its dependence on the Global Positioning System and develop alternatives to GPS. According to the article, Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff, said that GPS signals are particularly vulnerable in time of war since enemies know of the reliance U.S. forces place on its highly accurate signal. The article points out that alternatives to GPS include accurate digital maps, if not the good old ink and paper versions. This certainly caught our attention — the printed/paper maps thing. Is this really true? Is GEOINT going retro? Our gut is saying probably not. We anticipate that technology innovations will trump good old fashioned printed maps. here

Big Map & iPad

A Big Map That Shrank the World - NY Times

The anticipation for Apple's big event is growing. Will it be a tablet? How will it be different? Should we really expect just a large iPod Touch? Will it be called the iPad, will it? What about new iPhones?

-Bits Blog NY Times

-IT Wire

ArcGIS 9.4 will actually be ArcGIS 10

ArcGIS 9.4 will actually be ArcGIS 10

Listen to Jack Dangermond's Podcast (mp3)

• Faster, more responsive drawing performance including smooth, continuous panning of your data
• Easier access to most commonly used geoprocessing tools
• New Search window in ArcMap to let you quickly locate maps, data, and tools
• Catalog window built into ArcMap for quick data access
• Easier and faster ways to find and use symbols and tools
• Auto hide and dockable windows (e.g., table of contents) so your focus remains on the map
• Ability to execute geoprocessing in the background, allowing you to continue to interact with your map
• Automation of additional workflows with Python (maps and layers)
• Read on
  

GeoCommons Haiti Map

View full map

Haiti Earthquake Location

View Larger Map

Is Geography the New History?, Netflix rentals mapped & new MTA webpage update Wed.

Is Geography the New History?

NY Times maps Netflix rentals

& New MTA webpage update on Wednesday (see here http://www.mta.info/ Wednesday).

Top 10 NYC Bands to watch in 2010

From PopTartsSuckToasted - This is not a list extolling the best bands in New York, rather the bands that you need to watch out for, the ones that are on the cusp of great things, and who will be the next big things hailing from the five boroughs. All of these bands are working on something right now whether it's their demo or their debut full length, they are all at the very beginning of their careers and hopefully will carry on for quite some time. A lot of these guys have been mentioned on these pages before, but really their big breakout moment is gonna be 2010! We're excited every time we listen to these guys or see them on stage and we're pretty sure most of you will be if you give them half a chance too. So get out there, download their mp3's, see their lives shows, and get to know the 10 New York Bands to Watch in 2010!!!....

and they reviewed the Real Estate show at Brooklyn Bowl.

NYC Staycation & Google Nexus One

After some great vacation time (or should I say staycation), its back to work and maybe put up a few posts. First off, check out the Tim Burton exhibit at MoMa. It's really cool. I saw it over my staycation along with the New Museum and some other random touristy and/or bike trips on a new road bike.

Google's Nexus One has been making some news with the direct sales from Google.

And what's up with the Apple iSlate or whatever it's called. I guess we'll see soon enough. Still don't have my own legit internet connect, thank you Time Warner but will soon have my Mac Mini Server up and running.