RobiNZ CAD Blog

Antarctic memories in QGIS

I was doing some QGIS training, testing, experimenting and the dataset provided was Antarctica. Had to spend a few minutes mapping where I've been! See; Antarctic memories in QGIS - RobiNZ Personal Blog (typepad.com) Landings and activities plotted Read more →

ZKDEM…

While looking at Flightradar during the QANTAS eclipse I noticed another aircraft with a clever registration. I guess you need to be a CAD/GIS and Aviation geek to see why ZKDEM is so suitable for an aerial survey aircraft. Read more →

ESRI & Autodesk Alliance announced at #AU2017

Fascinating to see Autodesk and ESRI announce an alliance at the Autodesk University Technology Keynote. In my previous life at the Airport the gulf between GIS and BIM was a real frustration. Look forward to seeing what this brings. Sent from Outlook for Android More information here: https://www.autodesk.com/solutions/bim/hub/autodesk-esri Read more →

Has Google purchased Esri?

Did you wonder why — as of January 20, 2015* — Google Earth Pro licenses were made free? I don’t use Google Earth often and, although happy not to have to deal with disappearing Earths, didn’t really think much about it. Last week I got a link to a blog post by someone who has clearly thought about it a great deal. Duane's hypothesis is rather intriguing, especially for Esri GIS users. Google has purchased Esri | Duane Wilkins | LinkedIn "Go large or go home" they say, so here goes. Here's my take on the new GooEsrigle relationship. The... Read more →

Farewell to The Warehouse, Hello Auckland International Airport

It isn’t unusual to look forward to a long weekend but Easter 2015 will be particularly memorable for me. Last Thursday was my last day working for The Warehouse Limited (TWL) after seventeen, would have been eighteen in July, years. Tomorrow, the first day of a new adventure. Leaving The Warehouse, more than a job TWL was well established when I joined in 1997 but had, still has, a ‘big small company’ feel. They’d not long been in the new Store Support Office. It was extended twice over the years I worked there, most recently the 4 story addition seen... Read more →

NeatStreets + Smartphone = Smarter Safer Neighbourhood

I’ve been using this app for a while and find it really does help get things done. NeatStreets combines smartphone geo-location, photos and social reporting to make it really easy to report community hazards. Categories include Litter, Graffiti, Flood Damage, Footpath, Parking, Potholes, Signage, Traffic & Street Lights, Trolleys & more. For example: I noticed the summer heat had caused this bike path near my place to expand, crack & raise up. It is now about 100mm high and could be quite a hazard. On the phone fire up NeatStreets, take a photo, geo-location pinpoints the spot (near enough or... Read more →

No escaping the BIM, even on holiday

Several years ago I blogged about finding Cadman Rd in Auckland & wondered if there were any place names with BIM (Building Information Model). Google maps showed just one in New Zealand: Bims Rd in a fairly isolated part of the South Island near Nelson Lakes. By chance I had been there and even taken a photo, perhaps not a surprise given the number I shoot on holiday, of the valley while on a cycle tour. Yesterday the cycle tour I’ve just finished passed by there again so I just had to stop and get a real photo. Bims Road... Read more →

Cycling Directions now in Google Maps New Zealand

Yay, Google Maps now has cycling directions for New Zealand and Map Maker tools so we can add updates. Below you can see Google Maps suggested route from my suburb to the city. It routes cycles to the North Western Motorway (or freeway for US readers) in preference to a shorter suburban road route. Although cycles are not allowed on the motorway there is a cycle path beside it which is the safest way to town. The current route misses a short section of cycle path near Henderson and in the city. You can use the Map Maker tools to... Read more →

New Zealand Google Maps (and Earth) get Traffic!

There aren’t many people in New Zealand but we have more cars/head than most (~2.5 million cars/4 million people). Then consider not far off half the population live in one city and it is squeezed onto a narrow isthmus between two harbours*. So we do have traffic and now so do our Google Maps (UPDATE 2012-04-13: and Google Earth): Traffic Conditions for New Zealand on Google Maps Kiwi automobile commuters, we want to reduce your time stuck in traffic. Today we have expanded our live traffic coverage in Google Maps to cities in New Zealand. * My Glen Eden to... Read more →

New Zealand is on the move, to Topo50

If you are in New Zealand, and use maps or GPS, be aware that a new coordinate system may impact where you are at! Read more →