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A Spreadsheet-based GIS tool for planning aerial photography
Citation:
CLINTON, P. J. AND D. R. YOUNG. A Spreadsheet-based GIS tool for planning aerial photography. Presented at ESRI International User Converence, San Diego, CA, August 04 - 08, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
The U.S.EPA's Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch has developed a tool which facilitates planning aerial photography missions.
Description:
The U.S.EPA's Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch has developed a tool which facilitates planning aerial photography missions. This tool is an Excel spreadsheet which accepts various input parameters such as desired photo-scale and boundary coordinates of the study area and compiles and executes an ArcGis vbscript or ArcInfo aml generating photocenter points, photo Afootprint@ polygons and photocenter coordinate lists for constructing flight maps. A number of other output parameters such as total number of photos and the size of a photo when digitized are useful in interactive flight planning. The tool greatly reduces the amount of time it takes for Principal Investigators and GIS professionals to accurately plan aerial photo missions. The tool has been used successfully to plan aerial photography of all of the major estuaries in Oregon as well as Willapa Bay, WA. To fully utilize this tool, the user must have access to Excel 2003+ and ArcInfo v.9x.