Tuesday, August 18, 2015

GTWeb Server version 11.0.0.34 is Available



GTWeb Server version 11.0.0.34 is available.
  • GTWeb now supports an optional Accept/Decline disclaimer box that a user will be presented with before proceeding to a selected project.   The text of the the disclaimer is specified on the server and can be different for each project.  
  • The SecureOnly flag can now be used in a global mode that will force all connections to use SSL.

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11.00.00.34 - 8/18/15
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- NEW - #7606 - The GetProjectList method will now return a MessageType and MessageFile for each project.  Support in Browser client for Disclaimer Messages is also provided.

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11.00.00.33 - 7/10/15
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- FIX - #7582 - Fixes to ProcessPost.aspx causing browser client to hang when saving notes.

-----------
11.00.00.32 - 6/22/15
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- FIX - #7573 - A bogus ShowRaster instruction messages was in the log file.

- NEW - #7574 - Additional Logging for Non-Category Raster.

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11.00.00.31 - 5/26/15
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- NEW - #7558 - Global SecureOnly flag added.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

GTViewer Add-On Apps Revisited / Query Builder Update (version 1005)


Six sample GTViewer Add-On Apps were introduced with GTViewer version 14.  Many of you have not tried them yet for various reason.  Some of the tools are novelties, users haven't found the need for them, or users just haven't had the time to try them.

The sample add on apps are:

  • Query Builder
  • Feature Tooltip Builder
  • GTSpot Importer
  • Show Google Maps
  • Where Am I?
  • Search Redlines

I am making this post for a couple of reasons.  First, there is an update to the Query Builder that contains a few fixes.   You can get it from:

ftp://gtweb.mobi/demos/GTV_QueryBuilder_1007.zip     (password:  gtviewer)


Second, I don't think enough people out there realize how useful these tools can be.   They are more than just samples.  For example, nobody has made more Query Definition files that I have; however, over the last couple of years of exclusively using the Query Builder to create query definition files, I don't even remember the syntax of the definition files (nor do I need to).   Granted, the Query Builder may seem a little quirky at first, but it does what it does, and it is a lot easier to use a GUI to create a query than do it old way (find a similar query definition file, make a copy, open in Notepad, open up GVData.doc, try to figure out which entries you need, compile query, see if it works, rinse, repeat).  So, if you are still using Notepad as your Query Builder, give the Query Builder a try.

The Feature Tooltip Builder is another under utilized app.   Creating Feature Tooltips is not really hard, but it is very tedious and you may have to do a lot of them.  Also, if you get something wrong in the definition, they just don't do anything and then you have to sift through the logfile to see what is wrong.  Feature Tooltips can also add a lot of value to your data in terms of easily seeing useful information, making this information available to your users is really what this is all about.     So, if you are not using Feature Tooltips, start using them.  If you aren't using the Feature Tooltip Builder, start using it to create them.

Show Google Maps has always been one of the more popular Add-Ons.  Probably because it is so simple in what it does (open up Google Maps and show the same area you are looking at in GTViewer).   However, I use it for a different purpose.  If you are configuring your Coordinate System, it is often difficult to know if you have it correct, but with this Add-On, you can just find an area in your data that is somewhat recognizable (funny looking intersection, water body, river, etc.), then run Show Google Maps.  If the center of what is in the view in GTViewer isn't what you are looking at in Google Maps, then something is wrong with the Coordinate System setup.   Generally, the Coordinate System is either right or really wrong and this method will help determine which category you are in.

Where Am I was so popular that it was just incorporated directly into GTViewer and GTWeb. There may still be users who want to use this app (source code is available) to do very specific or complex Where Am I functionality, but it's usefulness has probably usurped by GTViewer.   A good question would be "Where is the Where Am I Builder?".   This tool doesn't exist yet, but it might one day.   One hack that may help you out in the meantime is that the Feature Tooltip Builder can help you define the difficult to create parts of the syntax (Features Strings, Expressions).   It will also let you pick a boundary feature, and you can see what values are populated, etc.    So, just build a Feature Tooltip of the shape you want to use with Where Am I and borrow (cut and paste) the parts of the definition that apply.

The GTSpot Importer it only useful to those who have GTSpot, but you can use it with our test server to see if it would work for you.

Last but not least, Search Redlines is probably only useful to users with a lot of redlines (session graphics), and those redlines need to have text or embedded data in them to search.  Don't forget that anything highlighted can be easily converted to Session Graphics (Tools/Convert Highlighted to Session Graphics).  Highlight/Thematic Queries and Feature Counting highlight things that you might want to search too.   Also, Dynamic Graphics can be converted to Session Graphics (Tools/Dynamic Graphics to Session Graphics).  Granted, this is only what is in your current view, but GTDGExport is delivered with GTData and it can create a .GTG file for you whole dataset using a DG Action (you can import a .GTG file into Session Graphics using Draw/Import).   Lastly, FME can easily create .GTG files from many different sources, and you can embed data on the graphics (which is also searched by Search Redlines).









Wednesday, August 12, 2015

GTMetaExp version 2.0.0.11 is Available




GT/Metadata Explorer version 2.0.0.11 is available. 

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02.00.00.11 - 08/12/15
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- FIX - #7593 - Copy button on Find Feature tab was not anchored to the top.

- FIX - #7594 - The Length function in the Expression evaluator conflicted with Gtech styles that used Length as an attribute.
ET Decimal type.  

GTech Loader version 10.0.0.21 is Available





















GTech Loader version 10.0.0.21  (for G/Tech 10)


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10.00.00.21 - 08/12/15
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- FIX - #7585 - If a default style rules is not provided in the metadata, there could be a problem generating a style definition name.

- FIX - #7586 - If a feature has no Style Rules defined in the metadata, it will now create a default style for it.

- FIX - #7587 - A tolerance has been added for determining if an Arc is made of colinear points.   It did have to be exact.     Arcs within this tolerance are converted as lines.

- FIX - #7588 - Some of the Arc to Line conversions were not creating the first point correctly in the linear element.

- FIX - #7595 - The Length function in the Expression evaluator conflicted with Gtech style rules that used Length as an attribute.

GTData 14.0.0.3 is Available


GTData version 14.0.0.3 is available.   Normally, a GTData update does not come out so soon (last one was on June 13th).   However, GTSumGtg was corrupt in the last setup and since GTData may change only once or twice a year, it could be a while before another regular update.  There were a couple of new features added as well as a lot of updates to GTVData.doc.

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14.00.00.03 - 8/12/15
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- FIX - #7575 - GTSumGtg - The delivered version of GTSumGtg was broken in previous GTData.

- NEW - #7581 - GTQuery - The "FME:" tag is now supported in the Feature entry.

- NEW - #7596 - GTFilterMod - The -d option added to search Filter Entry description field.

GTVx version 14.0.0.12 is Available



Version 14.0.0.12 of GTVx is available.


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14.00.00.12 - 8/12/15
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- FIX - #7570 - The Name token in Feature Strings was not working correctly.

- FIX - #7572 - The Type Library (gtvx.tlb) had the GetCatFilterListFromFeaStr method incorrectly defined.

- FIX - #7597 - Default values for Shape Border Color Id and Value for Style Definitions was not correct.

- FIX - #7598 - Switching between Color Value and Color Id properties would not always remember the last color from the color table to put in the color value.

- FIX - #7599 - StyleManager did not always sense a change in ShapeBorderColorId, ShapeBorderColorValue, TextExtendedStyleColorValue, TextExtendedStyleColorId, and would not save those modifications.

- FIX - #7600 - Copy Button added so Style Manager's Definition Edit dialog.  It will copy the current style definition to the clipboard in the format used by the Style Definition file.

- FIX - #7604 - The AddLocationHistory method was not setting the modified session flag, so it was possible to not save the location history when exiting a session.

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14.00.00.11 - 4/21/15
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- FIX - #7544 - The Feature Tooltip expressions were not working with multiple occurrence records.

-----------------------
14.00.00.10 - 3/3/15
----------------------- 

- NEW - #7512 - The GetElementInfo method will now include the Area and Length values if they are available.

- FIX - #7522 - Problem with Feature Counting if you count all Dynamic Graphics, then count Dynamic Graphics in Shape, then go back and count all Dynamic Graphics.

GTViewer 14.0.0.30 is Available



GTViewer version 14.0.0.30 is available.   Most of the updates here are with the Style Manager.

-----------------------
14.00.00.30 - 8/12/15
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- FIX - #7569 - The Name token in Feature Strings was not working correctly.

- FIX - #7589 - Default values for Shape Border Color Id and Value for Style Definitions was not correct

- FIX - #7590 - Switching between Color Value and Color Id properties would not always remember the last color from the color table to put in the color value.

- FIX - #7591 - StyleManager did not always sense a change in ShapeBorderColorId, ShapeBorderColorValue, TextExtendedStyleColorValue, TextExtendedStyleColorId, would not save those modifications.

- NEW - #7592 - Copy Button added so Style Manager's Definition Edit dialog.  It will copy the current style definition to the clipboard in the format used by the Style Definition file.

- FIX - #7603 - The AddLocationHistory method was not setting the modified session 
flag, so it was possible to not save the location history when exiting a session.