Pictometry image viewing facility for Cadcorp SIS

Stevenage, UK, 8 March 2007 - Digital mapping and GIS software developer Cadcorp has announced a new, easy-to-use free application for viewing Pictometry oblique view imagery within Cadcorp SIS – Spatial Information System.

The new Cadcorp SIS Pictometry Viewer, developed by Cadcorp using Pictometry’s software development kit is available for use with Cadcorp SIS desktop products, including Map Modeller, Map Editor and Map Manager.

Pictometry provides an instantly available, ‘off-the-shelf’, library of high-resolution 15cm imagery, with every feature in the built and natural environment imaged from all four points of the compass along with the vertical view. Using Pictometry oblique imagery the size, shape, design, construction and surrounding environment of any building can be rapidly assessed from upwards of twenty different oblique and vertical vantage points.

The Cadcorp SIS Pictometry Viewer is fully integrated into the Cadcorp SIS desktop family of products. Using a simple menu item or the context menu on the selected item within Cadcorp SIS, the application will display the selected Pictometry images, enabling the user to easily access all of the available oblique views of a property, building, highway or other object, and to navigate around the imagery using standard zoom tools.

At any time, the user may update the view in Cadcorp SIS based on the current location in Pictometry. The software also enables the user to obtain measurements such as distance, height, elevation, area, and bearing directly from the oblique imagery.

- Wide coverage
In the UK, Ordnance Survey has partnered with Blom Aerofilms Ltd. to be the sole provider of Pictometry data for Great Britain. Building on a very successful flying programme during 2006, the initial Pictometry capture programme will be completed during 2007, making oblique view imagery available for all urban areas with a population of greater than 50,000.

By using the existing Cadcorp SIS OS MasterMap Manager and the new Cadcorp SIS Pictometry Viewer, Cadcorp’s UK users will benefit from easy access to both OS MasterMap geographic information and Pictometry imagery within a single, fully integrated GIS environment.

Blom Aerofilms Ltd is also responsible for the production of Pictometry imagery for the rest of Europe and with over 500 European cities already in its database, is adding 30 cities each month. Meanwhile, the USA is comprehensively covered by Pictometry.

“With its new Cadcorp SIS Pictometry Viewer, Cadcorp has enabled Pictometry imagery of Great Britain to be integrated with OS MasterMap in a GIS environment,” said David Henderson, responsible for imagery and height products at Ordnance Survey. “We applaud them for this important development, because it enables many OS MasterMap users to make immediate use of Pictometry imagery in a business environment.”

“We are delighted that Cadcorp has taken this step and launched its free Pictometry viewing capability,” said David Critchley, Director responsible for Pictometry development at Blom Aerofilms Ltd. “It will help GIS users in the UK to take advantage of the many benefits that oblique aerial imagery can bring.”

“This development is another example of our long-held belief in making access to data, in as wide a variety of forms as possible, as easy as possible for our users,” said Mike O’Neil, Managing Director, Cadcorp. “We believe that this new capability will be of great interest to many of our existing and potential customers, particularly in local government, property & asset management, and the emergency services who will benefit from having access to high quality imagery within Cadcorp SIS.”

Cadcorp SIS Pictometry Viewer is available for immediate download at no cost from:
http://www.cadcorp.com/resources_digital_mapping/free_downloads.htm, and requires an installation of Map Modeller, Map Editor or Map Manager to run.

Source : http://www.cadcorp.com