On the Job: Turnpike Authority Adopts SVG-Based Web Portal
14 Jan, 2005 By: Cadalyst Staff CadalystFlorida Turnpike Enterprise distributes map data through an enterprise portal built on Intergraph tools
Florida Turnpike Enterprise has successfully deployed the TEAMS (Turnpike Enterprise Asset Management System) enterprise Web portal from Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions, an application based on the new Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) display format. FTE deployed TEAMS in April 2002, and the latest release, v2.4.1, includes SVG enhancements. The easily customizable nature of SVG facilitated development of advanced plotting capabilities for TEAMS, Intergraph reports.
In addition, the combination of Intergraph's Web mapping exporting capabilities and SVG lets FTE users extract asset data from areas they define within a map. These areas are based on FTE-defined plan sheets size and scale, and the features extracted from the user-defined areas meet the FTE CADD standards, such as level, weight and color (figures 1 and 2).
 Figure 1. The initial TEAMS application interface prompts the user to select a plot size and scale. |
 Figure 2. Following the selection of a plot size as scale, the user is prompted to position what is called the footprint for the subject area. The clocklike control in the upper left corner is used to rotate the subject area as required. The user can either export the subject area to a plot file or to a CADD file. |
The system gives FTE immediate access to its asset data, such as buildings, tollbooths, bridges and more. FTE staff now can plot asset data in plan sheet format with a high-resolution air photo background or insert it directly into planning, design and construction CAD files (figure 3).
 Figure 3. In this image the user has generated a plot file. Note that the subject area has been rotated horizontally and placed into a standard engineering plan sheet format for plotting. |
The requirement for importing asset data directly into plots and files originated with Florida Turnpike's utility staff members, who actively use TEAMS reporting and mapping capabilities and needed the data in a format suitable for simple utility and roadway project design requirements.
Turnpike Enterprise Program Manager for Renewal and Replacement, Bo Sanchez, explains the benefits of TEAMS with the new SVG and CADD output capabilities. "We designed TEAMS to be a budgeting tool as well as a data integrator. The portal provides one-stop-shopping, if you will, for asset inventory data as well as virtually all of Turnpike's enterprise databases.
"The latest TEAMS release is the next step in the evolution of the Web portal," Sanchez continues. "Now our data is being used to meet design requirements and previously unmet requirements. For example, our utility staff did not have a mechanism for communicating utility design information with utility companies and visa versa. With these new capabilities, they can produce a 1:100-scale plan sheet in a matter of minutes, which allows our utility crew to do their job more efficiently."
Scalable Vector Graphics transform the Web into a virtual desktop, giving users functionality previously available only on the desktop. Using a common Web browser, this new functionality can create geometric objects and features on the fly; perform manipulations, such as rotating areas; zoom in on features and move map features to new locations; and extract map features for placement into design files -- all accurately and easily, according to Intergraph.
SVG is the new W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) standard for Web-based vector graphics recently incorporated in Intergraph's GeoMedia WebMap products. Based on XML (Extensible Markup Language), SVG enables rich graphic features, supports the high-clarity display of both vector and raster content and manages very large amounts of data. In addition, SVG's powerful scripting and event support capabilities complement the Open Geospatial Consortium's GML format, which can be easily converted for high-quality online display.
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