I.R.I.S.® - Mapping, ArcGIS, Imagery, Datalayers For Forestry, Natural Resources, Environment©

DAZZLING DIGITAL DATA
AND MAGNIFICENT MAPS!
Contact Us For More Info About These Datasets!

If a photo is worth 1000 words, then a map is worth 10,000! This page describes some of the datasets and datalayers that I.R.I.S. can provide you with for Natural Resources Management and Conservation. In addition, our CRISALIS® Super-App provides: 1) software apps that help you find, display, extract, and download thousands of FREE datasets on the web; 2) a simple, flexible database design to structure/store your data in; 3) many FREE Imagery, GIS, GPS, and mapping software programs for processing, analyzing, clipping, customizing, scaling, plotting, etc... the datasets for your own purposes. Why download your own datasets/datalayers? Because data and mapping apps on the web are SLOW, unreliable, and notorious for changing/dissappearing without notice. Therefore, they are poorly suited for long-term, repeated use. Its MUCH better to have the following types of data on your own computers under your control. (Click on images for full-size views).

DEM/LiDAR Elevation Data

CRISALIS® Data Tools

Tabular (Attribute) Databases: These files often contain decades, if not centuries, of data that can provide you with valuable past, present, and (sometimes) even projected future information. This includes worldwide, national, and state/provincial data for: climate and weather; forest inventories; species populations and diversity; water conditions, etc. I.R.I.S. can make tabular attribute datafiles and databases even more useful to you by geocoding it (linking attributes to map locations using lat/long coordinates) or relating it (by linking tables together using an attribute they have in common such as tract name, stand-number, etc).

DRG Topographic Datalayers: DRG's (Digital Raster Graphics) are scanned-in copies of the familiar USGS Topographic maps that many natural resource professionals use. These geo-referenced images are available for the entire US and most parts of the world. Using software, you can zoom-in to an area of interest, display them at different scales, "cut and paste" them into other documents, overlay property boundaries on them, or use them as a "backdrop" for drawing other features of interest. These images can be displayed by most photo editing, desktop mapping, CAD, and GIS programs.

DLG/CAD Datalayers: DLG (Digital Line Graph) and CAD (Computer-Aided Design) datalayers usually have graphic map features without associated tabular attributes. The graphic map features are represented using discrete points, lines, and polygons. These can be displayed on top of the raster-based imagery above without obscuring it. They are a good place to start for simple mapping systems and projects. This data can be displayed directly by most desktop mapping, CAD, and GIS software.

GIS Datasets/Layers: GIS (Geographic Information System) datasets consist of map datalayers plus tabular datafiles (i.e. "graphic" map features linked to tables of "attribute" data). Together, they create "smart maps". GIS datasets enable you to point at a graphic map feature on the screen (like a timber stand), and see all of its tabular attribute data. Alternatively, you can search on a certain attribute (like tree species), and see all of the timberstands with that species. You can perform hundreds of other operations with GIS datasets. To display and work with these datasets, you need very good desktop mapping, CAD, or GIS software.

DEM/LiDAR Elevation Data: DEM (Digital Elevation Models) and the even more accurate LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) datasets contain dense grids of elevation points. These can be used to generate elevation contour, aspect, and slope layers/maps; drape 2D layers over a 3D surface; display shaded relief maps; as well as visualize topography, viewsheds, perspectives, and lines of sight. LiDAR datasets can provide accurate timberstand heights. Elevation data can be displayed and processed using some of the FREE software programs that come with our CRISALIS® Super-App, as well as the ArcGIS 3D Analyst extension. Alternatively, I.R.I.S. can process elevation datasets for you. COMING SOON! Physical 3D geo-relief maps (with/without contour lines) created using a 3D printer!

DOQ Aerial Imagery: Recent DOQ's (Digital Orthophoto Quads) are color aerial images that have been digitally processed to remove all radiometric distortions. They display photographic features very accurately and can be used as screen backdrops for "heads-up digitizing". Our CRISALIS® Super-App can provide you with FREE 100% Legal access to thousands of recent DOQ's flown for the United States with a scale of 1:12,000 and 1 meter resolution. These images can be displayed by most good photo editing, desktop mapping, CAD, and GIS software programs.

Satellite Imagery: Multi-spectral satellite (and aerial) imagery consists of millions of pixels (each having a spectral signature) for very large areas (like 200x200 miles). Instead of having to visually interpret each image, we/you can use ArcGIS Image Analyst software to automatically examine the pixels and assign them to categories (like buildings, forest types, roads, rivers, pipelines, etc). LandSat imagery is a favorite for Natural Resources Management and Conservation. It has been used for: monitoring vegetation health, insect, and disease conditions; identifying pollution sources; tracking land use changes/trends; etc. LandSat imagery used to cost over $5000.00/frame. Now, our CRISALIS® Super-App comes with software apps that give you FREE 100% Legal access to 40 years of worldwide LandSat imagery (and FREE software for automatically analyzing it)!

Radar Imagery: Radar imagery is collected with planes and satellites, and can provide information about areas when other imagery cannot. It is created by sending out sound waves and recording their "bounce-back" signal. This signal will vary depending on the ground materials and this creates an image. Radar imagery is useful for: "seeing through" heavy cloud cover; seeing the "lay of the land" through thick tree canopies; displaying soil moisture gradients; and even penetrating the surface of the ground for several meters. Like the multispectral imagery above, we/you can use ArcGIS Image Analyst software to automatically examine radar pixels and assign them to categories (such as old pipelines and geologic parent materials).

Dynamic 2D/3D Maps: The data sources referred to in this flyer are great for relatively static 2D and 3D mapping data. However, sometimes you may need to display dynamic data as it changes (i.e. in real time). We can help you find the data needed to generate state-of-the-art dynamic shaded relief maps; satellite imagery draped over 3D surfaces; dynamic geolocation maps; fly-throughs; embedded website maps, etc. If reading this on our website, click on the spinning globe for a very simple 2D/3D Map-Making interface that we wrote using Google and Java. COMING SOON! Physical 3D contour maps created with a 3D printer!

CRISALIS® Data Tools: In addition to tying over 100+ software programs together, our CRISALIS software helps you tie Natural Resources tabular/mapping data into your information system by providing: 1) software apps that help you find thousands of FREE datasets on the web; 2) software apps that enable you to use datasets on the web without first extracting/downloading it; 3) software apps that help you extract and download datasets to your network or PC; 4) the I.R.I.S. FlexAllTM Geo-database Design for structuring your attribute and map data; and 5) tools that help you manage, maintain, and document your data.

ArcData Authorized Distributor: There are thousands of for-fee and FREE datasets available in ArcGIS format on the web. However, sometimes commercially digitized, processed, verified, and maintained data is the only thing that will do the job. In this event, I.R.I.S. can provide you with data for all of the U.S. and most of the world. We are an Authorized Distributor for 50+ major data suppliers including ADC, Digital Globe, ESRI, EOSAT, GeoData, NavTech, Sure!Maps, Spot Imagery, TerraMap, and more!

I.R.I.S. can help you determine, find, evaluate, and obtain for-fee and FREE versions of the above datasets. We also provide optional installation, training, and support services for all data products. All data sold by I.R.I.S. is backed by manufacturer warranties and/or our Full Satisfaction Guarantee.

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